First of all, I would like to conclude that "Hot" is a good movie and worth watching. It may be slightly better than many released Chinese films, but it is far from being a god, and it cannot even be said to be excellent.
Although there are vulgar jokes and slightly redundant sensational passages in the front, when "Send You a Little Red Flower" plays, Jia Ling still relies on the well-prepared reversal (perhaps experienced movie fans have guessed it). The core of "Hot and Hot" is presented.
's dramatic weight loss on and off screen, as well as the stunning box office performance of his debut film, have added a lot of expectations to "Hot and Spicy" and become the core driving force for it to become the highest-grossing film during the Spring Festival this year. Compared with the adaptation of the original work, the Japanese film "One Hundred Dollar Love" can still see the intentions and shortcomings of the script team. On the premise that other technical aspects are unremarkable, the shallowness of the story has become a problem for "Hot" and Jia Jia Ling's most conspicuous flaw.
01. The class truth behind weight loss
Regardless of whether Jia Ling and the film team are willing to admit it, "weight loss" is definitely a keyword that cannot be avoided in "Hot and Spicy".
At the same time, no matter how anyone (especially women), including Jia Ling, disguises their weight loss behavior, "women want to please themselves", be active and self-disciplined, challenge themselves, and always win once, etc. Its essential motivation can never circumvent the compromise of mainstream aesthetic concepts.
Especially Jia Ling, who has made public appearances in the past few days, has indeed become thinner and looks like a different person. Her round face has turned into a square face. She bursts into tears as soon as she appears on the stage. She is no longer the same as before when she was cheerful and controlling the whole audience. They are completely different from each other, and it is even speculated that he is depressed.
But what is the value of this weight change? Does
improve the look and feel? Don’t you think Jia Ling is so beautiful and sexy now? On the contrary, the dimples on the previously round face, the solid figure and the warm smile make people feel friendly and have more emotional value as soon as they see it.
inspirational story? spends money, takes time, is anti-human, constantly hungry, depressed, and has a box office of hundreds of millions every day and still cries. The ultimate goal is to have a slim figure and have the fat layer thinned by a few centimeters. Encourage everyone to actively lose weight? Encourage everyone to cater to the so-called elite style, white, tender and thin aesthetic?
Some supportive fans also provided reasons for the "health" and "self-discipline" of and . But it is equally untenable. First gaining weight and then losing weight quickly, having a professional team for support, paying the price of withdrawing from the public eye for a whole year, feeling low and on the verge of depression, etc. How healthy is this?
At the same time, Jia Ling wrote the script, first filmed the weight gain part, and then led a production team of more than 100 people, invested hundreds of millions of dollars, and over a million viewers expected it, just for the subsequent boxing part, for the self-confrontation in the corridor Watch the sensational passages. This is no longer the self-discipline of ordinary white-collar workers, but a "heterodiscipline" that is coerced by capital and teams.
In fact, I miss Jia Ling very much in those years, her heated exchanges with Shen Teng in Ace, the hilarious laughter at the press conference, and her cordiality and easy-going in life and work. That is a person who is loved. Being an actor is a rich and passionate life.
originally had an independent and passionate existence, but for the sake of mainstream aesthetics and public recognition, he has completed the so-called inspiration and "transformation" from on-screen to off-screen. Where is the transformation? These are just vivid individuals who have finally "cut their feet to fit the shoes" and jumped into the trap of mainstream consciousness (constructed by the elite) and mediocre aesthetics (supported by the masses).
Several speeches by Professor Chu Yin have told the truth about weight loss.
In an era of scarcity, fatness is considered beautiful. If you have money, you can eat meat, and if you have time, you can put on makeup, which is wealth in the world. However, in a modern society with abundant materials, becoming fat and leisurely is almost every ordinary person's right. Therefore, the elites must create new "class differences" and "elite labels", exercise, lose weight, keep in shape, maintain health and beauty. In the past, whiteness, tenderness and thinness, which were considered "sick", have become the most popular aesthetic trend.
Even Jia Ling, who holds billions in box office and has the right to speak as a "quasi-first-class" director, has to succumb to such guidance or misleading.
02. The deeper the malice, the more inspiring
As an adapted movie, "Hot and Spicy" has a similar story structure to the original "One Hundred Dollar Love". They both start with a loser girl from the bottom learning boxing, and then turn around and counterattack, Confirmation of self as end. In many details in the film, you can feel the seriousness of Jia Ling's team, which has completed the localization transformation from the inside out.
In classic drama theory, "conflict" is the most important core that determines the excitement of a film. In revenge movies, the core of the conflict is a cunning and powerful enemy; in love movies, it is the impossibility of reality and the strong obstacles of family and family; in inspirational movies, it is the maliciousness of reality, the disgust of others, and the ultimate self-realization. Powerful and accomplished counterattack.
was substituted into "Hot and Spicy", and there were many localized details. However, after changing and changing, the deeper core of the original work was lost. In other words, causes conflicts that are not obvious enough and inspirational that is not enthusiastic enough.
In the script of the original work "One Hundred Dollar Love", Ichiko was rejected by his family, fought with his sister, raped by the store manager, rejected by his boyfriend, and rubbed on the floor by the bottom class. Her fist is aimed at the resentment and despair of a poor life, and at the stagnation and constraints of her own inertia. She doesn't need to cater to anyone's aesthetics. She is resisting the established perceptions and stereotyped standards projected onto her by others.
In the first half of "One Hundred Dollars of Love", it is almost completely depressing and gloomy. There is no humor or lyricism. There is only the slowly flowing river of life, as well as the oil and garbage floating on the water. Everyone around Ichiko seems to be filled with profound malice and the indifference of a "developed country."
These foreshadowings provided strong emotional support for Yizi to choose boxing and vent his anger in the ring.
On the other hand, "Hot and Spicy" uses conventional comedy operations to dissolve this heaviness with gag jokes. Including the sketch dialogue between Qiao Shan and Li Xueqin, as well as the bullying and conversation in the barbecue restaurant, jokes and baggage are added. On the surface, it makes the viewing process easier, but in fact it eliminates the core conflict motivation of the film. , and the suspenseful tension of reversing the narrative.
Especially in the love story between Jia Ling and Lei Jiayin, Lei Jiayin did not reveal any obvious malice (maybe he was shy in not acknowledging their identity as a couple?). The two were more like a low-class couple clinging to each other and supporting each other.
The evil spirit that was eliminated and the anger that was vented finally led to a boxing stage that could not be fully supported.
As a result, many of the passionate passages in the film gradually became repetitive and lengthy (with the exception of the passage in "Little Red Flower"), constantly eroding the audience's patience and enthusiasm.
Not only that, the audience quickly realized that such boxing was undoubtedly unprofessional and untrustworthy, and in turn questioned the rationality of the weight loss behavior itself.
As a low-income loser and a barbecue shop worker, can she support boxing for three hundred yuan per class for a long time? Do you have time to go for a run, practice boxing, and lose 100 pounds of fat?
also raised questions. Is it possible for a girl with a pleasing personality to stay at home for several years?
03. Self-confirmation of pleasing personality
In order to analyze Du Leying's self-perception and pleasing personality in the film, I have to make some spoilers, although I will be very restrained.
Living at home and growing old, she was disliked by her divorced sister and was plotted by her sister about the house in her hands. However, Leying swallowed her anger and silently signed the house to her sister;
her best friend and her boyfriend got together, and her best friend still wanted to marry her. She acted as a bridesmaid to cover up her mistress behavior. Leying endured the humiliation and fulfilled the honor of her best friend;
endured the severe pain of losing her virginity and catered to her boyfriend's needs. However, she heard that her boyfriend did not acknowledge their relationship. Others said, "Just a trainee";
also felt pity for her cousin and helped her complete the exaggerated performance on the variety show. With this performance, the cousin was successfully hired and became a full-time employee, but Le Ying overheard that her cousin was just using her. She is fat as a gimmick, but has no feelings for her at all.
On a stormy night, when she was in despair, Le Ying jumped from the window, but her life did not end, and she was not even injured at all. Therefore, she rebounded and began to seek a victory in life.
Let me make a brief comment, "Send You a Little Red Flower" seems to fit the mood, but it is not a suitable choice. Because the author Zhao Yingjun has passed away, this song also has a broader and heavier connotation because of the movie of the same name.
In addition to "weight loss" and "sensation", Jia Ling tried to lead the topic to self-affirmation and inner strength.
A conversation between her and her father raised a question: How should I give two apples, one large and one small, to others?
In the past, Le Ying would immediately hand over the big apple to express her goodwill; but she gradually discovered that others who got the big apple would continue to stare at the small apple. What's more, people will be accustomed to thinking that Le Ying doesn't like eating apples, and giving apples is not her goodwill, but that the recipient is helping her solve her troubles.
Just like her boyfriend always thought that Le Ying liked to eat bullfrogs.
After growing up, Leying no longer immediately handed over the big apple, and no longer instinctively chose to please and be kind. Whether you give big, small, or not, all depends on your mood.
Therefore, whether you are fat or thin, tolerate or cut off, cater to or withdraw from, accept or reject, the standard is just to follow your own heart, without caring about other people's opinions or worldly perceptions. This is a mature and stable sound personality that has gone through tempering.
From the self-comparison in the corridor to the cold attitude towards her boyfriend at the end of the film, they are all Le Ying's chic state after becoming powerful.
Therefore, this is the real theme of "Hot and Spicy", which is to follow your own choices, give up trying to please the world, give up trying to please others (even family members), and shine brilliantly with a strong self.
So, the last remaining question is, since we encourage everyone to follow their heart and be themselves. Then, there is the true love between mother and daughter in "Hello, Li Huanying" and the weight loss and boxing in "Hot and Spicy". Next time, can you break away from your own halo and make a third-person movie with a relatively objective perspective? Director Jia Ling?
After all, movie fans should pay more attention to the movie works rather than the director’s own anecdotes, right?
