"I love the script very much, I love the story very much, and I love the character very much. I told myself that if I missed this project, I would definitely regret it. So, I did my best to hope that I could be a part of this work, and it was my honor. ”

Lan Li talked eloquently, and Jeff watched quietly.

Slowly, the corners of Jeff's mouth rose slightly, Lan Li's sincere words were so focused and engaged, that he couldn't hear the politeness and perfunctory words in his words, but the content of the words was a standard press conference template, which can be applied to "Edge of Tomorrow", but it can also be applied to every movie and every character outside of it.

Lan Li's meaning was clear enough, but Jeff pretended not to hear the deep meaning, and said seriously, "You mean, you're not happy with the script of Edge of Tomorrow?"

The mockery hidden in the routine of the press conference is actually the dissatisfaction with the cookie-cutter scripts, characters, and templates of commercial films. However, "Edge of Tomorrow" is a script that has been blacklisted, and its quality has been recognized by industry insiders, isn't this good enough?

"Huh. Lan Li chuckled, but he didn't defend himself, but nodded in affirmation, and such an honest answer made Jeff's eyes show a hint of amusement, "This is a very good script, I think it's 'excellent', but it's not 'Inception'." ”

Personally, in the second decade of the 21st century, the most outstanding combination of business and art was "Inception", followed by "Mad Max: Fury Road". Even for Christopher Nolan's directorial work, Lan Li's love for "Inception" surpasses that of "Batman Prequel: The Dark Knight".

In the eyes of professionals, the commercial elements of "Inception" are still too heavy, and the artistic value is far less than that of "The Dark Knight". The latter's discussion of justice and evil, the choice between good and evil, is definitely a classic in film history, while the former lacks this kind of philosophical thinking and sublimation, but Lan Li prefers "Inception", and the reason is precisely this:

"Inception" is a commercial movie, and it needs more commercial elements. And the excellence of this work lies in the discussion of dreams and reality, especially for every soul who has suffered pain and family fragmentation, the value of emotional support and memories is often beyond imagination, and the suspense between fantasy and reality at the end has become the finishing touch. Its artistic value is not much, nor is it deep, but it is enough for commercial films.

The advantage of "Edge of Tomorrow" is that the commercial element occupies the absolute protagonist, and the disadvantage is that the artistic part is not refined. So, this is a work that combines business and art brilliantly, but the commercial element occupies an absolute leading position. This is true both in the previous Tom Cruise version and in the first draft version of the script in the hands of Lan Li now.

Jeff didn't say anything, abruptly interrupted the rhythm of the conversation, let the atmosphere between the two people fall silent, and his eyes locked on Lan Li motionlessly, the aggressive eyes were enough to make people feel restless, but Lan Li was not in a hurry, and met Jeff's gaze comfortably, and just let the awkward and sharp atmosphere spread.

Suddenly, Jeff showed a smile, "Being so arrogant and self-righteous is not a good thing for a newcomer." Aren't you worried that I'll just kick you out?"

Lan Li tugged at the corners of his mouth and said with a chuckle, "That's my strategic mistake." There was no rebuttal, but calmly, even with a hint of banter.

"Huh. Jeff couldn't hold back and burst out laughing. so frankly admits that everything just now is a strategy, and the actor who auditions like this, it is estimated that there is only one in the entire Hollywood. This cunning, this wisdom, this uninhibitedness, is so refreshing that not even Brad Pitt has seen it. "Is this also one of the strategies?"

Lan Li shrugged his shoulders, but smiled silently.

"Haha. Jeff smiled even more happily, "So let's talk, what do you think is the gap in the script of 'Edge of Tomorrow'?"

Lan Li raised his eyebrows slightly, a little surprised.

Because Jeff is not a filmmaker, he is not a director, not a screenwriter, not a producer, he is a businessman, at most a movie lover, the same as Lan Li in his previous life. Now, during the audition process, Jeff has to discuss the script with himself? It's not that Jeff isn't qualified - every movie lover is qualified to express his or her opinion on the work, but Lan Li thinks that today's audition will be something else. As for the script discussion, the director or screenwriter will be more concerned.

But this kind of accident only lasted for a moment, and then Lan Li sat up straight, straightened his posture, and considered his words, "Have you ever played Nintendo before?"

The first question made Jeff stunned. Lan Li wasn't sure about Jeff's age or if he had gone through the stage when Nintendo was popular all over the world, so he asked at the beginning.

Jeff paused, curiosity rising again, and nodded in affirmation.

Lan Li smiled, "When we are playing the game, every time a character dies, we can start all over again. The first and second time, from not knowing to being proficient, we kept groping until we successfully broke through. In this process, each failure may feel different, the first failure may produce a sense of novelty, the second failure may start to study, the third failure may start to arouse competitiveness, the tenth failure may start to be irritable, the twentieth failure may want to give up, some people may play until the level is clear, and some people may not. But, what does it feel like when you actually make it through?"

"Victory!" Jeff blurted out,

Lan Li nodded in affirmation, "The joy of victory, the joy of breaking through, that kind of emotion is difficult to express." In a way, this pleasure is what we want to do with the game. However, after one level, there is the next, and after one game is cleared, there is another game. So, the pleasure/feeling that comes with victory, that's limited. Unless you're the first in the world to beat it. ”

Jeff patted his thigh lightly and laughed heartily, remembering his old days when he was younger, and involuntarily nodded in agreement.

"That's what the Edge of Tomorrow script feels like, we're playing a game. But, the problem is, the script is that we are experiencing the game. We are not the ones who control the game, we are the people who control the game. Lan Li simply turned the discourse, and the discourse entered another stage, "Imagine if we enter a game loop, and the price each time is to die once." So, is the game going to be that simple? And more importantly, when the game wins, is it just a win?"

A simple analogy, but the whole story of "Edge of Tomorrow" is presented in a different way. One is a player who is playing the game, and the other is a character who is going through the game. A simple perspective change, but in the presentation of the movie, there is a world of difference.

As the head of the industry's top film production department, Jeff immediately understood: excellent commercial films present a top-notch viewing experience, and classic commercial films present an irreplaceable participation experience. This is also the reason why Lan Li mentioned "Inception" just now: after watching the movie, at least everyone has questioned whether their life is a dream, even if the thought only appears once.

Interesting, indeed interesting. Jeff touched his chin and looked at Lan Li with interest, "Go on." ”

"We can look at the character of William Cage, who is a businessman who, in the midst of war, in the apocalypse, has persuaded countless people to join the war by relying on his incorruptible tongue, but he himself is out of the way. Does this sound familiar?" Lan Li's casual words made Jeff laugh directly-

Cage's character is actually a satire of the U.S. government, and the Iraq war is nothing more than a competition between politicians for economic interests. They call the shots from above, followed by the incited ordinary people, and in Washington, the truly informed would never let their children join the military.

"But, this is a commercial film, not an art film. Lan Li immediately gave a negative speech, and Jeff smiled even brighter, "Cage went from an outsider to an insider, from survival to death, and more importantly, from death after death, each time he felt different. In the beginning, it may also be a game for him, a game that tries to beat the level, but with the increase in the number of times, with the increase in deaths, his thinking must change: war, what does it really mean?"

Lan Li didn't continue to speak, just clicked to the end, and the blank space behind it was left for everyone to think slowly. However, Jeff wanted to hear Lan Li's insight, "So, what is the answer to this question for the movie 'Edge of Tomorrow'?"

The question is skillful, not for Lan Li, not for William Cage, but for this commercial film. It can be understood that Jeff is asking about Lan Li's views on the combination of business and art.

Lan Li immediately heard the deep meaning, but he didn't panic, chuckled, and said unhurriedly, "In the entire cycle of life and death, Cage witnessed the death of his comrades again and again, and experienced the feeling of his own death countless times, from horror to anger, to numbness and pity, and finally the walking dead like a circular battle, which is the different experience of the game controller and the game participants. For the controllers, what they need is victory, but also profit and glory, but for the participants, what they need is survival and peace. ”

"Death in war is just a set of numbers for the controller, but for the participants, it is the end of hell. When Cage moves from a manipulator to a participant, he realizes that all his words are just hypocritical lies. Lan Li's words made Jeff's eyes flash with a glimmer of light.