"Cool, this is probably the best Asian movie I've ever seen"

"It's a completely different feeling from Jack Cheng's movie, how can I say it, is this really a movie made by Hong Kong people?"

The sound of whistles and the growing noise woke up George Coppero Fils, who was still sitting in his chair. He frowned and looked around for a while, and then saw that the subtitles had begun to be reported on the screen, and then he began to realize that the movie was over.

"This is probably pride and prejudice......

George Coppero Fils shook his head, if it weren't for a whim, he would probably have to rub shoulders with such a wonderful movie.

In his previous impression, Hong Kong films were nothing more than fights and killings, teachers were killed, family members were killed, and then students and children went over to take revenge. Occasionally, there are one or two movies that appear in the underworld, I thought they reflected the dark side of society, but who would have expected that after watching it, I found out that it was a movie that praised and praised the righteousness of the underworld. The excessive commercialization has made Hong Kong films get praise from 'Oriental Hollywood', but it has also made it go further and further on the road of commercialization, but it has neglected the connotation of the film itself.

This is also the reason why in Europe and the United States, Hong Kong films are rarely accepted by mainstream audiences in Europe and the United States, except for the gorgeous, or real fights and gunfights.

George Coppero Fels used to think so, but this time the film from Hong Kong, called "Killer Leon", taught him a lesson. It turns out that Hong Kong films are not useless, yes, at the beginning of the year, a film called "Carmen in Mong Kok" attracted a lot of attention at the Cannes Film Festival. Not long ago, another film from Hong Kong called "Friends" is said to have won the praise of many European filmmakers, and I heard that the distributor who bought out the European screening rights of that film is ODN, but I don't know if Lu Dao has the opportunity to see that movie in theaters

After standing up and leaving the screening hall with the flow of people, he still had a feeling of unfinished, and unconsciously walked to the ticket office to buy a movie ticket to reminisce again, when the movie ticket was in his hand, he couldn't help but laugh dumbly, and secretly admired the means of the Hong Kong film company that was able to make the movie "Killer Leon". If it weren't for the fact that they bought so many movie tickets to give away everywhere, and as a result, many of their friends in the film critic industry received their invitations, and they might have really passed by such a movie.

As a film company that doesn't have any reputation in the UK, it's admirable to be able to come up with such a means of promotion to promote their films. At least George Coppero Fils had already made up his mind that he would work overtime to produce a report on the movie "Killer Leon" when he returned, which would be published in the latest edition of the journal "Sight and Sound". At this time, Hong Kong had not yet been returned to China, and it was still one of the exclusive overseas colonies of the United Kingdom, and it could be regarded as half of its own. Compared with the American films that plunder a large number of box office profits in Britain every year, George Coppero Fils did not think much of "Killer Leon" from the beginning, he only regarded this movie as a rare masterpiece in Hong Kong for several years, and he did not realize that it was precisely because of his own momentary excitement that it opened a door for films from the East in Europe.

After watching "Killer Leon" three times, George Coppero Fils finally wrote an article that satisfied him - "Highly recommended Asian films, from Oriental Hollywood - Hong Kong's redemption of humanity"

He used a lot of words to interpret the movie in detail.

I don't know when Hong Kong, an international metropolis from the East, has a new name - Oriental Hollywood. I seem to have extremely conflicting feelings about Hong Kong movies. On the one hand, I am extremely reluctant to watch Hong Kong movies, and I always feel that Hong Kong movies are difficult to understand. For example, "Best Partner" and "The True Color of Heroes", I was confused and ignorant when I watched it, and I couldn't figure out what the director of the movie thought? Especially the latter movie, is it to celebrate the underworld and social violence?

But on the other hand, every time I see a Hong Kong movie, I can't help but marvel at the excellent action design and skills of Hong Kong people, as if everyone is Bruce Lee, and everyone in Hong Kong knows kung fu. Of course, there are also a few movies in Hong Kong that I like, such as "Knife Horse", "Carmen in Mong Kok" and "Killer Leon", a Hong Kong movie that I recently saw that is being released in the UK

"Killer Leon" is a film invested and produced by a Hong Kong film company called Asian Film Company (mistranslated by foreigners), and the director is named Lin Xiaozhi. The movie tells the story of a middle-aged killer, Leon, and a young girl, Martha, and although the word 'hitman' appears in the title of the movie, if you treat it as an ordinary action shootout movie, then it will undoubtedly pass by a good movie. Because it's not just a movie about Leon's life as a killer. The movie is mixed with the plot of Lolita, mutual redemption, and the discussion of what is good and what is evil. I appreciate the director's brilliant conception and shooting technique, which makes the whole film dark and warm and humorous at the same time.

The film begins with a series of beautiful exterior photos, and the film director has ingeniously used the technique of long-shot shooting to show the beautiful scenery of Victoria Bay and Hong Kong in front of the audience. Then we followed the camera into a bar, and the next two men appeared, taking a concise shot, and then neatly brushing over a small fragment of a killer's life, which is undoubtedly a quite successful opening

Then there is the plot of Leon's mission, which fully shows how neat and skilled Leon is as a professional killer. Hong Kong people seem to be particularly good at designing fights and shootouts, and when Leon killed the men of the underworld boss, many people saw Leon's men die without even seeing Leon's shadow. In the later chase with the fat man, a wide-angle lens was used to shoot, which made the room that was not very big seem to suddenly become larger, and the fat man's actions were quite agile, fully demonstrating his panic and fear of Leon.

When Leon pressed the knife against the fat man's neck, we can see Leon's appearance more clearly, I wonder if this scene of Lu Dao wants to express that only when Leon is willing to expose himself, we can see his appearance? And then we also learned from Leon that Martha became a killer that only very professional people can use knives. In this episode, the background is black, and Leon quietly appears from the darkness and then leaves quietly, fully showing Leon's elusiveness and skill. At the same time, we also see in Leon's release of the prostitute that Leon later said his principle as a killer: do not kill women, do not kill children. This plot is mainly about Leon as a person, and his sharp skills and principles as a killer.

Riding the subway and buying two bottles of milk, even as a skilled killer, Leon is an ordinary person like everyone else. I don't know what Lu Dao is, but here is a special appreciation for the habit of drinking at least one glass of milk a day designed by my director for Leon. Milk is undoubtedly entrusted with a special symbolic meaning in the movie, it is a very warm and affectionate food, and the person who can drink milk should also be a warm and affectionate person

When Martha is first introduced to the girl in the film, a shot of the floor is used to give people a sense of volley and danger, and then Martha puts her two feet deep beyond the railing, reflecting Martha's current life - being beaten, scolded, and abused. Then the camera pans upwards, starting with the shoes Martha is wearing: leather shoes, colorful stockings, cigarettes, and expressions and eyes that are different from those of her peers. The director used all the means he could to leave me with a vivid image of a girl. The environment in which Martha and Leon first converse: the dim hallway, the dark, cold railing, everything seems hard and unfamiliar. This contrasts with the background color of the objects later after Leon and Martha lived together, highlighting the change in relationship between the two.

Close the windows, close the curtains, carry a full weapon, drink milk alone in a dim room, bend over and slowly iron, as if he has never slept in bed, always sit on a chair to sleep, next to a gun that can be held at any time, lyrical slow background music is playing, making people forget that Leon is a killer, and some are just distressed for Leon. The light and background music play a big role in people's feelings for Lyon. This pattern of life of Leon is transformed later by the addition of Martha, and this transformation also expresses the redemption in it, not only from Leon to Martha, but also from Martha to Leon.

At the beginning of the day, Leon is alone doing sit-ups and Martha's morning life at home doing a two-line montage, which contrasts on the one hand, and in a sense, it may also be a hint that Leon's life will intersect with Martha's in the future, and the two will spend the next morning together, and then it will be the same, even if it is not for long. After that, the slaughter began......

Martha's father stole drugs from an anti-narcotics police officer who served the underworld and killed the family. The appearance of the evil cops is like a catwalk, making people feel that this poisoning is like a show for them, and it is insignificant. The last anti-narcotics police officer, Stan, makes people feel very uncomfortable, and this police officer who talks about Beethoven and Mozart when killing people always makes me feel a little psychopathic, especially the details of his body distortion after taking the pill.

The tragedies in the house were shot with wide-angle lenses, and everyone's movements looked particularly sensitive. These evil policemen kill women and children, all of which are contrasted with Leon's principles, making the audience deeply aware that Leon is a good person, not a killer. And the killing of her four-year-old brother directly led to Martha's revenge on the police officer Stan later, because only this four-year-old brother in that family was the most reluctant person for Martha.

When the police killed Martha's family, Martha happened to go out to buy something, and helped Leon bring two bottles of milk, she smiled happily because she could help Leon do things, and the fear after seeing the tragedy at her own door to the tears after leaving her home, during which the director used slow motion to clearly show this emotional change. After that, she eagerly rang Leon's doorbell, and Leon didn't open the door for a long time, and I should have felt the same as Martha at that time, hoping that Leon would open the door, but I was afraid that Leon wouldn't open the door.

Eventually, Leon opened the door, and the light became bright, like heaven, because for Martha, it was undoubtedly heaven's salvation. Later, the plot of Leon playing the little pig to make Martinda laugh made me feel very warm, and I felt that Leon was really a kind and sympathetic person, and his identity as a killer here was completely unimportant. And Martha's words and actions when she asks Leon to teach her to become a killer once again show Martha's ageless maturity, which also lays the groundwork for Martha to fall in love with Leon later.

Lyon walks up a slope, from far to near, using a long lens. At first, only Leon's head was seen, then to the face, then to the chest, and gradually Martha's head was revealed. The first half of this long shot sets up a suspense: after Martinda shoots, is Leon killing her? Leave her behind? Or take her with you? Later, when she saw Martha following Leon, the answer was clear, and at the same time, she let go of a hanging heart.

Due to Martha's shooting, Leon had to move and stayed with Martha in a hotel. Leon's first entry into the hotel room shows Leon's caution as a killer and how dangerous Leon's situation is, but he still takes Martha with him. With Martha on board, Leon's daily life begins to change, with both the background music and the background colors of objects changing. The music became relatively pleasant and bright; The colors of the items have also become richer.

Leon and Martha's mode of getting along has gradually changed, it is no longer Leon who gives orders, Martha said: "It's now, but between the two can frolic, whether it's a cross-dressing game, or a splashing game, they feel very warm, and at the same time feel relieved to Leon, because he is no longer alone, he can already laugh. Life in Lyon has changed in color. In a sense, Martha is the salvation of Leon.

Lying on the bed with red sheets, Martha said to Leon, "Leon, I think I'm in love with you." "Leon, you're my first love." I think her mood right now may be as full of love as the red sheet. And Leon's mood swings when he walked out of the room after hearing it as a joke at first made us understand that Leon's feelings for Martha are not so simple.

Leon takes Martha on a mission, and Martha's aversion to drugs reflects the shadow of Martha's family being killed because of drugs. After that, a series of montage clips of chewing gum and cutting door chains showed the tacit understanding between the two getting better and better. Martha returns home and sees her brother's state at the time of his death, and overhears Stan's office address, so she decides to take revenge. After she asks Leon to help her get revenge and Leon refuses, she decides to take matters into her own. She imitates Leon's look: a hat and sunglasses to seek revenge on Stan. It is said that when you fall in love with someone, you will imitate his taste and style.

The climax of the film is when Officer Stan dispatches a large number of gang members disguised as police officers to the building where Leon lives to arrest Leon. When a large number of his men are killed by Leon and Leon is still not seen, Stan begins to go berserk, and at this time, Stan speaks to Stan's voice, fully expressing his inner anger, and at the same time seeing his beastly rage. When Leon smashed the exhaust tunnel and let Martha escape, the gang members pressed forward step by step, using the editing technique of cutting and inserting, which increased the time in a short time, and the situation seemed very dangerous, and people couldn't help but worry and worry about them.

The constant sound of gunshots finally attracted the police, Leon pretended to be a wounded and was helped downstairs by other policemen, at this time Leon's subjective lens was used, through Leon's eyes, we saw that the corridors, stairs and other places were full of police, and the ears were filled with Leon's heavy panting, and the situation seemed particularly critical. We also began to get scared, afraid of what would happen if Leon was recognized, but luckily Leon was not recognized by the officers, but he was also seen by Stan. Leon began to run away, he saw the exit, the light so near, yet so far away.

At this point, the director uses slow motion to eliminate the surrounding sounds, leaving only soft background music. The exit is so close, but it seems so far, maybe that's how the world is close at hand. Then Stan appeared behind Leon, but Leon still didn't notice it, still smiling and looking at the exit, looking at the lights, but those became out of his reach, and the next second, he fell to the ground, but he still avenged Martha, using the "ring game" that he had taught Martha. A sea of fire, a patch of red, and everything will end.

Leon is dead, and while Leon is still alive, he tells the informant that he wishes to give Martha the money he has kept with him for so many years. After Leon's death, the operator says to Martha what he once said to Leon: trust him, he's safer than the bank. But it was he who betrayed Leon, and everything seemed ironic.

Eventually, Martha returns to school with Leon's hope that she will be able to live the most normal life, as well as his evergreen, and plants her in the garden. This ordinary evergreen plant runs through the whole movie, Leon takes care of it carefully, as Leon and Martha move, Martha begins to take care of it carefully, risking rescue in the shootout, and taking it away when she escapes. Leon once said that orchids were his friends. In fact, to a certain extent, Orchid is also the embodiment of Leon, and he has something that Leon can't have as a killer. At the end of the film, Martha says, "I think we're going to have a good time here, Leon." ”

Planted in the garden, the evergreen will have roots and survive for a long time, just like Leon is in Martha's heart.

A good movie so wonderful that people can't bear to miss even a minute, "Killer Leon", a movie from Hong Kong, Asia, should be the most worthwhile Christmas gift for British audiences this Christmas. Written at the end of the book, this movie can score at least 5 points in my heart, and if there is an English version of its nice ending song, I'm afraid I will give it a 9 points. ”

Founded in the 30s of the last century, "Sight and Hearing" is the full name of "Sight and Sound", which is the exclusive publication of the British Film Institute (PI) published once a month, and is generally published in the first week of each month. Because of its professionalism and authority, it has millions of readers throughout the United Kingdom and even Europe, and is known as one of the most authoritative film journals in Europe.

And when George Coppero Fils' special film review of "Killer Leon" was published in the latest issue of the journal in November, countless readers were immediately curious. What kind of film can make this professional film critic who has a lot of fame in England and even the whole of Britain give such high praise and respect? Under this curiosity, a large number of British audiences did not hesitate to buy tickets to the theater to watch the film at a price equivalent to one percent or even less of their weekly salary.

As a result, not only Zheng Fei, Chen Qiang and others stationed in the UK by Lin Xiaozhi were pleasantly surprised to discover this scene, but even ODN, which was considering painting this movie, was pleasantly surprised to find that "Killer Leon" was popular

Yes, "Killer Leon" became popular because it accidentally appeared in the most professional film journal in the United Kingdom and was recommended by its editor-in-chief, when the new issue of "Sight and Sound" was published, in the next three days, the box office of "Killer Leon" was 10,000 pounds, 170,000 pounds and 1.53 million pounds respectively, and after ten days of release in the United Kingdom, "Killer Leon" broke through 5 million pounds at the box office, and at the end of its second week in the United Kingdom, the final box office of the film also rose to 9.43 million pounds.