Chapter 105

Seb's words are like sharp blades, stabbing not only the female lead but all the audience.

"Nooooo!"

"Why say that? You'll regret it!"

"Too hurtful!"

Xu Can's performance is so natural; this line even hits Taylor.

She actually starts to sympathize with her rival.

"Don't... quickly apologize to Emma, say you didn't mean that!"

Stone, sitting below, feels heartbroken seeing this.

"Baby, you're really hurtful."

"Hey, hey, hey, this is a movie line; I can't bear to hurt you."

"You clearly already hurt me."

"Shh... don't talk in the theater."

Xu Can quickly silences her.

No problem, he did hurt her before, unable to refute.

After this argument, Seb and Mia's relationship can never go back.

Mia moves back to her hometown, leaving Seb, leaving the acting dream she insisted on.

Until Seb hears about a precious audition opportunity, he drives to Mia's hometown, using the clumsiest method, honking to find Mia!

He still has her in his heart!

On the day of the audition, Mia conquers the judges with a song.

Subtle facial expressions, even the most critical film critics secretly praise.

"This is an Oscar-winning performance!"

"The whole movie is a powerful Oscar contender!"

At the end of the film, Mia gets the performance opportunity and is about to go to Paris, Europe, with a bright future.

And Seb quits the pop band, still a down-and-out jazz musician.

When the two meet again, they no longer argue. He sincerely wishes her well, hoping she can realize her dream in Europe.

Everything has been let go.

"For the sake of dreams, you have to give up everything, including me."

"Then what about you?"

"I will stay here and do jazz well, you know."

Seb finds his original intention, and Mia does too,

but the price is that the relationship between the two is likely to end here.

Seeing this, Taylor wishes she could rush into the screen and grab Xu Can by the neck.

"Quickly say, go to Europe! Go with her!"

Other audience members in the theater also sigh, regretting that lovers cannot eventually get married.

The two look at each other for a long time, the love in their eyes still obvious.

"I will always love you."

"I will always love you too."

The film seems to have reached its end.

The entire audience is looking forward to the two eventually rekindling their old relationship, breaking the mirror and reuniting, a happy ending.

This is the standard Hollywood ending; a happy ending is so good!

Film critic William finally finds an opportunity, sneering and curling his lips:

"Wait for it, Xu Can can't break away from this framework; in the end, the two will definitely walk together again. The two who have achieved fame and success will welcome happiness and beauty."

"It must end with a wedding."

Roger Ebert smiles:

"Not necessarily. Watch the movie, don't chatter."

William is still waiting for his prediction to be confirmed, finding a reason to criticize Xu Can's musical for being cliché.

Who would have thought, the next opening is a thunderbolt!

Female lead Mia is already a big star she once looked up to; she has realized her dream.

However, she is actually married, and even has children!

The husband isn't Seb, but a stranger!

"Is it a cheating ending?"

The audience at the scene also expresses confusion; how is the female lead already married? Abominable!

Doesn't give any chance at all!

How can the male and female leads reconcile? Can they only cheat?

They can't imagine at all how it will unfold next.

But Mia and her current husband drive to a quiet street, suddenly hearing a jazz melody.

She thinks of the young man who once pursued jazz.

"Shall we go in and listen?"

The two just entered the jazz club, and the flashing sign is like a thunderbolt!

[Seb's]

This was her idea back then! Seb actually really opened a jazz club!

With trepidation, the two go in and take their seats.

Sure enough, that familiar figure appears.

"Wow!"

The entire audience lights up!

Compared to the previous styling, male lead Seb has added a bit of melancholy and vicissitudes.

But the light in his eyes remains unchanged, still vaguely visible as he was at the beginning.

The ultimate version of Xu Can's skin makes countless young girls want to scream.

Even Taylor Swift blushes when she sees it.

"Try letting that guy wear this set another day..."

Seb sits gracefully at the piano, accidentally discovering Mia in the crowd, a glance for ten thousand years!

"Welcome to Seb's"

Originally, Seb intended to play other pieces, but by some strange coincidence, his fingers fall on the keys, and what appears is the melody from when the two met in the restaurant.

The 7-minute and 39-second ending—"Epilogue"!

Mia instantly travels back to the first meeting!

Only this time, he hugs Mia tightly and kisses her without hesitation!

If that day, I hadn't chosen to brush past you...

From this moment on, Xu Can uses the ultimate montage to take the audience to revisit the entire movie in another way.

If everything started over,

I would kiss you the first time we met,

push aside work to see your first performance,

I would quit my job,

follow you to Paris,

Paris also has good jazz,

we would have a beautiful family,

on the night we leave the children with the nanny,

drive you to dinner,

and then walk into the bar together,

Listening to others play the music I composed.

If only everything could start over...

At this point, it has become art!

At this point, the film, beyond everyone’s expectations, was pushed to a climax!

Everyone at the scene, whether it was the ordinary audience, Taylor Swift, the harsh and critical film critics, or the creative team who had already watched it countless times...

Everyone who saw this seven-and-a-half-minute dreamlike montage couldn't help but fall into deep shock.

Clearly, there were no grand, flashy scenes, yet it formed a powerful force that impacted everyone’s inner hearts.

Especially those in the theater with stories of their own; they were already teary-eyed, desperately trying to wipe away their tears to see every detail of the film clearly.

Couples who came in thinking it was just a romance film were perhaps thinking of someone else in their minds.

The song ended, and they returned to reality.

Seb did not press the final note; his fingers hovered over the keys, as if nothing had ended.

Mia and her husband stood up and left the club.

Just before she walked out the door, Mia couldn't help but look back.

Seb, his eyes full of love, looked over as well, and their gazes collided.

At this very moment, neither of them shed tears, felt regret, or had any intention of entangling themselves further.

All that remained was a knowing nod and a smile.

The film ended.

【The End】

【Screenwriter & Director: Xu Can】

【Producer: Xu Can】

【Starring: Xu Can, Emma Stone】

Taylor Swift was already sobbing uncontrollably, her eye makeup ruined by tears, sitting in the theater seat with blurred vision, not caring at all that someone might recognize her.

The others were the same; men were silent, women were in tears.

They had originally expected a cliché happy ending, but the film delivered a massive blow at the very end!

It instantly elevated a 7-point musical romance into a work of art!

William had long forgotten about nitpicking or writing a review; he remained trapped in the shock of the final montage, unable to pull himself out.

He had started out thinking Xu Can was the clown, only to realize the clown was himself.

The excited audience frantically offered their applause; everyone was still streaming with tears as they clapped, their hands turning red from the impact.

Not until the film credits finished playing.

When the host took the stage to invite audience interaction, everyone was still a bit dazed; no one raised their hand to ask a question.

This left the host quite embarrassed, thinking everyone was not very satisfied with the film.

"Uh... the blonde girl in the back row wearing a hat, do you have any questions about this film? Or is there anything you'd like to say?"

Taylor Swift had been immersed in endless lingering regret, but suddenly realized the host was calling her.

What?

She didn't respond for a long time.

Xu Can curiously glanced back; even with her disguise, he saw through it instantly.

"Holy crap? Why is she here?"

He had been intimate with Emma just now; she shouldn't have seen that, right?

It was probably unlikely; the theater was so dark, and she was sitting so far away.

Xu Can suddenly felt the thrill of being caught cheating.

Seeing that Taylor Swift kept hiding and wouldn't come out, the host assumed she was shy. At this moment, many others raised their hands, and the situation was finally no longer awkward.

"What is your question, please?"

They saw film critic William stand up, stammering:

"Uh, I had originally thought this movie would turn into a cliché love story, but now it seems I was terribly wrong. This is the best film I have seen in the last two years, bar none!"

"Thank you, Xu Can, for your contribution to the musical genre."

The others didn't think much of it, but Roger Ebert next to him was stunned.

No, man, that is not what you were saying just a moment ago!

"Best of the year! Best musical of the century!"

"The beginning and the end are legendary!"

"A Chinese person has made a musical that the entire Hollywood couldn't produce; aren't you ashamed? Produced by Xu Can, it must be a masterpiece!"

"Who would have thought that the best musical of the 21st century would be made by Spider-Man!"

"The Thousand-Faced Best Actor! Spider-Man, assassin, pervert, dancer! Is there any role he can't play?"

"I cried! My girlfriend cried too! Wait... something seems a bit off."

*La La Land* opened with a 9.3/10 rating!

Although it couldn't compare to high-scoring films like *The Godfather*, *The Dark Knight*, or *The Shawshank Redemption*,

this was a musical!

Xu Can, who had never directed a musical before, killed off a whole host of past Hollywood musicals with his first attempt!

Even if the score drops later, it will basically stay around 9 points!

It is no exaggeration to say that the word-of-mouth is explosive!

Famous North American film critic Roger Ebert commented in his column:

"Movies can evoke empathy for another kind of experience, and good movies make us better people."

"Xu Can is trying a brand-new field and once again dominates in his own way. This time I am not surprised; Xu Can is the kind of filmmaker who creates miracles."

"Perhaps you didn't notice the retro elements in the minute details of the film; those are all love letters Xu Can wrote to cinema, as well as a tribute and a display of skill for the golden age of Hollywood."

"This young, high-spirited Eastern youth seems to be saying, 'Hollywood, get ready for my era!'"

"Without a doubt, two thumbs up! Worth watching many times over."

At the same time, the box office figures for *La La Land* were released!

The opening weekend box office in North America exceeded 100 million!

All of Hollywood was shocked.