Chapter 181: Your Old Man Is Still Your Old Man!

At home, Ge You sat on the sofa. After reading the script, he didn't hide the bitter smile on his face, sighed, and asked the rising director sitting opposite him:

"Can I not act? I really don't want to act in this anymore!"

After speaking, Ge You rubbed his face and slumped on the sofa. It could be seen that he really didn't want to act in the script in his hand.

"Youzi, I know you are tired of acting. Don't say it's you, even I am tired of filming. But there is no way, right? The above specified that we should film another one to make up a trilogy of New Year films. Then we still have to do it!"

The person who said this was none other than Feng Xiaogang, who had cooperated with Ge You many times.

*Be There or Be Square*, released in December last year, achieved a box office of over 40 million. After *The Dream Factory*, it achieved such a good box office result again. Feng Xiaogang today is really a character among directors. If it weren't for the existence of Wu Yuchen, Feng Xiaogang should be the most dazzling director who has risen in the past two years.

Although he couldn't compare with Wu Yuchen, Feng Xiaogang had truly raised his eyebrows in the past few months. However, while achieving box office results, Feng Xiaogang also saw many comments about him in terms of public opinion, which could be summarized in one word: vulgar.

Feng Xiaogang also has pursuits and wants to make progress. Therefore, in this situation, he wants to film some serious films with connotation to rush for awards, rather than using big Beijing jokes to amuse people like *The Dream Factory* and *Be There or Be Square*, making people laugh at him as a joke director.

He excitedly took the script *Sigh* adapted from Wang Shuo's *Wolf in a Sorry Plight*, but the opinion he got after reporting it was that the New Year film should be a trilogy. Since he had already filmed the first two, he should film another one, and then he could film *Sigh* that he wanted to film. In fact, it was because they took a fancy to the fact that this style of Feng Xiaogang's film could make money, and wanted him to continue filming.

So under a sigh, Feng Xiaogang could only find someone to create *Sorry Baby*, and then came to visit his golden partner Ge You with the script.

To tell the truth, Ge You really didn't want to act in this role anymore, because he knew that if he continued to act like this, his image in the audience's heart would be fixed as a comedy actor, and it might be difficult to take other types of films in the future.

In fact, Ge You had tried other attempts many times in his past life, such as *Butterfly Smile*, *Cala, My Dog! *, and *Suffocation*, all of which were themes he hadn't filmed or roles he hadn't acted in, but these attempts were not successful. A very typical example is *The Banquet*. As soon as he appeared, the audience wanted to laugh. You have to know that *The Banquet* is not a comedy film, and the role he played is not a comedy role, which is actually a failure.

But now Feng Xiaogang had chased him to his father's house, and said that the male leads of the first two *The Dream Factory* and *Be There or Be Square* were him, and the audience wouldn't recognize it if the male lead was changed, which also made Ge You in a dilemma.

At this time, Feng Xiaogang saw Ge You's father, Ge Cunzhuang, walking out of the room, and immediately greeted with a smile: "Hello, Uncle Ge! Are you going fishing?"

Ge Cunzhuang also nodded to him: "Xiaogang, you guys talk slowly, don't rush."

Then he turned to Ge You and said: "Be humble and prudent, guard against arrogance and rashness."

Ge You immediately explained: "Dad, I'm not playing big!"

Feng Xiaogang also helped on the side: "Uncle Ge, Youzi is not that kind of person~"

Just at this time, there was a knock on the door. Ge You immediately rushed over and ran to open the door.

As a result, when the door opened, Ge You was stunned. Only to see Wu Yuchen standing outside.

Wu Yuchen is the most resonant director recently. Ge You also watched *Don't Fool Around*, and he must say it was filmed well. It is worthy of being able to win the Golden Bear.

Ge You immediately showed a brilliant smile: "Yo, Wu Dao, what wind blew you here! Please come in, sit inside!"

Wu Yuchen couldn't help but laugh when he saw Ge You: "Teacher Ge, sorry to bother you!"

At this time, Feng Xiaogang and Ge Cunzhuang inside also saw Wu Yuchen. Feng Xiaogang only felt a thud in his heart. What can Wu Yuchen do here? Isn't it the same purpose as him, coming to find Ge You to act!

Ge You didn't want to act in his *Sorry Baby* anyway, and now Wu Yuchen came to find him, wouldn't he have even less play? The current Wu Yuchen is in the middle of the sky, and his achievements in the past two years cannot be compared with others in all aspects. Just his attraction to actors is not something his *Sorry Baby* that was temporarily put together can compare.

It wasn't just Feng Xiaogang who thought so. At this time, Ge You was also very happy in his heart. Wu Yuchen had chased him to his father's house, so he must be very sincere to him.

At the same time, Ge You also cast an apologetic look at Feng Xiaogang: Xiaogang, it's not that I don't want to act in your play, but Wu Dao has found this place, so I can't refuse! Sorry!

After Wu Yuchen entered the room, he hugged his fist and smiled at Ge Cunzhuang: "Hello, Old Man Ge! Your body is tough!"

Ge Cunzhuang was also happy to see Wu Yuchen come to his house: "My body is tough! Wu Dao, sit down, I'll let Youzi make tea for you~"

Ge You had already moved quickly, taking tea cups and fruit, and was very enthusiastic. He also wanted to cooperate with Wu Yuchen.

Feng Xiaogang sighed in his heart, but

"It is quite a coincidence, Director Feng. Are you here to find Mr. Ge to film a movie?" Wu Yuchen glanced at Feng Xiaogang and Ge You.

Feng Xiaogang nodded: "You can say that. I didn't expect to run into you, Wu Dao. It just so happens I'll go back and polish the script some more, and we can talk after you finish filming here."

Feng Xiaogang spoke up and conceded directly; he didn't intend to put up a pointless struggle and compete with Wu Yuchen—he couldn't win anyway!

However, Wu Yuchen waved his hand and then asked:

"No rush, Director Feng. Which Mr. Ge are you looking for to film?"

Feng Xiaogang was stunned for a moment and blurted out: "That would be Ge You, of course!"

Wu Yuchen chuckled: "Then we haven't run into each other; I'm looking for the other Mr. Ge!"

As soon as Wu Yuchen said this, the few people in the room were stunned. Ge You, who was in the middle of serving tea, suddenly looked up: "Huh? Wu Dao, you're not looking for me, but for my dad?"

Feng Xiaogang also looked toward Ge Cunzhuang, who was holding a fishing rod. He had truly overlooked him; the old gentleman was also a veteran actor!

Ge Cunzhuang also just realized what was happening and asked back: "Wu Dao, you want me to film?"

Wu Yuchen said with a smile: "That's right, Mr. Ge. I am currently preparing an Oscar-contending film. The male lead requires someone with superb acting skills and a suitable image like you. I wonder if you would be willing?"

The few of them keenly caught one keyword: Oscar-contending!

When Feng Xiaogang heard the term "Oscar-contending," he felt incredibly envious. He was still struggling for recognition from domestic awards, and he didn't even have the autonomy to film a serious movie now, while Wu Yuchen had not only swept so many awards, but had already started charging toward the Oscars!

The gap between people was simply too vast, making it hard for Feng Xiaogang to even think about comparing himself to Wu Yuchen.

Ge You only felt that his joy had been for nothing; he had thought they were looking for him, but he hadn't expected the target to be his own father! Hearing that Wu Yuchen was going to film an Oscar-contending movie, he felt even more envious of his old father.

Ge Cunzhuang laughed from ear to ear: "Wu Dao, if you can ask me to act, you're doing me a great honor! I've always played villain roles in the past; I didn't expect you to think highly of me! I don't even know if I'm up to the task!"

Decades ago, Ge Cunzhuang had a nickname: one of the five villains of the Chinese screen. Because he had shaped many screen images that made people hate him to the bone—the bullying landlord in "Red Flag Chronicle," Major Kameda in "Little Soldier Zhang Ga," and so on—he could be called a professional villain. Nowadays, the "flower girl," "die, die," and "mishi mishi" lines that everyone hears from the Japanese soldiers in film and television dramas were all created by Ge Cunzhuang, and they have continued for decades.

Wu Yuchen gave Ge Cunzhuang a thumbs up: "Mr. Ge, I have watched all the films you've acted in; you become whoever you play. The Qi Baishi you portrayed recently was also very spot on! If you are willing, let's look at the script first, and I will explain it to you properly~"

"Alright, alright, let's go, Wu Dao, let's go into the study!" Ge Cunzhuang pulled Wu Yuchen inside with a smile, completely ignoring his son Ge You.

Ge You watched his old man's excited tone and the way he was so happy he couldn't find north, and he really wanted to say to him: "Be humble and prudent, guard against arrogance and rashness!"

But he only dared to think about it in his head; he was afraid the old man would hit him with a fishing rod if he said it out loud.

Ge You suddenly felt that "Be There or Be Square" was also okay; at least he wanted to film a comedy now to heal his wounded soul.

At this moment, Feng Xiaogang walked over, patted Ge You on the shoulder, and said: "Your old man is still your old man!"

Ge You glanced at Feng Xiaogang, and he didn't want to film anymore...

Inside the study, Ge Cunzhuang put on his reading glasses and began to read the script in his hands earnestly. It told the story of a couple over eighty years old, and after the wife suddenly suffered a stroke and became paralyzed, their love of many years began to face a test...

Ge Cunzhuang thought to himself that it was no wonder they were looking for him instead of Ge You; the protagonist in this movie was an old man over 80, and his son couldn't play it at all.

While Ge Cunzhuang was reading the script, Wu Yuchen was also pondering the matter of this film. In his past life, a very famous art-house film emerged in 2012: "Amour." In China, whether on video platforms or in web novels, one could often see the presence of the film "Amour."

But in fact, the film "Amour" was always suppressed by another film at the Cannes Film Festival; it only took home the Best Actor award, and its Oscar run stopped at a nomination. And the film that suppressed it not only won the Palme d'Or that year, but also won Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars the following year, and swept major awards at the European Film Awards, the BAFTAs, and the César Awards. It was basically invincible among European and American art-house films that year—it was the film "Amour" that Wu Yuchen was preparing to shoot.

In this film, the male and female leads are both well-educated retired music teachers. After the wife suffers a stroke and loses the ability to care for herself, and with their daughter working abroad, the husband can only care for his wife himself and hire a caregiver, maintaining a clean and noble daily life, keeping up appearances when musician students visit, and maintaining dignity when the daughter shows concern. However, illness often gradually wears a person down. The wife does not wish to continue suffering from the pain and the torment of her self-esteem, and in the end, the husband uses a pillow to smother her, fulfilling his wife's wish.

The story actually has nothing strange or special about it, except for this ending; one could even say it is very common, a situation many families will face. The focus is on the director and the actors, showing the originally warm couple, the husband's fatigue, disputes, and remorse under the long-term illness, and the process of the wife, who had been elegant and proud all her life, gradually losing her dignity under the pain and becoming a walking corpse.

There are three reasons why Wu Yuchen chose this "Amour" to charge at the Oscars.

First, since he wants to charge at the Oscars, he must maximize his chances. For the Oscars, public relations are certainly needed, but the quality of the film itself is of course also very important. There must be points that can move the judges.

And the Oscar judges—that is, the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—have thousands of members, and most of them share one characteristic: they are old. Therefore, people in Hollywood often say that the Academy is controlled by a bunch of old men. To win an Oscar, you have to cater to the aesthetics of these old men who came from the Golden Age.

And what is the film "Amour" about? It is the process of how an 80-year-old person chooses to face the torture of serious illness and death. Aging, illness, death, fear, dignity, love...

Can you name any other subject matter that could move these old guys more than this? They are experiencing it themselves right now!

Secondly, it is easy to localize.

For other films, for example, if you were to film "The Hunt," you would have to consider cultural backgrounds and modify details for localization. But the film "Amour" can be said to transcend culture and background. The problem of the elderly is something every country and region in the world must face. Aging, illness, and death are equal to all living beings. When everyone faces these things, the emotions are shared.

Therefore, for Wu Yuchen to film this "Amour," as long as he picks the right actors, he can just film it according to the script; there is basically no need for modifications.

The third is the content and censorship issue.

Some films, like those of Jia Zhangke, choose to film social problems that exist domestically and then win awards internationally. In this way, not only will censorship block you, but you will also be accused of exposing the dark side of China or uglifying the Chinese people to win the sympathy of foreigners.

But "Amour" does not have this problem; not a single bit could be cut by censorship, and the content is also beyond reproach.

This film is actually not difficult to shoot; the real focus is on the actors!

First is age; to show the state of true aging, Wu Yuchen's requirement is at least over 70. Because many 60-year-old men and women actually look quite good!

Then there is temperament and image. This couple are both well-educated music teachers, and their past lives were relatively refined, so if he is looking for someone, he has requirements for their appearance and temperament.

Finally, there is acting skill. This film can be said to revolve around the two old people, and their performance is very important.

Combining the above points, when Wu Yuchen was selecting people, several candidates appeared in his mind for the male lead. For example, the old gentleman Lan Tianye, who was Jiang Ziya in the old version of "Investiture of the Gods." He is 72 years old this year and has deep attainments in painting, having held calligraphy and painting exhibitions; his temperament and image are very suitable. It's just a pity that he is now completely immersed in calligraphy and painting and doesn't perform much anymore.

Subsequently, Wu Yuchen thought of the old gentleman Ge Cunzhuang before him. Although he played villains when he was young, his face gradually became mellow as he aged, and his temperament changed accordingly. In recent years, he has played Wen Yiduo and Qi Baishi in succession; these two are big names in the literary and art world.

Moreover, the old gentleman is truly multi-talented; he has played the huqin and violin for decades, so it is not an exaggeration to have him play a music teacher.

After Ge Cunzhuang finished reading the script, he let out a long breath, then adjusted his mood, and joked to Wu Yuchen: "Wu Dao, in the end, you want me to smother my own wife with my own hands; I still can't escape the fate of 'doing evil'!"

Wu Yuchen also smiled and asked back: "Mr. Ge, do you think this behavior of yours is right or wrong?"

Ge Cunzhuang shook his head and said: "It's hard to judge! This is indeed helping the wife find relief, but according to our Chinese moral standards, this is murder. After all, there is a saying: it's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death..."

Subsequently, Ge Cunzhuang sighed again:

"After reading your script, I also feel a sense of shared sorrow. At my age, it's inevitable to think about illness and death. If it were a sudden illness and that was the end of it, that would be quick, but paralysis like this is truly torture, not just for oneself, but for one's loved ones too.

There is no filial son at the bedside of a long-term patient; when you can't take care of yourself and have to live entirely at the mercy of others, even your spouse and children will have moments of impatience, and your dignity will disappear bit by bit. It's sad!"

Wu Yuchen nodded: "Mr. Ge, you are very right. Illness and aging are problems everyone must face. No one can stand on a moral high ground to blame others, so I just want to film the emotional changes in between. In such matters, there is no right or wrong; it just depends on your choice."

Subsequently, Wu Yuchen asked again: "Mr. Ge, are you willing to play the role of the male lead?"

"For such a meaningful film, even if the pay is zero, I am willing to film it!" Ge Cunzhuang said with a firm voice.

Before, he had agreed because of Wu Yuchen's personal reputation and the Oscar-contending title, but after reading the script, Ge Cunzhuang felt many emotions. Now, even if Wu Yuchen weren't a big director and this weren't an Oscar-contending film, he would be willing just for the sake of the film itself!