The Best Director

Chapter 503: Chapter 503: Magnificent Scenery

“The legendary Wang Yang leads a team of dazzling geniuses to create a new American crime classic,” — 4/4, Peter Travers, Rolling Stone; “Wang Yang effortlessly injects exciting energy into every frame of the film, crafting one of the most memorable tragic tales,” — A+, Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter; “The original was a resilient entertainer; the new version is a masterpiece. Wang Yang’s best film since District 9,” — 4/4, James Berardinelli, ReelViews;

“A magical director has produced a great film about cops and gangsters, with a dazzling cast delivering brilliant, eye-catching performances, and a genuine cultural atmosphere that screams perfection,” — 4/4, Christy Lemire, Associated Press; “A shimmering, welcome masterpiece, Wang Yang did it better than any big Hollywood director,” — 3.5/4, Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; “The unsullied ‘The Deceased’ matches one hundred percent of all expectations,” — 4/4, Keith Simanton, Newsday;

“Now the biggest question is whether Wang Yang’s latest masterpiece could sweep the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Adaptation, which he just recently owned; if it doesn’t win, it would be a serious mistake by the Oscars,” — A+, Tom Long, Detroit News…

95% audience approval; 100%/100% critics’ freshness! Whether they’re fans of Yang, critics, or neutral, all film reviewers are unanimous in their praise, unable to utter a single bad word. It’s like a feast of compliments, with tables laden with juicy, tantalizing tomatoes and sweet, crisp popcorn.

In comparison to a few days earlier with “Magical Director,” “The Deceased” debuted with an even more perfect reception and a more charismatic posture, and the quiet Wang Yang fully demonstrated what a magical director is! That is, that is…

“You’re really cool!” “Unbelievable!” “Fantastic.” Magical Yang has recently become incredibly popular! Google search hot words are skyrocketing, a flood of related blog articles are emerging, and there are quite a few new fan videos on YOUTUBE. Ever since “Magical Director” was released, laughter and congratulations from friends have constantly surrounded Wang Yang’s ears, and “The Deceased” continues to do just that.

“Are you an alien?” Natalie asked him a question, her interest piqued as she said, “You know I’ve always been fascinated by aliens, or else I wouldn’t have starred in the Star Wars Prequel, right? So tell me! If you’re from some alien planet.” Wang Yang replied, “Bingo! A long, long time ago, I left Naboo to journey to Earth, when a certain individual began to practice tyranny.”

“Jingle-bells, Jingle-bells, Jingle-all-the-way! How fun it is to ride and sing in a one-horse open sleigh—” In the spacious living room, Wang Yang squeezed onto a baby’s electric motorbike and sang loudly in a mix of Chinese and English, while the yellow off-road motorbike struggled to move forward; Keke excitedly followed behind with a tambourine, her little face all smiles. Wanting to sing but not knowing how, she just mumbled, “Ding, ding, ding, ah ah, ding—” At that moment, Jessica charged into the living room on a broomstick, “The wicked witch is coming!”

Wang Yang was naturally very pleased with the big success of “The Deceased,” but he wasn’t immersed in various activities like last year’s “Firefly,” all the staff at Flame Films and almost everyone around the world knew if someone else had directed “The Deceased,” it could have swept this award season and the Oscars. But Wang Yang? Even a Director’s nomination meant game over, and given the current momentum of “The Deceased,” that was very likely.

There was great hope for the Adaptation, and for other categories, such as Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Sound, etc., they needed to work harder to promote and campaign to win over the various guild awards. Of course, a leader’s constant absence wasn’t good for the overall impression of “The Deceased,” but Wang Yang had a very good reason to break away from it all—he was busy with “I Am Legend.”

In fact, he was enjoying a long-overdue Christmas and New Year holiday. Wang Yang felt that spending more time with family and seeing more of his little angels’ smiling faces was better than anything else could be.

“In Wang Yang’s thrilling and stirring reinterpretation of ‘Infernal Affairs,’ there’s a war about our anger, our change, our humanity that translates into one of the best movies of the year,” — 4/4, Bruce Newman, San Jose Mercury News; “Despite being adapted from the Hong Kong film ‘Infernal Affairs,’ it possesses its own charm and texture, and it also has the magic of Wang Yang,” — A, Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor; “From ‘Paranormal Activity’ (1998) to ‘The Deceased’ (2006), what is Wang Yang’s hallmark? Incredible. ‘The Deceased’ is one of the most impressive films,” — 3.5/4, Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune…

The arrival of Christmas had adorned New York City with festive decorations and lights everywhere, and Wang Yang’s home was no exception; the tall and shimmering Christmas tree had excited Keke for several days.

After spending a joyful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, more good news flowed to Wang Yang, “The Deceased” effortlessly overtook “Night at the Museum,” “Best Director,” and other films to claim the championship for the first weekend (22-24th) and Christmas Day (22-25th)! Seeing its box office performance and trend, everyone seemed accustomed to it.

With an 8.9 score on IMDb’s Top-250 list, the global fan army of Yang once again proved with facts that as long as Divine Yang made a good film, they would never let it be wronged. Perhaps there will be a decline in the future, but “The Deceased” securing a beautiful spot on this authoritative list is an unchangeable trend!

A fresh score of 100%/100% made “The Deceased” look flawless—until, finally, as the first week was about to conclude, the pleasant calm was broken. Fred Topel from “Can Magazine” threw a rotten tomato with a 2/4 rating: “It should have had more, much more interesting dilemmas. In the original ‘Infernal Affairs,’ it also mixed gang transactions with police investigations, but there was nothing you couldn’t see on a broadcast channel TV show, only a small amount. Why not give them more pain and struggle?”

It’s probably that Fred Topel is a die-hard fan of “Infernal Affairs”; it’s certain that he prefers the original, which has less violence and plasma and instead offers a poetic and emotional mix of different sentiments.

New reviews followed one after another, and the freshness rating dropped to 98%/100%. Shaun O’Con from “Charlotte Weekly” also threw a 2/4 score: “Wang Yang hastily and frantically rushes through some boring scenes with violent assaults, which is disappointing.” Steve Rhodes from “Internet Review” likewise gave a 2.5/4 score: “It’s a huge job, primarily as a crime comedy, puzzling, chaotic, and full of gore. The new version made ‘Infernal Affairs’ cry.”

Clearly, O’Con and Rhodes are both supporters of “Infernal Affairs.” The vast majority in North American film criticism circles have praised “The Deceased” to the skies, with only a few dissenters; in Asia… If the reviews and reactions from Chinese-speaking regions in Asia were all included, the Rotten Tomatoes freshness rating would undoubtedly drop significantly.

“Detailed Analysis of the Differences Between the Chinese and American Versions of ‘Infernal Affairs,'” “Interpreting the ‘Infernal Affairs’ Phenomenon,” “The Chinese Culture that Wang Yang Abandoned,” “Where is ‘Infernal Affairs’?” Since the film’s release and the audience had seen its true face in cinemas, the Chinese internet has been abuzz with various opinions and comments. Generally speaking, the opinions were mixed, easily split into two camps: one praising it as a good film and the other expressing disappointment, calling it mediocre or even rubbish; one side supported Wang Yang while the other vehemently criticized him.

As for their respective reasons, they were the familiar ones—the likers liked it, the dislikers did not. However, even the beloved Divine Yang faced such a day; perhaps he did not foresee the current awkward situation last year when he was crazily adored in several Asian territories, when “Firefly” broke all box office records and “500 Days of Summer” easily sparked a breeze of fresh air for the heartbroken. Under the angry eyes of countless girls, sites like the Baidu Tieba Wang Yang forum were bombarded by swarms, with words like “lost sheep,” “itchy sores,” and “bananas” frequently appearing…

If “The Deceased” is considered a masterpiece in North America, a good film with an IMDb score of 8.9; in Asia, on average, it only scores about 7.5.

In fact, Wang Yang had long been aware of this development and looked at the different reviews calmly and understandingly. As for those boring malicious attacks, why should he care? Having come through big storms from 1998 to the present, he had long learned how to keep himself happy.

And many media reporters wanted to interview Wang Yang to hear his thoughts on the Chinese audience’s reaction. Wang Yang accepted a phone interview with and once again stated his position, praising “Infernal Affairs” as very classic, “It in itself is Oscar-level, top-notch cinema that would stand out in any country.” But the significant differences of “The Deceased” were normal, not only in theme and culture but also due to its entertainment value.

“It’s not about which one is better or worse, it’s more about our distinct styles, each with its own merits,” on the other hand, Liu Weiqiang, Alan Mak, and Andrew Lau all expressed considerable satisfaction with “Infernal Affairs” during an interview with Morning News.

Liu Weiqiang pointed out that Americans’ aesthetic standards are certainly different from Asians’, so in order to cater to American tastes, Wang Yang’s adaptation is justified. The two films differ greatly in grammar, cinematography, music treatment, and other aspects.

He also mentioned that since the release of “Infernal Affairs” in Hong Kong, he had heard various opinions, with some saying they liked it, and others calling it a bad movie. In fact, not only in Asia but also in America, there are diverse opinions. “What the audience thinks isn’t really important; what is important is that the box office figures are there.” Now, with “Infernal Affairs” having earned over 60 million US Dollars in its first week in the US without finishing its run, it clearly demonstrates that it is indeed a film of extraordinary charm and success.

When talking about Wang Yang, Liu Weiqiang couldn’t hide his admiration, “I’ve seen all his films, they’re very solid. No one could achieve what he has at his age.” He said that when they first learned Wang Yang was to adapt and direct, they were all completely reassured. Hollywood’s adaptation of Hong Kong movie themes is a form of recognition and luck, “At least it shows that we’ve been quite successful, and now many more people around the world know about ‘Infernal Affairs’.” When the reporter asked Liu Weiqiang to rate the movie, he said it was a bit difficult, but “the score would definitely be very high!”

“Wang Yang’s continuous masterpieces, perfectly well-made, exciting, and full of surprises to the end.” —— 3.5/4, Lou Lumenick, New York Post; “Wang Yang has cleverly adapted the Hong Kong thriller ‘Infernal Affairs,’ with bursts of action that take your breath away.” —— 3.5/4, Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post; “With its duality, ‘The Deceased’ is utterly engaging, a masterful suspense.” —— 3.5/4, JR Jones, Chicago Reader; “Sometimes as elegant as an opera, sometimes like the violent posture of machismo, an incredible blend.” —— 3.5/4, Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times; “A masterpiece with a perfect balance of entertainment and artistic power, the magnificent scenes directed by Wang Yang.” —— 4/4, Manohla Dargis, The New York Times…

The so-called entertainment value is the box office. The film “Curse of the Golden Flower,” which was released on December 11th in mainland China and was harshly criticized, has continued to make huge earnings in Renminbi. Seeing that “Infernal Affairs” has also received its fair share of bashing, many people breathed a sigh of relief, assuming that Yang’s film couldn’t possibly do any better!

However, the situation in North America, where the response to reviews was entirely different, looked completely changed when the joyous Christmas week ended on the 28th, with the fresh crowning of the champion!

“The Deceased” raked in 81.5 million US Dollars in 3765 theaters, averaging $21,646 per theater, powerfully claiming the champion’s throne. Another blockbuster from Wang Yang and Flame Films!

Despite “Night at the Museum” trying to catch up in the following days, it still finished second with 79.05 million in 3688 theaters, averaging $21,436 per theater. Its Rotten Tomatoes ratings were just 44%/41%/76%, but at Christmastime, the market for family comedies is not to be underestimated, as shown by the counterattacking box office trend of “Charlotte’s Web,” which rose by +17.2%.

The consistent 2850-theater release of “Best Director” did not disappoint, nor did it burst out crazily; it took in 40.16 million and ranked third, averaging $14,091 per theater, with a 9-day North American total of 63 million.

As for the other new films, “Rocky VI: The Forever Champion” with 76%/75%/77%, and a 9-day box office of 37.36 million is considered a good performance for MGM this year.

“Shepherd” had it rough! With rotten scores of 54%/56%/52%, “an overlong, tedious effort, leaving the audience with more questions than answers.” Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie were not effective! In a direct confrontation with “The Deceased,” it was like fighting a rock with an egg, a hopeless endeavor, and naturally, the outcome was a dismal box office of just 14.05 million in 2215 theaters, averaging $6,343 per theater. Perhaps without Damon and Jolie, even breaking 10 million would be in doubt.

No one is mentioning any VS, showdowns, or confrontations… “Shepherd” doesn’t qualify, it’s destined to quickly fade away, while “The Deceased” has a long, long way to go. If there’s any competition, “The Deceased” is compared to some prehistoric creatures, such as the often mentioned by media giants “The Godfather,” “Mean Streets,” “Goodfellas,” and other classics. It’s always hard to rank classic films, in the words of film critics, “one of the best films.”

In addition, this week the musical “Dreamgirls,” starring Beyoncé and others, expanded its release to all of North America (+849), earning $22.34 million in 852 theaters. “Little Miss Sunshine,” which had launched in 653 theaters across America a week earlier, continued to perform well in its seventh week, with a total North American box office of $35.72 million.

“Hehehe!” Movie theater owners laughed their heads off, all thanks to the bountiful Christmas week harvest that kept theaters exceedingly busy. The miraculous Wang Yang once again played the role of Santa Claus to perfection! Following this, from December 29 to January 4, the New Year’s week, let’s hope for yet another peak.

“A story both expansive and intense, a breathtaking crime drama.”—3.5/4, Joe Mogenstem, The Wall Street Journal; “A two-hour story full of twists and turns, exciting, entertaining, and brutal tracks.”—4/4, Claudia Puig, USA Today; “It’s fun, shocking, and brutal, a great script, the best director and actors, one of the best films of the year.”—4/4, Richard Roeper, Ebert&Roeper; “A magnificent film, not necessarily the best of the year, but certainly one of the most shocking.”—4/4, Peter Howell, Toronto Star…

Time flies when having fun, “The Deceased” and other films are collecting box office receipts, while the night sky shines brightly with stars, heralding the upcoming New Year!

“10, 9, 8, 7, 6…”

The countdown echoes through the heavens, with crowds of people gathered in New York’s Times Square cheering and jumping for joy. The entire Manhattan, the Big Apple, all of America, and the whole world had been, were, and were preparing to celebrate this moment, 2007 was coming! Among the throng, Wang Yang held the lively Keke with one arm and held hands with Jessica, who was next to him, both displaying bright smiles, loudly joining in the countdown “5! 4! 3!” Keke laughed heartily, amused, and under her mother’s guidance, she looked up towards the building ahead.

“2, 1!” Just as the giant crystal ball descended slowly, countless streamers and paper confetti fluttered in the air. A deafening cheer drowned out the whole world: “Whoosh whoosh whoosh—”

“Happy New Year!”

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PS: Thank you for your support, we’ve surged to over 70! Wow, let’s strive for more monthly tickets to climb higher! ^0^(@@novelbin@@