Zhang Songwen Lin Jiadong calmly controlled the field, inspiring Dapeng to be full of victory and defeat, and his crazy acting skills were finally sealed?

Rather than a suspense movie, "The Eighth Suspect" is more like a literary film full of nostalgia.

Realistically restore the scene of the small town thirty years ago, and simply outline the old robbery case, it is the incognito absconding with his life, the years of pursuit by retired policemen, and the inner entanglements of fugitives and the conflicts of family members.

The inner drama occupies far more space than the narration of the robbery itself, the literary atmosphere and nostalgia rush to the face, and the tension of suspense has long been washed away.

Zhang Songwen's identity reversed, from Gao Qiqiang, who was strategizing, to a nagging and active grassroots police officer, and then shot in the middle of the movie and received a box lunch; Lin Jiadong is not angry, it is difficult to understand why the director did not let Zhang Songwen and Lin Jiadong swap roles, obviously it will be more explosive?

Well, in this way, we can fully focus on Dapeng's character, and watch him seem to finally catch a richly layered and non-comedy character, and use his life's learning and vigorous acting skills.

It's like watching a one-man show surrounded by stars.

01. Have feelings! Realistic recreation of old scenes

If the threshold for viewing "Oppenheimer" is the understanding of the history of science and the protagonist himself, the trust and recognition of Nolan; Then the threshold of "The Eighth Suspect" should probably be over 35 years old, or at least have a basic understanding of the current situation in China thirty years ago, and the social ecology of townships and small towns at that time.

In this way, you can feel and experience the different mentalities and rich emotions of the robbery participants in the film. Otherwise, it will be difficult to appreciate the information revealed in the details of expressions, movements, sets, etc.

For example, in the opening scene of the banquet, Chen Xinwen, played by Dapeng, takes his cousin to control the audience, and bows to meet the arrogant and threatening public officials. The cousin was then sent by Chen Xinwen to withdraw money from the savings office to pay, thus witnessing the bank robbery.

If you hadn't experienced that era, it is estimated that it is difficult to understand Chen Xinwen's bravado, the smooth escape of the robbers in the savings house, and the ensuing small cabaret singing, border survival and other plots.

And director Li Zijun's nostalgia is also difficult to restrain into, when planning robberies, when chasing shootouts, the pace of the camera will always slow down unconsciously, feeling that the next moment there will be soothing long shots and sentimental music running out, seconds back to Hou Xiaoxian's lyrics.

Fortunately, the director has not lost control like a robber and rationally restrained his feelings.

It is worth affirming that although Li Zijun has served as the deputy director of many Hong Kong police and bandit films, he still accurately grasps the life status and social style of mainland compatriots, except for occasional Chinese that are not very smooth, Lin Jiadong almost completely integrates into the backward picture of the mainland thirty years ago, and also gives several supporting actors full opportunities to show.

02. Show acting? It is difficult for the actor to be on the same stage

In the nostalgic picture, several protagonists try to break through the past image, and the rich interpretation is quite vigorous.

Zhang Songwen deliberately wanted to "draw a line" with Gao Qiqiang, not only returning from the villain to the grassroots police, but also changing the character style from low and cold to lively and noisy warm fireworks.

However, because there is too much ink in the robbery and nostalgic scenes, Zhang Songwen's police role is thin, so that when he is suddenly shot and leaves the scene, the audience is not only difficult to empathize, but is likely to mumble in his heart: That's it?

Another calm actor is Lin Jiadong, who plays a retired policeman who is not only difficult to find a real old age, but also has played too many villains before, and the wonderful interpretation of "Tree Moves" makes it difficult for the audience to quickly plunge into the image of this equally silent and gloomy old policeman.

Coupled with his not fluent Chinese pronunciation, to be honest, there will be occasional moments of play, but fortunately he was immediately pulled back by Dapeng who played the play.

There is also Sun Yang, who just shined in "All or Nothing", and this time he also achieved a good breakthrough. As Chen Xinwen's cousin, he participated in the planning of robbery, various detailed work, suffered all kinds of hardships on the abscond road of mining in Myanmar, and watched and assisted Chen Xinwen in various vicious and simple operations. Finally, he was settled in a nursing home, with thinning hair and a haggard face, and he was the same as the spiritual guy in "All or Nothing".

However, although the roles have changed greatly, it is difficult to say what Sun Yang has achieved in terms of acting skills, because both roles show the shortcomings of insufficient depth. What's more, the one who played with him was Dapeng, who used so much force in this film.

Not being a director, not a comedy, coupled with the rich layers and rich emotions of the characters themselves, which gave Dapeng the motivation and confidence to fully devote himself to the performance.

The original image of a private entrepreneur almost directly contrasted with Xiaoyong in Jia Zhangke's "Xiaowu", the same high-spirited, smug and satisfied, but with the tradition and restraint of the old era;

This was followed by the escape after the conspiracy was revealed, and the hardships in the mines of Burma; Recognized by his companions as a wanted criminal, he gave birth to a murderous opportunity and staged a life-and-death fight again in the empty mine. Dapeng's face was solemn, and his eyes were gloomy; The entanglement and madness of the killing process, the rush and fear after that, combined with excellent makeup techniques, reasonably laid the stage of Dapeng's actor.

After that, it gradually got better. One was after the wedding, he dialed his old father's phone again, and he couldn't cry before he spoke. The old father had already guessed who it was, nagging over there, plainly stating all the previous things.

Dapeng knelt on the ground here, kowtowing to his mobile phone to admit his mistake. Its feelings arouse empathy, and compassion arises.

There was also Lin Jiadong who came to the door, hinting at the determination of the identity of the fugitive everywhere. At this moment, Chen Xinwen has been living with Mo Zhiqiang's identity for more than twenty years. Ordinary life is safe and gentle, there is a career to support the family, there is a wife and children who protect the companionship, Dapeng's eyes have long disappeared from the cunning and gloom of the day, and more is the acceptance and enjoyment of ordinary life.

But how can the crazy crimes of decades ago, the robbery and murder of people, be absolved by personal repentance?

The paragraph that accompanied his daughter to set off fireworks is also seen in Wang Baoqiang's passage in "Destiny". It's just that Wang Baoqiang is more depressed and silent, and Dapeng adds a little warmth to life.

In the last scene, Chen Xinnian was bent on death, but Chen Xinwen had long lost his former viciousness, and he covered his cousin's mouth and nose and tightened it hard. In the end, tears flowed, and the once vicious thoughts were fierce, but finally lost to the complexity and warmth of secular life.

03. Weak story? Careful tension and heartfelt experience

The aforementioned interpretation is actually based on empathy with the director.

If you lose this nostalgia of the same post-70s and post-80s, you will feel deeply lost or angry while the suspenseful expectations are disappointed, and you will not be able to accept the smooth progress of the story and the orderly stretching of emotions. Whether it is Chen Xinwen's personal transformation or the suggestive confrontation between Lin Jiadong and Qi Xi at the dinner table, it is a narrative advancement led by inner drama.

In other words, the entire "Eighth Suspect" is based on the emotions of the characters in the film rather than the story as the core driving force.

Because this is a story that comes out of the truth. There is no eighth suspect.

In 1995, near the Yifa shopping mall in Panyu, Guangdong, the robbery of a money truck reproduced in the film occurred.

The cashier of the money carrier was shot dead, and the money truck carrying 15 million yuan in cash was driven away. In March 1996, five suspected robberies directly involved were sentenced to death. The other two mastermind suspects successfully absconded and failed to apprehend them.

Until December 2016, the suspect Chen Mouqiang voluntarily turned himself in, but remained silent about the whereabouts of the other suspect. However, the police of the special case team persevered and carefully arrested the murderer, inferred the location of the final suspect from Chen Mouqiang's words and whereabouts, and finally arrested the suspect Chen Moumin in a building materials market in Ruili, Yunnan.

At this moment, Chen Moumin, like in the movie, has changed his name and surname, and his appearance and temperament are also very different from the past.

To add to the dramatic conflict, the film adds the wife played by Qi Xi, as well as the daughter who joins them. Qi Xi behaved innocently, providing a logical basis for the smooth acceptance of this vague husband in the past. When the police came to the door, she was keenly aware of the tension in the atmosphere and then began to help her husband.

However, the various conflicts at the end of the film naturally have a play that is divorced from reality. After all, no couple will ignore real life and the safety of their children, and the current face recognition and Skynet monitoring have long reduced the possibility of criminal escape.

Today, when stealing a piece of bacon in the village can be traced, it is possible to allow a murderer to escape all over the street with his wife and daughter? Think too much, right?

When Wang Jie's "A Game One Dream" sounds, the robber in the film is the end of his absconding career, the satisfaction of Dapeng's crazy acting skills, and the end of a memory of the past for the audience we invested in it.

When the game ends and the dream wakes up, this strong and full nostalgia may affect the tight narrative rhythm and destroy the suspenseful perception of young audiences, but it is an unexpected experience for middle-aged audiences.