Mei Ting: From the peak to the trough and then to the road of successful transformation
In 1994, 19-year-old Mei Ting rose to prominence in "Farewell My Concubine" and became an instant hit, winning the Best Actress Award at the Cairo International Film Festival. This opened the door to the pinnacle of the film industry for Mei Ting.
In the best years of her life, Mei Ting rushed to the wind on the highway of her acting career. From the late 90s of the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st century, she won many film festivals for best actress awards, and won the Huabiao Award, Feitian Award, Golden Eagle Award and other awards, which can be said to be one of the most dazzling actresses in China at that time.
However, the good times were short-lived. When Mei Ting entered middle age, since 2012, she has almost faded out of the audience's field of vision, and there have not been many representative works on the market.
During this period, there were endless newcomers in the mainland, with a girlish pure voice and smile sweeping the screen, and a natural mature beauty like Mei Ting has lost the market.
Secondly, the role of Qingli supporting actress who often played in the past is no longer competent. Either transform into a mother figure or quit completely, for Mei Ting, who was 45 years old at the time, the dilemma made her think about it.
So, in the ten years that passed, Mei Ting lived in seclusion behind the scenes. She is not willing to be annihilated in the field of vision of the entertainment industry, but has been accumulating strength for her second peak.
Finally, in the TV series called "The Daughter Who Came Back", which aired at the end of 2022, the 47-year-old Mei Ting dared to challenge a vicious supporting actress. She boldly got rid of the gentle image and perfectly interpreted a sinister and vicious middle-aged woman.
The outstanding transformation transformation has opened the door of spring again for Mei Ting on the road of acting, allowing her to successfully return to the top zone. This is the vigorous vitality that climbs from the trough to the peak, and it is also the best commentary on an excellent filmmaker's enthusiasm for acting.
The suspenseful "The Daughter Who Came Back"
The TV series, titled "The Daughter Who Came Back", tells a suspenseful story that takes place in the small town of Tanling in 1997.
Li Chengtian, a worker at a fertilizer factory, and Liao Suifang, a worker at the sub-district office, are a husband and wife. Their daughter, Li Wenwen, was missing during a play five years ago.
Li's family posted missing person notices everywhere, hoping that Li Wenwen would return home as soon as possible. In addition, the Li family also has a son Li Wenzhuo with mild intellectual disability. The Li family, which was already unfortunate, has recently suffered even greater changes.
Li Wenzhuo is suspected of committing a criminal case of sexual assault of a young girl. Although the police eventually released him home for lack of conclusive evidence, the incident caused an uproar in the Li family and the entire township.
The neighbors, who were originally prejudiced against the Li family, gathered at the door of the Li family this time to ask for an explanation, and they were filled with righteous indignation. Lee Seungtian and Liao Suifang had to grapple with all this.
At this time, a young girl named Chen Youxi found the Li family and claimed that she was her daughter Li Wenwen, who had disappeared that year. The coincidence of making matters worse made the Li family, which was already facing a crisis, even worse.
However, the most incredible thing is that although it is impossible to determine the authenticity of Chen Youxi's identity, Liao Suifang still easily took her back home. Is there another hidden meaning behind this move? Chen Youxi, who became more and more curious, began to investigate the family's secrets, and gradually discovered that the Li family was trying to hide something.
Could it really be that behind Li Wenwen's disappearance, Li Chengtian and Liao Suifang were inseparable from each other, as he had guessed? Step by step, the truth finally came out.
Superb acting skills that are not inferior
This "Daughter Who Came Back" gathers superb performances from first-line powerful actors. Whether it's a middle-aged cast or a young cast, everyone shines in what they do best, and they fit perfectly.
The first to bear the brunt is 47-year-old Mei Ting. She successfully created an image of a sinister and vicious middle-aged woman, which made many viewers cry out for chills and fear behind her eyes.
Facing Chen Youxi, who pretended to be a missing daughter and went home, Mei Ting examined inch by inch with empty and cold eyes, was extremely vigilant, fortified everywhere, and interpreted a scheming vicious mother-in-law to the fullest.
This is in strong contrast to the gentleness and generosity she played in the past, proving the excellent strength of her acting skills and the wide range of transformation.
In addition to Mei Ting, Wang Yanhui, who plays the husband of the Li family, also shines. He vividly portrayed a middle-aged man who was honest on the surface but extremely vicious on the inside. Especially some key face-changing shots, which are fleeting but log walls, make people frightening to watch.
It can be said that without Mei Ting and Wang Yanhui's excellent interpretation of the play, the audience would not be able to so deeply appreciate the cruelty and darkness of the characters in the story.
Finally, there is also the young actor Zhang Zifeng, who is quite eye-catching. She is extremely talented in acting in the monkey-faced male rape scene and in the mirror confession scene. Crying, laughing, fear, despair, all kinds of complex emotions flow in her eyes, and her expression is managed freely and in place, which deeply touches every audience and is impressive.
It can be said that it is the joint efforts of these old, middle-aged and young actors that have made "The Daughter Who Came Back" a shocking masterpiece. It shows people what really good acting is, and what it looks like a performance that pierces the screen and hits the soul.
The mark of the times from a unique perspective
The story of "The Daughter Who Came Back" is set in 1997, and the director did not limit the lens to the reasoning and suspense itself, but infiltrated his own unique experience and imprint of the changes of that era.
1997 was a year of great political, economic and cultural changes. Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the establishment of Chongqing as a municipality directly under the central government, and the beginning of cross-strait visits and contacts indicate that China has entered a new stage of development.
At the same time, the concept of doing business and getting rich in the mainland is also on the rise, with a large number of young and strong workers flocking to the southeast coast, and traditional state-owned enterprises facing layoffs and restructuring, and these economic fluctuations have had an impact on countless wage earners.
, Hong Kong and Taiwan idol dramas, songs, videotapes and other east wind have also swept across the country, vigorously impacting the conservative cultural concept that has not changed for decades, and people have begun to pursue a new personalized lifestyle.
However, behind this turmoil, some negative incidents of blind worship and opportunism have also come and gone.
The contradictory collision between the rich businessmen and the workers of state-owned enterprises in "The Daughter Who Came Back", Xiaoxiu's description of the outside world through the videotape, and Cheng Wei's absurd experience of making a fortune by fraudulent fund-raising projects, etc., all confirm the existence of these undercurrents behind them.
It is these unique era imprints and personal emotions added by the director that make the core of "The Daughter Who Came Back" more full and rich, and it becomes a gripping masterpiece.
It does not stop at the case itself, but tells the story of the ups and downs of the fate of ordinary people in this greatest period of change from a grander historical dimension.
An unknown ending to look forward to
"The Daughter Who Came Back" is currently only playing to the middle stage, and many key messages and suspense are yet to be revealed.
Where did her daughter Li Wenwen go back then? Is the disappearance of the nanny Xiaoxiu really inseparable from the Li family? What kind of creepy side will Lee Seungtian, who has always pretended to be honest and duty, show in the future? The answers to these questions are to be further advanced in the story.
It is foreseeable that as the truth is stripped away layer by layer, and the core secret comes to light, we will also enjoy the wonderful acting skills of more outstanding actors. You must know that the most addictive thing about suspense and reasoning dramas is the surprise and excitement of the moment when the mystery is revealed.
Compared with many previous works, "The Daughter Who Came Back" is more mature and stable in terms of visual style and narrative techniques. This is mainly due to the experienced director Lu Xing.
He once pushed domestic criminal investigation suspense dramas to the peak through "Undocumented Crime", and he is familiar with structural reversal and paradox. This time, he once again joined forces with Mei Ting and other popular and powerful actors.
The abundant creative passion and superb performance level have locked the genetic code for "The Daughter Who Came Back" to achieve the masterpiece.
Let's stay tuned to see this masterpiece climb to the next level in the final run!