Ang Lee was interviewed exclusively by [Movie Network].
Ang Lee, who has been involved in the Oscar for Best Director and Best Foreign Language Film, made a comeback, and his latest 3D film "The Fantasy Drifting of Pi Pi" (hereinafter referred to as "Pi") received 11 nominations for the 85th Oscar this year. But many believe that "Young Pi" will only win some technical awards at best, and it is almost impossible to win best picture and director.
In this regard, Ang Lee admitted in an exclusive interview with the Oscar reporting team of [Movie Network], "If "Young Pi" only wins technical awards, I am not convinced! More confidently, he said, "I think this film is pretty good and deserves an award!" However, Ang Lee also generously said that he was very optimistic about "Escape from Tehran" to win the best picture. At the same time, Ang Lee also clarified the rumors that the filming of "Cleopatra" will begin, "In fact, I have not even read the script now, I have not decided to shoot at all, and I have never said that I am particularly interested in this subject." ”
Talk about the probability of winning: "Young Pi" if only take the technical award I am not convinced, optimistic about "Escape from Tehran"
"Young Pi" in Asia and Latin America box office and word of mouth are very good, but the performance in North America can only be described as "relatively normal", so many people think that Ang Lee wants to win the Oscar important awards with "Young Pi" Is too difficult, basically or "accompany the life". However, the visual effects of "Young Pi" have been unanimously praised, and it also won the Best Original Soundtrack Award at the Golden Globe Awards of the "Oscar Weathervane", so "Young Pi" finally won the Oscar technical award and is also considered to be a probe.
In this regard, Ang Lee said, "If you only take the technical award, then I am not convinced!" Ang Lee commented more unceremoniously on the Oscars, "You say I thought in my heart whether it was a vote of absolute artistic value?" I don't think so! ”
[Movie Network]: Do you think the Oscars have absolute artistic value?
Ang Lee: The Oscars are a very grand film event, and there are about 6,000 members voting in the academy, so there will be social trends, group sentiments, national conditions, market tendencies... A lot of factors are in it. Is it an absolute art vote? I don't think so, but it always shows the mainstream Hollywood view of movies this year. From the popularity of the film, box office, social evaluation, etc., the Oscar is one of the biggest film events, the whole world is watching, the stars are here, of course it is very important, but you said that I think in my heart whether it is absolute artistic value, of course not, it only has a certain degree of artistic value. Movies are hard to compare, but the Oscars are the most prominent.
[Movie Network]: You won the Oscar twice, are you confident this time?
Ang Lee: I think ["Young Pi") this film is quite good, it should win an award, I am not too modest.
[Movie Network]: Many people think that "Young Pi" will definitely win technical awards, but it is basically impossible to win awards such as best director and film, what do you think?
Ang Lee: This is one of the places where I am more unconvinced, and the general view is that often the technical (film) is the technical film. Talking about content and philosophy, "Young Pi" is the deepest movie, but everyone looks at it this way (us). Of course, from the current point of view, "Escape from Tehran" will take the best picture, but you said that after 20 years, how the world looks at this year's movie is another matter.
But it's always good, we have 11 nominations, the nominees are all excellent, and ["Young Pi") invested more than other films, shooting a full 4 years. I don't really care if I win an award myself, but when Ben Affleck isn't in [Best Director], anyone, including myself, can win an award. We, the technical staff, are very epoch-making, the standard is much higher than in the past, and everyone can see it, and I hope that they will win the award, more happy than myself.
"Young Pi" was nominated for 11 awards, but did not receive any actor nominations
Talking about the nomination controversy: Sorry for Sura Shama Zhang Ziyi should also be nominated that year
"Young Pi" has been nominated for 11 awards, but unfortunately, such a film has not received any actor nominations, which makes people feel sorry for Sula Shama, who performs naturally and sincerely. Ang Lee does not shy away from laughing at the "unprofessional" preference of the Oscar vote, "the most forceful, the loudest, the most ostentatious costumes, this will often get everyone's attention, but we who are engaged in art feel that what we can't see is the best." Ang Lee has not forgotten to this day that Zhang Ziyi was depressed that he failed to nominate for Best Supporting Actress for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".
[Movie Network]: Sula Shama's performance is wonderful, but she failed to nominate the male protagonist, and we are very upset with him.
Ang Lee: No way, Indian actors are not recognized, easy to be ignored, peers vote a lot of (will vote) for their friends or according to the general impression. He is a newcomer, and he often says that he has not acted, and he has suffered a loss in the nomination of the film. But I think in terms of his performance, it is the purest performance.
The Oscar (which will vote for you) is that you acted in a lot of scenes, not how to integrate naturally into the movie, and the editing award is for the person who cuts the most knives (laughs). We who are engaged in art think that it is best not to see, but the Oscar is not like this, the most forceful acting, the noisiest voice, the most ostentatious costumes, this will often get everyone's attention, the director's technique is the most, many people vote. I don't think it's necessarily art, it's not necessarily art, it's just a very prominent thing.
[Movie Network]: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has also encountered this problem before.
Ang Lee: Also, I think the actor who played the old man is really good, and you want me to tell me that he should at least be nominated anyway, but he just didn't get noticed. Like before, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" had 10 nominations, but our protagonist was not nominated, at least I think that Zhang Ziyi's supporting actress that year should have been noticed that year. Don't worry about this, I hope that China will have its own bigger activities and markets than the Oscars in the future, and it will not pay so much attention to this side. But at present, the United States is still the bull's ear of the film, and its influence, distribution power, and cultural rendering power are very large. So to be able to make a splash on it, just like Yao Ming went to the NBA to play, is an honor.
Ang Lee confessed that he had received the script for Cleopatra
Talking about the new film: I haven't decided to make "Cleopatra" yet, and it depends on whether the script is good or not
Recently, Ang Lee will direct the 3D version of "Cleopatra" and the rumors of cooperation with Angelina Jolie have intensified, but Ang Lee admitted in an interview with [Movie Network] that he was not sure to take charge of the film, "'Cleopatra' is just one of the many scripts I have received, I have not yet read the content, if there is nothing new, I will not take it!" ”
[Movie Network]: Rumors that your latest film will be Cleopatra?
Ang Lee: Not yet, a lot of people are looking for me, it's just one of the plans, it's going to be a while before I see the script, and I don't dare say anything before I see the script.
[Movie Network]: There are reports that you are particularly interested in this subject, what attracts you so much?
Ang Lee: I haven't said that, I don't know who made it up. I recently met this producer, and he asked me why I was saying that (laughs).
I think movies have to be "small" to make well, which is a belief of mine, and it is not enough to rely on "big" alone. I think that people go to the movie is basically to see themselves, to see people's hearts, to see emotions, so if a blockbuster film can't shoot an inner drama, I think it's too vain, or it doesn't have a good insight, it doesn't have a good discussion of human nature, the audience still has no way to have an emotional connection with it, it's not interesting, and I haven't seen which movie can be made well.
So I need to look at the script of Cleopatra, is there something special, what new insights and unique places in drama, human nature, history, if not, I will not take it.