"Diary of Fortune" tells the bitter history of ordinary people in northeast China who went to Shenzhen to work in the sea under the commercial wave of the 90s, and presents the living conditions of ordinary workers in the south in the 90s. The film uses comedic tones to paint a picture of a warm and emotional person.
Song Xiaobao played the kind and righteous young man Xiaobao, after seeing the second brother who returned to his hometown to visit his relatives, he had the idea of getting rich, he secretly followed the second brother's train and ran to Shenzhen, which was bathed in the wind of reform and opening up at that time.
Xiao Bao belongs to the kind of natural good old man, although he has been bullied since he was a child, he has no bad heart and is thick and honest. This kind of honest person may have been a sought-after bun in the past; but in modern commercial society, it is not popular and even despised. Because honesty means losing money and being bullied everywhere.
The second brother is played by Sha Yi, who is the kind of down-and-out little person who loves to be in the limelight and love face. He returned to his hometown and deliberately dressed in a suit and shoes, making people think that he had made a fortune in Shenzhen. But in fact, he is a coachman in Shenzhen, watching people's eyes and doing things, and he is not a big boss at all.
After he lost his job, he could only sleep under the overpass with Xiaobao, not to mention how miserable it was. Even if life falls into such a dilemma, every time he goes to find a job, he will still dress up carefully, so that other job seekers mistakenly think that he is the boss. This is a very funny scene in the movie.
It can be said that Xiao Bao and the second brother have a sharp contrast in temperament, forming a common role match of "one good and one evil" in comedies. One is responsible for being funny, one is responsible for seriousness. The two bond together after picking up a baby and become a milk daddy group with a baby.
The film uses a series of plots to show the good man image of Xiaobao. For example, Xiao Bao saw the fishing uncle by the lake because of heat stroke coma, the first thought was to shout for help, although the second brother tried to encourage him to run quickly, he still obeyed his heart and saved the old man.
After the two accidentally picked up a pile of women's underwear, Song Xiaobao disregarded her face and dressed as a plump woman to sell underwear, and finally was beaten badly. After Xiao Bao found a place to live, he washed dishes while carrying the child on his back to support the child and his second brother. It's funny and sad.
Song Xiaobao has always given the impression of being a humble sketch actor, who gets the audience's laughter by playing ugly. But unexpectedly, he still showed a certain talent as a director in "Diary of a Fortune". Just look at how the camera is handled in the movie, you can understand that he still understands the language of the movie.
Before watching it, I was a little worried that the movie would become a copy of the sketch or a variety-style farce. After watching it, it is very calm, the overall image style of the film is biased towards the texture of the movie, and the actors' performances are restrained and introverted, unlike other comedies that are open and open. The presentation of the daily life of the little people is also simple and sincere enough, which is slightly unexpected.
Of course, the help of the strong team behind the film cannot be ruled out. The supervising producer and director of photography of "Fortune Diary" is Zhang Yimou's right-hand man Zhao Xiaoding, and the script is completed by eight screenwriters, and the joining of powerful friends such as Ma Li and Sha Yi is also making this film.
But the problem is not nothing. As far as the overall rhythm of the film is concerned, it is still slightly flat, and the design of some comedy bridges is also suspected of being funny for the sake of funny. However, as a film debut made by a comedian, "The Fortune Diary" is still qualified.
What we don't know is that for what reason "Fortune Diary" was squeezed out of the Spring Festival file, and we can only choose the online platform to debut. It is a pity that if it can be released, "Diary of a Fortune" may hopefully become a small dark horse.
From the emotional tone, "Fortune Diary" is simple and sincere, which is better than many shoddy and deliberately sensational movies. Especially in the role of Xiao Bao, his love for children and his love for Ma Lu are from the heart, he will secretly wipe his tears when he sees his son who has been away for a long time, in order to express his love for Ma Lu, he will secretly prepare pasta for each other, and fantasize about being with Ma Lu.
Although the whole movie is the tone of a warm comedy, it actually hides sadness inside. Xiao Bao's "Fortune Diary" did not make him rich, and the second brother quickly went bankrupt after success and became an ordinary person again. The movie has not become a template for "success learning", otherwise it is a clichéd inspirational story. Rather, it is an ode to frustrated little people who stick to the ordinary, hold on to their true feelings, and ultimately be comforted by their true feelings.