I have always liked the film that the narrative is plain and far-reaching, not impatient, the parents are short, the warm pulse, and the life is more appropriate.
For example, "The Thief of Time", "One Eleven", "Sea Street Diary" this type. "The Taste of Peppercorns", which was nominated for the Best Film of the Hong Kong Academy Awards this time, is also a film full of this kind of life.
01
First of all, let's talk about the impression of watching the whole movie.
Personally, I think that the tone of the film and the details of some scenes can see the shadow of "Sea Street Diary" and "Eating Man and Woman".
Several half-sisters, at the beginning because of their father's death, met at the funeral; at the end, in the dragon dance spark, the three sisters hugged together, laughing and tears, which is very similar to the scene in "Sea Street Diary".
At the end of the film, if the tree is going to rent a hot pot restaurant, she turns her head to look at the big round table, imagining that the picture of the family sitting around the hot pot between the virtual and the real, can also easily remind people of the scene in "Eating Men and Women", the father and the three daughters eat together.
The hot pot restaurant is a carrier, and the taste of chili pepper and pepper contains a strong smell of ichii fireworks.
02
Let's talk about the characteristics of a few of the characters.
The eldest sister played by Zheng Xiuwen, Ru Shu, her character image is the most plump: restrained, delicate, convergent, subtle. In fact, in the play, Rushu does not have too many changes in expression, and she always has a cold face to people, and her speech is not sparing, exactly the same as her personality.
If this role is not played well, it is easy to feel paralyzed. But Zheng Xiuwen, who gave the acting school, is different.
The director's vision is still quite fierce.
Zheng Xiuwen uses his eyes, micro-expressions, and subtle changes in the corners of his mouth to accurately convey the emotions in different scenes.
At the end, there is the only emotional explosion scene "Dad, I miss you", a cry under the rain of tears, so that the audience is relieved for her, pushing the film to a climax, full of infectious.
The addition of Andy Lau and Ren Xianqi was a little surprise.
Andy Lau is as handsome as ever, and his acting skills are as good as ever. Naturally, there is no trace of performance, the style of the film emperor is indeed different, and no small role can hide the light.
In the play, he plays The ex-boyfriend of Ru Shu, and several scenes with Zheng Xiuwen, basically in the car. A few rounds of dialogue, like a pair of old husbands and wives, are not hurried or slow, and they are meaningful.
Like a big brother, he is mature and stable, and likes to reason with Rushu while driving. Teach her to think differently, look at family and love, and remind her that there are many ways to understand a sentence.
This scene reminds me of my boyfriend, who is always like this, when I am angry and irritable, while driving steadily, don't overdo it to tell me the big truth, and finally inexplicably convince him of his reasoning.
Andy Lau's role does not appear much, but it is very important, he helps to shape the character characteristics of Rushu from the side: sensitive, stubborn, insecure, making the role more three-dimensional.
The anesthesiologist played by Ren Xianqi in several scenes seems to be dispensable, but in fact, it is also the director's intentions.
Anesthesiologists are easily reminiscent of peppercorns: they paralyze part of their nerves. As soon as he appeared, he was fat and uncle-like, much like the acquaintances and relatives around him.
Ren Xianqi plays Ru Shu's friend, and has a good relationship with Ru Shu's father before he died. If Andy Lau, as a boyfriend, always uses language to tell Rushu how to think about problems. Then Ren Xianqi, a friend, is encouraged by actions like a tree.
He taught Rushu to drive; told her that "spicy is not a taste, but a pain that masks another"; went to a poor country to be a doctor... He told the heroine with practical actions, find the place where he needed himself, and bravely and boldly move forward.
03
Finally, let's talk about the theme that the film wants to express.
Like a tree, like a branch, if, three sisters from different geographical environments of the family, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Chongqing, but have a common father. What they have in common is their desire for family understanding and love.
The differences in thinking between the two generations in expressing feelings, as well as the differences in thinking between men and women, require empathy, a different perspective, jumping out of the "self" circle, and not clinging to themselves and others.
We are always prone to people close to us, not talking well, unscrupulous temper tantrums, cold violence, and grumbling about their mistakes, in fact, because there is still love for them in our hearts.
I always think that people close to me will not hurt themselves, they will not leave themselves. But this practice always hurts others and hurts oneself.
We are all ordinary people, and so are our parents. Most people in their own growth process, due to the negligence of parents and character defects, will cause more or less psychological damage to children.
If you have a knot in your heart because of this, and ignore the bland but quiet love of your parents in your trivial life, you can't let go of it. Then between love and hate, you will repeat the same mistakes, fall into self-predicament, and cannot get out of the shadow of the original family.
As the movie says, "Everyone will do something wrong, everyone is waiting for someone to forgive themselves" What the father in the movie is waiting for is that the three daughters will find themselves again and find love. Don't dwell on your life because you made mistakes when you were younger.
Fortunately, at the end of the film, in a splendid scene of fire trees and honeysuckles that never sleep, the deceased father finally waited for a cry like a tree with tearful eyes:
"Dad, I don't complain! I miss you so much! ”
The three sisters once again embraced each other intimately and completely let go of the shackles of their hearts.
04
Hot pot is a hodgepodge, running north and south, and anyone can eat it. In the movie, if the director changes to any other dish, it is not as appropriate as the image of hot pot.
It's like merging the different lives of three daughters together, and the boiling fireworks smell like the confusion of their respective lives. The appearance of peppercorns, which is able to numb the tongue, tries to mask the sensation of relief from the irritation and pain brought about by the spiciness.
Although the spicy hot pot is delicious, it cannot be eaten every day, and it will catch fire.
Just like in everyone's life, those obsessions that make you painful, if you don't let go, even if you put more peppercorns, you can't change the essence of spicy.
After all, whose life isn't spicy?