"Remaking a movie is very difficult." After watching "King Kong," Laila couldn't help but sigh, "Director Jackson's work is considered successful, but it falls short of entering the hall of classics."
Perhaps it was because of her success with "The Lord of the Rings" that "King Kong" had subtle differences from the original. This difference was not in a good direction; it was more like trying to force too much water into a small jar, resulting in all the water spilling out, leaving only what the jar could hold.
Being a director is a profession where experience is sometimes more useful than talent. Constant practice can make a director's skills smoother and more outstanding. Talent may allow them to create classics, but experience can help them keep their jobs.
However, in this life, Peter Jackson did not get the opportunity to film "The Lord of the Rings" and only made two decent movies, far from the aura he exuded when filming "The Lord of the Rings."
Without the most precious experience, certain aspects of Jackson's version of "King Kong" showed this lack. Perhaps ordinary movie fans might not notice anything, but it was clear to someone like Laila.
Of course, she did not feel guilty about this.
She had made a movie that was superior to the original and used her abilities to make more people around the world fall in love with "The Lord of the Rings." Whether it was the quality of the movie itself or the impact she had on the world, it was better than the original. So she had nothing to feel guilty about.
If Jackson needed help in the future, she would give some advice at the right time. But to say she would provide more support, was definitely impossible, at least not until he proved himself to be an outstanding director.
Without "The Lord of the Rings" as his divine movie, would he still become the Oscar-winning best director from his past life? I'm afraid no one could give an accurate answer.
This was also the reason why Laila had always helped Nolan. One Jackson had already embarked on an uncertain path, and she would not let Nolan become like that!
Speaking of remakes, Roy also thought of the movie he was currently filming, "The Departed." Whether it was a remake or an adaptation, there was no difference; there was always an outstanding original version ahead. Either defeat it or be defeated by it.
"The Hong Kong version of 'The Departed' is very powerful, and the pressure on the crew here is also immense. They are just worried that if they don't film it better than the original, it will be embarrassing."
"Whether it's a remake or an adaptation, the previous work must be very outstanding." Otherwise, there would be no need to remake it.
As they walked out of the cinema, when the warmth wrapped around them suddenly disappeared, Roy felt Laila's body shiver.
He bent down to help her adjust her scarf and hat before saying, "Yeah. Many remakes of movies are criticized for not being as good as the original. For example, in the East, there are some classic old movies, like 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes,' which have been filmed many times, right? But when it comes to classics, Easterners still think that the one from the 80s is the most classic."
He didn't expect him to know even this. Laila smiled and asked, "It seems like your Chinese is pretty good. How many TV shows from there have you watched?"
"It's okay." Roy smiled proudly, "Understanding shouldn't be a problem."
He used the word "understand." Many Eastern movies and TV shows would have some allusions that foreigners couldn't understand. To fully understand them was not an easy task. For example, some idioms, some proverbs, some stories from Eastern classics, and so on, without a deeper understanding of Eastern culture, it was impossible to understand.
As a compliment, Laila tiptoed and touched his head, "You're such a good kid."
Roy chuckled and grabbed her hand down, feeling the slight chill at her fingertips, and put it in his pocket, "Let's go, let's find something warm to fill our stomachs. Are you hungry too?"
They found a restaurant and sat in the warm indoors. Finally getting the treatment of taking off her scarf and hat, Laila enjoyed her late dinner.
Seeing Roy also taking off his scarf and revealing his very recognizable face, she couldn't help but think of Heath Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain."
"What do you think of Ledger's acting?"
"It's very good." Roy replied naturally, but when he thought of Nolan saying someone recommended that person to play the Joker, his pride surged, "But I'm better than him."
Laila poured him and herself a cup of hot tea with a smile, "What do you think is good about him? And what about you?"
This question stumped Roy. Just like appreciating a painting, many people only feel that the painting is very beautiful, but they can't explain why it's beautiful. He was the same; he could discern whether acting was good or bad, but asking him to explain exactly what was good or bad was too difficult for him.
"His expressions are on point?" He said uncertainly.
"You're cheating!" How can a performance with inappropriate expressions still be considered acting? Since they all said he was good at acting, there must be no problem with his expressions and actions, right?
Laila always felt that he still had room for improvement, but fortunately, he now knew his shortcomings and had been learning new acting skills. Just this point alone showed how unlimited his future prospects were. It must be noted that not every actor, after becoming famous worldwide like him, could still settle down to learn.
"Did you notice the movement of the camera?" She reminded him, "When the camera gave him a close-up, what kind of performance do you think he showed at that moment?"
Roy's body trembled as if a closed door had been opened, and everything suddenly became clear. Yes! That's it! The relationship between the camera and the expression and movement! When the camera is far away, what kind of performance needs to be shown, and how to respond when it's a close-up shot. He seemed to understand!
This was not just simple movement; it was a deeper understanding that could only be achieved with solid acting skills and experience. Without a wealth of acting experience, it was difficult to understand this point. If you didn't have outstanding acting skills, you couldn't perform the required expressions.
Laila didn't interrupt his contemplation, sniffing the tea's fragrance as it rose, watching his ever-changing expressions. It had to be said that good-looking people looked good no matter what they did. His frowning, squinting, daydreaming, and thoughtful expressions were all so pleasing to the eye.
It's no wonder she had always ranked so high on the list of most enviable women; she had a powerful family background, strong talent, a rapidly expanding career, and a boyfriend who was the world's sexiest man.
What was a winner in life? Those who didn't understand this term only needed to look at her to understand.
After a long time, Roy finally looked up, his eyes flashing with a fleeting light, "I think I understand."
What exactly did he understand, Laila didn't know, nor did she want to explore. He probably didn't even know how to describe what he had just realized.
She believed that when they worked together next time, he would bring her a surprise!