Film Name: 魔法满屋 / Fireflies in the Sun
Two years ago, the domestic movie “Sheep Without a Shepherd” impressed the audience with word-of-mouth and box office dark horse, and two years later, “Fireflies in the Sun” with similar genes killed back again.
This movie does have a lot of similarities with Sheep Without a Shepherd: it’s also a remake of a foreign movie, produced by Chen Sicheng, directed by a newcomer, starring Xiao Yang, and takes place in “empty” Thailand, etc…. …
However, after watching it, you will understand that Fireflies in the Sun is not a sequel to its predecessor, it is essentially a new movie with a new kitchen. Although it is also a crime drama, the suspense component has been greatly reduced, and replaced by an unusually strong emotion and a social nature that pushes the eyeballs.
[Friendly reminder: there will be spoilers below].
Chen Sicheng’s movies and TV dramas, whether it’s the “Tang Detective” series or the “Manslaughter” series, share a common feature: they are set in foreign countries with similar social and cultural environments as China’s, which maximizes the integration of domestic viewers and provides more flexibility in presenting dark and sensitive content. This is to maximize the integration of the domestic audience, but also to have a higher degree of flexibility in presenting all kinds of dark and sensitive content.
Although Fireflies in the Sun is a remake of the American movie John Q, and the story has been transplanted to Thailand, it still contributes to a sense of familiarity in our lives – after all, issues of love, injustice, and sacrifice are always common.
Given that plot analysis is of little value, I’ll focus on the film’s adaptation and presentation, and I’ll start with a conclusion – if you’re going to see Fireflies in the Sun for its suspense, you’ll probably be disappointed.
The narrative of the movie is so straightforward that the audience just follows the trajectory of the protagonist, Lin Rilang, and gradually learns the truth of the matter, basically there is not much room for speculation, and the only doubt in the middle section, i.e., whether the story Lin Rilang told in an interview was fabricated, was immediately disproved shortly after it was thrown out, and his wife and children can’t be faked. His wife and children can’t be faked.
As for the climaxes, such as Lim Il-Rang’s discovery of the truth and his decision to self-sacrifice, they are at best watered-down twists and turns, and far from unexpected reversals or surprises.
Therefore, those who are expecting something similar to “Sheep Without a Shepherd” will have to adjust their expectations and evaluation criteria if they watch “Fireflies in the Sun”.
The element of suspense is greatly reduced, and accordingly, the movie puts more emphasis on the character’s family portrayal and the polishing of emotional relationships.
Almost all the flashbacks and interludes in the movie belong to the family of Lin Rilang, Ling, and Bug, not to mention the fact that the “main movie” doesn’t give them much to do. Honestly, I think it’s a bit excessive to give so much weight to family drama in a crime drama, and it’s just saturated with melodrama, except for letting the audience fully understand the characters’ motives.
However, we have to admit that Fireflies in the Sun’s slow and methodical filming of this emotional drama is really good, the process is complete, relaxed, details and transitions are very specific and to the point, and it is no wonder that the film’s tagline is “for the one you love, defy the odds once more”.
In addition, the “topicality” of the film’s social issues has been greatly improved compared to its predecessor, not that the issues themselves are high or low, but that the intuitive expression of the relevant content in Fireflies in the Sun has reached a level that cannot be avoided.
Although the main story line is Lin Rilang’s hijacking of the hospital in exchange for his son’s heart transplant, there are many influences that cannot be ignored, including the duplicity of the media’s unscrupulous pursuit of news, the uncertainty of the public’s reaction to the new media broadcasts, the complexity of the criminal case that gradually evolves into a political event, and the destruction of the social fairness caused by the unlawful trade of power, etc. Of course, the actual performance of these topics in “Fireflies in the Sun” is moderate at best, compared to similar works.
Of course, the actual performance of these topics in Fireflies in the Sun is moderate at best, and not more colorful than similar works.
Incidentally, the film’s character design is quite effective. In addition to Lin Rilang’s humble determination and Zhang Zhengjie’s sophistication, the rest of the supporting characters are also quite evocative, with Chen Yu Strontium’s Li Anqi having the “sense of utility” of a daring journalist, and Lee Chi-Ting’s Satin smacking of the scum of the earth at first glance.
In so many subplots, I personally think that Dr. Damar and Wen’s line is relatively the weakest short board.
From the beginning, when Lin Rilang “shoots” to interrupt Wen’s murderous intentions, it is clear that the movie intends to focus on this clue, but unfortunately, its subsequent performance did not achieve the desired effect.
In fact, the design of this branch line is very good, can add many uncertain variables to the main line, while on the other hand, shaping the image of Damar “good doctor”, but also for the sensitive and complex relationship between doctors and patients to make a positive statement, but the back of the filming flew off the handle with only two short scenes, the effectiveness of the design of the The effectiveness of the design can only be described as scratching the itch for the original intention.
This run through once down, will find that “Fireflies in the Sun” is a not meritorious film …… but it is still favored by me, because the protagonist Lin Rilang belongs to the delightful role.
Sheep Without a Shepherd” protagonist Li Weijie is a not very educated but a huge amount of viewers of the super movie fans, ‘Fireflies in the Sun’ Lin Rilang is a precarious income but the chest of the poor screenwriter ink, both of them have a different person with the same wonderful, are not very capable but a little bit of ability and also take care of the family and love the family of the ordinary middle-aged man, it is very close to the general audience. For the majority of the audience is very intimate, because he is a member of the side of you and me, or rather, is you and me.
Come to think of it, Lin Rilang, the scriptwriter, is quite a failure, not vulgar enough (can’t make a quick buck) and not elegant enough (level is not high), barely able to make a living, put his life on the line to direct the last big show, wanting to play the bad guy, and as a result, assimilated the hostages into their own “accomplices”.
Lin Rilang is right, in this desperate gamble, he has already lost from the beginning, the difference only lies in whether or not to know the truth, in other words, is the difference between less pain and more pain – not to mention that he is good natured, will not kill at all, which even the last trace of vengeance or the interest of the same death can not be taken back.
But at the same time, Lin Rilang is also a winner, relying on his sincerity and goodness, because his goal is always not to do evil, all the true and false crimes are just a means for him to help his son to find the heart, and when everyone gradually understand this, naturally, may bear the good fruit of the path of more help.
If the PLAN A of retrieving the transplanted heart doesn’t work, then he still has the PLAN B of sacrificing his own heart.
After watching the whole movie, it’s hard not to sympathize with and admire such a father, who, in a desperate situation that is extremely difficult to turn the tide, holds a selfless heart to renew his son’s life, and exhausts all his life’s courage and talent to win a nebulous ray of hope.
The words he says at the end of the movie in the face of Mayor Long Dan and all the bystanders also have a word-for-word relevance, and despite being slightly melodramatic and over-the-top, they come out of the mouth of the already emotionally out-of-control Lin Ži Lang, who has to be brought to terms with the cruelty of the real world.
Whether or not the bug can be saved, “Fireflies in the Sun” is a strangling tragedy, in the story of the plot, landing point and other aspects of the story have been set on the basis of how to make the final touches for the film’s tone is very critical point, here I like the design of the firefly bridge in the film.
First of all, in the middle part of the movie, the mouth of the bug asks the question “Why don’t the fireflies light up in the light? The question, and then in the death of Lin Rilang floated over a firefly, until the final scene to answer the “faint light can only be seen in the dark”, this rather bookish and retro-meaning of the lyrical approach, not new, now not many people use, but put in the film feels particularly beautiful.
The film’s director, Dai Mo, may not be as spiritual as Sheep Without a Shepherd’s Coventry – both are directors of the web series Detective Chinatown – and Chen Sicheng does have something to offer as a product manager – but with this Fireflies in the Sun, it’s clear that he’s well grounded, down-to-earth, and patient. As a “product manager”, Chen Sicheng does have something to offer – but with Fireflies in the Sun, we can see that he’s well-grounded, down-to-earth, and patient, so let’s hope he’ll be able to live up to the phrase “the future is bright”
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