The realistic film "Reverse Life", directed by Xu Zheng, written by Zhonglele Screenwriting Studio, He Keke and Xu Zheng, and starring Xu Zheng and Xin Zhilei, has grossed over 150 million yuan since its release on August 9.
In the film, Zhilei, played by Xu Zheng, was originally a programmer in a large company. He was laid off by the company due to his age in middle age. In order to support his family, he had to choose to become a food delivery rider. Gao Zhilei, who shuttles through the streets and alleys of the city, meets a group of fellow riders on his cycling life, experiences the ups and downs of life, and rediscovers the meaning of life in the retrograde stage of life. This strength to bravely face the difficulties of life has infected many viewers. Various topics about food delivery riders and real life have also attracted more attention this weekend with the release of the movie.
On August 10, the film held a roadshow in Shanghai with the theme of "Run for Love". Leading actor Xu Zheng, and special guests Wu Jiakai and Liu Meihan attended the post-screening exchange event in Shanghai.
"Reverse Life" Shanghai Roadshow
Xu Zheng: Midlife crisis is a “big collection” of life crises
At the roadshow, Xu Zheng joked that he was a "veteran in the midlife crisis track." His crisis this time continued his previous "middle-aged middle-aged" situation, but it also triggered a "same-frequency crisis" with some of his peers in real life who were laid off by large companies and burdened with high mortgage loans. After entering the food delivery industry, from Gao Zhilei's perspective, he connected the life difficulties of Dahei, Laokou and a series of other deliverymen at the food delivery station.
Talking about the choice of the delivery man theme, Xu Zheng believes that "Reverse Life" is a "play he wrote for himself": "As a veteran in the mid-life crisis track, middle-aged people have elderly parents and young children to take care of, and they have to face their careers as the backbone, so I think the mid-life crisis is the best representation of all aspects of life. The collection of crises."
Xu Zheng
While experiencing the food delivery industry, Xu Zheng ran away from the deliveryman many times but was never recognized. "It was then that I realized that we didn't even see the deliveryman's face clearly. So I shot a lot of shots of the deliveryman's face in the movie, because behind each deliveryman's face there is his own life and story." Regardless of whether it is the middle-class family in the film or the deliveryman doing physical labor, "in fact, everyone has their own difficulties. To a certain extent, everyone is actually a community of shared destiny."
In the film, Gao Zhilei goes from "Kong Yiji who takes off his long gown" to "Camel Xiangzi who pulls a cart". Xu Zheng talked about the reason for arranging the fate of the character in this way, "As a very representative programmer in a large factory in a big city, Gao Zhilei suddenly steps into the retrograde path of life. I hope this story can connect with more audiences and generate empathy." Therefore, the first half of the film is as realistic as possible to show "life", while the second half contains a beautiful "vision of life", just like the smile on the film poster, "I hope to let everyone see the best moment of that character through the smile."
Poster of "Reverse Life"
In the narrative of the "retrograde life" path, Xu Zheng believes that whether Gao Zhilei stands up after falling down again and again, or gains strength with the support of his family, or brings hope to more food delivery riders through Lulutong, it is his way of guarding life with a different mentality from the previous confused mentality of standing against the current. Director Xu Zheng said that no matter in good times or bad times, we must regain a positive mentality, adjust our positive thoughts, feel ourselves, and feel the love around us, and find our own "lulutong" direction.
Xu Zheng plays the male lead Gao Zhilei
The actors experienced the life of deliverymen and gained something
During the post-screening session, the creative team shared interesting stories from the filming process.
In order to better present the work and life of the deliverymen, the crew also went deep into the delivery industry to experience the life of the delivery riders. Wu Jiakai, who plays the rider Yang Dashan in the play, recalled that when delivering takeout, there was an order of takeout from the urban area to the suburbs, a distance of more than ten kilometers, and there was drizzling in the sky. The customer was worried about the complicated roads in the village, so he walked from the yard to the village gate and waited for his arrival in the rain. After the meal arrived, Wu Jiakai's electric car was out of power, and the customer accompanied him to wait for Huolala to transport the electric car away. Wu Jiakai said with emotion: "Thank you very much, brother, for waiting for the car with me, and thank you very much for ordering a fried chicken more than ten kilometers away. The eldest brother is looking forward to the rider taking the order, and he also expressed his gratitude for the rider's labor in his own way. This is a very heartwarming experience." Xu Zheng joked on the side: "This is to express guilt for his own appetite."
Wu Jiakai as rider Yang Dashan
Liu Meihan, who plays the mother rider Qiu Xiaomin in the film, shared the takeaway industry from a female perspective: "There are more and more female takeaway workers, and I also observe the female group of takeaway workers in my daily life and on the Internet." While Liu Meihan was surfing the Internet, she was touched by a post: "Riding an electric bike through the city, the wind blowing my hair makes me feel free." Liu Meihan also saw a female takeaway worker in a documentary climbing the stairs to the sixth floor with a heavy bucket of water by herself. "We always think that it is difficult for female takeaway workers to do physical labor, but they can do it and gain a sense of self-worth from it." Liu Meihan commented, "I also hope that everyone can feel more about female takeaway workers through the role I play, and give more understanding and respect to the takeaway worker group."
Liu Meihan plays the mother rider Qiu Xiaomin
Movies cannot change reality, but they can change people's hearts
At the scene, some audience members talked about the realism masterpiece "I Am Not a God of Medicine" that Xu Zheng had previously produced and starred in, which had promoted the introduction of relevant drug policies and effectively improved people's livelihood. They also asked Xu Zheng whether he expected "Reverse Life" to have a more positive impact in the real world like its previous work?
Xu Zheng responded that "Dying to Survive" may not be a film that promotes policy, but there is no causal relationship between the two, and the film may not solve real-life problems as people expect. "It is very difficult to make movies now. We need to face all kinds of audiences. In fact, everyone sees different movies, but there are also universals among people. What we can do is to discover and extract universals, let more people see them, and arouse resonance and thinking."
Faced with the difficulties of creation and reality, Xu Zheng said frankly, "Movies may not change reality, but movies can change people's hearts. After watching a movie, you will have a feeling after watching it, and you will have a different feeling when facing your own life." Xu Zheng hopes, "After watching the movie, I will give a good review to the rider the next time I order takeout. In a very fragile and uncertain period in real life, give yourself a little yellow flower, give yourself a five-star review, and treat others with the same kindness. If this little bit of kindness can make you feel the love between family and friends, between strangers, and most importantly, the love for yourself, this is my vision as a creator."
On August 11, the film company officially released the promotional theme song "Wish Life" MV and the "Hope" version poster. The promotional theme song "Wish Life" is sung by Ren Suxi. In her gentle and powerful singing, the film slowly unfolds a series of life stories with warmth and laughter, wind and rain and sunshine. "May life not be too difficult, ordinary and ordinary, but also happy" "May life be less impermanent, and be kind to all ordinary and kind faces", which is also the blessing of the movie to ordinary people.
Retrograde Life Hope Version Poster
