"Flowers" has recently set off a boom in the field of workplace dramas, created by editor Situ Ye. The background of the story is closely related to old Shanghai, and in order to truly restore the Shanghainese, the crew hired many local actors. The leading actors Hu Ge, Tang Yan, and Ma Yili are all authentic Shanghainese, and even the supporting roles are almost all Shanghai-born actors, and even the Internet celebrity papi sauce is among them because of their identity background.
However, what is surprising is that the high-profile Wang Chuanjun and Sun Li did not appear in the play. It may be understandable why Wang Chuanjun was not invited, after all, he openly objected to Wong Kar-wai's "The Ferryman" and contradicted other stars. This choice may have been a logical one.
But Sun Li and Wong Kar-wai have no holidays, from acting skills to box office appeal, she is not inferior to any actress. As a sister in the field of TV dramas, a representative of the post-80s, and a native of Shanghai, why did she lose her place in "Flowers"?
Since marrying Deng Chao, every time the husband and wife are in the same frame, it has caused heated discussions among netizens about the appearance of the husband and wife, because the appearance of the two is becoming more and more similar. However, for Sun Li, who used to be unpleasant, this is not a good thing. Recalling her image when she first debuted, the coldness revealed in the gentleness made people feel pity. Although her face was slightly square, she exuded a unique charm at that time.
The tight skin and flesh, the collagen-rich face, and the smart eyebrows and eyes all make people ignore the imperfection of the face shape, and even feel that this non-aggressive beauty adds a bit of purity and loveliness. In 2011, her performance in "The Legend of Zhen Huan" seemed to be the peak moment of Sun Li's appearance, at this time she faded away and showed her femininity. In the early stage, she showed a fresh and refined beauty, which was pitiful, and in the later stage, she showed a dignified atmosphere and bright aura, which was impressive.
However, as time went by, Sun Li's appearance began to decline. With the loss of collagen, the skin and flesh are gradually separated, the male appearance is highlighted, and the femininity gradually disappears. Even if you are wearing a ** slip dress, you can't get back the previous gentleness and softness, but it looks a little disobedient. What was once a playful and cute short hair now makes her look older. Coupled with a swollen face and an enlarged neck, Sun Li's face seems to have become mean, especially the big eyes that used to be fascinating, but now they look a little scary, and even make people wonder if they have hyperthyroidism. When sharing the stage with other female stars, Sun Li was directly killed in seconds, and even looked younger than Zhou Xun, who was 8 years older than her.
In "Flowers", whether it is Reiko or Miss Wang, Sun Li's temperament does not seem to match the role. Reiko is fashionable and feminine, but for the sake of her beloved Po, she can also take charge of herself and become a shrewd businesswoman who loves to take advantage. Sun Li's mismatch in character creation further highlights the difference in temperament between her and the character.
As soon as Ma Yili appeared, she walked elegantly, smiling with enthusiasm, and immediately showed her unique atmosphere of softness and market, as if the atmosphere of the market had been perfectly released on her. This kind of charming and mysterious quality is handy in her, if it is Sun Li to interpret it, it may seem a little reluctant and difficult to enter the play.
In contrast, Miss Wang, played by Tang Yan, showed a straightforward and energetic side in the early stages of the play, and her bright and delicate image perfectly matched the enthusiasm and simplicity of the character. However, as the plot develops, Miss Wang is betrayed, and she can't help but feel aggrieved when she tastes the bitterness for the first time, but she is so strong that it makes people feel distressed. Tang Yan's lovely face makes it easy for the audience to resonate, and once she cries, the audience is immediately deeply moved.
In contrast, Sun Li's face no longer has the fearless momentum of the original, but is replaced by exhaustion and vicissitudes. There is no such ignorant innocence on her face. Li Li played by Xin Zhilei and Lu Meilin played by Fan Xiangyan, one is hot and resolute, the other is arrogant and vulgar, whether it is appearance or temperament, it is not a category that Sun Li can control today.
On the whole, there seems to be no character in "Flowers" that is completely suitable for Sun Li's performance style. Generally speaking, Sun Li, as a health expert in the entertainment industry, should be more superior in terms of facial features and posture, but every time she appears on the red carpet, she will inevitably be ridiculed by the group. It's hard to imagine what this is like for someone who knows how to maintain health and has been exercising for a long time. Perhaps this is related to her excessive pursuit of health preservation, whether it is fasting, foot soaking, vegetarianism, acupuncture or exercise, all of which make her appearance and form fall short of the audience's expectations.
Sun Li is quite good at health preservation, always posting her health secrets on social platforms, and also promoting her massage techniques, which is quite professional, attracting a group of people to follow suit. But in fact, everyone didn't really feel the benefits of her health. The energetic "Niangniang" in the past has become a person who looks a little old-fashioned and has become a "black hole" in fashion concepts, and the audience has begun to doubt her. There are even ** doctors who come out and say that some of the things are too much. But Sun Li still goes her own way, wearing thick socks in summer, and the air conditioner is turned on to 27 degrees, which is a bit too much. It's understandable that when people are old, their appearance has declined, but the most unbearable thing is her increasingly routine performance.
Since "The Legend of Zhen Huan", Sun Li's career has soared, although this drama has been broadcast for 12 years, it is still hot. Whether it is the simple kindness when he first entered the palace, or the happiness when he was favored in the harem, or the discouragement after being demoted, or even the mental struggle of love and hatred after returning to the palace, Zhen Huan's changes at every stage are perfectly presented under Sun Li's interpretation.
But since then, Sun Li has started her own route as a heroine. However, after reaching the peak, whether it is state or acting skills, she will never return to her previous level. In "The Legend of Miyue", her Miyue was complained of "exaggerated artificiality", and the scene of pregnancy was embarrassing once I watched it. and in "An Home", the role she played in "Fang Nijin" was originally a poor person who was hurt by her original family. However, under Sun Li's interpretation, she is not expressionless and pretending to be arrogant, but sometimes looks vicious and unusual. Even at the moment of crying, it is difficult to arouse the audience's desire to protect. In terms of acting skills, she was ridiculed for "using too much force", and her face was extremely uncomfortable because of the protruding bags under her eyes and prominent eyes.
In "Ideal City", this phenomenon is even more pronounced. Sun Li's whole person exuded a feeling of exhaustion, no matter what kind of expression he was, he seemed to have a dry staring look. Even when playing against Yang Chaoyue, who has mediocre acting skills, the audience will have the illusion of being crushed. Sun Li's scripts selected several times in a row not only have the same roles, but also appear to be suspended, which has attracted criticism from the central media. It can be seen that Sun Li has fallen from the altar, and the public has even begun to think that she is no longer suitable for performing modern dramas.
In contrast, Wong Kar-wai's "Flowers" took three years to come out. In this work, every actor must show both beauty and storytelling under the director's lens, and the agility of acting skills is indispensable. And Sun Li's acting skills are no longer at the original level. It is worth mentioning that Sun Li has been taking the route of a big heroine in recent years, and "Flowers" is a big male lead play, which is obviously not in line with her past drama path.
Looking at the cast of "Flowers", almost all of them are actors from the Shanghai film industry. However, although Sun Li is also from Shanghai, her career focus has always been in Beijing. Whether it is her hit Haiyan drama "Jade Guanyin", or the pinnacle work "The Legend of Zhen Huan". Looking at all this, Sun Li seems to have gradually lost her former brilliance.
The cooperation with Zheng Xiaolong, the bigwig in the Beijing circle, has reached as many as three times. And between her and Hu Ge, the male protagonist of "Flowers", there are relatively few opportunities for cooperation, and the few occasions on the same stage mainly appear at the award ceremony. However, Tang Yan and Ma Yili's situation is completely different. Tang Yan and Hu Ge's fate can be traced back to 2009's "The Legend of Sword and Fairy 3". The two have now partnered up to 5 times, and they have long been old friends who have a tacit understanding and are familiar at first sight.
It is rumored that it was Jiang Shuying who followed up with Miss Wang at first, but in the end it was Hu Ge who recommended his friend Tang Yan. It is worth noting that as the male protagonist initially determined by Wong Kar-wai, Hu Ge has every right to choose his partner. If this rumor is true, then the brother-sister relationship between the two has indeed stood the test of time.
In contrast, although Ma Yili is cooperating with Hu Ge for the first time, the relationship between the two is quite deep. As a student of the play, Hu Ge respectfully called Ma Yili his senior sister.
The two had a funny fall together at the Magnolia Awards in 2005, and when they shared the stage again in 2019, the funny interaction between the two revealed the depth of their private relationship.
At the same time, although Sun Li, who has been in the Beijing circle, failed to participate in the filming of "Flowers", there is actually nothing to regret. The success of a good drama depends not only on the actors, but also on the joint efforts of the director, screenwriter, actors, and post-production. In terms of choosing a script and role that suits you, it may be the first step to save your reputation.