What did Ly Hai say when "Lat Mat 7" was criticized for its illogical plot?

Director Ly Hai and producer Minh Ha of "Lat Mat 7" interact with the audience in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: DPCC

In an interview with Tuoi Tre Online , director Ly Hai frankly shared his thoughts on several issues surrounding the film and the film industry.

That's his opinion on the situation many people believe is that some films are being "forced into restricted screenings"; the theme of children caring for their elderly parents; and the reason why the film " Lật mặt 7 " (Face Off 7) doesn't have a villain.

Specifically, Ly Hai also responded to the opinion that " Flip Face 7: A Wish" has illogical plot points.

Controversy surrounding the film's content.

* Recently, there have been some comments questioning whether it's reasonable for an injured mother to travel across several provinces and cities so that her children take turns caring for her. What is your opinion on this?

- If people had looked closely, they would have seen that I had planted many traps beforehand. After Mrs. Hai fell, she was left alone, living in a remote area.

Why didn't I choose a house in the countryside, in the middle of a village? Because if she fell, the neighbors would come to help her a lot.

When their mother had an accident, the four children, living far away, shouldered the burden by bringing her to their homes, each for a week, in Hanoi, Ninh Thuan , Ho Chi Minh City, etc. - Photo: DPCC

I chose Mrs. Hai's house on the edge of the forest because if she had an accident, there would be no one to help her except for one neighbor.

An elderly woman, who hadn't been in an accident, already faced difficulties in daily life in a remote area, from shopping for groceries – she lived with her daughter, but now her daughter had to care for her child in the hospital. Moreover, with a broken leg, she couldn't live alone anymore.

I had the crew members test it out, and even a young man in his early twenties, with a brace up to his knee, couldn't stand up, sit down, use the toilet, cook, or do laundry on his own.

* When writing a script, do you listen to feedback to ensure the script is as well-structured as possible?

- Usually, when I write my first script, I tell my wife about it. Once it's finished, I email it to the team for them to read.

I mostly choose people who understand the profession because reviewing this crucial stage without understanding the craft will result in a film that's a hodgepodge, since everyone has their own ego.

Those who like action will incorporate action sequences. Those who prefer drama, horror, or other genres will contribute ideas to create suspense and confusion.

As a screenwriter and director, you must first be firm and have a clear stance, because it's the story you want to tell.

Director Ly Hai and the script for the film "Lat Mat 7" - Photo: DPCC

The children in the movie weren't unfilial at all.

* Another notable aspect of the film is the absence of villains. Why did you choose this storytelling approach?

In "Face Off 7: One Wish ," I didn't do anything extraordinary, but rather told the story from a certain perspective: not everyone in society is bad. This perspective is very positive and not at all negative.

Ly Hai with his mother, Pham Thi Hai - the inspiration for the character of Mrs. Hai in the film - Photo: DPCC

I thought to myself: why is there so much negativity in society these days, when there are so many positive stories? I decided to tell one such story so that people can see that society is beautiful, not gloomy at all.

* When people talk about children failing to care for their elderly parents, it's easy to fall into blaming and criticizing. You didn't choose that approach; why?

- I decided from the beginning that there were no bad guys in the film.

If we sit down and find a solution together, everything will be fine.

The children are not unfilial; it is due to circumstances that they cannot directly care for their mother.

For example, I love my mother very much, but saying I'd drop everything and rush home to take care of her is a huge problem.

Luckily, my family is large, and my siblings take turns caring for my mother very attentively.

Director Ly Hai on the set of "Lat Mat 7" in Hanoi , one of the provinces/cities where the film was shot (along with Ninh Thuan, Bao Loc, Lac Duong, Ho Chi Minh City...) - Photo: DPCC

Is the film industry being unfairly treated, or is it a matter of business practices?

* Recently, several Vietnamese films have had limited screening schedules, significantly impacting their box office revenue. Some filmmakers feel their films are being "oppressed." As a veteran filmmaker, dating back to when "Lật Mặt" wasn't yet a strong brand, what are your thoughts on this issue?

- The "Face Off " film series started 9 years ago, and every year it clashes with big foreign blockbusters, some years it was Avengers .

Parts 1, 2, and 3 of "Lật Mặt" (Face Off) all faced this problem: my film was showing well, the screenings were good, but as soon as a foreign film came out, my film's screenings plummeted. But I had to persevere and keep climbing.

I remember that the movie "Face Off 3: Three Disabled Men" was incredibly popular with audiences, exploding in popularity within the first two or three days. But when a Hollywood film came out, "Face Off 3" dropped to only a few hundred screenings a day. At the time, I didn't understand why.

Films in Ly Hai's "Lat Mat" series also lost screening slots when competing with foreign blockbusters, but he understands the rules of business - Photo: DPCC

Of course, I feel sad when screenings and box office revenue drop. I've been through those sleepless nights before.

Later, I understood better that in the business, movie theaters release many films a year, but not all of them sell tickets.

If I were the investor in that cinema chain, I would have to schedule screenings for any film that sells well in order to share the revenue with the film's investors (50/50). Films only make a lot of money in the first week of release, so they have to take advantage of that to maximize profits.

Ly Hai - "the king of the box office" during the April 30th holiday.

In recent years, Ly Hai has consistently achieved great success at the box office during the April 30th holiday, leaving other films with no chance of competing.

As of April 30th, "Lật mặt 7" (Face Off 7 ) had grossed 150 billion VND (including advance ticket sales) with a significantly higher number of screenings.

On April 30th, the film recorded 4,595 screenings, while other films all had fewer than 1,000 screenings.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ly-hai-noi-gi-khi-lat-mat-7-bi-che-khong-hop-ly-20240430162255059.htm