What does a brilliant crime film, a mind-bending film, need to do? The False gave a very good demonstration.
Don't force a film to be mind-bending for the sake of being mind-bending, nor force it to be complex for the sake of being complex. Don't set up more obstacles unnecessarily.
The essence of a movie is that it is a product to be sold to audiences, making them willingly spend money to sit in a theater and enjoy a pleasant viewing experience.
Many so-called "mind-bending" films often ignore the psychological needs of the audience. So, while they may receive good reviews from critics, their box office performance is often poor.
Where The False succeeded was in following the flow of the story, allowing puzzles to be solved bit by bit while simultaneously throwing out more puzzles.
This process was done subtly, almost imperceptibly.
Audiences unconsciously follow the film to think and speculate, yet without feeling exhausted or overwhelmed.
Moreover, when the film features three of Hollywood's biggest stars, the visual spectacle is beyond imagination.
Even if you don't understand, or don't want to think too hard, at least there's Charlize Theron's stunning beauty and Tom Cruise's action scenes to enjoy.
After the battle in Colombia ended, the painter's gang rested for a year before returning to Los Angeles.
It so happened that the real Mary was holding an art exhibition here, and Ido Dash also came to see it. The fake Mary followed along and only then realized that she was merely a substitute.
Before she could quarrel with Ido Dash, news came from the second floor: the real Mary was already engaged.
Ido Dash dared not hope to reunite with the real Mary. He wanted to take the fake Mary and leave together, but the painter refused, insisting on finishing this business first.
This time, the target was someone called the Bishop, who had never shown his face. But Richard Dyke always felt he had seen him before.
The Bishop was actually the Canadian police officer played by Matt Damon. After the Canadian highway robbery, he had been keeping tabs on the painter's gang and was collaborating with the U.S. police.
He even became romantically involved with the character played by Vera Farmiga, later posing as the Bishop to negotiate with Richard Dyke.
But his identity was exposed by Richard Dyke, who also discovered problems with the electrical panel expert played by Dustin Hoffman. As a result, Richard Dyke immediately emptied the factory and even killed the electrical panel expert.
In the final hotel scene, Richard Dyke exposed Matt Damon's identity and told Ido Dash to do the killing, but Ido hesitated.
Without mercy, Richard Dyke killed the Canadian policeman, then gave Ido Dash a second chance.
Richard Dyke had already kidnapped the real Mary and her fiancé, demanding that Ido kill Mary's fiancé. Ido refused and instead pointed his gun at Richard Dyke.
Richard Dyke wasn't afraid at all. He believed Ido would never pull the trigger, so he shot and killed Mary's fiancé first.
The rest of the gang followed, spraying bullets inside the room. At that moment, the fake Mary launched a sneak attack and killed the others. Richard Dyke hid inside, betting that Ido wouldn't dare fire.
But this time, for the sake of protecting the woman he loved, Ido resolutely pulled the trigger.
Afterward, the fake Mary threatened with the real Mary's life and escaped with Ido before the police arrived, hiding in the hotel Richard Dyke had once rewarded him.
They hid in the hotel for several months. When Ido discovered that the former electrical panel expert and his family had all been silenced, he became convinced Richard Dyke was still alive. Thus, he wanted to return to the U.S. to protect the real Mary.
But when buying tickets, he was arrested by police due to a fake passport. Just before boarding, he spotted Richard Dyke smiling in the crowd, holding a magazine with the real Mary on its cover.
Watching Ido's final arrest, Erin sighed: "See? A man blinded by love can never accomplish great things."
Zhao Jack disagreed: "I was blinded by love, but what I did counts as something big, right?"
"Ugh!" Erin let out a sound of disgust, though she didn't refute him.
Zhao Jack scratched his head and said: "The film should almost end here. Next should be the plot of capturing the painter.
Tell me, where is Richard Dyke?"
Erin disagreed: "If the film ended like this, at best it would be a passable crime movie, hardly something brilliant."
"No way, I thought it was pretty good," Zhao Jack said.
"Good, my foot! Gilbert would never be satisfied with just this—watch!"
Erin was right. The flashback sequence ended, and the police, based on Ido's description, drew the painter's likeness—it was Richard Dyke.
Once the sketch was completed, Ido was free to go.
Later, in the corridor, Mary and the policewoman had a conversation, further convincing Erin that this Mary was fake.
Many sharp-eyed viewers noticed too; seeing Mary with sunglasses, they felt something was off.
The film's handling here must be mentioned: in scenes with the real Mary, the visuals were realistic and vivid.
But with the fake Mary, the picture had a hazy filter, barely noticeable unless you looked closely. Her skin also appeared artificially smoothed, looking unnatural.
Though few audience members observed so meticulously, after watching both styles for a while, the difference became clear.
Sure enough, Gilbert didn't let the audience down. The reversals kept coming, one after another.
Back at the hotel, Ido Dash's gaze had completely changed. Gone was the timid man from the police station; he now exuded confidence and composure.
Meanwhile, the female officer spotted a man who looked very much like the painter, dressed as a policeman and entering the station with a suspicious briefcase.
"Could this be the painter seeking revenge?" was the first thought in every viewer's mind.
And paired with Hans Zimmer's score, Tom Cruise's policeman truly carried the aura of a boss—until he was quickly pinned down by the cops.
Another reversal followed. Watching this policeman cry innocence, without any trace of boss-like demeanor, the policewoman realized she had been fooled.
There was never any painter—or rather, Ido Dash himself was the painter. Every story was fabricated by him, and so seamlessly too.
Most viewers were stunned, staring at the shocking contrast in the film, unable to resist applauding.
This was truly a good story: exciting enough, interesting enough, and mind-bending enough.
Elsewhere, the fake Mary delivered an unforgettable image. Smoking in one scene, Charlize Theron's fans cried out at her sheer allure.
Having recognized Ido Dash's true nature, the fake Mary detonated a bomb during their escape, perishing together with Ido Dash.
Here Zhao Jack complained: "See? A woman blinded by love can never accomplish great things."
Erin glared at Zhao Jack but didn't argue.
Seeing this, Erin thought the twists were finally over and the film was about to end.
But what followed still gave her a surprise. The female officer found the real Mary, who was painting in Europe, and informed her of the outcome of the case.
After all, Mary's fiancé was truly dead, and she had the right to know.
In the end, the female officer handed Mary a photo of Ido Dash. "Do you know him?"
Mary thought for a long time before remembering: "Yes, I know him. He used to live downstairs from me."
Good grief, so Mary and Ido Dash had no real connection at all. The last few flashback scenes also confirmed this.
This also proved Erin's earlier speculation was spot on.
The string of reversals at the end gave the theater audience a real sense of cerebral climax, and the story was indeed excellent. The performances of both the leads and the supporting cast were all outstanding.
Thus, when the film ended, the credits rolled, and the theater lights came on, the fans applauded spontaneously, without any prompting from the premiere host.
At a premiere, applause at the end is normal courtesy. But this film was so brilliant that it truly deserved the fans' applause.
After the premiere came the interaction session, and Drake was called upon to ask a question.
He was still immersed in the story and couldn't get out of it, so he offered a guess: "Director Gilbert, I noticed several details in the film.
I think Ido Dash is not really the painter. The real Mary is the true painter. Did I guess right?"
Gilbert shook his head and replied: "I can't tell you the answer now, otherwise you'd lose the fun of discovery. But I can tell you this much: the surface lies above the puzzle."
"The surface lies above the puzzle?" Drake pondered over this sentence for a long time.
He planned to rally his classmates to watch the film, letting the brainpower of top college students study it, because it was genuinely fun.
Erin was also called to interact, but she didn't bring up any plot speculation. She believed she had already understood the film and seen through Gilbert's trick.
Afterward, she intended to rewatch it several times, seeking evidence to support her argument.
Erin mainly praised the performances of the actors, especially being surprised to see two Toms appear in one movie.
On this, Tom Hanks said: "I was completely tricked onto this pirate ship. Gilbert told me I would play the head of a crime syndicate. In the end, I turned out to be a coward."
Tom Cruise also said: "Gilbert told me I would be playing a righteous cop. I thought I'd be matching wits with Hanks.
But as soon as I entered the set, I was told I needed to make counterfeit money…"
Their responses filled the venue with laughter. It was genuinely humorous, serving as a moment of relaxation after all the brain-teasing.
In the later interaction and press conference sessions, Gilbert gave the stage entirely to the main cast. After answering a few media questions, he returned to the studio first.
As soon as he entered the studio, Gilbert asked Ivanka: "Any news from New York?"
Ivanka replied: "Their premiere ended a little earlier than ours. According to our inside source, the film quality was actually quite mediocre."
It was customary, and an open secret, for competing films released in the same period to send spies to gather intel on each other.
Van Helsing also sent people over, and they did it openly, entering the premiere under the banner of Sky Film Studio.
Gilbert nodded slightly and said to Ivanka: "Keep an eye on their movements at all times. We can't relax. David Ellison may be arrogant, but he has ability, especially with Michael Ovitz helping him."
Ivanka nodded to show she understood, and then added: "I believe in you. I believe we will win."
"Of course we will…"
After years of maneuvering through Hollywood, Gilbert had built up this confidence. Others were always afraid of him; he had never once feared anyone else.
Now it was David Ellison who should be anxious, careful not to lose too miserably. That was what David Ellison needed to worry about.
....
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