Big Red Envelope (Chinese: 大红包) is a 2021 romantic comedy film written and directed by Li Kelong and starring Bao Bei'er, Clara Lee, Jia Bing, Zhang Yiming, Xu Juncong, Wang Xiaoli, Liao Weiwei, and Yue Yueli.[2][3] It is a remake of director Li Kelong's own 2014 film Cash Gift.[4][5] It was released in China on 22 January 2021.
| Big Red Envelope | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Traditional Chinese | 大紅包 |
| Simplified Chinese | 大红包 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Dà Hóng Bāo |
| Directed by | Li Kelong |
| Screenplay by | Li Kelong |
| Produced by | Ye Li, Jiang Yuxin |
| Starring | Bao Bei'er, Clara Lee, Jia Bing, Zhang Yiming, Xu Juncong, Wang Xiaoli, Liao Weiwei, Yue Yueli |
| Distributed by | Taopiaopiao |
Release date |
|
Running time | 122 minutes |
| Country | China |
| Language | Mandarin |
| Box office | RMB 235 million[1] |
Plot edit
Office workers Chen Zhong and Da Rui trick British Chinese actress Ellie into playing the part of Chen Zhong's bride at a fake wedding, so that they can collect red envelopes full of cash from their co-workers. But Chen Zhong's ex-girlfriend Du Ying realizes that their marriage isn't real and tries to expose their deception.[5]
According to director Zhao Ji, the film is intended as a commentary on modern Chinese society, where gifts of red envelopes have become so frequent as to be stressful.[6]
Cast edit
- Bao Bei'er as Chen Zhong
- Clara Lee as Ellie
- Jia Bing as Qian Haoshi
- Zhang Yiming as Da Rui
- Xu Juncong as Gangzi
- Wang Xiaoli as Ellie's fake father
- Liao Weiwei as Du Ying
- Yue Yueli as Ellie's real father[5]
Release edit
In December 2020, a promotional poster was released and the film's release date was announced as 29 January 2021.[7] On 17 January 2021 it was announced that the release would be moved up a week,[8] and the film was released in China on 22 January 2021.[5]
According to data from Maoyan a few days after the film's release, more than 60% of people who expressed interest in seeing it were from third and fourth tier cities,[9] and nearly half of viewers were from fourth-tier cities.[10] 70% of customers who rated the film were male.[9]
On its first day, Big Red Envelope made RMB 12.47 million at the box office.[3][11] It grossed a total of RMB 235 million.[1]
Reception edit
The film received a rating of 4.8 out of 10 on Douban, 8.4 out of 10 on Taopiaopiao, and 8.5 out of 10 on Maoyan.[10]
Viewers criticized the sexualization of Clara Lee's character, saying that she is portrayed through the male gaze as a form of male wish fulfillment.[9][10] Critic Yuan Shan described the film as a sex comedy that values lust over love, and argued that the film's focus on sexuality detracted from its attempts at social critique. Viewers also complained that the romantic plot line, in which Ellie falls in love with Chen Zhong because they kiss, was unrealistic.[9]
Derek Elley wrote that "the droll tone of the first half gets thinner and thinner during the over-long wedding sequence and the lengthy shenanigans thereafter, with the characters evoking no real emotion by the end."[5]
Nonetheless, there were some positive reviews. Rhinoceros Entertainment wrote that while the film wasn't highbrow, it satisfied most of its audience with a story grounded in their everyday lives.[12]
References edit
- ^ a b "一个新纪录诞生！2021年中国电影总票房破百亿-新华网". 新华网. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ "喜剧电影《大红包》今日上映 克拉拉演技引期待". 腾讯 (in Chinese). 22 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- ^ a b "《大红包》上映首日票房不敌《小红花》，《拆弹2》票房破十一亿". 腾讯 (in Chinese). 23 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- ^ "上映24天，总票房2.35亿，这部自己翻拍自己的烂片，终于下映了" (in Chinese).
- ^ a b c d e Elley, Derek. "Review: Big Red Envelope (2021)". Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ "电影《大红包》揭现实社会红包百态 导演力求突围2020贺岁档-中新网视频". www.chinanews.com. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ "爆笑喜剧《大红包》定档1月29日 "包笑男孩儿"重金贺岁". ent.ifeng.com. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ "《大红包》开年首部喜剧提档1月22日 曝"提钱开心"版预告领笑贺岁_许君聪". www.sohu.com. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d "国产喜剧不应该这样消费克拉拉" (in Chinese). Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ a b c "China Box Office: 'Big Red Envelope' Opens With $8 Million Weekend". Variety. 25 January 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ 小福 (22 January 2021). "开年首部日冠新片，包贝尔《大红包》领笑贺岁". 1905 (in Chinese). Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- ^ "开年首部日冠新片，包贝尔《大红包》领笑贺岁_电影号图文_电影网_1905.com". www.1905.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 22 February 2021.
External links edit
- Big Red Envelope at Douban (in Chinese)
- Big Red Envelope at Mtime.com (archived) (in Chinese)