Very interesting plot and expression, a black humor movie full of irony. With the development of the plot step by step, I was very surprised that I had a Norman "friend", so I couldn't help writing something.
Watching the old Norman always wear a peanut-colored coat, a fine check scarf and a flat top hat, carrying a worn leather bag, breaking his head to gain contacts in the political arena, betraying some second-hand information to attract the attention of politicians, his The behavior is ridiculous but with some sympathetic bleakness.
He has a sales method, sometimes graceful and sometimes inferior to make valuable "friends" carefully selected by him, not afraid of cold reception, and seems to have no temper. His routine is actually very simple:
"My dead wife was a baby sitter at xxx (a very powerful official)."
"I knew xxx (a key person) n years ago, believe me, he is a very nice person."
"I am very grateful for your trust. If needed, I am willing to help you as much as I can."
Seeing this, I began to admire the characterization of the movie, because Norman looked like a "friend" of mine, please allow me to replace his name with Norman in the following remarks.
I met Norman at a small party invited by a friend. The people at the table that day were indeed a bit interesting. There were veteran engineering men who had participated in the development of C919, planners who worked in house construction, and well-known banking industry for 20 years. Experienced as an independent professional investor, post-80s entrepreneur who runs a concept restaurant by himself. That day, I just attended the FT interview with my boss (a well-known entrepreneur on the Hurun Rich List). The dinner was hosted by the Trump campaign consultant at the Riverside Hotel. The friend invited him because he had a project. Hurry up and talk to me about the situation before I go on a business trip.
At the table, my friend asked everyone to tell a story, some knowledge or anecdote. I naturally shared my experience of serving as a soldier in "Air Force One" and some interesting characteristics of my boss. The atmosphere of the night was very good. Different industries had different tastes and freshness that you would love to hear. When I left, my friend proposed to establish a group to gather regularly to finish the "story". Norman added me to that group.
I have no impression of Norman, I don’t remember his profession or even his face, because he didn’t speak that day, and later he said, “It’s all stubborn, I don’t feel like I can get it in.” It’s also rare for a while. There was an exchange. Once I tweeted a comment of Wu Xiaobo in the circle of friends, Norman wrote me privately that he knew Wu Xiaobo, and took the initiative to send me two signed books. I remembered his name.
The second time I met Norman was at a lecture at National Chiao Tung University, Wu Xiaobo, Xue Manzi, etc. It was also because the friend who invited me to the party came to me to talk about project cooperation details. After chatting, my friend said that Norman was also there, so he took me to see him. He was sitting in the third row. Although I remembered his name, I still felt unimpressed when I saw his face. Seeing me coming over and greeted me enthusiastically, asking what I have been up to lately, I actually dislike "self-acquaintance", which always makes me inexplicably embarrassed. He said that he was helping Wu Xiaobo to operate the IP, and Xue Manzi invited him to participate in the yacht club activities the next day. I only nodded to indicate that I heard it.
After the lecture, my friend stayed with me for dinner. He and I hadn't finished talking about the project and naturally did not refuse. Norman stayed too. I thought he would have dinner with Wu Xiaobo. After all, he just expressed like Wu Xiaobo's iron buddies. Whenever someone mentioned an industry during the dinner, he would say a few names, and then describe these names to bring out how good these people are, and then they would say "very familiar, I am a good buddy." More interesting What's more, when he finished speaking, he always paused and nodded and smiled at the listener, as if expecting an expression of affirmation or admiration from the other party.
He asked me some of the "materials" of my boss. I worked as an assistant for a period of time. I felt that there was nothing to say about it. I also used some of the boss's thinking style and some thoughts as a pastime after dinner. After talking about it, I found that promise Man was using the phone memo to write it down. I think which sentence might have inspired him, but I didn't care.
I also talked about the micro-envelope killing of friends’ impressions at the time. I found that the founder of my friend’s impression and the author of a popular comment were all in my WeChat friends. All kinds of project managers met in the circle of friends, but Norman was very interested. I said that when they were both in my circle of friends, Norman asked me to pull each other into one.” In the “Quality” WeChat group, there are various big names in the group. I said that I am not familiar with them, and the communication is limited to WeChat, and they need to consult their opinions. In the end one of them said they were very interested, the other declined.
Norman invited me to join Xue Manzi's yacht club the next day, but I also refused. Another day I was invited to a dinner with a "big man in the investment industry". I was watching a movie with my friends, but I refused.
One day he sent an invitation, saying that there was a main business project of mine that would be connected with me, and he asked me to talk about it. The address was in his studio, and I passed it suspiciously. His so-called studio is one of the renovated old houses in Shanghai. He told me that he is working on co-working space, and the others have been rented out. I said I’m thirsty, can I have something to drink, he found out a bottle of limited edition cherry-flavored Coca-Cola with Buffett printed on it from the closet. The act of holding the Coke is like taking a piece of his collection, and I have to introduce it. Fan. I actually don't like to drink Coke, and I have no interest in this limited edition. I was polite, expressed my gratitude, then drank it all and threw the empty can into the trash can. I'm really not sure if he will feel bad.
Then Norman began to introduce Dai Xiaobo to me, saying that Dai Xiaobo was his long-term partner, he was like Dai’s agent, how Dai was accomplished, and he revealed some "grass" that I thought was very unreliable. I, the more I listened, the more confused it seemed to have nothing to do with the project I was about to talk about, and I couldn’t see any feasible specific strategies, so I couldn’t help but euphemistically expressed that I didn’t need the connections of these “big coffee” talents. Because it's so simple, it doesn't match what I'm doing. He saw that I was disappointed and put forward the idea to facilitate Dai and my boss to meet. I am a little hesitant, because although this is not a "giving charcoal in the snow" idea, it is a possible "icing on the cake". So I didn't say yes or no. I just said that I would pay attention, but my boss is also very busy. , His schedule is not something I can arrange. If it is arranged, he must go through the company's procedures, explain his intentions, and invite the boss to meet.
After that there were some insignificant small talks. I was ashamed to refuse to waste time. He said that he was operating the Economist’s IP and gave me a one-year Economist subscription. I had no choice but to passively accept it very gratefully.
His high-quality group needs to pay a group fee to enter, he did not hesitate to pull me into the group. The hospitality is difficult, but so far I haven't spoken to the group once, nor have I made some contacts in the group he runs, and even I rarely watch the group. Later, he said without euphemism, "Bring your boss or his son and daughter into the group." I thought it was very reckless and whimsical, and I didn't even reply.
This is very similar to Norman in the movie. On the train back to New York after attending the presidential inauguration party, I saw an officer of the Bureau of Investigation enthusiastically wanting to introduce her to her. In the movie, this woman expressed very enjoyable expression. I have never been able to express the idea, and exposed Norman’s old bottom in the movie.
There are a lot of black humor in the movie. For example, young officials will be grateful to Norman because of a pair of shoes, for example, Norman will commit suicide with peanuts, such as the inauguration ceremony because of the president’s recommendation of Norman’s popular bridges, etc. , But the darkest humorous part is that Norman met a road rogue who was a "strategist" like him, printed the same business card, looked the same "down and down", said the same things, and carried almost the same bag. .
Unlike the Norman I met, Norman in the movie is mixed with politics, and politics "cannibalize", but politicians' views of Norman may be the same as my view of Norman, "maybe it can be the icing on the cake." So with the bedtime conversation between the president and his wife, the wife warned him to "reject Norman's help."
Friends are contacts, but contacts are not all friends. Norman is not a friend in the true sense of anyone, even if the president always tells Norman about the fragile and emotional side.
Everyone needs contacts. Norman uses this to become a "necessity" for social people in need. However, contacts are always used to "icing on the cake" rather than "sending charcoal in the snow". If you don't have your own expertise and work, you can master more The network of people will not really become a necessity for social people, just like Norman, who can be used at any time and abandoned at any time.
This movie depicts such a Norman very dramatically. I wonder if you have ever met Norman.
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