Enthusiastic response

"Nonsense, nonsense, nonsense!" Hugo could hardly believe it. Could Nicholas Allum really have turned over a new leaf? Not only did he stop nitpicking at Hugo's work, but he also gave an unbelievably excellent review of Hugo's work for the second time, following "Scent of a Woman". It was truly unexpected.

Although Nicholas had expressed high expectations for the film "A Few Good Men" before its release, in his review for the Los Angeles Times, it was still just a prediction. However, after the actual film review was published, Nicholas still praised the movie wholeheartedly, even giving it a remarkable score of ninety points. This flood of joy swept over Hugo in an instant, making him ecstatically jump up.

"I'm stating the facts!" Joseph took out the edition of the Los Angeles Times with the ink-scented movie review and handed it directly to Hugo.

Due to excessive excitement, Hugo paced back and forth in the spacious area, then he took the newspaper and continued to anxiously tap his right foot while rapidly scanning the review.

"Courtroom dramas have always held a special and important place among genre films because they can reflect profound social issues and the improvement and flaws of the legal system from different perspectives. Works such as "To Kill a Mockingbird", "Kramer vs. Kramer", "The Verdict", "12 Angry Men", and others have more or less involved courtroom debates, taking the artistic aspect of genre films to a new level.

Due to the reduction of violent propaganda and the emphasis on intellectual agility, the psychological intensity reaches another peak, making it loved by many. "A Few Good Men" is a very special courtroom drama because it involves a case within the military. The military has always had a sense of mystery, and internal secrets have never been revealed to the public, which has led to the military concealing some unseen evils.

The strict hierarchy makes it difficult for justice to prevail in the military. The boundaries between justice and evil are difficult to define simply, and the standards of right and wrong are blurred, which adds more thorns to the internal military cases. This characteristic makes it easy for the audience to immerse themselves in "A Few Good Men" and actively participate in every stage of the courtroom debate. In the end, when the colonel, who acted according to personal preferences under the pretext of defending the country, is finally brought to justice, it is a satisfying victory that makes people applaud.

"A Few Good Men" brings together a group of talented actors. Hugo Lancaster successfully portrays the image of a just lawyer, calm and resolute, sticking to the truth, speaking confidently in the courtroom, pressing step by step, and exposing the true culprits. Jack Nicholson once again plays the classic villain, cunning, sinister, ferocious, and ruthless, but in the end, he cannot escape the consequences of the law. Demi Moore, changing her image of a gentle lady, leaves a striking impression on the screen in military attire.

The movie reveals serious and profound issues regarding human rights equality, abuse of power, and the dark side of human nature. After watching it, it leaves the audience with unlimited room for reflection. It is undoubtedly a rare masterpiece!"

After finishing Nicholas' review, Hugo checked the rating once again. The prominent "ninety points" immediately caught his eye, causing a smile to bloom on Hugo's face, shining like the sun that melts ice and snow, releasing brilliance in December in Los Angeles.

"Nonsense! Nonsense!" Hugo shouted in excitement. Even after reading the review, he still couldn't believe that Nicholas had sung his praises. It was truly rare, to the point that he couldn't find more accurate words in his mind to describe his inner excitement.

"Hugo, hand it over, hand it over." Alex's emotions couldn't help but soar as he vigorously waved at Hugo. Hugo rolled the newspaper into a tube, then lightly hopped, assuming a shooting posture, and tossed the newspaper to Alex, accompanied by an uncontrollable "hoo-hah" exclamation from his mouth.

Seeing Hugo's triumphant appearance, everyone couldn't help but laugh. It was indeed a cause for grand celebration. After all, the Los Angeles Times was not only the highest-selling newspaper on the West Coast but also one of the three major newspapers in the entire United States, alongside the New York Times and the Washington Post. Its influence was undoubtedly top-notch. To receive such a splendid evaluation from the Los Angeles Times was an excellent start for "A Few Good Men".

Sure enough, on Thursday, a series of good news poured in, and the previously underestimated "A Few Good Men" instantly became red-hot.

Among the first batch of eleven media reviews, eight of them gave positive reviews, with only three media outlets still giving negative reviews. This situation could definitely be described as overwhelmingly positive.

The UK magazine Empire gave it a rating of eighty-five points, and in the review, it mentioned, "It's like an eternal excitement, constantly reminding people how stars are born and how classics are crafted. Excellent directors, together with outstanding scripts and a group of exceptional actors, never go wrong. Nicholson is as excellent as ever, and Lancaster delivers the most brilliant performance of his acting career!"

On the other hand, renowned film critic Roger Ebert from the Chicago Sun-Times was relatively conservative in his rating, giving it only seventy points. He believed that "the film fell slightly short because it didn't give us enough room to extend our thoughts. Some subtle details weren't enough to deepen our reflection on the film... " However, he also praised, "But Lancaster saved this film and became the biggest discovery of the year...".

Furthermore, USA Today, which initially gave a negative review to "Scent of a Woman", still had Mike Clarke writing the review. But this time, he changed his attitude. "Outstanding performances have truly embellished this film. The performances of Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Pollak, and Kevin Bacon are commendable, and Jack Nicholson's brilliance is unquestionable. Especially noteworthy is Hugo Lancaster's excellent performance, which elevates this film from passing to good." In the end, Mike gave it a score of seventy-five points, falling into the category of positive reviews.

Among the media outlets on the opposing side of "A Few Good Men", it was no surprise to see the name of Vanity Fair, and the Toronto Globe and Mail, which previously gave a negative review to "Scent of a Woman", once again condemned "A Few Good Men" to hell.

Vanity Fair believed, "It's a watchable movie with certain parts that grip the audience's hearts, but unfortunately, it ultimately remains superficial. Reiner seems to have mastered the techniques of filmmaking on the surface but continues to evade it in his inner self. Nicholson and Lancaster's performances are overshadowed as such." They gave it a rating of fifty points, but at least the last sentence still partially acknowledged the actors.

However, the Toronto Globe and Mail's review was quite harsh. "Such feeble performances have brought this dying courtroom movie... making people doze off." A rating of twenty-five points was almost reaching the bottom. It was evident that they disliked "Scent of a Woman", but even more so, they detested "A Few Good Men".

"Did I offend the Toronto Globe and Mail before?" Hugo frowned involuntarily as he looked at the glaring "twenty-five points". Although eight media outlets gave positive reviews, he just couldn't take his eyes off the three negative reviews.

"This kind of emotion is very strange. Perhaps someone receives a hundred compliments, but when an unreasonable criticism comes, it can destroy all the previous good feelings. Hugo wanted to focus on the positive reviews, but he failed. His gaze involuntarily drifted towards the direction of Globe and Mail and Vanity Fair, even though Joseph had already thrown those newspapers in the trash.

"Hey, buddy, you must know that seven media outlets have given the film a rating of seventy-five or above." Joseph emphasized this point, trying to comfort Hugo among the eight positive reviews.

Hugo let out a long sigh of relief. He still cared a lot about those three negative reviews. But finally, Hugo closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and brought his focus back. "Yes, we should look at the positive side."

Charlize smiled beside him, "No one can please everyone, right? Even God has people who hate Him." Don't attempt to please everyone because nobody is perfect. This was the truth, and it was especially important for public figures to remember.

Hugo looked at Charlize and carefully savored her words. He understood the reasoning, but he had just entered this world and needed some time to digest it, to gain more experience and truly comprehend this truth. Hugo smiled widely at Charlize, "That's true because I am not perfect to begin with, am I? Comparing myself to God would be an arduous task..."

Hugo's tone finally relaxed a bit, bringing smiles to the faces of the others. Hugo raised his right hand and gently waved it, "I plan to go to a cinema tomorrow to watch '"A Few Good Men". Does anyone want to join me?"

Tomorrow was the day of the North American wide release of "A Few Good Men". Hugo wanted to personally enter the cinema to experience the audience's sensory perception of the film. Not the cheers from the premiere gathering of fans, but the genuine feelings of ordinary moviegoers. It was also a way to directly see the box office occupancy and feel the weight of the box office pressure on his shoulders.

There were many differences between "A Few Good Men" and "Scent of a Woman", but the most important point was that Universal Pictures had no expectations for "Scent of a Woman", yet it received a surprising success. However, Columbia Pictures had high hopes for "A Few Good Men" from the beginning, making box office performance an unavoidable topic.

Hugo was already feeling the pressure, perhaps that's where his concern for those negative reviews came from.

"I do!" Joseph, Karl, Alex, and Charlize all raised their hands, but then Charlize said, "You're treating." After a pause, he added, "And popcorn and soda."

The second half of the sentence immediately caught the attention of the four boys. Charlize, being a model, always avoided soda and popcorn. But Charlize shrugged, saying naturally, "A movie theater without popcorn and soda is not a real movie experience."

The four men agreed wholeheartedly.