"Midnight Diner" was launched on Beijing Satellite TV and Zhejiang Satellite TV on June 12, 2017. The play is directed by director Cai Yuexun and stars Huang Lei, Qi Wei, Zhao Youting, Hai Qing and others. It is set in a canteen that is only open late at night in an urban alley. Every dish cooked by the boss finally tells a life story about the warmth of the city. It has to be said that "Late Night Diner" has always attracted much attention from preparation to launch. It is worth mentioning that the trailer of the first story "Mark's Daughter" starring Qi Wei and Zhao Youting was widely praised as soon as it was released and moved countless people to tears. Although the trailer is only 1 minute and 46 seconds long, the subversion of Qi Wei and Zhao Youting's acting skills and image is really amazing.
As the first story of "Late Night Diner", "Mark's Daughter" mainly tells the story of Mark (played by Zhao Youting), a hearing-impaired crew member, who accidentally picked up the abducted baby girl Lele and spent a happy life together. Five years later, Lele's biological mother Ai Zhen (played by Qi Wei) unexpectedly learned of her daughter's condition and the two sides started a battle for "love". After watching the trailer, many netizens said that the whole story is simply the drama version of "Dear", and every detail is what is really happening in today's society. The sense of immersion and presence in the story is particularly strong and rich.
In addition to the fascinating realism of the plot, the subversion of the images of Qi Wei and Zhao Youting in the play is even more interesting. In the play, Zhao Youting plays a very slovenly boatman with messy hair, stubble on his face, and dark skin, which completely subverts his previous handsome image. Qi Wei stepped up to challenge a mother who has a successful career but lost her daughter. She has a lot of inner drama, and most of her emotions for her daughter are conveyed through her eyes in addition to words. In addition, Qi Wei has also put a lot of effort into her image this time. In order to fully interpret the five years of suffering after losing her daughter, Qi Wei looks haggard every time she appears, especially when her daughter asks Qi Wei, "Are you my mother?" , the red eyes and pale face are really heartbreaking. It is understood that during the filming, Qi Wei not only wore light makeup, but also had nude lip color.
The Chinese version of "Midnight Diner" has a very strong cast, claiming to bring together "half of the entertainment industry." The first story stars Qi Wei and Zhao Youting, a fresh pairing that attracts attention. In the play, in addition to the subversive image of the two actors, the various fancy mutual acting skills are naturally a highlight. In "Midnight Diner", Chao Youting's performance is relatively outspoken. The deaf-mute father he plays has many emotional outbursts, especially during the court mediation session. He forced himself, who could not speak, to speak to the girl every word with difficulty in court. The birth mother’s plea of ??“I can” was spot on. Qi Wei's performance was more restrained. She captured the mother's grief and pain after losing her child with great precision and depth. Especially in the confrontation with Zhao Youting in court, a simple look in the eye and a slight movement of the lips perfectly conveyed the mother's complex emotions of entanglement, regret, excitement, and gratitude when the child was about to be lost and recovered.
The story of "Midnight Diner" has become better and better. It uses the warmth of delicious food and the emotions of still water to gradually soothe the confusion and loneliness in people's lives, making people no longer have any conflicts with each other. Where there was estrangement, suspicion, and resentment, he became easy-going and warm-hearted. This Chinese version of "Midnight Diner" is worthy of the audience's continued anticipation, and there will be amazing stories to come.