Hollywood Domination Chapter 226: The spark of art

Jenny's film was once screened at the Venice Film Festival, and received very unanimous praise and praise from the jury. It's a pity that the choice of Venice for the overseas debut of "Michael Clayton" can be regarded as repaying the love of the year before, and it will help both parties cultivate their relationship. ——In the European film market, the three major film festivals have their own preferences. It is difficult for actors and films to please the three major film festivals at the same time. Compared with Cannes, which has not been there a few times and is very unfamiliar, the Venice Film Festival is obviously interested Jenny was more gracious.

Because she broke the appointment last year, although there was a reason for it, but this time Jenny still gave enough face to the Venice Film Festival, and specially arrived in Venice one day in advance to attend the opening ceremony and walk the red carpet to support the film festival. However, Jenny can't be there After staying in Venice for a full week, she can only go back to New Zealand to continue filming after the screening of her film, and decide whether to come back to attend the awards ceremony depending on the situation: this mainly depends on Cameron's mood, otherwise she would rather stay longer in Italy For a few days, even if you can’t play with Chris in the local area, at least you don’t have to repeat this trapeze life. The distance from Venice to Wellington is not close, and private jets can’t fly at all, and there are no direct flights. Counting the transit time, alone The voyage takes more than ten hours, which is an unbearable waste of time for Jenny.

The French female director Claire Danes, who admired her very much the year before, was also very interested in Jenny under her leadership. The current judges are also from France, and they are also Catherine, a female director who has her own views on masculinity. Brea is looking forward to seeing Jenny, and their relationship actually hints at the power structure of the Venice Jury—although the candidates are different every time, the composition of factions is definitely the same, and only the European, Asia-Pacific The factions of the Venice Film Festival can continue to guarantee its international influence and ensure that there are heavyweight films participating in the exhibition every time. In fact, to put it bluntly, this is equivalent to a more serious pork division. There are 5,000 judges at the Oscars. How can the Venice Film Festival, where the number of judges does not reach 20, be completely free of games and compromises?

If you can understand the Venice Film Festival from this perspective, the invitation of Claire and Catherine cannot be declined at all. You don’t have to make their films, but unless you don’t want the favor of the French department, otherwise their invitation It is best to participate, and besides that, Jenny has also received an invitation from Venice Film Festival Chairman Mark Muller, hoping that she can attend the promotion meeting held for film companies from various countries, and promote the copyright trading market of the Venice Film Festival In addition, there are also big names from various countries who also came to the film festival to promote new films: Ang Lee, John Woo, Nikita Mikhalkov, Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Heath. Ledger, Terrence Howard... Some of these people are friends of friends, some are well-known directors, some are close friends, and some simply have a relationship with Jenny as a manager. During the day, Jenny had to deal with so many social tasks that she didn't even know where to start. Of course, this is also one of the reasons why Cesare put down his work and came here with her. After all, this level of communication cannot be completely handled by Mary.

Jenny, Chris, Heath Ledger, Cesare who directly brought three artists to Venice, more or less proved his strength, plus Johnny Depp who has a close relationship with him, Tim Burton, who has a close relationship with Depp, and Claire and Catherine, who are very familiar with Depp's wife Vanessa, a French supermodel and singer, these people plus their companions are enough to make a party. Jenny and Salvi Tucci both had only two hours to eat, and they had to go back to the hotel to attend the party after two hours, so although Salvi was indeed the most beautiful director she had ever seen, she was very impressed with his She didn't care about her private life at all, all she was thinking about was how to make the best use of the two hours, judging whether he could direct "Monroe", and whether it was too risky a decision to entrust him with this project that she had placed high hopes on.

Judging from his resume, Salvi has a lot of similarities with the original author Colin. He went to public school all the way from childhood to adulthood. His family background cannot be poor. After working as a model for two years, he became a BBC documentary Director, this is also very similar to Colin's life trajectory: he was born in a noble family, had a high-quality education all the way, became interested in the media industry after graduation, and worked with a big director for two years. Going to be a documentary director, the only difference is that Colin mainly makes music and art documentaries, while Salvi mainly focuses on biopics. Of course, if this were not the case, it would be impossible for him to pass Arthur's screening and become the director candidate - being able to cooperate with Jenny in the first feature film is a very shining qualification for a new director.

The same is an excellent family education. According to Chris, Salvi’s family is also of noble origin. Although his parents divorced, this cultural tradition is in the same line as Colin. When understanding Colin’s perspective when writing the original work In terms of mentality and mentality, Salvi should have a unique advantage, which will definitely help him deconstruct the whole story, and what Jenny likes about him is that in his documentary "Victoria after World War II", the Queen's Palace life is photographed like a dream, full of elegant and dignified beauty. This kind of lens aesthetic coincides with the artistic conception she pursues. In her understanding, the golden age of Hollywood is a hazy and beautiful dream for everyone. Intellectually, people certainly know that it was not a perfect era, but this does not prevent people from seeing the big stars based on old photos. The alluring style imagined Hollywood and the showbiz at that time as a colorful, luxurious and luxurious legendary world. At least she is like this, especially when the story is related to Monroe, what she wants to see is not how Monroe is wearing cheap lipstick in the slums of Los Angeles, but how she appears in front of flashlights in all kinds of coquettish ways, turning all beings upside down, Of course, the story will definitely have the length of the former, but the thrilling beauty of the latter will firmly capture the hearts and attention of audiences and film critics-and to make such scenes beautiful without losing gaudy, That takes some talent and aura. Salvi's lens scheduling is full of such light, unrestrained, elegant and flexible vitality.

"Ms. Jefferson." When they walked into the restaurant, Salvi stood up politely, and stretched out his hand to Jennifer - the profile photo should be a recent photo, he looks no different from the photo, Of course, because of the weather, he didn’t wear a three-piece suit, but a light checked shirt and linen trousers. The style of clothing is quite satisfactory, and many small details (iron marks on the shirt, sitting posture and demeanor) are all from public school. Fan Er—and the politeness and indifference unique to the British. Although he came to Venice specially for this movie, it is obvious that Salvi will not be courteous and flattering to Jeanne because of this.

Generally speaking, there are many people who engage in art, whether they are actors or directors. Artists, it is easy to understand that they have a temper. In fact, it is because of their strong personalities that they are easy to create memorable classic work. Not to mention the director, from Rob to Cameron, none of them are approachable, and the more they can make great works, the more tempered they will be. In terms of actors, such as Daniel and Chris, they are all very The type of personality, the interesting thing is that their true side is a bit withdrawn, and they are also very defensive, and they all give people a feeling of vulnerability to some extent. But Daniel's fragility is externalized. His defense against the public can be seen through at a glance, while Chris's defense is relatively hidden. On the surface, his cynical and carefree have a distinct American color—— Even if fragile, he was so fragile that he was noisy. Salvi Tucci gave Jenny the feeling that he was more like Daniel. He didn't have many expressions, and he was almost as indifferent as Cesare, but Cesare's indifference was very domineering, with strong confidence and coercion As a background, you can clearly feel that he doesn't want to treat you warmly because you are not good enough, while Salvi's indifference is very quiet and restrained, and the alertness that emerges on his handsome face that seems to be chiseled by a knife is even more It's like a kind of self-protection: he doesn't want to be warm to people because he's not sure they'll understand him.

It seems that he is not the kind of director who is full of passion. He prefers quiet and textured conversation. present yourself.

"You can call me Jennifer, Mr. Tucci," she shook Salvi's hand politely, without enthusiastically praising his work, but said with a smile, "Of course, if you allow me to call you If Salvi, I will be very happy."

Salvi showed a reserved smile, his eyes seemed to be lit up because of this smile, "It's my honor, Jennifer."

His voice is deep and magnetic, somewhat similar to Daniel's voice, probably because they are the two Britons that Jenny has come into contact with in a short period of time, and Salvi's temperament also reminds her of Daniel - not really The melancholy part, but they're all equally otherworldly and artsy. It is easy for people to feel ashamed of themselves in front of them and feel that they are full of money.

"Christopher." Salvi shook hands with Chris again, and Cesare introduced himself to him kindly——"Monroe" was completely invested by a big dream, and the producer was hired by Jenny However, he must also have a look at the director candidates.

There is a party in the evening, and the red carpet will be walked the next day. Neither Jenny nor Chris can eat too much, and Salvi seems to have a small appetite. Only Cesare ordered a seafood for himself, plus The curious eyes cast by the guests were more or less disturbing to everyone. At first, the atmosphere around the dining table was a bit awkward, and Jenny couldn't help secretly blaming Arthur: He should have come in person, otherwise the conversation would really be difficult to start. However, maybe it is because he is not so optimistic about Salvi, and he wants to push another director...

Although Chris usually does what he wants and is ever-changing, and being self-willed can cause headaches for everyone, what attracted him to Jenny has always been the shrewdness and pragmatism hidden in his bones. Now, when the atmosphere needs him to come out to adjust, his those The artist's bad temper was completely gone, and they were quite familiar, and the two brothers pushed Salvi nicely, "Sal, how do you feel after seeing Jen in person, she passed your audition Is it?"

This meal was originally Jenny's interview with Salvi, but he turned it upside down, no matter it was Jenny, Salvi, or Cesare, all had knowing smiles on their faces, and Salvi's deep blue eyes It fell on Jenny, as if she was thinking about her personality, and Jenny deliberately twisted her body and made the movements that are often seen in auditions, "So, did I pass the audition, director?"

"You are more beautiful in reality," Salvi's tone was still a little polite, but it can be seen from his relaxed shoulders that he has gradually entered the state, "Please forgive my arrogance, but Well, to be honest, if the actress wasn't good enough for Marilyn, there's no way I'd take the job, and we wouldn't need to waste each other's time."

A new documentary director said this to her——Jenny smiled and looked at Chris and Cesare, and she had a stronger affection for Salvi in ​​her heart: It's not that she likes to be mistreated It's true, but if a director has no confidence in himself, has no ideas about the project, and only sees how luxurious the cast of the project is and how big the investment is, it is impossible for him to make a good movie. The higher Salvi's demands on her, the more it shows that he already has his own understanding of this project.

"So Sal, you have high standards for the appearance of actresses. Is this a consistent pattern, or is it because we're doing Monroe?" It's not difficult, and Jenny also took the words from Chris and guided Salvi to explain.

"Of course, I love beauty, and I think there is no one in the world who doesn't love it." Salvi seemed to have completed his elusiveness, temptation and familiarity with Jenny. There was a gentle smile on his handsome face, and his brows were gentle. Even the accent has been relaxed from the standard rp accent, and the clues of the northern accent are revealed in the pronunciation, "But I don't ask my actors to be beautiful, or to put it directly, to have beauty in the worldly sense, There are certain beauties that have nothing to do with looks, and it's the job of the director to tap into those beauties. However, when we're talking about Monroe, I think beauty is essential, and it's an element that makes up the basic conflict of the story, I think, "My Week with Marilyn Monroe" is such a story, the script and the original work are to explore the contradictions and conflicts between the extraordinary external beauty of "Monroe" and her inner world."

When it comes to this project, his shyness and conservatism suddenly weaken a lot, and his conversation naturally reveals a shining and confident attitude. Salvi smiled slightly at the waiter who came to deliver the food, and said something in Italian "grazie," he continued, deftly fiddling with his knife and fork as he sliced ​​through the salad, "there's no doubt that Marilyn's outer beauty shined when properly packaged, making her fall into a place she never was. She was in the paradise that she had thought of, but her heart made her die young. She knew that people's hospitality only came from her appearance, and her worry about getting old aggravated her anxiety. This kind of anxiety in turn prompts her to bloom more desperately. This closed driving structure finally makes her life full of dramatic and tragic colors, and also makes external beauty an indispensable element of this movie. At this point, the audience will not be able to understand - even I can't understand why she got all kinds of privileges, the whole story will be like water without a source, so yes, to play Monroe, you must have a beauty worthy of Monroe .”

"And you need to see me with your own eyes to confirm this." Jenny asked this slightly provocative question in a cheerful tone, not to anger Salvi, but to inspire more Response, get to know him better.

"I've seen your movie, Jennifer." Salvi showed a knowing smile, as if he knew Jenny's intentions well, and he gave Jenny a gentle look, "You are quite beautiful, but I need to use my Check with your eyes—whether your beauty has the aura of Monroe, whether your beauty can resonate with me, I think the latter point is very important for directors and actors—unless you think otherwise.”

"No, of course I agree with you." Jenny said a little forgivingly, she forked a piece of salad, "This is very important for directors and actors..."

She looked at Salvi for a while, and decided that the question—whether there was an artistic spark between her and Salvi—had no need to answer. "Tell me about the movie, Sal, what kind of movie do you want to make "Monroe" into?"

"Warm tones," Salvi replied nonchalantly, and then, with a smug smile, "for you Hollywood, speaking of Britain in the 1950s in general, or even Britain in general, seems to mean cold. The color tone, always with wet and muddy camera, of course, I don't know much about Hollywood, this is just my personal impression..."

His shyness came again, but amid the encouraging smiles of the three audience members, he quickly overcame his shyness and continued, "Of course this can't be wrong, even I, thinking of the UK, usually I will think of those long winters, the always cold and wet wilderness grass, the winter mist..."

He throws out these few images almost without thinking, making people seem to have glimpsed a corner of his inner world, "But Marilyn represents Hollywood in the 1950s. Looking back in 2007, she represents The most flashy and noisy layer of foam in that era, in my opinion, should be a warm color, like her hair, hazy golden, rich red—this kind of feeling.”

"It sounds like a dream." The corners of Jenny's mouth could not help but curl up, but she still maintained her reserve.

"It's actually true." Salvi suddenly laughed mischievously, his blue eyes sparkling, "Who knows whether what Colin said is true or not?"

"I watched your "Elizabeth after World War II", which is also about the 1950s. Your documentary did not mention the scene where the Queen meets Marilyn, which is a pity for me." Jenny turned away The topic changed, "But it is indeed a very interesting documentary. I really like the color tone of the lens you used in Buckingham Palace..."

"Actually, the Queen lived at Clarence House more often during that time, and she never liked Buckingham Palace very much," Salvi replied. "I would love to put that scene in, too, but In the end, it was not implemented. It is a coincidence that I became interested in Marilyn Monroe because of this incident. I really want to know how the Queen and Duke Philip reacted during the audience at that time, and what kind of mentality Marilyn had. , so I started researching Marilyn in my private time..."

The dinner started awkwardly, but ended happily, as Jenny invited Salvi back to her hotel suite for a party, but declined for Salvi, who unsurprisingly did not like such noisy occasions However, the gift from Cesare was very pleasing to him: a package ticket to the Venice Film Festival, allowing him to enjoy a world-class movie feast within a week.

"What do you think?" On the gondola back to the hotel, Jenny asked Cesare: During the dinner just now, Chris and Cesare kept silent most of the time, giving room for communication to She is the producer and director.

"It's a bit tricky." Cesare gave his own answer, and Jenny frowned, but fortunately, he didn't mean to be secretive. "I agree with Chris, Salvi is very talented, he is full of spirituality - of course, I believe you can also see this, anyone who has met Salvi will not doubt that he is the "World War II" The creator of The Later Elizabeth, he is highly consistent with the temperament of that documentary.”

Jenny and Chris both nodded lightly: Cesare can become an excellent manager, not just because of his communication skills, this kind of precise judgment and insight is his core Competitive Advantage. He dispelled Jenny's possible concerns in a few words: "Elizabeth after World War II" is indeed a very good documentary. If it is really Salvi's own work without the help of others, then his talent and The potential is quite astonishing, and Dameng will not fall into the pit of false propaganda and wrong products. ——This kind of thing that takes the fruits of other people's labor and cheats oneself to eat and drink happens from time to time in transoceanic cooperation, mainly because people in the local circle are unlikely to be tricked, so maintain proper vigilance and maintain a developed society Cross-border connections are also important for production companies.

"However, a one-time meeting is a bit too hasty for a production of tens of millions, especially since he is a newcomer. I think if he follows you to New Zealand, it would be better for you to talk a few more times, but Salvi's character I'm afraid I can't accept such an arrangement." Cesare continued, "From the perspective of risk control, this is a bit risky, but you are the producer."

He shrugged, "And filmmaking is a gamble sometimes."

Jenny is also torn between yes and no, "I can definitely feel the spark between us - but you're right, he's a risky choice, I think we'd better do it with a few more Talk to the director, and finally make a decision."

She suddenly realized that she had ignored Chris, "Honey, what do you think? If you were me, what would you do?"

"I don't know," Chris hesitated, and he said while thinking, "I pay great attention to chemical reactions, of course, rational analysis is equally important, but this is a movie after all, the spark and Resonance - something that stirs your heartbeat and blood pressure, is very important to me, I rely on this to make the final decision, other factors are irrelevant before instinct - like "The Fifth Shakespeare" Li, when I took it, no one thought that Roger would be a big role for me.”

He spread his hands, and silently completed his argument: It was also a risky decision at the time. Roger won the best actor, and he also earned himself a girlfriend with a decent style.

"Well, it's a convincing point." Jenny grimaced, "But let's make a decision after we've met everyone."

Calculating the time and itinerary, she no longer talked about business affairs, but greeted Cesare, and pulled Chris to the bow, "Which river are we sailing on now, tell me quickly, this Maybe it's the only time we'll be on a boat together in the next few days..."

#

Just as Jenny was circling among the big names in the movie, and was discussing with Heath Ledger at the party about adjusting the mood of the performance, on another outlying island in Venice, Zhang Yimou, a master director from China, also ended the phone call with China , while dangling his arms and moving his limbs, he was picking and picking from the DVDs in the main competition unit, looking for the participating films he wanted to watch.

"Lust, Caution" by Ang Lee, "The Sun Also Rises" by Jiang Wen..." He put aside the films he had watched before sending them to the exhibition, ""The Battle of the Valley of Elah", "I'm Not Here" "There"... are indeed good films."

"Across Darjeeling" from Wes Anderson appeared in front of his eyes, Zhang Yimou raised his brows, "Ah, there is Adrien Brody, after winning the Best Actor, I don't seem to have heard of it in the past few years His voice..."

But he didn't stop searching, and finally found the target he was looking for in his subconscious among a dozen DVDs, "Michael Clayton, Jennifer Jefferson..."

As an excellent director, Zhang Yimou must have paid close attention to the trends of the world film industry, but due to his busy schedule, his reading volume must not keep up with professional film critics. He knows that he has seen Daniel Day-Lewis However, for Jennifer Jefferson's award-winning work "The Fifth Sally", due to the negative subject matter, mainland China has not introduced it for a long time, which makes it impossible to enjoy this film through genuine channels in China, and Zhang In addition to filming for the past few years, the director has been thinking about the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games next year. He even came to Venice to spare time, and he didn't even bother to get the downloaded version to watch. He is indeed not proficient in computers, so, He has never seen this legendary work, and his impression of Jennifer Jefferson is only the image of playing a female vase in "Pirates of the Caribbean", and she is very popular in mainland China, and almost every film will be praised. The introduction of so few facts.

"I heard that this movie has been hailed as a **** movie, and it has received rave reviews in the United States..." Lao Mouzi scratched his ears, "It can't be true, this girl is so old, she is so talented, You can see it in the first movie."

He put the DVD into the machine and pressed the play button, "It feels like that French girl wants to mention her as the best actress, I have to watch it, otherwise she and Cate Blanchett I really don't know which one to choose..."