In the western bar, the extras sat in various places, unbuttoning their dirty collars and sipping beer in the dry and hot weather.
A local bully who looked 50 or 60% similar to Brad Pitt wanted to tease the red-clad saint of the Coca-Cola cult, but was easily subdued by cult leader Martin and pinned down on the table.
Martin stretched out his hand to Saint Elizabeth in red, who opened her luggage, took out a glass bottle of Coke and handed it to the leader.
With the cold coke pressed on his head, the bully slid down automatically.
Martin opened the Coke and put it on the table.
The bully picked it up and started drinking, and the expression on his face quickly changed...
"Stop!" Sam Mendes stopped filming and shouted at the bully in the shape of Pitt: "Be more natural in your transformation, don't be so stiff."
Stylists came in to touch up the makeup, and filming soon resumed.
The crew spent the whole morning filming the interior scenes in the bar. Compared to the simple exterior scenes, the interior scenes were more difficult. Sam Mendes also had stricter requirements. From time to time, he would stop filming, and sometimes he would leave the scene himself. guide.
Shortly after noon, Kate Winslet came to Park Town from San Diego. She just said hello to Martin and found a quiet place to watch the filming.
She met Martin three years ago when she was acting in Atlanta, and Martin was already good at acting at that time.
Unfortunately, almost all of Martin's scenes in Noonday Sun of the Beautiful Mind were cut out, and there are only a few fleeting scenes in the finished film, not even a single line of dialogue.
Later, Kate watched all the films that Martin starred in carefully.
Whether he is a young football coach or a mature adult, Martin can control them all.
Kate specifically asked her old friend Leonardo, who told her clearly that among the crew of "The Departed", including Nicholson and Scorsese, most people thought that Martin's state during filming was completely unacceptable as a male. He is number one.
Even Leonardo himself admits this.
A few days ago, Kate called Leonardo again.
Leonardo's words are very interesting: beneath Martin's handsome young appearance, there may be the soul of an old bastard even more evil than Nicholson living.
Kate looked at the set again, and the people in the bar were already impressed by the leader of the Coca-Cola Cult.
After the commercial shooting ended, the actors came out of the bar to remove their makeup.
Sam Mendes is still sorting through the footage.
After waiting for a while, Kate came over and asked, "What do you think of Martin?"
Mendes expressed his own judgment: "Based on the two days of shooting the commercial, he is even better than you said. His acting skills are excellent, mature and rounded, and he can control the role easily. By analogy... any actor in this commercial is better than others." There is no comparison.”
He thought for a moment: "My personal feeling is that he is no worse than Kevin Spacey when he was filming "American Beauty."
Her husband is a director and has won an Oscar. Kate trusts his vision and judgment because it is very similar to what she has seen and heard.
Although Martin likes to cause trouble, he is not very capable and treats his friends well.
Kate knew that Louise encountered great difficulties after "Alexander the Great", and Martin dragged her to invest, successfully allowing Pacific Pictures to survive the crisis.
Mendes added: "I told him yesterday that you would come over. I guess he will come looking for you later."
Kate nodded and asked: "Have you not thought about it yet? My new work still lacks a director who can control the overall situation."
Mendes had concerns about this: "I'll think about it again."
The crew was dismantling equipment such as slide rails and cameras. Kate found a place out of the way and waited patiently for a while.
Martin quickly returned to the bar, pulled up a chair and sat across from Kate, and asked: "On Oscar night, you said you wanted to see me if you had something to do, and then you went on a trip."
Kate smiled and said, "So, I made a special trip to see you today."
Martin asked: "What is it specifically? If you need help, just make a call."
Kate opened her bag, took out a book and a script, and handed them over directly: "You take a look at these first."
Martin accepted the book. The book was "The Reader" by German writer Bernhard Schlink, and the script was a movie adaptation of the same name.
Kate said: "I mentioned this book to you, and then I made up my mind to persuade the author himself, get the film and television adaptation rights, and find Anthony Minghella, the screenwriter and director of "The English Patient" and "The Talented Prairie" to collaborate , adapted into this script.”
Martin did not, and directly read the script: "I have a general understanding of the love story between a teenager and a middle-aged woman."
Kate nodded and continued: "The male protagonists range from teenagers to middle-aged, and the time span is relatively large. Some people have suggested that the male protagonists be divided into two actors: teenagers and adults, but I think that is not good, and the looks are too different. It’s easy to make people look like a middle-aged man recalling other people’s stories.”
She expressed her own opinion: "I tend to use the same actor and have considered many candidates. It is not difficult for young actors to play teenage roles, but it is not easy to successfully portray middle-aged characters. After thinking about it, I only think of you."
Martin has experienced too much himself, and the mentality and vicissitudes of life of a middle-aged man in the performance are not a problem.
In contrast, appearance is the easiest to solve.
Martin asked directly: "Are you planning to use this film to win the Oscar for Best Actress?"
"That's right." Kate's goal was very obvious, and she also said one thing specifically: "When I first got the adaptation rights, I planned to invest in the production, and then find Weinstein Pictures to distribute it. Before the Oscars, Louise and I After talking about some things in detail, I learned that there seems to be some problems between you and Harvey, so I decided that I will no longer cooperate with the Weinstein Films on this film, so you can rest assured.”
This film does not suit Martin's taste and style. If anyone else came over, he would reject it outright.
But Kate Winslet came over and had to consider something.
In the process of climbing up, Martin often borrowed the power of women, including Kate Winslet.
In the process of competing for the Saturn Award for Best Young Actor and The Mountain Has Eyes, he used Kate's relationship with Harvey's wife to really get to know Wes Craven.
Later, on the set of The Departed , Leonardo supported him without knowing him, also due to Kate's lobbying.
It might be a few words between her and Leonardo, but for someone who doesn't have a good relationship, ten thousand words are useless.
Kate added: "There is no rush in this matter. You should read the script carefully first. If it is not suitable, I have other ways."
Martin closed the script and asked: "Which class are you planning to apply for?"
"It will definitely be too late for next year's Oscars." Kate has already made plans: "If nothing else happens, it will be released in the second half of 2007 and hit the 80th Oscars in 2008."
Martin recalled carefully, who was the winner of the Oscar in 2008? It was too long ago, and he thought about it for a while, but couldn't remember the names of the people involved or the movies.
In this case, 80% of the actors and movies are not very famous, and even if they win an Oscar, their influence will be very small.
"The script was left to me and I read it carefully first," Martin said.
Kate smiled: "There is plenty of time, don't be in a hurry."
Martin asked again: "Where is the director? Are you sure?"
Kate pointed at Sam Mendes, who was still busy: "He is the first choice, and he has not yet answered the question." She mentioned another thing: "I pulled some investment from Louise, There is also some investment from the UK, so funding for the project is not a problem.”
Sam Mendes is a former Oscar winner for Best Director, and he has no problem with his ability to direct this type of film.
Martin told the truth: "Kate, you still have the cards. You want to promote a project so easily."
Kate rubbed her forehead: "It's also very difficult. There are so many things to worry about. When I win the Best Actress, I will never talk to the academy again. I'm fed up with them."
Over the years, her complaints have accumulated as the Oscars have failed again and again: "The film is a box office hit, and I am very popular around the world. Is it wrong?"
Martin picked up the book and turned it over with the back cover facing up. There was an old woman on it: "Let's think of something about the appearance. Is the heroine very old in the end?"
"Yes, old and ugly." It is not unreasonable for Kate to make such a choice. The Nazis pretended to be ugly: "When the time comes, I will try to be uglier than Charlize Theron."
Thinking of the female devil, Martin felt a chill.
The two chatted for a while, and after Sam Mendes finished cleaning up, Kate joined him and left the bar together.
Martin also returned to the hotel in the town, packing his bags to return to Los Angeles.
Bruce also knew that Kate had come to ask for Martin's business. While packing his things, Bruce said from the perspective of a manager: "This film doesn't match your past style very well. It's for Kate..."
Martin shook his head: "I roughly browsed the script. In fact, the role of the male protagonist is as important as the heroine. From the script alone, it can be a story about a boy's growth, or it can be a woman's painful choice between dignity and suffering."
Bruce wondered: "You don't really like this."
"If it weren't for Kate, even if it were Louise and Kelly who came to me together, I would reject this script." Martin now has the confidence: "Louis and Kelly helped me, but I pulled them together. They've made a lot of money investing. And Kate? I still have a hell of a debt of gratitude."
Bruce remembered the favor twice and said: "Listening to what you are saying now, I doubt you are still a bad person? If Leonardo and Nicholson know about it, maybe the bastard who will fire you will membership."
Martin couldn't help but laugh: "If someone helps you, and you don't return the favor, it will affect your reputation in the future." He also thought a lot: "Of course, I haven't decided whether to pay it back this time. At least I have to go back and talk to Thomas." Say hello to the brokerage company and discuss it later."
After packing his luggage, Martin took the script and the original book with him, went to the outskirts of the town, and boarded a helicopter.
Also returning to Los Angeles on the same plane was Elizabeth Olsen.
(End of chapter)
