Exploiting Hollywood 1980

After ordering a simple cup of coffee, Ronald and Antonia sat down and started chatting. Time seemed to be stuck in a quagmire, not moving at all between the two of them. It seems that yesterday Ronald was still talking to Antonia on Staten Island. The two were only temporarily separated for a few days and continued on the streets of Paris.

Everything is so natural.

"Why are you in Paris? I have seen many of your movies, and they are very good." After chatting about some old things, Antonia took a small sip of coffee and asked Ronald how he was doing.

"I'm here to talk about cooperating in a new film, and I'm going to visit my friend's class. They are filming locations in Paris. Have you seen all my movies? Which one do you like best?"

"My favorite part of The Dragon King is the second one. The Japanese girl's dream is the dream of all ballet dancers. But I guess you don't watch the New York City Ballet's performances very much..."

"Uh..." Ronald felt something strange. In the sequel to Dragon King, I used footage from Antonia in "Famous". The heroine Kumiko is also a poor child who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer...

As for the New York Ballet's performance, I have never been to one. Maybe I avoided this question subconsciously? In fact, movies are popular art, so it’s normal for Antonia to have seen them, but it’s also normal that she hasn’t gone to see a niche art like ballet.

Strangely, Ronald felt that such a conversation was not awkward. Instead, he was like an old best friend whom he had not seen for many years, chatting about many things after the breakup, including some very personal issues.

For example, why Antonia suddenly resigned and came to Europe. She was making rapid progress at the New York City Ballet. If Balanchine had not passed away, she might have been able to reach the position of principal in a few years. But this leap in promotion also aroused the collective jealousy of other dancers.

After being ganged up on by other female ballet dancers, only one clarinetist remained kind to her, her current boyfriend Gerhardt. Originally, when performing "The Nutcracker" on stage, the classic Candy Fairy variation was the clarinet solo main melody.

The two are artistic soulmates, and their dancing and playing complement each other. After Antonia completely lost the chance to compete for the top spot, she went to the European continent to look for opportunities.

After consideration, Gerhard finally decided to come to Europe with Antonia and find a new job. You must know that in a general symphony orchestra, the position of the clarinet is not as important as that of a ballet orchestra.

Ronald took a sip of the coffee, which was a bit bitter. He took two sugar cubes and added them to it. He looked at Antonia and asked, "I want to ask you a question. How did you make sure he was the right person?"

"it's actually really easy,

After I decided to go to Europe, I thought I would say goodbye to him. However, I always felt that something important was missing during those two days, which seemed to have a great impact on my life and destiny. It just so happened that he came to me and felt the same way, so all the subsequent decisions were very easy. We sold the car, returned the rented house, bought two plane tickets and went to London first.

But he had better luck in London than I did, and I didn't get a chance at the ballet company there. "

"What if you find a job in Paris? What will you two do?"

"We will find a way, maybe we can't? I plan to go to London first, work as a ballet teacher for a period of time, and then continue to apply for other ballet companies to try my luck." When Antonia said this, the smile on her face gave people A feeling of ease.

"Maybe you still have a chance. When I was a director selecting roles, sometimes I didn't give the admission notice right away..."

Ronald did not mention the donation to the National Ballet in London, and neither did Antonia. This promise back then transcends the relationship between the two today.

Antonia finished her coffee and said she would continue to prepare the materials for the next application. Ronald did not keep her, but just handed her his contact information, "When you and that lucky guy settle down in London, give me a call. We can find time to get together when I come to London or you go back to New York. "

"I will." Antonia accepted the business card, opened her bag, took out her wallet and put it away. Then the two hugged and she turned and left.

"One more thing." Ronald hesitated again and again. Finally, seeing Antonia leaving, he couldn't help it anymore and asked the question he had wanted to ask for a long time.

"If I had gone back to find you..." Ronald recalled that at that time, he also had the feeling that a person's destiny was about to change, but at that time...

"But you didn't..."

Antonia smiled. At that time, both of them felt that career was the most important thing in life. She stepped forward and hugged Ronald again, then kissed him tenderly on the face, "Me neither..."

…

Antonia had left for a long time, and Ronald was still sitting on a chair in the Café de Flore, in a daze. Those choices that I thought were right in the past now seem not to be completely cost-free.

But what is somewhat comforting is that Ronald finally found a breakthrough in the knotty knot in the script: the reason why Harry changed his mind and proposed to Sally. People often don't discover the value they once had until they lose it.

He asked the waiter for a pen and started writing on the napkin.

Ronald started writing, and after half an hour, three large napkins were filled with words. At this time, a sweaty young man with a crooked and wrinkled suit ran in, pulling a large trolley suitcase. Looking left and right, he came towards Ronald.

"Ronald!"

"Huh?" Ronald looked up.

The visitor was none other than the agent Richard. He didn't bother to sit down, but stood beside the table and asked, "Ronald... where is Antonia?"

"How did you know I was here?" Ronald put away the napkin with the script written on it and pulled out a chair for Richard. This guy seemed to have been on a plane trip and his hair was messy.

"McPike called Niceta. I found out when I hung up the phone with Niceta at the airport. Why isn't Antonia here?"

"She's gone. What, do you want to sign her agency contract?"

"You don't have...?" Richard took out his handkerchief and wiped the beads of sweat that were constantly flowing due to nervousness and running.

"Nothing?" Ronald smiled, "We've finished what we need to talk about... You sit down for a while, and I'll ask the waiter to give you a cup of iced coffee..."

"Huh..." Richard let out a long breath and sat down on the small chair in the Café de Flore. He used too much force and pushed the not-so-firm chair back and slid out. Driven by the inertia, he stumbled and almost sat on the ground.

"Be careful." Ronald quickly grabbed him. Richard had no strength left. "You should go to the hotel to rest first. I just want to leave..."

…

A crackling sound sounded in Ronald's hotel room. He asked the hotel to borrow a typewriter and began to rewrite the messy notes on the napkin onto paper.

After Sally's ex-boyfriend got married, Harry went to comfort her, and they went to bed naturally. But the next day Harry treated Sally as a friend, got dressed, and left as usual. Sally, who thought she had finally found true love, was very unhappy. She thought that the two of them could start their relationship from now on.

After Harry left, Sally didn't even want to be friends anymore. Harry also thought that the two parties could return to being friends, and the two parties had a big fight at the wedding of their mutual friends Mary and Jesse. Harry finally understood that for women, there is always a man in a special position. He was right when he said that friends of the opposite sex could not go further, but often could only take many steps back.

After writing three full pages, Ronald got up to rest. The preparations for the reversal in the last scene were completed. All he had to do was find an opportunity for Harry to change and go back to find Sally.

"Ding dong..."

The doorbell rang. It was Richard who came to find Ronald after taking a rest.

"Have you rested?" Ronald asked.

"I'm fine. It's just a long journey, plus no rest..." Richard's worries have gone. Now the alarm of the most important customer's seizure has been lifted. After a few hours of rest, he immediately felt refreshed again.

"Why are you coming here in such a hurry? Just wait in London. I have to go back soon." Ronald didn't quite understand.

"I'm just too worried. You suddenly flew to Europe. Rick (Nisita) and I were both worried about what you would do without careful consideration." Richard already knew that Ronald had returned to normal. , so he also expressed his agent’s concerns.

"This is not normal. I am an artist first..." Ronald finally understood why those artists who are good at expressing emotions through various methods and conveying them to the audience must first be a sensitive person. Without the ability to feel, it is even less likely to resonate with the audience.

"Okay." Richard said to himself that your talent as a businessman is not bad. "From an artist's point of view, you have lost a muse. But this may be a good thing. Many famous directors in Hollywood rely on this opportunity to successfully create the most satisfying work.”

Richard and the others didn't want Ronald to stop at all. He was an artist who was passionate about beautiful girls and was often an artist with a strong desire for expression.

"Annette Bening is filming in Paris. She has repeatedly expressed that she wants you to visit her. She misses you very much. Are you interested in meeting her? It's at the Palace of Versailles."

"I actually don't want to..." Ronald felt that Richard cared too much about him.

"Um...she is also starring in a movie adapted from the play 'Dangerous Liaisons'. I have heard a lot of rumors that it is even more exciting than Michelle Pfeiffer's movie and is more faithful to the original work and drama." Richard Seeing that Ronald seemed not very interested, he quickly recommended, "Annette plays the Marquise de Merteuil, the bad woman whose looks make men fascinated."

"Maybe next time." What Ronald had just experienced made him temporarily uninterested in this matter.

"The director is Milos Forman. He has won the Best Director statuette twice for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and Mozart. This adaptation was produced and distributed by Orion. They are a rare director-oriented production. Film producers, compared to the Warner Bros.-led 'Dangerous Liaisons', many people who visited the show said the costumes and casting were better."

Ronald actually believed that Milos Forman Forman was a Czech. His look at European costumes at that time is definitely closer to historical facts than the exaggerated Hollywood style of "Dangerous Liaisons".

It can also be seen from the casting that Annette Bening plays a seductive lady who sows discord among men, which is obviously more convincing than Glenn Gross, who is already a bit old.

"Is director Milos Forman available? I would like to chat with him for a few words and observe his directing method. I wonder if he is willing."

Ronald's biggest regret is that he has never worked with these directors who are famous for drama and performance, and observed closely the way they guide actors. Observing other people's methods will always provide you with a lot of useful inspiration.

"Milos Forman? No problem, I'll contact him right away." Richard immediately ran back to the room to contact Niceta in Los Angeles.

…

"Hello, Director Forman, I'm glad to have the opportunity to meet you."

Niceta used her best ability to quickly arrange a meeting between Ronald and Milos Forman. The film adaptation of "Dangerous Liaisons" he made is called "Valmont", directly named after the character played by John Malkovich in Warner's version.

"Ha, Ronald. I didn't expect you to be in Paris too. It would be great to have a colleague from Hollywood come over to meet me."

Milos Forman behaves like a gentleman and co-financed the film himself. Ever since he was taken by a friend to watch the drama "Dangerous Relationships" starring Lindsay Duncan and Alan Rickman while on vacation in London, he has been deeply attracted by this strange story.

At that time, Warner Bros. was already negotiating for the rights to change, so he went straight to Orion and quickly secured the investment based on his history of winning the best picture for Orion with "The Life of Mozart." Start over again and make another film.

"I heard Alan (Rickman) talk about you. He said that he was very lucky to meet you in his first movie in Hollywood. Without you, he would not have become a Hollywood actor."

"Ha, it should be said that I was lucky to meet him. Film directors are like this. We cannot discover the chemical reaction between actors during rehearsals and rehearsals. Many times, casting depends on intuition and luck." Ronald and Milos Foreman walked and talked in the Palace of Versailles.

"That's very well said. Film is really a magical art..." Milos Forman quite admired Ronald. His agent told him that Ronald was not only a director of commercial films, but also invested in many projects. For a director like Foreman who spared no effort in filming, it was very important to have an investor friend who understood the director. .

"I have a little question. If you feel it's inappropriate, you don't have to answer it." Ronald walked slowly, and Richard, who was following him, automatically fell several steps behind, allowing him and director Foreman to Talk about something personal.

Milos Forman made an invitation gesture, and the two of them walked into the corner of the palace, and the front led to the lounge.

"I heard that Warner Brothers' movie with the same script change has been completed and is in post-production. Aren't you afraid of conflicting with their themes? According to the usual schedule, your movies will be released next year..." Ronald was curious in his heart. What confidence does Foreman have that he will be able to suppress the opponent's box office?

"We are actually not shooting the same movie. You saw that the name of my movie is Valmont. I want to make a real love story between the nobles of the country. This is not a Hollywood adultery and conspiracy movie, but a Hollywood movie about adultery and conspiracy. It expresses the true emotional world of human beings. Valmont is not a simple Don Juan-like playboy, he has his own emotions and persistence..."

Ronald nodded while listening, sighing in his heart, these artists... No, we artists really like this kind of works that explore human nature and love.

But... can ordinary audiences appreciate such a complex story in the same way? Maybe the two-time Oscar winner for Best Director knows more than me.

Ronald did not presume to judge this "Valmont" this time, because Milos Forman's first two works that won Oscars were actually pretty good at the box office. They are typical movies that win both art and box office. .

"Let me tell you something. I have done research on the costumes in this movie. They are fully in line with the attire of Parisian upper class society at that time. It is not the Hollywood cliché of corsets and bustles..."

Milos Forman clearly knew something about Warner Bros.' "Dangerous Liaisons," and Michelle Pfeiffer dressed like a British Victorian there, almost identical to Glenn Gross's character. Not very pretty.

"Look, that's Annette's costume, Annette... I'll introduce you to a director." Milos Forman saw Annette Bening in the lounge and called her over.

"Ah ha, Ronald, you finally came to see me. I'm so happy to see you." Annette Bening pulled up her skirt, ran over quickly, and made a performative salute gesture, and then suddenly into Ronald's arms.

Annette Bening wore a bright green dress, and the low-cut skirt was not as restrictive as the last Warner version. The arms are decorated with gorgeous lace, the red hair is tied up high, the swan-like neck wears an equally tender green necklace, and the ears are low-key and sexy large pearl earrings.

Ronald immediately sensed Bening's "enthusiasm". He looked at Milos Forman, who gave him an appreciative look in return as "a good boy, like a powerful director."

Ronald also responded with a look, "You are still an old man who knows how to play, and this costume makes people very excited."

The two directors burst into laughter, which made Annette Bening stunned for a moment.

"Anyway, I'm glad you came to see me." Annette Bening quickly returned to normal, took Ronald's arm, walked with him forward, and then turned to Milos Forman Said, "Director Forman, can you lend me Rona for a while.

"Is this your first time coming to the Palace of Versailles?" Bening said like a gentle woman.

"No, another movie was shot here last time, and I came to see it too."

"The one with Michelle Pfeiffer, right? I know they were filming here, and we were the front and back."

"You and she are not playing the same role. She is playing a chaste virgin..." Ronald saw that Annette Bening meant to compare.

"So do you like chastity or slut?" Bening raised his head, with a smile on his face that invited you to explore more, and licked his lips lightly with his tongue.

"I like all the roles that make you stand out."

"Ah ha ha ha..." Bening smiled with joy. Ronald really understood the needs of actresses. It would be great if I could continue to get benefits from him in exchange.

"Who plays Valmont in this movie?" Ronald remembered and asked Bening.

"A young British actor named Colin Firth."

"New actor?" Ronald thought to himself that the director is really talented and bold, and Warner's side is full of big-name stars.

"Who plays the virginal Lady Tourville?"

"This is a close relative of the director. She was previously preparing to play the role of an actress in the Biography of Mozart. Unfortunately, she broke her leg while playing football the day before filming started. The temporary change of actors made it very embarrassing. However, she liked the director very much, so she was cast again this time. She's here..." Annette Bening was unhappy thinking of this Bichi. She's not as good-looking as herself, but she has more roles than herself.

"Huh? What's her name?" Ronald heard this story and wondered why it looked so similar...

"Meg Tilly is the wife of a Hollywood producer. Do female celebrities with producer boyfriends have better luck?" Annette Bening began to hint wildly.

"Um..." Ronald felt that Paris was a strange place. Why were all his ex-girlfriends gathering here?

"This is life, C'est la vie".