[Chapter 396: New Film Rewards]
Charlize Theron misunderstood; Link never meant to pursue her romantically. Since 1993, he hadn't actively chased after any woman. First, he didn't need to emotionally or physically; second, time was limited, and dedicating it to films was far more worthwhile than spending it on women.
The women around him weren't won over by chasing; they were drawn in by his charm, approached him first, and eventually became captivated, addicted, unable to let go. It was the same with Charlize Theron. After seeing her on set, Link invited her back to his apartment for dinner, and she agreed.
...
After they finished eating, Link invited her to watch a movie and discuss films in his home theater. Charlize agreed, and they kissed, with her not refusing. After the kiss, the blonde beauty flushed and looked dazed, leaning into him willingly.
What followed was only natural. Although Charlize was tall -- 5'10" with 40.5-inch legs -- and had ballet training that gave her better flexibility and physique than most women, her behavior afterward wasn't much different from that of Jodie Foster or Emmanuelle Beart.
...
The next morning, Link woke early to head to the set to shoot, calling Sam Haskel to ask him to excuse Charlize from work, as she wasn't feeling up to preparing her role that day. Sam agreed without asking further.
On set, Link continued filming the final courtroom scenes of the movie Primal Fear. This sequence took four days, and after the last shot, production wrapped. Starting at the end of May, the two-month shoot included 118 scenes and 637 shots. The film officially completed filming in late July.
After wrapping, Link led the crew back to Los Angeles to rest.
---
By late July, the North American box office competition remained fierce.
This week, Warner Bros. dominated with their latest thriller A Time to Kill, directed by Joe Schumacher and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Matthew McConaughey, and Sandra Bullock. The story followed Carl Lee, an African American man who killed two white men who assaulted his daughter, then turned himself in. Lawyer Jake and law student Ellen aimed to defend him based on legal and human grounds. Their teamwork led to Carl Lee being acquitted.
The film aimed to fight racial prejudice and had a positive message, grossing $28.31 million in its opening week.
Runner-up was Columbia Pictures' action film The Mask of Zorro, adapted from police reporter Johnston McCully's novel about the Western hero Zorro. Produced by Guess Pictures and starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Antonio Banderas, it released mid-July and earned $20.77 million this week, totaling $58.63 million over two weeks.
With a production cost of $65 million, it was expected to break $100 million domestically, a box office hit.
Catherine Zeta-Jones's performance was praised widely. After the release, critics and fans lauded her classical British charm. People magazine dubbed her "the most beautiful British actress." The only issue was her rumored closeness with Link. Many media outlets advised her to steer clear of a playboy like him, as a good girl shouldn't risk getting involved with one.
The third spot went to Independence Day, grossing $18.17 million this week, bringing its four-week total to $213 million, making it the second film this year to pass $200 million domestically.
The Fifth Element slipped to fifth, earning $8.46 million this week, and totaling $76.37 million over five weeks, with a projected domestic gross near $90 million.
The Net earned $4.33 million this week, with a total of $175 million domestically.
Batman Forever made $2.71 million this week, totaling $291 million, poised to be the first film this summer to cross $300 million domestically.
Despite many commercial blockbusters coming from the Big Seven Studios, independent films continued to struggle at the box office. Many indie filmmakers publicly declared the death of independent cinema. Several justice-driven filmmakers criticized the Big Seven for oversaturating the market, limiting exposure for indie films, and dominating theater screens.
However, Guess Pictures had fewer criticisms because its 1995 releases underperformed. As of July, out of its seven distributed films, only The Net exceeded $100 million domestically, Dangerous Minds grossed $90.48 million, and Hachi: A Dog's Tale $75.63 million. The rest had mediocre returns. Without making money, Guess Pictures wasn't blamed much.
Still, the media joked that Guess was declining, unlikely to sustain its growth pace of previous years. Guess Pictures remained silent publicly, quietly promoting new releases.
Later in the summer, the studio would release Rush Hour featuring Jackie Chan, and Final Destination 2.
Compared to earlier months, August had fewer blockbusters, but competition remained intense. How these two films fared remained to be seen.
---
Back in Los Angeles, Link began editing the film, taking time to attend an internal screening of The English Patient.
This film had finished shooting last December and completed post-production in April. Link was dissatisfied with the sound design and sent it back for rework, which was finished in June.
The screening was a hit, with attendees giving rave reviews.
Jodie Foster, Monica Bellucci, Sofia Coppola, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder, fans of art films, found it deeply moving, calling it the best romance they'd seen, even better than last year's The Bridges of Madison County.
Jodie Foster regretted not insisting on a role and expressed interest in participating in Link's next romance film. Winona and others shared the sentiment.
Daniel DeVito, James Schamus, and Mark Amin also praised it as a classic love story but noted the leads lacked strong name recognition in North America, predicting a box office between $100 million to $200 million.
...
At the screening's end, Link received system ratings.
[Film completed, box office subsidy calculating...]
[Host participation rate: 71.3%, Film completion: 97.7%, Market compatibility: 88%]
[Reward: 2.4x box office subsidy; Director experience +20%; Director stamina +20%; Film quality increase +18%]
...
"Link, how could you make this kind of film?" Quentin Tarantino said, his face complicated.
"What's wrong with the movie? Don't you like it?" Link asked.
Quentin looked at him with envious, jealous eyes, muscles twitching. Pointing at the big screen, he said, "You used to make thrillers, and now, just after switching, you make The English Patient. Don't you think you're switching too fast?"
"What's wrong with switching fast?" Link asked.
Quentin snorted, "Nothing, you're great, incredible, there's no director better than you in the world."
"Thanks, I just work hard in filmmaking. You'd do better if you tried more. By the way, your new film--"
Before he could finish, Quentin waved his hand and walked away. Nearby, director Steven Soderbergh watched, shaking his head and smiling, "Link, you're too outstanding. It's tough being in the same era. Quentin's probably anxious."
"Me too," Robert Rodriguez shrugged.
"No need to be anxious. Every director has their style. I rush my films because I don't have patience to take one or two years. Sometimes I wish I could slow down." Link said.
"Link, don't say more. No director wants to make movies fast and well, but few can, except you," Robert said admiringly.
Link smiled and asked about their upcoming projects.
Steven was prepping Out of Sight, starting next month; Robert was writing a new script with an unknown schedule; Richard Linklater was acting lately, with no directing plans.
Link suggested considering a sequel to Before Sunrise, the story being great, and Richard agreed.
...
After the screening, Link returned to his studio with the film print to review and refine. After the 18% quality improvement, The English Patient looked even better than the original version.
The details were more delicate, adding artistic value. Link planned a year-end release, aiming for next year's Academy Award for Best Director.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.