The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 2088 Head-on Confrontation
Anson Wood – any topic can easily generate buzz with just this keyword, even Gus Van Sant is no exception.

Today, at the global premiere of "The Last Days," the buzz on the red carpet never ceased, with everyone speculating whether Anson would be present.

Although Anson missed the premiere of "Match Point", the situation is different.

Anson and Scarlett are good friends and business partners, but since "Sons of Men" has not yet entered its promotional period, it is perfectly normal for Anson not to support Scarlett. However, this is Gus, and "The Elephant" winning the Palme d'Or opens up opportunities for Anson, giving him a valuable breathing space in his competition with the Academy.

Regardless of what the future holds, "The Elephant," as the Palme d'Or winner, will always have a place on Anson's resume, forever one of his masterpieces.

Moreover, it was in Cannes that Gus and Anson made history together.

Under such circumstances, it would be somewhat unreasonable for Anson to be absent from the premiere of "The Last Days".

After all, Anson is currently in Cannes, and doing something "unrelated to his main job"—

Compared to an actor's main job, being a film critic is completely unproductive; moreover, Anson could have attended the premiere, entered the Lumière Hall, watched the film with everyone, and then written a review without any impact. Anson had no reason to miss the premiere.

Unfortunately, Anson was absent.

At the dimly lit premiere of "The Last Days," reporters eagerly awaited the return of Anson, but he never appeared, which immediately caused everyone to break down.

Various speculations spread rapidly.

Some believe that Anson betrayed Gus, becoming ungrateful after achieving success; others believe that Gus abandoned Anson, not wanting Anson to steal the spotlight from the film.

Some believe it was the result of a power struggle, with Anson at odds with the "Boston Gang" led by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, forcing Gus to take sides. He chose his real-life neighbor, Casey Affleck, and sided with the Boston Gang.

In any case, the rumors were quite a spectacle.

but!

To everyone's surprise, Anson actually appeared at the press conference!

Even more unexpectedly, the reporter actually had the opportunity to witness the confrontation between Anson and Gus!

After all, considering all aspects, Anson could have easily been chosen to play the role in "The Last Days," and having just learned that the character was based on Kurt Cobain, a talented musician who died young, Anson, currently one of Hollywood's top actors and singers, should have played the role even more.

So, did Gus refuse Anson's offer to star in the film, or did Anson refuse Gus's offer?
From extreme noise to extreme silence, it only took three seconds. Everyone in the press conference room held their breath, their hearts almost bursting.

Bathed in the spotlight, Anson looked at Gus's smug smile with a hint of helplessness and said frankly, "This is a turn of events I didn't expect."

puff.

A low chuckle came from the side.

Anson spread his hands. "The truth is, I'm chasing a $100 million salary, which is obviously not a condition that the director can meet."

Haha, hahaha!

Gus burst out laughing. He knew Anson wouldn't surrender easily, but he didn't expect the guy to be so ruthless when it came to self-deprecation. "What if everyone believes it?"

Anson's eyes widened. "One hundred million dollars?" That's ridiculous enough, who would believe it?
Gus: "If it's you, why not?"

Back and forth, the two engaged in conversation across the surging crowd in the press conference hall, while the reporters, like spectators watching a tennis match, kept turning their heads back and forth.

Gus finally spread his hands and took a deep breath. "Personally, I think Michael is more suitable for the role. His temperament and appearance are closer to the image I have in mind." "Of course, part of the reason is that the role is too dark, and I'm worried that it might cause trouble for Anson."

The subtext is about Spider-Man. Peter Parker is a sunny and cheerful character, although the second movie is a bit sad, but that's just the trouble of growing up.

Clearly, the "final days" were much heavier.

Anson raised his voice and said, "Director, you won't think that way in a couple of days."

Is this implying that "Walking with Song" is just as dark?

"Of course, Michael did deliver an incredible performance."

"Michael, may I ask you a question? In preparing for this role, did you seriously study Kurt Cobain's footage and try to imitate him? Or did you treat him as a completely new fictional character and portray him as such? How much of the noise in your mind was the director's and how much was your own voice?"

--Ha ha ha ha!
Michael Pitt was about to answer when he was interrupted by a delayed burst of laughter. He looked at the reporters laughing so hard they were practically falling over, looking slightly uneasy and at a loss for what to do.

Not only because of the reporters, but also because of Anson, everything happening before his eyes seemed chaotic, and it was definitely a completely new challenge for him.

Somewhat unexpectedly, Michael walked through the crowd and saw Anson's encouraging gaze, which helped him regain some composure.

“I did study a lot of Kurt Cobain’s footage…” Michael replied, regaining his composure.

This cannot be blamed on Michael; it was also an unprecedented sight for reporters.

I saw Anson on this side of the interview seating area. He not only asked questions, but his professional questions made the real journalists feel ashamed.

This has become a unique phenomenon in Cannes, with Anson asking questions as a journalist and the clashes between Anson and Gus becoming topics of conversation.

And that’s not all.

People realized for the first time that this was a film inspired by Kurt Cobain, and a continuation of the spirit of "Gary" and "The Elephant".

When all the details are pieced together and then re-examined "the last days," the overall feeling becomes different.

Not to mention the film's innovative and adventurous use of sound effects; following "Elephant," Guss has taken another step forward in audiovisual language. Perhaps Guss isn't a tech-obsessed nerd who can't invent entirely new technologies, but he is certainly a film nerd, constantly studying film.

Through repeated exchanges, the topic was ignited and continued to explode—

Two years ago, the Elephant's performance in the race program was mediocre, but it unexpectedly won the Palme d'Or. Who knows if it can bring another surprise this year?

The spotlight quietly shifted to "the final days," and Michael Pitt finally received the attention and praise he deserved.

Discussions surrounding the performance have spread, and putting aside personal likes and dislikes about the film itself, Michael Pitt did deliver a remarkable performance.

So, can he be nominated for Best Actor in a Film?
Involuntarily, people still marvel at Anson's unique influence. Even just appearing at a press conference, the originally depressed and melancholic "Last Days" was placed at the center of the storm of topics, easily overturning the situation, and able to command the wind and rain with every move.

However, there were also dissenting voices gloating, questioning whether Anson had shot himself in the foot.

"Walking with the Song" was supposed to be an ambitious work vying for awards, especially Best Actor. But now Anson himself has pushed Michael Pitt to the forefront and stolen the spotlight. I wonder if Anson is now regretting it to the core.

(End of this chapter)