America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 875 The Criminal Maniac and the Last Survivor

Beverly Hills, Nolan's mansion.

Emma Thomas and her assistants began handing out gifts; each party guest received a tote bag containing a beautifully wrapped gift box.

Even Martin got a copy.

While this doesn't guarantee that others will vote for "Interstellar" in the Oscar race, the Oscar race environment is becoming increasingly money-driven, and whether someone else gives you a nomination or not, voters will inevitably be biased.

Nicholson, that shameless old man, said to Martin, "I can't remember which Oscar-nominated film crews gave me what gifts, but I can definitely remember which film crews didn't give me gifts."

Martin handed the bag to Bruce and said, "Jack, you're a real stunner! Are all older white men like this?"

Nicholson waved his hand: "Don't worry about these details. You'll be like this when you become an old white man."

Martin said, "I don't need to become an old white man to remember that production teams that don't give us gifts can't get into our fair voting process."

Nicholson asked, "Do you have a new way of voting for the Oscars this year?"

Martin shook his head: "I'm waiting for you and Leo to come up with a new idea."

As they were talking, Leonardo DiCaprio walked over with a very overweight Asian man wearing rimless glasses.

"Hey Martin, Jack, let me introduce you to a friend." Leonardo gestured to the overweight Asian man: "This is John Liu, an investor from Malaysia who has been working with my Open Road Pictures for several years. John, these two don't need any introductions, right?"

John Liu shook hands with Martin and Nicholson separately: "I've heard Leo mention you two before, but I've never had the chance to meet you. I'm extremely honored to meet you this time."

Martin smiled and said, "You're welcome."

Nicholson, who had already retired, was relatively aloof, nodding and saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

John Liu's target wasn't Nicholson either. He told Martin, "I deeply admire Mr. Davis's eye for investing in films. If you need funds, I can mobilize them at any time."

Martin replied casually, "I'll contact you if needed."

John Liu took out his gold-embossed business card, handed it to Martin, said a few polite words, and then took his leave.

"An investor from Malaysia?" Nicholson emphasized, asking Leonardo, "Is this the financial backer supporting you?"

Leonardo DiCaprio, of course, understood the implied meaning and immediately retorted, "What do you mean by 'backer'? I'm clearly giving this guy an opportunity to invest in Hollywood."

Martin asked, "Have you worked with him many times?"

Leonardo nodded: "Starting from 2010... well, including Shutter Island, which my Open Road Pictures invested in."

He then changed the subject: "If you're short of funds, he has a way. John has been spending money extravagantly in North America these past few years."

"I know." Martin had actually dealt with John Liu before, but it was just normal business: "I bought several houses from Depp, and then sold them to John Liu at a high price."

Leonardo asked, "A villa in Paris, France; a penthouse in the Columbia Building; and a seaside villa in Malibu?"

These are normal business transactions with no potential risks. Martin replied, "That's right, he invested $1 million in this, so his cash flow is really strong."

Nicholson, a shrewd and experienced man, warned Leonardo: "Some investors' money comes from shady sources and can easily cause trouble. Be careful."

Leonardo DiCaprio laughed: "A lot of the money invested in Hollywood has problems; it's been a tradition for decades."

Martin and Nicholson both understood Leonardo's meaning: the film industry is the best channel for money laundering.

Leonardo added, "Don't worry, this is America, not Malaysia."

Martin, recalling some events from his past life, offered a word of advice: "I have some connections in Asia and a few investors who support me. I've heard them mention that John Liu has complicated ties with the Malaysian authorities and is likely a front man for some high-ranking officials. If something goes wrong, the Malaysian government might face trouble by negotiating through external channels."

Leonardo heeded Martin's advice: "I'll pay closer attention."

Martin only needed to remind him of this, as Leonardo had already established a solid foundation in North America over the years.

The film analysis party ended before 10 o'clock.

The three of them had originally planned to wash their faces, but Nicholson was getting older and had been drinking that night, so he was clearly not in good spirits.

Martin decided to take him home first.

Leonardo DiCaprio had a last-minute appointment and, disloyally, went on a date with a female model.

Martin, all alone, was planning to go find Louise, but before he even left Beverly Hills, he received a call from Anya Taylor-Joy.

The latter wanted to invite him out for a late-night snack.

Martin turned the car around and went to Wilshire Avenue, where he met Anya at the agreed-upon restaurant.

The latter was wearing a white sweater, a black skirt and fishnet stockings. Although her appearance looked a little strange, she was still within the range of normal beauty standards, especially with her excellent figure.

Many Hollywood actresses have become uglier after undergoing plastic surgery.

In Martin's past, aesthetic standards were declining worldwide.

Not only in the entertainment industry he was in at the time, but also in Hollywood, the new generation of actresses were significantly less impressive compared to the flourishing scene around 2000.

While most Hollywood actresses undergo cosmetic surgery, it's mostly minor adjustments, such as Scarlett Johansson's nose or Julia Roberts' eyes.

Later, Hollywood's new generation of actresses, such as Anya Taylor-Joy, looked like plastic surgery monsters at first glance.

Martin pulled out a chair and sat down opposite her. He could see very clearly from up close that Anya probably hadn't had surgery on her face yet.

Anya asked the waiter to bring the menu and said, "Order whatever you want, it's on me tonight."

Martin took the menu and said with a smile, "I won't stand on ceremony with you."

He casually ordered a few easily digestible dishes and then pushed the menu to the other side.

Anya also ordered a few things.

The food was served quickly, and the two ate and chatted.

"My performances these past few days have been pretty good, haven't they?" Anya seemed to be humbly seeking advice, specifically asking Martin, "Did you grasp the character well?"

Martin thought for a moment and said, "Of all the actresses, you performed the best. You grasped the essence of the character, and you acted very well in all the scenes."

Anya seemed particularly happy about Martin's recognition: "I was always worried that I wasn't doing a good enough job and couldn't live up to the role, but now I have confidence."

Martin spoke frankly: "You're very talented, better than Anna and Sofia."

Upon hearing Ana de Armas's name, Anya recalled what she had seen and heard on set these past few days. The Cuban woman would go to the trailer with Martin every noon, and one could imagine what she was doing.

Anya has a clear understanding of herself. She got the audition opportunity through WMA's recommendation and was lucky enough to be noticed by Martin.

She added, "The scene between you and me at the end seems to be the most crucial to the film."

Martin nodded slightly: "That's the complete transformation of the male protagonist's new personality."

Anya discussed the role with a clear goal: "I've read the script for this crucial scene over and over again, but I still feel like I can't fully grasp it. I can't understand the essence of the scene by thinking about it on my own. Should we rehearse it a few times?"

Martin did not rehearse the final scene with Anya because the scene was somewhat sensitive, involving not only explicit scenes but also scenes of killing.

Does this kind of play require advance rehearsal?

Martin immediately understood what was going on and said, "As for rehearsals, it depends on your schedule. I should be fine with it."

How can you survive in the entertainment industry without cunning? Anya, who knew how to catch chickens, continued Martin's words, "Is tonight okay? This scene is too difficult. I think we should rehearse it a few more times so that we can act it out more easily during the actual filming."

Martin considered for a moment: "The film set is closed. How about we go to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel after we have supper? It's close by."

"Sure," Anya replied, patting the backpack she had brought. "I'm all ready."

From the moment she first discovered Ana de Armas getting into Martin's trailer, she was already planning rehearsals for the final scene of the script.

The male and female leads rehearsed all night for the challenging scenes; this is a great pursuit of art!

After having a late-night snack, Martin left the restaurant first and headed to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. He waited in the top-floor private room for about ten minutes before Anya arrived.

The two of them began to seriously discuss the ending scene of the script.

After discussing it, it's time to start rehearsing.

"We're missing a key item." Martin remained professional: "I'll go find a rope; there should be some soft rope here."

This was a place he often went on dates with, including with actresses like Julie, Aniston, and Alexandra. Sometimes he would bring useful props specifically for certain scenes.

Anya stood up, opened the backpack she had brought, and took out a rope and a pair of cold handcuffs. She said, "I'm all ready."

Martin picked up the rope and took out a prop knife from his backpack. In just a few breaths, he underwent a complete transformation.

He transformed from a sunny, handsome, and gentle man into a cold-eyed, somewhat morbid criminal.

Anya quickly got into character and became the last survivor, outwitting the male protagonist with his split personality, but was eventually captured.

Provoked by the female protagonist, the male protagonist's most terrifying personality fully takes shape, and the female protagonist inevitably becomes a victim.

This scene is extremely difficult; one rehearsal is definitely not enough. We can only continuously explore the character and the role in order to achieve a higher level of completion.

The rehearsal lasted for most of the night. Fortunately, the next day was the weekend, so we didn't have to go to the film set to participate in the filming and we could rest as much as we wanted. Otherwise, Anya would have had to ask for leave.

Despite her young age, Anya is a very professional actress. After resting for a while the next day, she took the initiative to approach Martin again to continue rehearsing this most difficult scene.

Over the weekend, Martin and Anya rehearsed thirty-six different ways of performing the play.

On Sunday evening, the two very professional individuals went home to get some rest in preparation for the next day's filming.

Martin arrived at the hotel's underground parking lot, got into the car Bruce had driven, and said, "Let's go back."

Bruce didn't start the car immediately, saying, "We've received information from Kiev that Alexandrovich has consolidated his power and is preparing to make his move."

Martin asked, "What is his plan?"

Bruce simply stated, "Alexandrovich plans to nationalize Ukraine's major media outlets and television stations, thereby forcing the oligarch behind 1+1 TV to come forward. He will use his control of the security bureau and the military, in coordination with the US, to take down Igor, and then auction off the Privas Group at a low price."

Martin understood and waved his hand: "It's up to you to lead the prepared team to handle the specifics."

Bruce replied, "I'm going to Europe next week; the bodyguards here have all been arranged."

Martin said, "I won't leave North America until the Shallows is released at the end of January next year."

The filming of "Split" began on time the next morning.

After a good night's rest, Martin threw himself back into his work with renewed energy.

The scenes featuring the female personality have all been filmed, and for the second scene, David Fincher chose the ten-year-old childlike personality.

Martin's costume changed to sneakers and sportswear, and his entire demeanor changed when he got off the trailer.

Like a child who hasn't grown up.

Not the kind of man who remains a boy until death, but a kind-hearted, somewhat weak-willed boy who is extremely curious about women.

With a complete change in character, aside from continuing to lay the groundwork for his sadistic personality, Martin's portrayal is almost entirely a new character.

Problems arose during the character's very first scene; David Fincher called a stop and even summoned Martin to the set.

Martin asked directly, "What aspect of the problem?"

This is a kissing scene, where the boy's personality, filled with curiosity about women, kisses the imprisoned female lead.

David Fincher circled Martin and said, "There's something wrong with your kissing scenes."

Martin said, "Wasn't it supposed to be rough around the edges?"

"Is that inexperience?" David Fincher shook his head and laughed. "You haven't even kissed Anya yet, and you're already exuding a burst of hormones. Kissing... that's not inexperience, it's just a seasoned lecher pretending to be innocent."

Martin laughed sheepishly, "Is it really that exaggerated?"

David Fincher said very seriously, "It's actually even more exaggerated than I'm making it up! Martin, your character is a child of about ten years old, full of curiosity about women, and he tries kissing for the first time after being seduced by the female lead. Think back to how your first kiss felt."

Martin tried to recall carefully, but he couldn't remember either his past or present lives.

Filming resumed, and after several attempts, Martin finally found the raw, terrible feel for it.

After the kissing scene was filmed, the other scenes posed no challenge for Martin.

He was dressed in sportswear, his face full of expressions, unable to hide his feelings like a child. He sat on the doorstep, chatting innocently and naively with the girls, finding it hard to refuse their requests.

But when Martin discovers he's been deceived by the female lead, his expression is one of panic and grievance, with his slightly upturned eyes conveying a clear sense of heartbreak.

To better portray this character, he constantly tried various accents and actions, making the character appear both pretentious and quite childish.

(End of this chapter)