King of Hollywood

Chapter 122: Chapter 122: At the Banquet

Cannes, like other European film festivals, lasted only two weeks, so it was almost over in the blink of an eye. As one of the most renowned film festivals in the world, Cannes drew countless directors and actors from all over the globe to compete, as well as the attention of countless media outlets. During the festival, many critically acclaimed films were screened, but the one that stole the show was “Pulp Fiction.”

Since its premiere at the Kapa Theatre on May 16th, the movie had filled every seat for every showing, thanks to the unanimous praise from the majority of media. Many people wanted to see for themselves what made “Pulp Fiction” noteworthy. Some tabloid reporters from the United States even made a special trip to Cannes after reading the reports, hoping to dig up some news from the genius director’s fifth work, as the comparative evaluations of his “frozen” fourth film and the well-received fifth were already common knowledge.

Although there were some who thought the film had been overhyped after watching it, a Spanish journalist wrote in his article, “The plot is too scattered, filled with trivial details, and yet it’s divided into three, even four segments, each one interrupting just as the audience feels they are getting into the story, which is truly unbearable. Although the ring structure connecting the beginning and end is refreshing, the opening ramblings are incredibly dull, leaving one completely clueless as to what the director is trying to convey.”

However, such views were in the minority; the vast majority gave high praise, just as Adrian had predicted. All kinds of interpretations sprang up like bamboo shoots after rain—the analysis of postmodernism, the enlightenment from Jules reciting the Bible, the encounter of boss Masha illustrating the fickleness of the world, and on and on. It’s funny, really. God knows, it’s just a fun, interesting, slightly quirky, and ingenious movie.

Compared to these interpretations, Americans were a bit more pragmatic, not delving into such profound angles for analysis, but instead pointing out various tributes and retrospectives concerning film and music history—of course, not without satirizing Adrian’s fourth arthouse film, which he kept details close to his chest.

Adrian didn’t take it to heart but just reminded Laverne to be cautious when remotely manipulating PR: “It’s okay, just be careful not to go overboard. If needed, we can also release some tidbits about the next film to shift the media’s attention, but it’s best to wait until after the festival when ‘Pulp Fiction’ starts a full release.”

Given the current situation, the film’s box office success was a sure thing. Although released two years early, the audience wouldn’t reject such an entertaining and intriguing film, so the only goal now was the Palme d’Or. Even though the PR work had been left to Laverne, as the director and producer, Adrian also had to attend some parties and receptions—after all, this was Europe.

But Adrian gladly went to every event. Most of his time in Cannes was spent relaxing—aside from a few public appearances during the premiere of “Pulp Fiction,” he spent most other times touring around with Monica. So attending receptions and networking was no big deal.

“How have you been lately, Dan? Has the beauty of Cannes been refreshing? Have any of the pretty girls by the beach approached you?” Adrian teased Dennis after exchanging pleasantries at a party.

“It’s indeed a beautiful place, and I really like it. As for those girls, I’m not looking to stir up trouble here; who knows what they’re thinking,” Dennis shook his head.

Adrian chuckled and then asked, “Then why didn’t you invite your Winona to join you? This could be a great opportunity to deepen your relationship.”

Dennis looked up at him, then shrugged somewhat helplessly, “I did invite her, but she declined.”

“So, she does have some sense, but why can’t she make a decision already?” Adrian sighed. “Sooner or later, the reporters will find out, and it’s hard to say how things will develop then.”

“It’s okay, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I can’t make it too hard for her,” Dennis was quite relaxed about it.

“Ah, disappointing, Dan. You know…” Adrian was about to give him a piece of advice, but Dennis changed the subject, “By the way, why isn’t Monica accompanying you?”

“Um… she’s feeling a bit unwell, so she’s resting at the hotel,” Adrian said, keeping his composure.

In reality, Monica’s absence from the party was because… simply put, she had no experience the other night, so Adrian had been very careful, naturally not fully enjoying himself. But last night, considering that Monica was now experienced, Adrian simply went for it again; this time, he was fully satisfied, but it might have been too much, leaving Monica bedridden all day, and obviously unable to attend the party.

Dennis, who was very familiar with Adrian, could guess what had happened—of course, he couldn’t guess the latter part of the reason. But he could only express regret and then kept silent.

Adrian didn’t continue the topic and started talking about something else, “Even though your acting has always been outstanding, I don’t think you should try switching roles for now. If you can handle it well, your range of roles will be wider. But don’t put too much pressure on yourself, if you fail, you can always go back to those slightly villainous roles.”

“No problem, whatever you say, I’ll do,” Dennis had no objections whatsoever.

“Good, you can rest a bit more after the festival, I’ll let you know when I have everything planned,” Adrian nodded, looked around, and pointed somewhere not too far away, “Let’s go over there and have a look, Bruce and John and others are there.”

They soon walked over to where Travolta, Willis, and Willis’s wife, Demi Moore, stood up, seemingly engaged in a conversation with bright smiles, as if they were having a great time. It looked like there were others nearby too.

“Hey, everyone, what are you talking about?” Adrian called out from a few steps away.

“Ha, we were just talking about you, Ed,” Willis was the first to wave a greeting.

“Talking about me?” Adrian greeted Travolta and Demi Moore with a nod while showing interest in Willis’s words. “So, are you discussing my hubris in wanting to shoot art films or my workaholic tendencies of shooting movies back-to-back?”

“Both, actually. Those are two of your most prominent characteristics right now, Ed,” Willis laughed heartily, then began to introduce the couple standing beside him. “By the way, I think you should be familiar with these two, right?”

Upon a clearer view of the couple, Adrian raised his eyebrows discreetly.

“Certainly not unfamiliar. I’ve long admired your reputation.” Adrian extended his hand to the man first. “I’m very pleased to meet you here, Mr. Tom Cruise.”

“You can call me Tom or Tommy, Adrian. I’m also glad to meet you,” Tom Cruise said with a smile. Despite his youth, his sunlit smile was captivating, no wonder the Oscars took no notice of him.

“Thank you. Please call me Ed.” Adrian nodded, then turned to the woman standing at least half a head taller than him: “And you, Nicole—”

“Nicole Kidman. You can call me Nicole, Mr. Adrian.” With the same smile as her husband, Nicole, her golden-red curls cascading down, eagerly spoke first. She wore a black dress with thin straps, a slit almost halfway up her thigh, and black sheer stockings that added a touch of sexiness, a pity her shoes were flat.

“Alright, Nicole.” Adrian kept his smile, while slyly glancing at Cruise to see if his wife’s words had altered his expression. His actual thoughts remained a mystery.

“I really hope Bruce didn’t say anything nonsensical just now. I wouldn’t want to leave you with a bad impression,” Adrian joked.

“That doesn’t sound too nice, Ed. Am I that kind of person?” Willis immediately showed displeasure.

“You may not be that person, but everyone can misspeak at times, right?” Adrian spread his hands with a ‘just admit it’ expression that made both ladies chuckle.

“If you put it that way, Ed, John could also misspeak, but why pick on Bruce?” Demi naturally defended her husband right away.

“That’s because it hasn’t been his turn yet. We all know Bruce is always very enthusiastic, so the chances of him misspeaking are higher than John’s,” Adrian said, glancing toward Travolta. “John, your turn will come soon. Don’t worry.”

“Wow, that’s really unfortunate,” Travolta sighed, “to encounter a guy like you.”

“Actually, Bruce and the others didn’t say anything… unpleasant,” Cruise, still smiling and shaking his head, joined the conversation. “At my request, they just gave an objective recount of various amusing stories about you. Frankly, even though I’ve heard a lot of rumors about you before, meeting you in person still comes as a surprise.”

“Really? Do I seem a bit too carefree to be a director?” Adrian joked.

“Of course not,” Cruise gestured dismissively. “One would expect a director, renowned as both a workaholic and a genius, to be unkempt, unconcerned about details, and somewhat unprepossessing. But you, Ed, appear quite the opposite. You’re very genteel, even when joking, and you’re skilled at creating a pleasant atmosphere. Hmm… not bad.”

Although the words were filled with praise, Adrian couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows a bit—he detected the well-hidden skepticism and slight disdain.

“Thank you, Tommy. You’re just as I imagined, proving those tabloid journalists to be completely unreliable.” Adrian still kept his smile, and his tone was filled with sincerity. (To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com. More chapters are available, support the authors, support genuine reading!)