The Best Director

Chapter 513: Chapter 513: Them

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“Hahaha——”

The theater was packed, and bursts of laughter erupted as the audience watched the group of women make fools of themselves in the bridal shop on the big screen. They were laughing so hard their mouths were almost crooked, oh my!

It was already August, and the annual summer blockbuster season was now in its final stage. Previously, “My Big Fat Gay Wedding” had taken the North American weekly box office crown for the week of July 20-26, with a gross of $52.54 million becoming the weakest week of July; the weekly champion from July 27 to August 2, “The Simpsons Movie,” garnered $102 million, while “Assassin’s Creed 2,” released in the same period, also had an impressive opening of $67.32 million, along with an A- rating of 73%/75%/72%.

“It’s a fast-paced, snap-crackle pop thrill ride, tailor-made for summer audiences,” ——RottenTomatoes.COM. Russian director Timur Bekmambetov scored a fine Hollywood blockbuster debut, impressing with a style even more explosive, wild, and violent than John Woo’s. Considering its production budget of $115 million, Firefly Films seemed to be rolling out another successful sequel, with whispered rumors of “Assassin’s Creed 3” appearing not too far off.

Looking back at the entire summer’s offerings from Firefly Films, “Iron Man” and “I Am Legend” naturally dominated, and now, delivering the final blow, the R-rated comedy “Bridesmaids,” with a production budget of $25 million, was released!@@novelbin@@

“Hahaha!” The theater again erupted with laughter. The audience just couldn’t contain their amusement. Before going to the bridal shop, the group of women had eaten unclean food at a cheap diner, and now, as they tried on wedding gowns, their stomachs began to revolt. Only “Kathy,” who had found the place dirty and refused to eat, was unaffected, and “Annie,” who had arranged the itinerary and was used to the food, managed to hold it together while sweating buckets. The other three bridesmaids had monopolized the positions in the bridal shop’s restroom, and the bride “Lillian,” clad in her white dress, was so desperate that she rushed out of the store…

But before Lillian could find a portable toilet, she couldn’t help squatting down in the street, with Annie looking on with a shocked and embarrassed face, and Kathy gave her a silent look that clearly said, “Look at the mess you’ve made!”

“Haha…” Evelyn laughed until she was almost out of breath and kept patting Kelly on the shoulder. It was too funny! It really didn’t disappoint, fully living up to the hype created by the brilliant trailer. Just when she finally stopped laughing, she again felt sorry for Annie. Was this woman doomed to fail so badly that she might even lose her best friend? Indeed, after going through that humiliating ordeal, and then another… Lillian decided not to have Annie be her maid of honor anymore, and gave Kathy full control over the wedding events.

“Hey, no matter what happens in the future, no matter who you meet, when you get married, I’ll be your maid of honor!” Evelyn said seriously to Kelly, who nodded without hesitation, “It will be you.” Many such scenes played out among sisters and friends. Clair, too, addressed her long-time friends with a serious tone, “Sweethearts, even though I’m already married, in future weddings… I’ll still be the maid of honor!”

Undeniably, female viewers were more receptive to the emotions in “Bridesmaids,” the sisterly bonds formed from shopping and going to the bathroom together, the petty frugality of women, the complex feelings of blessing, envy, anxiety, and self-pity at a good sister’s wedding, and the jealousy and insecurity felt towards the happy, young, and beautiful woman Kathy… All these feelings that only women can truly empathize with, especially for those middle-aged single women. It was an outright comedy, yet as they watched and laughed, tears moistened their eyes…

“Hahaha!”, “Hehe!” But the roaring laughter was still the mainstay in the theater. Time flew by in such a light and enjoyable film-watching experience.

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As the conflict between Annie and Kathy erupted, Lillian wished she wouldn’t attend her own wedding, sending Annie into the lowest point of her life. Despite Kathy’s wedding being well planned and luxurious, the budget greatly exceeded what the bride’s family could afford. Right before the wedding, Lillian disappeared. Kathy, crying, sought Annie’s help and apologized for her divisive actions; Annie successfully persuaded Officer Rhodes to assist, found Lillian hiding in her apartment, and they collectively resolved the problem.

After a swift re-preparation, the wedding went smoothly, with Annie attending as the maid of honor, and the joyous scenes of everyone singing and dancing brought smiles to the faces of the audience. After the wedding, Officer Rhodes drove up in his police car to show goodwill, and Annie finally found her own happiness.

“Huff, huff, huff—” Amidst the applause and cheers from the audience, ‘Bridesmaids’ with its grand finale came to a close. “That was fantastic.” Almost all the viewers left the screening room with smiles; ‘Bridesmaids’ is definitely the most interesting and unique R-rated comedy in the years following ‘The Hangover.’ Although the lead actress, Kristen Wiig, was somewhat new on the big screen, and the cast list relied heavily on the few Wang Yangs, it seemed to lose its dark horse status, yet its performance still surprised everyone…

“There’s so much smart stuff in the movie, including the vitally important female friendship. It has so many outstanding actresses, who, aside from generating laughs, also have a lot of women’s conversations.”—4/5, Manohla Dargis, The New York Times; “This could be a turning point for feminism and comedy, acceptable to both male and female audiences.”—3.5/4, Mary F. Pols, TIME; “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord and Wang Yang’s production, Annie Fletcher’s direction of ‘Bridesmaids,’ we’ve been waiting for a film that feels like this.”—4/4, Dana Stevens, Slate;

“Wang Yang once redefined Hollywood’s male R-rated comedies; now he might have changed the way for female comedies.”—4/5, Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News; “Kristen Wiig shines after ‘SNL,’ dazzling on the silver screen, she is a natural comedy star; Jessica Alba had her best performance, matching her beauty when she returned to the big screen, worthy of her comedic talent.”—3.5/4, Claudia Puig, USA Today; “It unequivocally proves that women and men are the same when it comes to vulgarity, sexual desire, lust, vulnerability, alcohol abuse, and insecurity.”—3.5/4, Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times…

Out of 195 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes’ two freshness ratings are 95%, 98%! Bright red fresh tomatoes! Even more, a 92% audience approval rating! Flame Films achieved, for the third time this summer, the dream response from critics and viewers alike that distributors yearn for.

Men have ‘The Hangover,’ women have ‘Bridesmaids’! With such a positive response, especially in a comedy that’s funny or not, it certainly can’t do without the outstanding performances of the actors, and this time fans of the film are all tremendously pleased. Genius performances won waves of applause, Wiig transformed into Hollywood’s most dazzling comedy actress; Jessica Alba, reappearing on the screen after two years, was stunning—not just in looks but also her best performance to date; furthermore, Annie Darren also drew considerable attention and was rated by many as an “Oscar-level” supporting actress.

“This movie could be seen as ‘The Hangover’ for women, which might not be a fair comparison since they are so different in terms of gender. The equally unapologetic ‘Bridesmaids’ is absolutely hilarious, one of Wang Yang’s best comedies (each one is so good), with so much humor and fun, excellent performance vibrant and authentic, it is one of the best comedies of the year.” Cynthia S. gave it five stars; “What a lovely movie! Really love it! They really know how to package an old story from a unique angle and performance.” Hannah L. also gave it five stars;

“Hysterically funny, laughing out loud from start to finish.”—Victor R., four and a half stars; “Truly great film! Completely boisterous and excellent cast, too funny, I’m really grateful for such movies.”—Polina K., five stars; “Once again proves the historical truth that relatively speaking, women’s issues are just not funny… Mostly tedious stuff, one of Wang Yang’s worst films.”—Michael T., two stars;

“‘Bridesmaids’ has the perfect comedy formula: a side-splitting script, interesting cast and story, magic Yang.”—Tara M., five stars; “Love, love, love this movie! It makes the audience laugh and cry. Kristen Wiig, Jessica Alba… truly hilarious performances. I personally find it hard to watch any movie more than once, but I’m certain I will watch ‘Bridesmaids’ countless times.”—Laura D., five stars…

Clearly, female viewers are absolutely in love with ‘Bridesmaids,’ even anti-Jessica faction fans nodded in praise of Jessica’s performance. Amidst ceaseless praise, the new North American box office weekly charts were freshly released, and the media and public alike marveled, having known that Wang Yang’s meticulously prepared comeback for Jessica would not disappoint—indeed, it was a hugely successful “I’m back!”

Although ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ grabbed the top spot with an opening week box office of $98.67 million, one cannot ignore the fact that it’s a hotly anticipated sequel with a production cost of $110 million and perfect responses of 94%/98%/91%, achieving an average of $26,960 per theater across 3660 theaters is hardly surprising; ‘Bridesmaids,’ on the other hand, released in 3155 theaters with an average of $23,120 per theater, bagging $72.94 million in its opening week! It effortlessly recouped its production costs, marking yet another box office hit for FF Films.

As the week of August 10-16 came to a close, “Rush Hour 3,” with a production budget of $140 million, took the crown with $66.32 million; “Bridesmaids” held second place with a mere 36% drop in its box office trend, bringing in $45.95 million; and “The Bourne Ultimatum” fell to third place with $40.17 million…

With a whirlwind $118 million at the North American box office in just two weeks, and without an international release yet, the performance of “Bridesmaids” is dazzling, with the R-rated comedy trend unstoppable! On the historical box office rankings for wedding-themed films, it’s rapidly ascending and challenging titles like “Mamma Mia!”, “Wedding Crashers,” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”

“‘Bridesmaids’ is the kind of movie I’ve wanted to act in since I was little. I’ve always loved weddings, and I’ve always wanted to be the perfect bridesmaid for my friends, but I’m not in the film, which was a great trial. Actually, at the last wedding I attended, I almost tripped and fell, which was quite embarrassing,” Jessica said with a laugh in an exclusive interview with Variety when talking about her upcoming projects. When asked about her next work plans, she replied, “Haha! ‘Firefly 2’ is keeping me busy enough, and I need more time to take care of the kids and Yang, haha.”

When the reporter finally inquired about the highly anticipated new work by Wang Yang, which the whole world is watching, Jessica laughed and said, “I know he has several ideas, but I’m not too clear on his exact plans, really, he always likes to surprise people.” The reporter then asked, “So will you be acting in it?” Jessica responded, “I don’t think so, not this time.”

What the media and public didn’t know was that what Jessica actually looked forward to the most was the wrap-up of “Firefly 2” and then having her second baby, promptly going on a hiatus again. Of course, regarding the big success of “Bridesmaids” and the widespread praise for ‘Kathy,’ Jessica was thrilled and excited, shouting at Wang Yang, “I am Super Mom!”

Time flies, and as the weeks of August 17-23 and August 24-30 became the past, “Bridesmaids,” after four weeks of showing, had taken in $155 million at the North American box office. With this ferocious momentum, it seems aimed at surpassing $200 million in North America, not to mention the promising international market, which could potentially bring its global box office total to over $400 million.

September has arrived, and the 64th Venice International Film Festival opened on August 29 in the watery city of Venice, which has been sparkling with stars. On the afternoon of September 1st, local time, the festival welcomed “Star Wars Queen,” “Juno”… Natalie Portman, as well as the premiere of her directorial debut short film “Eve.”

This day marked the opening of the short film section at the festival, where “Eve” and 13 other shorts vied for the Short Film Award. In fact, the media and public usually show little enthusiasm for the short film section—with no Natalie, it would have been just another calm day. But this time, because of her presence and as it was the opening short, reporters and audiences queued up early to get in, filling all 450 seats of the cinema to capacity.

“Natalie!” “Miss Portman!” “Hey!”…

Wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt and jeans, the casual girl-next-door Natalie Portman walked into the screening hall escorted by bodyguards and assistants. She smiled and waved at the crowd calling her name. After she took her seat, the short film began promptly, and the auditorium quieted down.

The short film depicted a witty and humorous elderly grandma, her new boyfriend grandpa, and her young granddaughter dining out together. Through the eyes of the young granddaughter, it told the romantic tale of the two seniors. The 20 minutes passed quickly, and it was apparent that Natalie was a brilliant actress but not a brilliant director. Although the details in “Eve” were handled delicately, some technical aspects betrayed a lack of experience, such as several repeated continuity errors, where the audience could see the boom microphone.

“Damn.” When Natalie saw these continuity errors, she frowned tightly, realizing that she and the cinematography team had failed to notice these slip-ups on set, only discovering them during post-production. To reshoot would have delayed the schedule and incurred extra costs, while cleaning them up with CGI wasn’t feasible at this level, so they had to let the mistakes slide. But now, it seemed like the effects were really terrible. “Oh my God, so embarrassing, such basic mistakes!” she sighed internally, her mood sinking.

Under a somewhat tepid round of applause, “The Eve” finished showing, and immediately, more than a tenth of the audience left the theater, showing no interest in the short film that was to follow; after watching a few more shorts, Natalie also left hastily with her bodyguard and assistant under the dim lights.

She had no friends who came specially to support her, but Jessica sent her a congratulatory text on time, “Hi, ‘The Eve’ was quite well done! That thing could have been hidden a bit better, though. Keep it up!” Looking at her mobile screen, Natalie smiled and wondered how much further she needed to go to become an outstanding director. She then realized something, how did he know? Later, on the Venice dock, she was surprised to find someone smiling and waving at her, “Why are you here?”

“I’m here with the company to see if there are any treasures, and also to see your short film.” Wang Yang approached with a smile and shrugged, but Natalie seemed unimpressed and pursed her lips, “I’d rather you hadn’t seen it.” In front of a few bodyguards, Wang Yang thumped her on the shoulder hard, laughing, “Then I’ll leave. Keke is here too, and I need to take her to play in the water. Oh, how long have you been watching!” Natalie looked puzzled, “Why are you blaming me for this? You could have just texted me earlier, right?”

Wang Yang laughed and ran toward the dockside, jumped onto the speedboat, and shouted back, “Let’s talk more tomorrow, I have a plan I want to discuss with you.” Natalie smiled and nodded from the shore, “OK.”

The film critics’ response to “The Eve” was lukewarm, generally feeling that Natalie still lacked experience in directing. The next day at the press conference, the reporters didn’t give her a hard time, on the contrary, they were friendly and the atmosphere was harmonious, which was also because Natalie was very humble. She openly admitted that her 15 years of acting and working with great directors like George Lucas and Wang Yang had taught her a lot and made her want to create her own stories.

“I’ve been acting for 15 years, and I really wanted to try different roles in filmmaking, so this experience has been very exciting for me, but it also presented many difficulties that I hadn’t encountered or considered as an actor, which kept me on edge every day.”

Another reporter asked if she would consider quitting knowing how tough it was? Facing the media, Natalie shook her head without any hesitation and said, “No, I’ll continue. I want to make feature films. However, I’ll still focus mainly on acting in the future, you know… there are always some shots that fascinate me with the unique perspectives and wisdom hidden behind filmmakers, which I can’t do right now. It requires more preparation and learning, so I need to do more acting and contemplating! I will accumulate experience slowly in the process.”

The reporters nodded in agreement, silently praising her for her appropriate response, “Miss Portman, did John Woo give you any help with making ‘The Eve’?”

“Um, I asked him for some advice.” Natalie placed her hands on the table and leaned forward with a smile, saying, “He thought the story was good, and my other friends thought the same, so I decided to go ahead and shoot it.”

“When will you work with John Woo again? Do you have any plans?” Another reporter asked. Hearing this question, Natalie stroked her regrown hair, pretending to complain, “Anywhere, anytime, and at any press conference, he becomes the topic, OK.” The reporters below burst into laughter, and Natalie chuckled a few times before answering, “I think there will be an opportunity, but it might take some waiting.”

On September 8th, the 64th Venice Film Festival drew to a gradual close. Firefly Films purchased some assets to expand its film library but didn’t find any treasures it planned to distribute on a large scale. (