"Do you mean... I have to play ugly to show my acting skills?" Kate stared blankly at Adrian, as if not understanding what he meant. The two were sitting at a café near the Brandenburg Gate, having afternoon tea.
"Because you're beautiful, Kate. Sometimes people are more likely to notice your looks rather than your acting. They'll say you're a vase." Adrian spread his hands.
"And you? Do you think so too?" Kate bit her lip and asked, somewhat displeased.
"Of course not," Adrian laughed. "But generally speaking, that's what people think. It's become their consensus. It's unfair, but you have to accept it."
"So you arranged this role for me?" Kate couldn't help but sigh.
"Yes," Adrian looked at her carefully. "Of course, if you don't like it, I'll keep an eye out for other roles for you. The key is, what do you want, Kate? Do you want to gain recognition by honing your acting skills, or just enjoy the fun of acting? Even if you go to the California Institute of the Arts for systematic learning, you have to think about your path, whether you always want to be an actor or develop behind the scenes in the future."
Kate tilted her head and thought for a long time, finally shrugging. "Okay, I get it. No matter what, let's talk about it after I graduate this year and apply to the California Institute of the Arts."
Adrian couldn't help but burst into laughter, then waved his hand under Kate's intense gaze. "Let's talk about it later then. Today's rare good weather, why don't we take a good stroll around Berlin?"
Just as I said last year in Venice, all film festivals, in some aspect, can be considered festivals, and the Berlin Film Festival is no exception. Since it's a festival, there's surely plenty to see and do for fun. Just like in Venice, Adrian spent five days showing Kate around Berlin, leaving no visitor spots like the Alexanderplatz or Unter den Linden Boulevard unexplored. They even made a special trip to East Berlin to walk around the still-intact parts of the Berlin Wall. Aside from Germany's still cold February weather which required thick clothing, and the occasional Persian Gulf updates on TV, everything was quite good.
As for movie-related affairs, they naturally entrusted everything to Laverne. This time they participated in the name of a film company, allowing Adrian to be more relaxed than in Venice. Being a boss indeed has its perks.
As one of the 11 A-list film festivals certified by the International Association of Film Producers, and being the first held after the reunification of Germany, the Berlin Film Festival, though political, still attracted many filmmakers worldwide. Even if Adrian didn't know most people, there were always a few familiar faces.
"It's really... how should I put it... very terrifying, yet outstanding. I never thought her acting would be so... my god, that's Lachris!" Kate, arm in arm with Adrian, exited the theater and was saying something when she suddenly saw a woman surrounded by a crowd of reporters on the street, and couldn't help but exclaim.
"You should call her Ms. Judi Foster," Adrian couldn't help but shake his head. "Don't be so surprised, will you?"
But just as he finished speaking, Kate tightened her grip on his arm, pointing to another person being surrounded. "Oh my, Professor Hannibal!"
Finally hearing Adrian's words, she lowered her voice considerably.
"Do you need to go over and ask for an autograph?" Adrian asked jokingly.
"Um... no need." Kate finally came back to her senses and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Ed. It's just that I just watched the movie, it was too spectacular, one can't help but be a little..."
"I know, it's okay. It truly is a spectacular work. I dare say it will be one of the best works in the United States this year, maybe even winning the Oscar for Best Picture." Adrian made a dismissive gesture, then laughed as if recalling something. "However, Director Demi might get criticized by some feminists."
"Why?" Kate curiously asked, while another voice sounded at the same time, "Why?"
Adrian turned his head towards the voice. A middle-aged man with somewhat slender eyes and a beard stood diagonally behind him, looking at him with curiosity.
"May I ask who you are?" Adrian felt the man looked familiar but couldn't remember who he was for the moment.
"Jonathan Demme." The man smiled and introduced himself by name.
Adrian couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. "So, it's Director Demi. I'm sorry. I hope you don't think I was targeting you."
"No worries," the man said, with a smile and a wave of his hand. "You can call me Jonathan. I just want to know why you came to this conclusion—by the way, who are you?"
"Adrian Cowell," Adrian introduced. "This is my girlfriend, Kate Beckinsale."
"Adrian Cowell? That 'genius director'?!" Jonathan looked surprised, as if in disbelief.
"Seems like there's such a title... Oh right, which newspaper was it?" Adrian scratched his chin and looked at Kate.
Kate, even more affectionately clinging to his arm after hearing "my girlfriend," thought for a moment. "The Los Angeles Times!"
Even though it was tabloid reporters crowding around Adrian at the film festival screening of Memento, prying with questions, and those newspapers only focused on plot speculation and exaggerated interpretations of Dennis and others' responses the next day, it didn't mean there weren't other, more noted film critics watching at the time.
"This is not an ordinary work. There are many films told in reverse, but not many as innovative and thought-provoking as Memento. If you think this film, like Adrian's from a few months back, is filled with continuous 'violence' and black humor, you'll be dead wrong. Although 'violence' is abundant in Memento as well, believe me, it is nowhere near as much as in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Okay, just kidding, let's talk about Adrian's new movie. The basic plot is that the male protagonist suffers from a rare amnesia, only able to remember things for a few minutes, which leads to not knowing during a chase whether he's chasing someone or being chased. For him, life is fragmented, yet amidst this fragmentation, he always seeks revenge for his deceased wife.
It sounds like a cliché story, but Adrian told it in his own way. Two lines, one colored in reverse and one black-and-white in sequence, run simultaneously. At first, you might feel somewhat chaotic and confused, but as the story progresses, you find yourself unconsciously drawn in. I'm sorry, I can't reveal more of the plot. I can only say that if this story were told sequentially, it would be very mundane, but after Adrian edited it with his exceptional technique, it immediately becomes different, especially the climax reveal will astound many.
This is a very complex work requiring constant thought. If you want a mental storm, go watch it once it's released. Although I've never met director Adrian Cowell, the ability to produce these two similar, yet differently focused works in such a short period definitely qualifies as genius."
This is the film review by the renowned American critic Ronnie Gros, appearing in the entertainment section, second page of the Los Angeles Times, two days after Memento's release. Although the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Evening News differ only slightly, the former is one of America's three major papers, not comparable to the latter.
As early as last year's release of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Gros praised it as a good story, sparking some interest in Adrian. Thus, after attending the Berlin festival, he went to the premiere of Memento.
After Gros's review was published, journalists and critics from various countries also voiced their opinions. Although there were always a few negative reviews, the praises were more prevalent. Memento's innovative editing amazed audiences, and its storyline held a certain depth, naturally earning critics' favor.
Now Adrian was no longer the rookie director of a few months ago. The published reviews, too, weren't hidden in a corner like in Venice, thus drawing more attention, Jonathan Demme being among them.
"Yesterday, I happened to watch your Memento at the Rother Theater. Very exquisite, absolutely deserving of the genius title," Jonathan Demme expressed with a serious face.
"You're flattering me, Director Demi. Your Silence of the Lambs bests mine by far, gripping the novel's essence and adding numerous details the novel couldn't express. Coupled with Mr. Hopkins's and Ms. Foster's superb acting, I believe it's definitely one of the strongest contenders for this year's Oscar Best Picture!" Adrian complimented.
Jonathan laughed heartily, gaining more favor toward Adrian.
"Call me Jonathan, Adrian," Jonathan extended his hand for a shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise, Jonathan." Adrian smiled and nodded.
"Earlier, you mentioned this film might draw feminist criticism. May I know why?" Jonathan said, glancing around at the crowded people, then changing the subject. "How about we find a quieter place, Adrian? Our crew's having a little party at the Concorde Hotel. Would you and Ms. Beckinsale like to join?"
Adrian glanced at Kate beside him, then at Anthony Hopkins, Judi Foster, and others who were freed from the reporters and fans not far away.
"With pleasure," he said to Jonathan.