The air was filled with an indescribable tension. Gavin had finally dug up a major news story, yet he found himself becoming nervous, his palms starting to sweat again.
Objectively speaking, Renly hadn't directly expressed his opinion about James, let alone criticized him. He had merely mentioned Danny Boyle's contribution. Compared to James, Danny was an Oscar-winning director with a reputation, and "127 Hours" was no exception. So, Renly's words weren't problematic.
But the art of conversation was clearly not that simple.
Renly seemed oblivious to the undercurrents of tension between Gavin and Andy and continued, "Of course, a movie is a collective effort, from the director to the actors, the script, the lighting, music, post-production, and more. Everyone works together to create a film. Under the joint efforts of James, Danny, and others, "127 Hours" is indeed a commendable work. Overall, it's better than "Buried"."
Gavin felt that there were too many explosive points. He was having trouble processing it all. In Renly's brief statement, it seemed like he had simultaneously implicated Rodrigo and James. Even more bewilderingly, "Buried" was caught up in the mix as well. The harvest was overwhelming, leaving Gavin flustered. "So, are you saying that you prefer "127 Hours" over "Buried"? Is there a conflict between you and the director?"
"Haha," Renly found this statement amusing, "No, I still prefer "Buried". I just believe that, objectively speaking, "127 Hours" is a more complete and mature work. While shooting "Buried", Rodrigo and I were constantly learning and experimenting. The framework of our script was narrower, and the room for interpretation was more limited. So, I had more room for expression. For me, that's certainly a good thing. The process of filming "Buried" is unforgettable. However, for the work as a whole, it is indeed a minor regret."
"... " This was Gavin's only response. Andy, who stood beside him, felt a slight sense of relief. True to form, Renly maintained his usual objectivity and seriousness when discussing professional matters. He neither exaggerated nor belittled excessively, just stated the facts. Luckily, he hadn't been interrupted midway; otherwise, Renly's recent statements would have sounded strange.
Nevertheless, Renly's straightforward way of speaking might offend quite a few people in Hollywood. For example, James Franco. Even though everyone knew Renly was speaking the truth, the person in question might still feel uncomfortable. Besides, who really wanted to hear the truth?
With so many explosive points, Gavin wasn't sure where to begin. In the end, he chose the most direct and effective approach, "So, in your opinion, between you and James, who has a better chance of getting an Oscar nomination?"
Amusement gleamed in Renly's eyes, and his lips curved upward involuntarily. "If it were you, who would you vote for?" Renly countered, not waiting for Gavin's response before continuing, "It's only September now. I don't think the Oscars are a topic we need to discuss. The Toronto Film Festival's organizers probably wouldn't appreciate our current topic."
Gavin burst into laughter. "No, quite the opposite. I believe they'd be pleased to see such topics being brought up." He cast a sidelong glance at his wristwatch. Time was passing quickly. Due to his slight delay and disrupted plans, he hadn't been able to cover many hot topics yet, such as Renly's two recent singles or interesting incidents during the filming of "The Pacific". But this was his first exclusive interview; he couldn't be too greedy.
"One final question," Gavin hurriedly said, "Do you currently have any plans for your next project? After "The Pacific" and "Buried", your two previous works have been quite unique. This has sparked more interest in your future plans. There have been rumors that superhero movies have begun approaching you. Is that true?"
Renly pursed his lips, a meaningful smile playing on his face, leading Gavin to believe he had guessed correctly. However, to his surprise, Renly gave an unexpected response, "Is this how news is spread now? Through third parties informing the parties involved that something has happened?" Gavin was momentarily taken aback, and Renly continued, "If you have the accurate information, feel free to come and tell me right away."
Gavin was amused by Renly's relaxed and teasing tone. Before he could respond, the room's door was knocked on once again. Andy went to answer it, leaving Gavin to quickly gather his belongings. The open briefcase seemed unchanged from half an hour ago, making time's passage imperceptible.
Stuffing his belongings into the briefcase, Gavin lifted his head to see Renly standing up. Renly extended his right hand, and Gavin promptly shook it, saying, "It was a delightful interview today. Thank you."
"The pleasure is mine." Renly seemed to revert to the polite and gentlemanly impression, playfully adding, "I hope we'll have another chance for an interview in the future."
If Renly was like a shooting star, then naturally there wouldn't be another opportunity for an interview. Renly's words were clearly a playful jest, and Gavin responded with a wide smile. "By the way, you—this is my choice." The question of who should be nominated for the Oscar, James or Renly, this was his answer. With that, Gavin started to walk, turning to leave. Coming into view was Bradley Adams, a reporter from The New York Times.
Bradley greeted Gavin with a big smile, his eyes gleaming with a sense of camaraderie. Gavin didn't quite understand, but he politely nodded and left the hotel room.
To Bradley's surprise, it turned out that someone else shared his optimism about Renly's prospects. He had scheduled an interview with Renly before the premiere of "Buried", but he had been slightly slower than Gavin. With the backing of Us Weekly, the name "Renly Hall" would soon become known throughout the United States. Regardless of whether people cared about him, at least there would be a significant breakthrough in name recognition. It seemed that competition would become even more intense in the future.
Returning to his thoughts, Bradley quickened his pace and approached Renly, extending his hand for a handshake and introducing himself. Unexpectedly, Renly smiled and said, "I know you. We met on the Emmy Awards red carpet. It was our second encounter, right?"
Now it was Bradley's turn to be surprised, momentarily struggling to process this. There were indeed too many Hollywood reporters, numbering in the tens of thousands, with top-tier journalists being rare. So, generally, for an actor to remember a reporter's face was incredibly difficult. But Renly remained quite composed. If Bradley were to spend some time mingling in the upper echelons of British aristocracy, he would realize that this wasn't anything special at all. A surname often represented a family of hundreds, sometimes even the hereditary staff, servants, priests, and more had to remember names and faces.
"I actually don't know which media you're a reporter for." Renly's words brought Bradley back to his senses. Confidently and calmly, Bradley replied, "The New York Times."
Gavin shut the hotel room door with a casual movement, then saw everyone's eyes turn their attention to him, the jumbled gazes almost devouring him alive.
Every journalist knew that in the special setting of a film festival, whether it was a regular interview or an exclusive one, being ahead in line was advantageous. The reason was simple: an actor or a film crew might have to face dozens of media outlets bombarding them all day long, and the questions from various outlets were more or less the same. Even if the questions were different, the answers might be quite similar. Even a joke, if repeated thirty times in a single day, could become unfunny.
Interviewing actors when their spirits were high and emotions were positive often yielded unexpected rewards. However, as the session progressed, especially towards the end, actors might become dismissive and their responses increasingly terse and simple.
Now, the golden opportunity of the day had fallen into Gavin's hands. Who knew how much valuable material was hidden within his recording device?
Cornell McGregor jogged over, reaching out and gripping Gavin's shoulder. "Bro, you managed to pull off this big thing behind the scenes without even giving a hint? My God! You truly outdid yourself!"
Gavin had initially wanted to refute, as it was Cornell who had abandoned this lead when they had initially spotted Renly. However, in a moment of realization, Gavin suddenly saw an opportunity. Without resisting Cornell's tug, he left the hallway, walking into the safety of the staircase where the sharp and heated glances couldn't reach them.
"Hey, how was it? Did you get anything today? Share some with me quickly. I'm not asking for exclusives, just some juicy tidbits." Cornell whispered, his voice low. "Our chief editor is getting impatient. He's saying James Franco's side was easy to get, but Renly's side is lagging behind. We can't fall behind."
After all, many media outlets would complete their interviews today, and exclusives were probably out of the question. The general news would do just fine. Moreover, Gavin was the first to interview, so there was bound to be more juicy material.
Gavin didn't flatly refuse. He and Cornell were college classmates, having known each other for years. After graduation, one went to Us Weekly, and the other went to Entertainment Weekly. They had competed and collaborated, their relationship far from ordinary. So, he didn't beat around the bush. "Weren't you following Natalie's line? Tell me, what did you discover?"
Cornell was taken aback. Gavin was actually willing to exchange Natalie's news for Renly's news? This wasn't a fair exchange! But Gavin wouldn't make a losing deal. So, it meant that Natalie's news hid some angle he wasn't aware of. In a moment of rapid thought, Cornell made his judgment. "There hasn't been much news these past two days. Natalie has been with the crew all the time. And their PR team invited all the extras and stand-ins to a party. Besides that, Natalie has stayed home the whole time."
Gavin pondered for a moment, recalling Renly's words from earlier. A bold idea suddenly sprang to mind. "Was Benjamin present when Natalie was with the crew?"
"Naturally, of course he was. Benjamin is the chief choreographer." Cornell said matter-of-factly. Then he noticed Gavin's meaningful expression, hesitated for a moment, and said incredulously, "No... that can't be, right?"
"Why not?" Gavin's counterargument left Cornell speechless. "The question now is, why is Natalie willing to spread rumors with Renly, yet she's unwilling to come out in the open?"