"You mean..."
Renly looked at Jennifer, whose eyes were growing brighter by the moment. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Even though she hadn't said anything, the gleam in her eyes resonated with Renly's intentions. He nodded, affirming, "Yes, why can't we detach the dialogue?"
Drake hadn't even switched gears and was directly caught off guard. He choked on his breath, coughed, and was left speechless. "Cough, cough." He was choked by his own breath. "Are you saying that this segment has no dialogue at all? Is this going to be a silent film?" It was incredibly bold and ludicrous.
"Of course not," Renly chuckled softly. "I mean, we'll change the approach. One person speaks, and the other listens." Renly organized her thoughts, "For example, when Jacob is talking, Anna stands by, quietly watching, fully absorbed in listening. The reverse would also apply. This way, we can reduce the frequency of dialogue and shift the focus of the script from the "Before Sunrise"-style chatter to the fusion of atmosphere between the two."
Drake fell into contemplation, earnestly considering the feasibility of this approach.
Jennifer nodded in agreement. She had just spoken when she realized she might have been too loud. She bit her lip, stifled her words, adjusted herself, and then continued, "Originally, "Like Crazy" is different from "Before Sunrise". I feel this film might be more akin to "Blue Valentine", entirely a form of communication through gazes and emotions."
"Have you seen "Blue Valentine"?" Renly looked surprised. The film had only been screened in Toronto and Telluride so far, and Renly had been to both places, yet he hadn't encountered Jennifer.
"I watched it in New York," Jennifer understood Renly's implied meaning right away. After all, there had been quite a bit of news about "Buried" in the past half month. "The film has had a preview in New York. It's going to be featured at the New York Film Festival next week."
Renly suddenly realized the implication behind Jennifer's words. Ignored on the sidelines, Drake remained oblivious. After processing it, he directly spoke up, "Are you suggesting that we abandon those nostalgic homages, unify the film's style, and subtly hide emotional nuances within the performances?"
The reason Drake couldn't let go of "Before Sunrise" was that he wanted to pay tribute to it and express his affection for the film. However, the script for "Like Crazy" as a whole wasn't suited for homage. By removing this aspect, the film could actually become more complete.
Moreover, the reason Drake had been dragging his feet until now was to find suitable actors. Their understanding of the characters and their interpretations of the performances should support the underlying ideas of the entire film. Both Felicity and Renly were results of his arduous search. He had no reason not to believe in them.
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean." The conversation flowed seamlessly from Drake to Jennifer, then back to Drake. The topic transition was so smooth, without any sense of discord. Jennifer, who was standing nearby, lowered her head and chuckled softly. Renly continued, "Additionally, we could make a slight modification. Instead of Anna and Jacob returning to the apartment after dinner, it could be later, say... around eleven o'clock. Anna's roommate would already be asleep, so they would have to be extra cautious, lowering their voices."
"Clap!" Drake clapped his hands forcefully, excitement evident on his face. But before he could say anything, he managed to hurt himself with the clap, wincing as he said, "Great! This idea is fantastic!"
If it was late at night, they were supposed to keep their voices down, and their interaction wouldn't be an elaborate conversation. Different from those first dates that ended with sex, they hadn't rushed into the bed. Instead, the exchange of thoughts between them had turned them into soulmates, igniting a later love that was even more passionate and intense.
Drake's entire plan connected seamlessly, and he couldn't contain his excitement. He paced back and forth, muttering vague words under his breath. Jennifer glanced at Renly, lifting her chin to indicate to Drake, and whispered, "Did you break his spring?" as if Drake were a broken toy.
Renly pursed his lips and shrugged. "Should we give him a little pat? Usually, a little pat fixes things."
Drake, the butt of their jokes, still remained oblivious. After circling around several times, he suddenly halted his steps. "But... Ben isn't here. What about the lines?"
Ben York Jones, Drake's friend and the co-writer of "Like Crazy". Typically, a film's script is collaboratively written by several writers, with one focusing on the story outline, another on the dialogue, and yet another on revising character relationships and details.
"Like Crazy" was no exception. Drake and Ben collaborated, with Drake handling the story synopsis and Ben filling in the dialogue.
Renly spread his hands, powerless in the face of this problem. Drake thought it over seriously, hesitated, and said, "Renly, how about this? You and Felicity... Oh? Felicity, Felicity?" Drake called out for Felicity.
Felicity, who had been examining the decor in Anna's room and searching for a resonance with herself and the environment, hurriedly came out upon hearing the call. "What's going on?"
"Both of you should study the script's lines well, then based on your understanding, let's discard the script. We'll shoot this scene entirely according to your ideas, and you have the freedom to improvise," Drake's words were disjointed, leaving Felicity puzzled. He didn't explain further but strode towards the room, starting to organize the shooting arrangements for a while.
Felicity looked at Renly with a face full of question marks. Renly then summarized the concerns and solution, and Felicity bit her lip lightly, pondering before nodding, "Alright, shall we read the script a couple of times first? What do you think?"
Her tone was clear and gentle, yet subtly resolute. In just a few seconds, she not only grasped the whole situation but also reached an understanding and made a decision. This tiny detail revealed that Felicity had her own unique understanding of acting.
"Of course," Renly nodded, then stood beside Felicity, attempting to stay out of the way and leaving space for them. They began reading the script in low voices.
The original script had a significant amount of dialogue, almost four pages of content. The two characters exchanged thoughts on art, film, music, as well as their opinions on fashion and societal issues. Finally, they delved into discussing Nietzsche. The exchange of information, back and forth, subtly showcased a glimpse of their worldviews. For actors constructing their roles, this was undeniably crucial.
Now, even though they were discarding these lines, the value of these lines to Felicity and Renly was immeasurable.
"So, have you ever confessed to a boy first?" Renly set down the script, smiling at Felicity.
Felicity still held the script in her hands. Her eyes peeked out from behind it, and after a moment of hesitation, a smile bloomed on her face. "Actually, yes, I have confessed first before. But the other person thought I was crazy."
This instantly reminded Renly of the details in the script of "Like Crazy". In Anna's letter to Jacob, she had added a note at the end, "I'm not crazy." So, Felicity's seemingly true yet uncertain words were truly puzzling. Were they from Felicity's own experiences, or were they Anna's?
"What about you? I believe you should be quite familiar with it, right? Has a girl ever confessed to you?" Felicity's teeth gently nibbled at the inner side of her lower lip, her soft lips adorned with a faint shade of pink, while a glint of mischief flickered in her eyes. Unlike Jennifer, who was bold and attentive, Felicity resembled a Persian cat—lazy yet harboring a playful nature beneath.
Renly's lips quirked slightly. "I don't know, has direct bold confession become popular at Oxford now?"
Such an unexpected response, yet Felicity didn't refute it. Instead, she displayed a surprised expression. Her big, watery eyes widened, unable to conceal her astonishment. "How do you know I graduated from Oxford University? Are you one too?"
Renly could discern so much information from Felicity's accent alone. He knew not only that she had graduated from Oxford, but also that she was of non-aristocratic background, having relied on her own efforts to get into Oxford. In the UK, the aristocracy could determine a person's social status and even the region of London they hailed from, solely based on their accent—this wasn't a joke.
A faint smile curved on Renly's lips, and he didn't respond to Felicity's question. Instead, he continued, "What I'm even more curious about is, why would an Oxford graduate become an actress?" Generally, Oxford graduates pursued careers in politics or business, while Cambridge graduates were more likely to engage in arts, literature, and research.
"Kate Beckinsale is an alumna of mine." At this moment, Felicity finally revealed her edge. Her retorts and confrontations were agile and uncompromising. Throughout the day, she had appeared modest and reserved, seemingly concealing her personality tightly until now.
Renly's smile became even more radiant. "Are you saying Kate Beckinsale is your acting template?"
Kate was also an Oxford graduate, a dazzling figure on Hollywood's stage, representing the English rose. She was also a typical example of a vase—despite starring in the "Underworld" series and transforming into an action actress, her appearance still remained the focus of attention.
Felicity found herself slightly caught off guard. Of course, she didn't want to become a mere decorative element. She shifted her gaze and continued, "Are you suggesting that you don't like Kate?" As she spoke, she subtly sized up Renly, obviously questioning his "manly" identity.
A faint lift of Renly's eyebrow, a quasi-smile hung at the corner of his lips. His gaze remained fixed on Felicity, his eyes seeming to communicate: I prefer your type more.
Initially, Felicity met Renly's gaze head-on, but gradually, under the burning intensity of his stare, she conceded defeat. Blushing, two petals of red bloomed on her cheeks, and her heart within her chest began to pound fiercely.