Arguments like these were hard to settle, and everyone believed their own principles were the most correct.
What pleased Laila was that, in this lifetime, after "Chicago" won Best Picture, it wasn't criticized as the "worst Best Picture in Oscar history." Most people agreed with its victory, and of course, this was also related to the fact that Laila's version of the film was superior to the original.
Firstly, the quality of the actors surpassed the original version, as evidenced by winning all three acting awards. Additionally, awakened choreographer Marshall unleashed his creativity, finding a way to integrate dance into the soul and express it through the film.
Moreover, there was costume designer Janet, who designed costumes specifically for the film's plot, and the more exquisite and magnificent background props created without budget constraints. Every frame of this film was meticulously crafted. In this situation, a film full of sincerity could not fail to surpass the previous version and gain people's love.
Under the Moran Media umbrella, various media outlets took this opportunity to shower Laila with praise, almost proclaiming her as the best in the world. Terms like genius and master were no longer sufficient to describe her talent. Louise's words during the acceptance speech, "Those Favored by God," became her new nickname.
However, as more and more people expressed satisfaction with "Chicago," some became displeased.
"Is this what you call a good result?" Faaris glared at Cooper across from him, his face turning dark. He wished he could draw a knife and stab Cooper in the chest, letting him understand the terror of being fooled.
Cooper remained unruffled. "Mr. Faaris, isn't this a good result? She received many awards, but didn't you notice she didn't get the award she wanted the most?"
Faaris sneered, "What's the use of just a Best Director award? Her film has already won so much; she won't care about just another trophy!"
Cooper shook his finger, smiling, "You're mistaken. Let me tell you, any director, as long as they are director, wants the Oscar for Best Director. You can ask any director, to see if they want that award. I think, even if you ask everyone in Hollywood, you won't find a director uninterested in that trophy."
"Is that so?" Faaris looked at him skeptically, beginning to ponder the truth of his words.
Cooper nodded with a smile, "Of course! The Best Director Oscar is like a gold medal at the Olympics for directors; it's the best certification of their directing abilities! For a film like 'Chicago,' it might take many years for such a film to appear again, and even the most talented director can't keep producing films at that level continuously. This was her best chance to win the Best Director, but she missed it. Don't you think this is evidence that even God is on our side?"
Faaris, lacking deep knowledge of films, found Cooper's words convincing. Even the best directors couldn't keep making groundbreaking films repeatedly. Looking at the history of the Oscars, which director could consistently produce such extraordinary works?
Not to mention consistently winning, how many people could achieve such results?
"Chicago" has won so many awards this time, which shows that Laila has indeed put a lot of effort into this film, and this is indeed her closest chance to winning the best director statuette.
Since she didn't get it this time, who can guarantee that she can make movies of the same level again in the future?
"Your point is valid," Faaris finally agreed with his perspective, his expression much more relaxed than in the beginning. However, he still had some grievances, such as...
"Even if that's the case, her not winning Best Director has nothing to do with us. The film that took away the trophy wasn't our investment!"
They initially wanted to invest in promising films to compete with Laila for the trophy. However, the outcome was that someone completely unrelated took it away. What use was their investment in those films? Wasn't it equivalent to wasting their money?
Cooper had anticipated that he would have such concerns and had prepared an answer long ago.
"Mr. Faaris, it's not strange for you to think this way. But I must say, the five films nominated for Best Director this time included two that we invested in! Without your investment, these two wouldn't have made it onto the nomination list. Their presence gave the Oscars judges more choices, and the votes that would have gone to Moran were split between these two films. Isn't this the result of our investment?"
Faaris was no fool. His ability to gain the trust of the boss and conduct significant transactions indicated his extraordinary intelligence. Therefore, he was well aware that Cooper was subtly diverting the concept.
Yes, those two films did snatch votes from Laila, but even if other films had replaced them, the result would have been the same.
"Do I look so foolish to you? Even if other films took their places, they would still take away votes from Laila, right?"
Cooper wasn't surprised that his little trick was exposed, but he had already prepared for it. "That's not necessarily true. Look at the achievements of the films we invested in at the awards. Do you think other films could have the strength to snatch votes from Laila?"
Faaris, caught off guard by this aspect, was convinced. He didn't realize that Cooper's words were actually a discreet form of flattery. At the same time, it highlighted his importance in Faaris's mind.
It was their keen eyes that invested in those two films, allowing them to fortuitously appear at the Oscars, giving them the chance to compete with Laila on the same stage.
Cooper continued, "Moreover, Mr. Faaris, I believe you've overlooked something very important."
Faaris raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"
"It's the fruits of your investments!" Cooper smiled slightly. "Haven't you noticed that all the films you invested in have made a profit?"
Faaris was momentarily stunned, finally recalling that such a thing did happen. Mainly, he had been concerned with whether he could defeat Laila and had paid little attention to how much profit those films would bring him. Cooper's reminder made him recall that he had indeed received reports of profits, but the amounts were so small that he had disregarded them.
As the saying goes, even a mosquito is meat!
Though the money earned seemed trivial to him, it was still the first profit he had made since coming to Hollywood several years ago! Making a profit from a single film wasn't a big deal, but what was noteworthy was that all the films he invested in at this time had made money!