Before entering the hotel, Laila and Roy were surrounded by a group of reporters.
"Director Moran, what are your thoughts on the nomination of 'The Lord of the Rings' this time?"
"Do you think the Golden Globe Awards are unfair?"
"With 'Brokeback Mountain' receiving the most nominations, can you comment on that?"
"What's going on?" Roy helped Laila fend off the microphones that were almost reaching her face and asked in a puzzled, low voice.
Laila pinched his hand to indicate she would explain later, then turned to the reporters, smiling, "Ang Lee's 'Brokeback Mountain' is a great film, deserving of those nominations. As for why 'The Lord of the Rings' didn't get any, I think it's probably because of the strong competition this time."
After saying that, she nodded to the reporters and ignored the waves of questions, pulling Roy into the hotel.
"This time, my 'The Lord of the Rings' only received four nominations, while 'Brokeback Mountain' got seven. There are rumors outside that we're being discriminated against by the Golden Globe Awards. You also know, that many people are aware of the characteristics of those judges and critics. As long as a film has high box office numbers, it's considered a commercial film without substance."
As they walked into the hotel, she explained to Roy. He had been on the set all this time, so it wasn't surprising that he wasn't too familiar with these situations.
"Why is it assumed that a film with high box office numbers lacks substance? Didn't 'Titanic' gross $1.8 billion globally, and then sweep all the awards?" Laila shook her head with a smile. "Not every film is 'Titanic.' When I have a film that can gross $1.8 billion, I might sweep the awards too."
When James Cameron's "Titanic" received 14 Oscar nominations, winning 11, it equaled the all-time record set by "Ben-Hur," shocking many.
Was the film really that good? She didn't think so. Yes, the film was exquisite, and moving, and the special effects were impeccable. But compared to many previous sweepers, it lacked a bit of the "substance" that critics often liked to talk about.
What did "Titanic" teach us? Wasn't that the kind of thing those judges liked to measure with their own standards? They wanted to see something more profound, not just a bunch of money-made scenes. But when faced with "Titanic," they apparently threw that rule aside.
With so many people watching the movie globally, creating so much box office revenue, it became not just a movie but a phenomenon, a terrible hurricane. Anyone who tried to resist this trend would ultimately be blown away without a trace.
One can imagine what would happen if someone stood up and criticized its shortcomings when everyone in the world said they liked it. They wouldn't think he was innovative or had his own ideas; they would think he was playing to the gallery, joking, or just plain crazy.
Judges are also human, even more protective of their reputation than ordinary people, which is why they let "Titanic" sweep the Oscars.
So Laila believed that one day if she also made a film that could sweep the globe and become the top-grossing film in history, she would definitely win awards at the Oscars. But if she wanted to, she could skip the hassle and just take the films that would win awards in the future, polish them with her touch, and with the Morans' media promotion, the competitiveness for awards would surely be much higher than the original.
"This time, 'The Lord of the Rings' is very good, with both word of mouth and good reviews. I think your chances of winning an award are great!" Roy knew what she wanted, and although she always said those arrogant judges would never award her, he still felt that the other nominated films couldn't compare to her.
Laila shook her head with a smile. "Impossible. Whether it's the Golden Globes or the Oscars, they won't give me the award. Besides the age limit, look at the other nominees with me—George Clooney's 'Good Night, and Good Luck,' Steven Spielberg's 'Munich,' Ang Lee's 'Brokeback Mountain,' Peter Jackson's 'King Kong,' and Fernando Meirelles' 'The Constant Gardener.' All the films and directors are quite competitive. Even if it's me, I can't say for sure that I'll win the trophy from them under fair circumstances."
Roy didn't think so. "That's right, those directors are all great directors and have made very good films. But have you forgotten one thing? You, Laila Moran, are also one of the best directors in Hollywood. In comparison, do you think they can match up to the achievements you have created?"
He seriously doubted whether the films those people had made added up to more than what she had received. This wasn't a fantasy; it was based on reality. Among these people, Spielberg should have the highest box office gross, right? The combined box office of the other people's films probably didn't surpass hers. And Spielberg's highest-grossing films are probably 'Jurassic Park' and 'Indiana Jones,' but how could they compare to the box office miracles Laila created?
He couldn't say the specific numbers, or how many movies she had made, or how much box office she had received, but one thing was clear to him: the ten films Laila had brought in these years were box office achievements that any other director would look up to. Don't forget, even her worst film grossed $300 million worldwide, and her highest, 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,' even grossed $1.4 billion!
Laila was stunned by his words for a moment. Indeed, she always inadvertently forgot that she was no longer her past self, and in these years, she had made so many classic films one after another. If Nolan had taken ten years to make eight successful films and become a legend, then she had also proven herself to be at the top of Hollywood with ten films.
"Thank you, Roy, you always know how to make me happy." This was always the place that made her happy.
Roy put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm happy when you're happy."
As they talked, they were already led by the staff into the venue for the awards ceremony.
"Director Moran."
"Laila."
"Hi, Roy."
Seeing the two enter, many people came over to greet them. Roy was because of his fully-fledged sociability attribute; wherever he went, he could make friends with anyone. Over the years, he had been on so many sets, he could be said to have friends all over the world.
As for Laila, she was the top director in Hollywood. The most important thing was her unlimited potential. At less than thirty years old, she still had at least dozens of years to make more excellent films. How could they not get along with such directors?