Theron held the movie script in her hand and flipped through it page by page. From the first time she saw the script, she was immediately attracted to it. Sitting next to her, Levi didn't say anything to interrupt her reading but just watched quietly, admiring her focused expression.
The movie wasn't for her, but Levi didn't mind her flipping through it. Theron looked at the script, and the surprise in her expression grew bigger and bigger. There are too many things in this movie script that she can't even imagine. She initially thought that Levi's new script would be a new political film, but who would have thought that Levi's new film would have nothing to do with politics?
"This script is really incredible."
Halfway through the script, Theron raised her head with obvious surprise and disbelief in her eyes, "Is this really the script you wrote? Have you finished the script in half a year? I haven't seen you writing in the past six months. When did you conceive it? When did you finish it?"
This script surprised her: after reading this movie script, it turned out to be a romantic comedy piece. Moreover, Theron has never seen such a romantic comedy, and even after seeing the script, it is difficult for her to imagine how to shoot such a movie so that those whimsical things can be shot.
The name of the movie is Amelie.
The various situations written in the script surprised Theron. From the last movie, she already knew that when Levi conceived the script, he could write something with a magnificent structure and a good connection between the front and back. Still, this movie has already shown its differences in every aspect of the script. Even though the story is about real-world characters, relying on the wonderful arrangement, this world is completely fantastic and magnificent. Many sketches and explanations in the script illustrate shooting techniques that are completely different from realism. Using such a surreal technique to shoot a completely realistic story, no matter who reads the script, they will find it incredible.
Such a thing is actually the work of Levi? Although the camera position in his last film was weird, the shooting technique was very realistic. Looking at such a storyboard, Theron couldn't imagine that Levi would create such a script in less than half a year.
As for why the script was completed within half a year, the reason is even simpler: Princess Diana didn't die until the end of August, so Levi couldn't have started writing about Diana's death before Diana died.
Levi just smiled at this question, not knowing how to explain it.
Amélie cannot be regarded as Levi's own creation. To a greater extent, it is still borrowed from the famous French movie in Levi's memory. This movie is also one of the classics that Levi has seen and one that he thinks deserves a remake.
In his memory, this movie was released in 2001, and its director claimed to have written this script for 20 years. However, Levi also clearly remembers that there is a very important plot in this movie, that is, Diana crashed into the street in a car accident. Levi doesn't believe the director started to write Diana's play before Diana's demise. Levi has seen that movie, and he is more willing to believe that the director has already had an idea for this play. Many details in the play are the accumulation of his 20 years of life, but the overall plot and other things are more temporary creations. Levi also knows one thing, that is, the reason this movie got its name is because of this: During the creation of the film, the director initially wrote the role of Amélie for the English actress Emily Watson. Amélie's father was an Englishman living in London in that first draft. However, Watson's French was not strong, and when she became unavailable to shoot the film, owing to a conflict with the filming of Gosford Park (2001), Jeunet rewrote the screenplay for a French actress. Since it is based on an actor who has only become famous in the past few years, how could it have been written for a full twenty years?
Using this movie to remake is relatively safe, but there is no need to say that.
"I'm a genius. What's impossible about a genius idea?" Levi lightly asked whether he was the original creator, and the genius he said was, it doesn't matter. "What do you think of the script?" For the script, Levi changed a lot of things.
For the changes in the last movie, he just replaced all the actors in the German version with the American version, and he started to make some changes in some details in the movie. The last film was revised and received good reviews, but for this film, he changed even more.
Since it was filmed by Levi, Levi did not use Paris as the background anymore. He changed the location of the story to New York and turned all the details in the story into New York stories. In the original movie Paris in the 1950s was presented, the director wanted to capture the Paris in his heart. In the script written by Levi himself, it is more of the style of modern New York. Levi believes that even if the times and places are different, as long as the original essence of the movie can be grasped, the film can still be successful.
This movie was very popular all over the world at the beginning. Even people who have been to Paris and know the difference between the style of Paris in the 1950s and the 1990s did not have any negative comments about the movie. What matters in a movie is the essence, which is very important.
The part accumulated by the director in the original work is precisely the part that can be completed quickly. What is more important in this movie is the connotation of the movie.
Of course, since the script should go to New York, the details in the story naturally had to be changed to New York stories. Many things are rewritten. In these respects, Levi has done an excellent job: Enigma Company now has more than 30 screenwriters, and it is not difficult to find a few people who are familiar with New York to help find and revise the script.
It's just that after the creation of such a movie script is completed, he also wants to know other people's evaluations.
"It's very bold, but I don't know how effective it will be. Your last film was still shooting realistic themes, and it was so deep that the heroine committed suicide. The next film will directly enter the world of fantasy. Isn't it a bit too out of the ordinary?" Theron questioned this.
"The theme is still consistent. I want to try more shooting techniques for this movie, but the theme of the movie hasn't changed much. The difference is that Dreyman rescues Wiesler's loneliness, and Emily is saving herself."
The film is very different from Levi's first film, though not so much in terms of the film's themes. Levi has always believed that the theme of the movie is the soul, while the shooting technique is the coat. As long as the theme remains unchanged, there is no problem, even if there are some changes in other places.
Where are political films so good? The right subject matter is hard to come by. Isn't even Oliver Stone trying to transform? He has just made a movie now, so the transformation is easier, and romantic comedies are also common themes. As long as the theme can be kept unchanged, it can be considered a good attempt.
Moreover, after the first film was shot, Levi was also considering that shooting some scenes requires higher technology and is more complicated. More director-level works are needed to exercise himself. Levi chose this one because the film required much more powerful cinematography and stunts.
Theron didn't fully understand Levi's explanation, so she knew that her worries were unnecessary. Levi must have thought it over before she was so sure. She flipped through the script again and put it down with some regret, "I can't act in this movie; it's really not suitable for me."
Theron knew that it would be difficult for her to act in such a movie: her appearance can be said to be perfect, but as a model, her temperament is a bit cold, which is entirely inconsistent with the heroine Emily in the movie. The heroine in this movie is a naturally optimistic person. To put it bluntly, she is a complete female literary youth. The girls in the film are more straightforward, natural, optimistic, and carefree. How can Theron play such a role? Impossible to act well.
Theron has such self-knowledge, and Levi has expected it: now she is also learning how to read the script and how to accept the play, not like before when she didn't know anything before. She knows what kind of role she is suitable for and what role she is not suitable for.
Moreover, Levi did not say a word: Although she played the heroine in the movie The Lives of Others, a very important role, she is still the lightest of the three leading actors. Although the performance was complex, as long as Levi took care of it a little, Theron could still perform well.
But Angel Emily is different. The absolute protagonist of this movie is Emily, and it is essentially her one-person show. Can Theron perform well in such a scene? Levi wasn't sure.
"Have you figured out who to star in the movie?" Theron asked. She knew that almost all such movies revolved around one actor, and there were a lot of new ideas and techniques in the movie, such a movie; no matter who plays this role, as long as the filming is successful, this actor will definitely be a super lucky one.
"I haven't figured it out yet. I hope the actor in this play is an actress with good enough acting skills. I said good enough, but it must be very, very good." Levi was also a little distressed. The script was written, but the actor is really not easy to find, "I've sent the script to the actor union now. I want to see if they can give me any advice."
"So, the preparation of the film is stuck?" Theron asked back.
"No, I can't say that. In order to shoot this movie, I have to make some other preparations. This movie is different from the last one. The shooting techniques, equipment, and special effects must be improved greatly. I need to prepare for these."
"What is there to prepare for?" Theron was a little puzzled: Isn't it enough to find a special effects company for these things?
"Of course, there is something to prepare for—because I'm considering whether it's time to acquire a special effects company."
*****
Thanks and kudos for my patreons
Cherif Doghri
Adam LV
Danny York
haze2343
Scott DePaepe
Dario Cameruccio
MMMCMXCIX, or 3,999
The Main Man.
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