Birth of an actor

"Good afternoon, Roger."

"Good afternoon, Anton." Roger Ebert, chief film critic of the "Chicago Sun-Times", winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism, well-known in the United States, turned around and saw AO Scott, and said hello: " You're the one who came from The New York Times? It's kind of weird."

"I'm very curious about how director Baz Luhrmann can adapt Shakespeare's works." AO Scott smiled at Roger Ebert, and then greeted a friend who waved to him: "Afternoon All right, Tom."

"Good afternoon, Anton." "Washington Post" film critic Tom Schears also greeted.

After exchanging greetings with people who could be called friends, he nodded to colleagues who he knew but were not very familiar with. AO Scott found his seat in the film critic area and sat down.

"The Modern Version of Romeo and Juliet" directed by Baz Luhrmann will hold its American premiere at the Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles at [-]:[-] p.m. today. The New York Times, as one of the most influential newspapers in the United States, naturally received the invitation.

AO Scott, whose real name is Antonio Scott, has just turned 30 this year, but he is already the chief film critic of the "New York Times". He graduated from the Department of Literature at Harvard and was very interested in the adaptation of Shakespeare's famous works, so he decided to Offered to come to Los Angeles for the premiere.

As far as the poster is concerned, AO Scott thinks that Baz Luhrmann's casting is in place, Leonardo DiCaprio who plays Romeo is very handsome, and Claire Danes who plays Juliet is also pure and beautiful , Both of them are very pure in temperament, in line with Shakespeare's description, and also in line with AO Scott's imagination.

'I don't know how my acting skills are. AO Scott thought: "Even if you count the drama, there are very few versions of Romeo and Juliet with good looks. If Baz Luhrmann's directing is good, DiCaprio and Denise's acting skills are also rare." If it is amazing, it may become a classic. '

After waiting for a short time, the lights of the theater dimmed. On the big screen, the LOGO of Twentieth Century Fox first appeared, and then on the TV, a black female anchor was broadcasting the news: "On Verona Beach, two feuds In my family, there was a tragedy in which both a young man and a woman died in love, and this tragic and desolate love story finally resolved the years of hatred between the two families and the rift between their parents."

The modern love story of Romeo and Juliet is officially launched: there are many high-rise buildings on the beach of Verona, and most of the buildings have the trademarks of Capulet and Montagu, which shows that these two surnames are obviously from the city. The two most powerful families here.The younger generation of the Montagu family drove sports cars and played rumbling rock music, molested the nuns passing by at the gas station, and then accidentally bumped into the younger generation of the Capulet family. "Convinced, they raced through the streets of the city for gunfights, and the innocent citizens involved fled in panic. The chief of police came to dissuade them by helicopter, barely preventing the gunfight from happening on a larger scale.Even the chief of police who arrived by helicopter personally dissuaded him, but he could do nothing about the riot, which fully demonstrated the crazy and absurd nature of the disciples of the power family.

Miami-style costume design, explosive music and dance, gun battles on the streets of the city while driving a supercar, intense action scenes... Baz Luhrmann has injected enough modern elements into his films.

'Except that all the actors speak Shakespeare-style lines, this movie is already a qualified modern urban movie. 'AO Scott:'The classical style of Shakespeare's lines does not match the movie with a bit of modern madness. As for the final combination of the two parties, they still collide with each other to create a wonderful spark of the times. It depends on Romeo and Juliet. Is the love of love can be the finishing touch. '

After more than ten minutes of foreshadowing, the hero Romeo finally appeared on the stage. Under the background that his cousins ​​and even parents were immersed in all kinds of crazy entertainment, and trying to get revenge on the Capulet family, Romeo did it for him. His girlfriend, Rosalin, abandoned him and was immersed in the pain of broken love. She didn't care about the family's fighting and even opposed the enmity between the two families, which made the whole city chaotic.

'This episode is well adapted, highlighting Romeo's romantic nature and love for peace, but it also shows his family and the incompatibility of the times, laying the groundwork for the future tragic ending. ’ AO Scott thought, ‘Leonardo is amazing, let’s see Claire Danes. '

But before Juliet waited, the appearance of another supporting role made AO Scott's eyes shine--the young nobleman described by Shakespeare, Earl Paris, the nephew of the prince, made his grand debut as the governor's son. The first scene appeared in Vero "Bachelor of the Year: David Paris" on the cover of all the magazines on the beach newsstands.

What appeared on the big screen was a face so handsome that one could stop breathing instantly, with clear green eyes like lake water, lips like rose petals, and the oily dark hair combed upwards and talking The corners of the mouth slightly raised from time to time, all proclaimed their noble status and awe-inspiring power.

And, of course, unparalleled arrogance.

This can be seen from the conversation between Paris and Juliet's father, the head of the Capulet family.

Juliet's father said: "My daughter is too young to understand the world. If she can wait another two years, the marriage will be happier."

Paris said casually: "Many younger than her are already happy mothers."

Juliet's father still rejected Paris's proposal to marry Juliet now, Paris's expression suddenly cooled down, his eyes became arrogant and impatient, so in the next scene, Juliet's father immediately warmly invited the governor The son of the son went to the banquet in his home and said: "There will be many girls to brighten the night, listen to it, look at it, and see who you like best."

Paris nodded slightly, agreeing to Juliet's father's invitation.

Then at the ball at Capulet's house, despite wearing a funny astronaut suit, Paris still made everyone look handsome, and those silly dance moves he did when he danced with Juliet were not only not at all obscene It's funny, but it makes people feel extraordinarily cute.

And AO Scott is sure that Claire Danes is definitely not that willing when she plays this "Juliet and Romeo fall in love and desperately try to escape the ball" plot.

'Claire Danes is far inferior to Leonardo DiCaprio. AO Scott concluded, and then couldn't help but glanced at his colleague, the film critic Tom Schears of the "Washington Post", and he saw that the other party's eyes were already staring at the screen with bright eyes.

——Every film critic has his own taste in watching movies. Just like AO Scott graduated from Harvard and worked for The New York Times, his taste is very international and he can tolerate all kinds of film styles. It’s a little more academic. Tom Schears of the Washington Post is a film critic who likes to comment on the appearance of actors. Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts have become actors even though their acting skills are not bad. The two famous vases in Hollywood, Tom Schears's advocacy of the appearance of the two of them played a role that cannot be ignored.

Some people may think that Tom Sears, who is obsessed with the appearance of actors, is a bit superficial, but Tom Sears always speaks plausibly: "I just insist on the relentless pursuit of beauty in people's nature for thousands of years. The film was first born. Isn’t the reason for this? To record and retain beauty? Actors’ acting skills are beautiful, and their appearance is even more beautiful. If there is no pursuit of beauty, Marilyn Monroe cannot become a symbol of the times.”

However, the arrogant but handsome and imposing Paris brought AO Scott no less impact than when he saw the most handsome Romeo in history.

The following plot of the film completely follows Shakespeare's original work: Romeo and Juliet fell in love romantically, and married secretly knowing that each other was the only son/daughter of a feud, but the curse of fate never stopped on them, and Juliet's expression Romeo's brother killed Romeo's friend, and Romeo shot and killed Juliet's cousin in anger, and then was exiled. Juliet was arranged by her father to marry Paris on Thursday. In order to avoid this marriage, she asked the priest to come and fake death. , the auditorium turned into a mourning hall, and Romeo, who did not receive the letter from the priest, learned of the news of Juliet's death, bought a bottle of poison and took a gun and returned to Verona Beach desperately. At this time, Paris was carrying flowers in the mourning hall. In honor of Juliet.

Paris, who was mourning beside Juliet's body, heard movement outside the mourning hall. He went out and found Romeo. Paris wanted to arrest Romeo, the criminal who killed Juliet's cousin. Of course Romeo refused. The two dueled outside the mourning hall. Romeo He shot Paris in the chest.

Paris clutched his chest and fell slowly, his eyes and body turned towards the direction of the mourning hall: "I am about to die—if you are kind enough, open the door of the mourning hall and put me by Juliet's side."

Under Romeo's remorseful and unbelievable eyes, Paris took a last look at Juliet's "remains" in the mourning hall. He was unwilling, but finally closed his eyes peacefully, as if expecting to go to heaven to reunite with Juliet immediately after his death.

A small amount of discussion broke out in the originally quiet theater. It stands to reason that it would be impolite to discuss the plot while the movie is playing, but people couldn't help it, so they could only keep their voices down to the lowest level, and only talked quietly with their neighbors. talk:

"See that look? It's wonderful!"

"Crazy, surprised, regretful, helpless, it's shocking that a single look can convey so many inner emotions!"

"William Bradley right? He's the biggest surprise outside of Leonardo DiCaprio!"

"Romeo's eyes are also wonderful! Desperate, painful, remorseful, the collision of this pair of rivals is so wonderful!"

"Compared to Juliet..."

Many film critics squirmed their buttocks in their seats, and they really had the urge to write something down with a pen or typewriter.

On the big screen, the film has come to an end.

Romeo, who finally recognized Paris's identity and realized that he had killed an innocent person again, walked into the mourning hall in pain, and after reading the final condolences to Juliet's "body", drank the poison, and at the same time, The feigned death medicine had passed, and Juliet opened her eyes...the two eventually died for love, and the two families of Capulet and Montague also shook hands and made peace because of the tragic sacrifice of a pair of children.

"There are so many joys and sorrows since ancient times, and there is no such tragedy as Romeo and Juliet." With the emotion of the female anchor of the news program, the film finally came to an end.

When the big screen was completely dark and the lights of the whole theater were turned on again, AO Scott was still sitting in his seat and meditating.

"Romeo and Juliet Modern Edition" is not a brain-burning piece, but Baz Luhrmann's adaptation has not only made major changes in the background, music, pictures, etc., but also retains the entire love story and even Shakespeare's lines, so AO Scott, who has in-depth research on both classical literature and drama, had an outline of his film review in his mind just after the film ended.

Leonardo DiCaprio is impeccable, his looks and his acting skills, he is a living Romeo.For several highlights of Leonardo's performance in the film, AO Scott has already thought about what to say in the film review.

As for Claire Danes, this Juliet's acting skills are not good enough, but the actor is pure and beautiful, and she is not useless.

And William Bradley, a bright spot that AO Scott didn't expect at all before the premiere.

'Equally matched rival in love. AO Scott thought, "and very much follow the original, although Paris doesn't appear much, he has always existed as a bystander, but in his few scenes, such as the dialogue with Juliet's father, the polite request at the ball Juliet holding his hand, and the final duel with Romeo, all show that Paris, Romeo's rival in love, is not only a powerful and arrogant nobleman, but also has a very strong desire for control and responsibility. To see Juliet and threaten her father with words, or when Romeo misunderstands that Romeo is going to do something wrong to Juliet's body, he can recklessly fight Romeo in the name of her husband. '

'One of the liveliest performances of the supporting cast. 'AO Scott concluded: "Also must mention the cameo highlights."

"The movies are over, don't you want to go, Anton?" Tom Schears, a film critic for the "Washington Post", came to greet him.

"Of course I have to go. I just got lost in my thoughts." AO Scott stood up and said, "Baz Luhrmann made a good movie, didn't he?"

"That's right, although there are many shortcomings, there are also many bright spots." Tom Sears nodded in agreement.

"Would you like to go to the bar for a drink together?" AO Scott proposed.

"No, I have to go back to the hotel immediately." Tom Sears shook his head abnormally and said, "I've already accumulated a lot of comments, so I can't write them down."

"Okay, goodbye then." AO Scott bid farewell, before turning around, he heard Tom Fiers ask behind him: "The actor who played Paris is William Bradley, right? Edward in "Sense and Sensibility"? I remember that there is another movie starring him that will be released next month. What's the name? It's produced by Dimension Films."

"Scream," AO Scott replied.

In fact, before today, AO Scott had paid attention to William Bradley, not only because of the slightly young but touching performance he showed in "Sense and Sensibility", but also because William Bradley Deli studied at Harvard and is regarded as AO Scott's junior.

There are not many highly educated talents in Hollywood, but most of them are directors, producers, screenwriters and other behind-the-scenes people-such as the Coen Brothers, California Three Musketeers Spielberg, Lucas, Coppola, Martin ... Scorsese and others—there are not many actors and stars who graduated from the Ivy League. Yale almost occupies half of the country. Edward Norton, David Duchovny, Meryl Streep, Jodie Fosse They are all from the Yale gang, who graduated from Harvard and have a successful career in Hollywood. Tommy Lee Jones, who starred in "Assassination of Kennedy" and "The Fugitive", is one of them.

AO Scott did not count Matt Damon because Matt Damon was a Harvard dropout.

"The premiere date is December 12th, right? Paramount's "Mentally Retarded and Lost Men Playing America" ​​also premiered on that day. I have already been invited. I almost agreed, but now I have changed my mind. Go see what Scream is like," said Tom Schears with a shrug.

"I think so too." AO Scott: "The title of "The Mentally Retarded and the Sorrowful Star Playing America" ​​sucks at first glance, "Scream"? At least it makes me interested in seeing the content."