[Chapter 359: Being Fickle Is Also a Talent]
The seven major Hollywood studios actively collaborated to target Guess Pictures again. With the scale of their operations, Guess Pictures received the news and promptly reported it to Link, who was still filming in Italy.
Upon hearing this, Link didn't care. He instructed everyone to continue working diligently, to ensure the production went smoothly, and to promote the new movie effectively to secure a larger box office. As long as there were no internal issues at Guess Pictures and their films continued to succeed, no matter what tactics the seven major studios employed, they would likely fail.
...
"Cut!" After filming a set of scenes, Link reviewed the footage. The leads performed well, and the set was in good order. He waved his hand, signaling that this shot was approved, and prepared for the next one.
During the shoot of a second set of scenes, Sophie Marceau and Emmanuelle Beart arrived on set. Both wore matching Chanel long coat dresses and sun hats, their golden hair spilling out. From a distance, they appeared to be sisters.
However, their figures and presence were quite different. Sophie stood taller at 5'9", with long, straight legs, a slim waist, and a graceful silhouette that exuded elegance. Emmanuelle, on the other hand, was just under 5'4", with a slender and petite figure, like an underdeveloped girl.
They spotted Link filming and didn't interrupt, instead chatting with Juliette Binoche by the sidelines. Link remained focused, continuing to discuss the scenes with the actors.
...
After finishing his tasks that afternoon, Link briefed assistant director David Yates and others on the shooting schedule for the next day before stepping over to greet Emmanuelle, giving Sophie a kiss as he did.
"Oh, here we go again." Juliette rolled her eyes, having spent two months working with Link and witnessing him kiss over thirty different women. When he kissed those women, he was so intimate and affectionate, as if he was kissing his beloved, and he acted very innocent.
This aspect amazed Juliette. In her past relationships, even minor emotional indiscretions left her feeling ashamed and guilty. If she had been entangled with dozens of men at the same time, she would likely have spiraled into madness. Yet Link, with his thirty-plus romantic interests, seemed burden-free, displaying genuine feelings. Juliette couldn't help but concede that "being fickle is also a talent."
"Emmanuelle, what do you think of their relationship?" Juliette asked her companion.
"It looks great. They seem really sweet together." Emmanuelle observed the still-kissing couple, feeling a tinge of envy. Link was handsome and tall, while Sophie was exquisitely elegant. He wrapped his strong arms around Sophie's slender waist, almost enveloping her in his embrace. Their kiss appeared more romantic than many leading couples in love stories on-screen.
"Do you think there's real love between them? I mean true love, not just base desires," Juliette queried.
"Of course there is! Sophie often mentions Link during our chats, and every time she speaks of him, she radiates happiness. If she didn't genuinely love him, how could she feel so fulfilled?" Emmanuelle commented, casually arranging her golden locks.
"But Link has so many girlfriends -- more than you could imagine. With all those women, how could he possibly have a true fondness for one?" Juliette recalled the waves of women visiting the set over the period, some known to the media, but surprisingly, the majority remained unseen.
She couldn't grasp how Link could charm so many women, nor why those women willingly devoted themselves to him.
"Having many girlfriends just shows his charm and popularity. Sophie has mentioned before that she doesn't mind Link's multitude of girlfriends, as long as he loves her when they're together. No woman can guarantee her man will love only her at all times." Emmanuelle pointed to Link and Sophie still locked in an embrace and laughed, "Look, they've been kissing for almost two minutes! Sophie looks like she's melting from Link's kiss. If this isn't love, then what is?"
Juliette watched the two nearly entwined, acknowledging Emmanuelle's sentiment. This rogue seemed serious about Sophie, and even if his heart wasn't truly hers, he was providing her with an illusion of love. But it seemed that Sophie might never escape Link's grasp.
"Let's go. They'll just head back to the hotel for a quick rendezvous; they won't have time for us." Juliette urged Emmanuelle.
"Wait, let's linger a bit. We could talk to Link about the movie. He's humorous and engaging; chatting with him could be a lot of fun," Emmanuelle replied, smiling.
Juliette narrowed her wise eyes, regarding Emmanuelle skeptically. "Emmanuelle, are you seriously starting to take an interest in Link? Don't tell me you've fallen for him too."
"Absolutely not! Don't jump to conclusions!" Emmanuelle waved her hands in denial.
...
After a moment, Link approached, gently supporting the unsteady Sophie, as they all climbed into the van to return to the hotel. During dinner, the group discussed the recent upheaval in Hollywood. Juliette joked that since Guess Pictures' establishment, the entertainment news had spiked -- its stories outranking those of the big seven studios.
Emmanuelle agreed, attributing it to Guess Pictures' eye-catching box office performances, making it hard for media to ignore their presence.
"Darling, you're amazing. You've built a truly impressive career," Sophie gazed at Link with adoration. If it weren't for dinner, she might have moved closer for another kiss or something more intimate.
Link smiled gently. "Do you enjoy watching movies from Guess Pictures?"
"Of course! I've seen all your films, some more than once," Sophie replied, grinning.
"Your company's films are quite good, except for that shaky, headache-inducing The Blair Witch Project and Jim Carrey's overly exaggerated The Mask. I enjoyed the rest, though," Emmanuelle noted.
Juliette chimed in, "My favorite is Se7en, followed by Before Sunrise. And the recent Sense and Sensibility was excellent, along with The Shawshank Redemption. Your company has indeed released some solid films over the past couple of years."
"Thank you! I've heard that French audiences can be quite picky, so it's an honor to receive your approval," Link responded, swirling his wine glass with a smile.
"We're not picky at all! French audiences love commercial films too. It's just cultural differences that lead to misunderstandings about the appeal of many Hollywood movies, resulting in average box office returns for us. But overall, a movie that does well in North America usually performs similarly here in France," Juliette explained.
Link nodded, "French cinema is impressive as well. Films like Truffaut's The 400 Blows (Les quatre cents coups) and Day for Night (La Nuit américaine), Godard's Breathless (À bout de souffle) and First Name: Carmen (Prénom Carmen), and Louis Malle's Elevator to the Gallows (Ascenseur pour l'échafaud) and Goodbye, Children (Au Revoir, les Enfants) balance artistic merit with deep thoughts. I initially learned about French cinematic styles early in my career and even considered directing art films. But lacking professional training and resources stunted me from achieving it. However, once I have enough experience, I'll attempt to direct a few myself."
"Darling, I fully support you," Sophie smiled, taking his hand.
"Link, are you hoping to win the Oscar for Best Director with this kind of cinema?" Juliette asked, eyes twinkling with mischief.
"The Oscars tend to favor British cinema over French films. Creating within the French style's main goal is to explore the boundaries of cinematic art without confining oneself to a single style or genre. That way, we can keep moving forward in film artistry," Link chuckled.
"Link, you're incredible!" Emmanuelle gazed at him with her piercing blue eyes, her admiration showing undeterrably. Sophie leaned closer to plant a kiss on his cheek.
Juliette pursed her lips; though she found Link appealing and even felt a stir of attraction, considering he had dozens of girlfriends -- and that one needed to schedule appointments to date him -- was quite hard to digest.
Thus, whenever those feelings surfaced, she made a conscious effort to suppress them, avoiding falling into Link's deep pit of charm.
After dinner, Link took Sophie back to the hotel to rest, using the most intense means to alleviate her longing over the past few days. Sophie, ever determined, called for reinforcements.
*****
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