This was still the same old story. A good man who was chivalrous was captured by his enemies and sent to prison. After many years, he finally escaped and met a relatively kind-hearted hooligan. After a few tests, he handed over his skills to the hooligan, allowing the hooligan to inherit his legacy and continue to fight for the poor people and the bureaucrats.
Of course, there were all sorts of stories that happened during this period. For example, he once again met the old enemy who had sent the good man to prison and caused him to break up his family. The daughter of the old enemy was the daughter that he had lost contact with back then. Thus, there was another scene of father and daughter reuniting. The ending was also a happy ending. The little hooligan who had grown up finally made the good man's old enemy receive the punishment he deserved. At the same time, he married the good man's daughter and officially took over his legacy. This was the winner of life.
This was a story that could be placed in any era and any place, but if it was applied to Zorro, it was not quite the same. Although it was said that the historical Zorro was just an ordinary thief and robber, the derived image was welcomed by many people. There were many novels, animations, and movies about him. People really liked this kind of chivalrous and powerful character who robbed the poor to help the rich. It could be seen that some things were the same everywhere in the world.
In traditional works, Zorro was smart and powerful. His swordsmanship was brilliant and full of wit. He was elegant and worthy of the title of a hero. Even if he was unfortunately set up and fell into a dangerous situation, he could quickly turn the situation around. However, the movie "Zorro's Mask" was different. At the beginning, Zorro was caught after an operation, and he had no chance to turn the tables. Not only was his wife mistakenly killed by his enemy, even his daughter was taken away, and he was finally locked in prison.
This was probably the most miserable of all the Zorros. The audience originally thought that he would quickly escape from prison and seek justice. Who knew that after several years, he had finally escaped with great difficulty, but he no longer had the energy he had at the beginning. He had no choice but to choose the young man who had helped him and planned to train him into the new Zorro. This was one of the highlights. Like many animations, Zorro's animation was also a mess in the timeline. Although it was not as exaggerated as a 10,000-year elementary school student, it was not far off.
Superheroes could still be explained with various parallel worlds, but Zorro, who had a prototype in history, was not so easy to explain. One moment he was in Spain, the next moment he was in Mexico, and the next moment he was in the area of what is now Texas and California. Although the movie could not explain this problem very well, it pointed a direction. The name Zorro was not a person, but a legacy.
Due to these factors and the fact that there hadn't been any decent movies about Zorro for a long time, it was expected that "Zorro's Mask" would be popular.
What's more, the three leading actors also had good performances. If Hopkins was ten years younger, he would have replaced Banderas as the new Zorro. Banderas was originally Spanish, so it was not a problem for him to play that kind of cheeky and playful vibe. As for Zeta Jones, she was really beautiful in the movie. She was in the prime of her life, gorgeous, sexy, and had a classical temperament. She was also strong and especially seductive when she was fencing. Even if she was a vase, she would be the best vase.
"Did you hear the praises?" Adriaan moved closer to Zeta Jones' ear and asked teasingly after blowing gently.
"I think they exclaimed because the new Zorro cut open Elena's clothes with his sword," Zeta Jones replied with a chuckle. Even so, there was an obvious flash of excitement on her face.
"Isn't this also a manifestation of your charm?" Adriaan reached out from behind the back of the chair and hugged her waist, even though there was someone else sitting nearby.
"To be frank, I'm starting to feel anxious, Eide." Zeta Jones sighed. Although she said so, she grabbed the hand that was moving around her waist and pulled it forward, placing it on the outside of her thigh that was covered by the skirt.
"Don't worry, since I've promised, I will definitely fulfill it. Even if the box office of this movie in North America is less than 100 million US dollars, it is not counted as part of the original promise." Adriaan shrugged slightly, then grinned as if he thought of something.
"But if it comes true, then …" He once again moved closer to Zeta Jones' ear and whispered a few words in a low voice.
"You're so perverted, Eide!" Zeta Jones responded in a low voice with a reproachful tone. Her bright eyes seemed to flicker shyly in the dark cinema, looking unusually alluring.
It had to be said that this woman was really good at seducing people. Even if one knew that she was pretending, she could still make people feel comfortable. Unfortunately, the person in front of her was Adriaan. He only chuckled and kissed her earlobes before shifting his gaze back to the big screen, as if he was seriously watching the movie.
Zeta Jones was slightly surprised, but she quickly thought of something and smiled. Then, she sat up straight and continued watching. Similar to "Mr. Sweet," the critics gave a good review during the test screening, and naturally, after it was released, good reviews naturally accounted for the majority. But there was a difference. Although "Mr. Sweet" was a bit commercial, it was in line with the mainstream values of American society, so the artistic evaluation was much higher. On the other hand, "Zorro's Mask" was a completely commercial film. In addition, there were countless previous movies about Zorro, so most of the critics focused on the novelty of the story and the acting skills of the actors.
But in any case, Zeta Jones was considered to have made a name for herself in Hollywood. Many entertainment media gave her a lot of praise, thinking that the beauty she showed in the movie was intoxicating. Of course, this was because Adriaan used the resources in his hands to promote Zeta Jones, but many of the media were also sincerely praising her.
"She has an indescribable classical temperament. In the movie, she is a little wild, but at the same time beautiful and moving. She makes people fall head over heels for her," a reporter from the Chicago Tribune wrote.
However, the gossip tabloids focused their firepower on one aspect: the sixth "Miracle Girl" is out!
Not long ago, Adrian held Blanchett's arm to attend the premiere of "Mr. Sweet". Now, he held Zeta Jones' arm to attend the premiere of "Zorro's Mask". How could the paparazzi not have their imagination run wild?
"According to reliable sources, Katherine Zeta Jones was personally recommended by Adriaan for this role. As everyone knows, Adriaan, who is known as the miracle director, has always had outstanding vision. The people he likes are all talented, and this time seems to be no exception. At least, Katherine is the most beautiful of the six miracle girls."
"Just a week ago, Adriaan walked the red carpet with Kate Blanchett, and now he is walking the red carpet with Katherine Zeta Jones. I have to say, the women around him change really frequently."
"Whether it is with Kate Blanchett or Kate Zeta Jones, Adriaan seems to be extremely ambiguous. It is obvious that their relationship is different. Obviously, when others are struggling to get a date with a girl, Adriaan is probably having a headache about who to ask out. I wonder what Julia, Monica, Gwyneth, or Sophie would think about this. "
Various versions of the gossip were flying around, basically focusing on Adriaan's image as a playboy, as well as the possibility of having an affair with multiple girls at the same time. Moreover, they tried their best to get close to the other "Miracle Girls", hoping to get something out of their mouths. Unfortunately, they were already prepared for this. No matter who it was, they treated everyone coldly, making many paparazzi return empty-handed.
Even so, those who liked to gossip still relished these things. On the one hand, they were excitedly guessing how many women Adriaan had slept with, and whether it was a one-night stand or a formal date. On the other hand, they were all envious and jealous that he could hook up with these women with completely different temperaments and styles.
However, as one of the parties involved, Adriaan still didn't care at all. It wasn't like the women didn't know about these things. Since they had chosen to acquiesce, they would take the initiative to ignore these things. All he had to do was to coax them at the right time. When one was used to something, it would be very difficult and hesitant to change it. At this time, if he received some attention, then the matter of changing would be forgotten.
Besides, as his status rose further, the paparazzi would only become less and less threatening. Yes, they were indeed very powerful. These shameless and unscrupulous guys would use any means for gossip and news. Some people even went to a celebrity's trash can and rummaged through the condoms inside to confirm if the celebrity was still having sex. At the same time, they were also very sensible.
For example, if Rupert Murdoch was not involved in political affairs, how many reporters would pay attention to his private life? Similarly, Bill Gates's seduction and Steve Jobs's fondness for new things were only written in various reports or books a few years later after he admitted to it himself. The paparazzi were not fools. They knew who they could offend and who they could not offend. Even if the paparazzi did not understand, the editors at the top understood.
Of course, celebrities in the entertainment industry were naturally the targets of their pursuit, but Adriaan was also more cooperative in many aspects and rarely gave them a hard time. If they were smart people, they would naturally know when to stop. In addition, Adriaan had always been very cautious. Even if he had a date at the beach, it would be on a private beach. Naturally, it was difficult for the paparazzi to track him down. Moreover …
Objectively speaking, these gossips still played a role in publicity. "The Mask of Zorro" earned 22 million in the North American box office in the first week. Although it still couldn't compare to those big productions, it was still a good number. Although in Adriaan's memory, the movie was still a little short of breaking a hundred million in North America, he was not worried. Now that the situation was just right, and the intensity of the publicity did not decrease, breaking a hundred million should not be a problem.
Even if it was still a few million short in the end, he would personally pay for it, and then Zeta Jones would have to obediently fulfill her promise.
Then, in the third week, before Christmas, "The English Patient", which was prepared for this year's Oscars, hit the major cinemas. Because it was a literary film, the scale of the premiere was smaller than the previous two movies, but there were still a lot of media at the scene. They were basically tabloids, and they were basically waiting for this moment. Sophie Marceau's name on the cast list had long been confirmed. Many people were very excited. If Adriaan held Sophie's arm and walked on the red carpet this time, then there would be a big close-up.
However, to their regret, Sophie did not appear with Adriaan. She got out of the car alone and entered the cinema. After a long time, Adriaan arrived late.
"Look, they wanted to see me come in with you so much, but you disappointed them. It's such a pity," Adriaan, who met Sophie on the way to the screening hall, said teasingly.
"Tell me honestly, Adriaan, how many women do you have?" Sophie suddenly turned her head and looked at him with some annoyance, but more than that, there was a complicated look in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Adriaan asked, puzzled. Then he thought of something and looked in the direction where Sophie had been, just in time to meet the eyes of Richel, who was sitting in the seat in front of him. The latter was stunned for two or three seconds, then hurriedly turned his head away.
"Just because of this?" He laughed, and there was a hint of ridicule in his smile.
Sophie suddenly became a little angry. She snorted heavily and walked forward. The way her skirt fluttered in the wind made her look very elegant. Adriaan shrugged and walked to Richel.
"What's the matter?" Seeing Adriaan sit down next to him, Richel, who wanted to get up, but it was too late, sighed and asked in a helpless tone.
"Nothing, I just want to talk to you." Adriaan smiled.
"This is Anthony's seat, and yours is over there." Richel pointed to a seat not far away, very close to Sophie, who had just sat down.
"It's okay, I don't think Anthony will mind." Adriaan said to Anthony Minghella, who was talking to his friend. "Hey, Anthony, how about I change seats with you?"
Anthony, who heard the voice, was stunned for a moment, then nodded, "No problem."
"See, there's no problem now." Adriaan laughed. Richel sighed and stopped talking.
"I haven't seen you for a few days, and you seem to have lost some weight. This is really bad." Adriaan said to himself, and with a serious look, he frowned as if there was a big problem.
"Why can't I see it?" Richel could not help but ask, "Besides, isn't it good to be a little thinner?"
"This is not like you, Richel. You have to know that you have always been proud of not deliberately pursuing weight loss, and I also agree that you are more beautiful with a plump body. Also, my observation is very sharp. I can see at a glance whether you have lost weight or not … "
Adriaan had already seen through Richel's thoughts, and it was easy for him to get her to follow his instructions. The two chatted until the movie started. Along the way, Sophie looked over more than once. She thought she was very discreet, but it did not escape Adriaan's eyes.
Richel, who had his attention on Adriaan, also noticed something. Although he did not show any reaction on the surface, the corners of his mouth subconsciously curled up into a smile.
Well, back to the movie. Although "The English Patient" was Anthony Minghella's first time in charge, his previous career as a producer and screenwriter had given him a wealth of experience. He used almost all of his talents on this movie, from the composition, color, storyboarding, and montage, he did an excellent job.
Of course, the story itself was also very intriguing. Omar Fiennes, the hero played by Ralph Fiennes, fell in love with the wife of the pilot in the expedition team, and Richel Vicky, the wife of his friend, was also attracted to him. Worldly morality forced both of them to restrain themselves, but the more they tried to restrain themselves, the more they could not control themselves. So, the two finally got together in private.
The pilot, Jeff, who was aware of this, remained absolutely silent. Finally, one day, when he could not bear it any longer, he flew the plane and crashed into Omar, intending to die with him. The final result was that Jeff died, Omar survived, and Gabelyn, who was left on the plane, was seriously injured. Omar, who lacked medicine, could only put Gabelyn in a cool cave, and then walked out of the desert to seek help.
However, when he finally found the Allied army, because of his name and attitude, he was suspected to be German. He was captured and sent back to Europe in a prisoner of war car.
Helpless and desperate, Omar finally took a risk and found the Germans with a detailed map of Africa from the expedition team, in exchange for manpower and medicine.
With the help of the Germans, Omar finally rushed back, but what awaited him was only Gabelyn's cold body.
When the film was placed here, there was an uncontrollable murmur in the theater. From a moral point of view, Gabelyn was a married woman, and the love between the two of them was very wrong. But when they saw that Omar did not hesitate to bear the name of a traitor in order to save Gabelyn, they could not help but be moved.
This was especially so when Omash picked up Kafelian's corpse with a long white silk and wandered forward in the desert in a daze, as if he did not know where to go. It was as if he only wanted to walk on alone. The vague despair and poignant beauty displayed in the montage made many people sigh incessantly.
Women always fantasized that there was a man who would do everything for them, and men sometimes fantasized that there was a woman who would do everything for them.
The original novel of "The English Patient" had many other contents besides this love story. For example, Hanna, the nurse who took care of Omar, played by Sophie, lost her boyfriend and best friend during the war. It was not easy for her to open her heart to the Indian bomb disposal soldier, but she had to choose to break up with him because he would go to the battlefield sooner or later.
Apart from that, everyone had their own story. For example, because Omar gave the map to the Germans, which led to the loss of Cairo, he then committed suicide out of guilt. Or because his finger was cut off, he wanted to seek revenge on Omar, and so on. But since it was to be adapted into a movie, it was inevitable that there would be trade-offs, and it turned out that Anthony Minghella did a very good job.
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