From the very beginning, "The She-Devil" had been very low-key. It had been a low-key preparation, low-key filming, low-key closing, and low-key closing. The public had no idea that Adriaan had other movies in addition to "The Matrix" and "The Lord of the Rings" this year.
This situation lasted until late October, when Eileen Vornos's death sentence was officially executed. Some media mentioned the case again, and Adriaan got someone to spread the news that a Hollywood film company wanted to adapt the case into a movie. This news immediately caused a certain amount of discussion. Although many states in the United States hadn't abolished the death penalty, it was very troublesome to carry out the death penalty. Vornos was the best example. She had been arrested as early as 1991, but the execution had been delayed until this year, even though there was conclusive evidence that she had killed the six or seven victims.
Whether it was because the death penalty should be taken seriously, or because delaying the execution would make it easier for the lawyers to make money, or something else, everyone had their own opinions. However, some human rights organizations that advocated for the abolition of the death penalty were still unwilling to give up. Therefore, when the news spread, they used this as an excuse to make an article, saying that even Hollywood had begun to sympathize with Vornos, and that they shouldn't have been in such a hurry to carry out the death penalty.
As a result, the prosecution was very unhappy, and they retaliated through their own media channels. The police officer who had investigated the case even told the reporters bluntly, "I know that Hollywood wants to make her look like a pitiful person, but it is an indisputable fact that she killed eight people. Eileen Vornos is a cold-blooded demon!"
Of course, the scope of this dispute wasn't large. After all, it was a case from ten years ago, and the victim wasn't as famous as Simpson, so it didn't cause much of a stir. Then, at the end of November, "The She-Devil" began its promotion before Thanksgiving. The first gimmick was that Gwyneth would dress up as an ugly woman to play Eileen Vornos.
After "Titanic," "Shakespeare in Love," "Sense and Sensibility," "A Beautiful Mind," and other popular and well-received movies, Gwyneth's current popularity was far greater than it had been in her previous life. Last year, she was the favorite to win the Oscar for Best Actress, but in the end, she lost to Nicole. Many people sympathized with her, and even now, there were fans who claimed that she should have been the Best Actress of the 74th Academy Awards. Such an actress was actually going to play Eileen Vornos, a serial killer who had just been executed! One could imagine how much attention it would attract.
But even so, the scope of the response was still not large. The publicity was not very strong, and the trailer had not been released. Even if they wanted to make a fuss about it, they would have to wait for more specific information. Interestingly, as more and more news was released about "The She-Devil," the people who had been watching the movie became less active. Even when the news of Gwyneth putting on weight and makeup was confirmed by the trailer, they still remained silent. Then, their guess was confirmed. The movie was indeed directed and produced by the miraculous director, Adrian Kewell.
If Adriaan was just a director, no matter how famous he was, it wouldn't be a problem. But he was the chairman of the board of directors of AC Media, so it was different. Although Adrian had always been creating a situation where he was only a director, there were certain attributes that couldn't be completely ignored once they were placed on him. For example, those who opposed the death penalty deliberately created a situation where the media mogul sympathized with Vornos's plight.
Of course, they only sympathized with Vornos and didn't oppose the death penalty. Otherwise, if Adrian denied it, it would be embarrassing for them and they might even be sued. Although these people liked to believe that what they stood for was the truth, they weren't brainless people. It was undoubtedly foolish to offend the boss of a media group.
Besides, how others interpreted it was none of their business.
That was the truth. After the news of Adriaan directing Irene Vornos's biopic was confirmed, some film critics were full of praise for Gwyneth's performance. For example —
"Gwyneth Paltrow perfectly portrayed a woman at the bottom of society, one step at a time, towards destruction. Her superb acting skills made me completely unable to connect her image in the movie to her previous role. I heard that Gwyneth gained 20 pounds and shaved her eyebrows for the movie. Her appearance and spirit are infinitely closer to Irene Vornos's. Her great courage and dedication are worthy of everyone's recognition." Ronnie Fanwen, one of the well-known film critics, wrote in his article.
Lei Lissa Lewis, who was also a well-known film critic, analyzed the whole movie from a female perspective. "Is there a crying, broken heart hidden under the shell of that infamous serial killer? Irene Vornos's life was undoubtedly very unfortunate. Her childhood was nothing but beatings, insults, and abuse. Perhaps she once had beautiful dreams, but under the merciless blows of reality, her dreams were quickly shattered. She had to sell her body from the age of ten, and eventually became a prostitute on the road.
On that dark, rainy night, when she wanted to die, she received comfort from Hillby, who was of the same sex as her. Maybe she wasn't gay, maybe she just needed to be loved and needed, so she grasped at straws. But when she, who had no special skills, wanted to reintegrate into society, reality still closed the door to her, so she had no choice but to return to her old profession. Until she met a sadist, the beast in her heart was completely released, and so she began to kill repeatedly.
Director Miracle used a dark tone and a precise grasp of the details, vividly portraying the inner world of the characters in the movie and vividly. And Gwyneth's interpretation of the character was also comprehensive. As a newcomer in the film industry, although Anne Hathaway's image was completely different from the pure and innocent in The Princess Diaries, she was completely suppressed, but overall, she did a very good job.
This may not be Adriaan's best work, but it must be his most serious work. Fortunately, in the end, he still gave the audience a little hope, and I hope that every cloud can really have its own sky. "
Lewis's comments were very detailed, and to a certain extent, it aroused strong reactions from some people. However, the most interesting thing was that Ronnie Van Ven and Lisa Lewis, who had always disagreed with each other when it came to movies, attended the screening of the same movie together and praised it in unison. Many people could not help but be taken aback.
Although "The She-Devil" was very low-key, and not many film critics were invited to the screening, Adriaan's ability meant that the film critics who attended the screening were all very famous. Therefore, for a low-budget, art-oriented movie, the publicity effect was very good, and it gave some people an opportunity to take advantage of it.
Naturally, the police and prosecutors were very displeased that a famous director, who was also a media mogul, produced a movie about Irene Voornos. This wasn't like the case of the Norfolk Four Marines, where the evidence was conclusive and the process was clear, and the criminal had already pleaded guilty. The problem was that Voornos argued that he was violently beaten while providing sexual services, and that he killed the other party in retaliation in order to avoid the death penalty.
What kind of bullsh * t reason was that? Among the victims were young boys, elderly people, and even plainclothes police officers. What reason did they have not to execute this cold-blooded killer?! Therefore, when some people jumped out, the government immediately began to refute, and at the same time expressed regret and disappointment for Adriaan's actions.
"There is no doubt that Adrian Kewell is a great director, a great philanthropist, and a patriot, but his behavior this time is indeed a little inappropriate. We sincerely hope that he can understand the specific process of the whole case in more detail before making this movie, and not listen to one side of the story," the police spokesman said to the reporters.
No matter how dissatisfied they were, it was unwise to directly criticize the boss of a media group, who was also a famous Hollywood director. After all, this was just a movie. However, they could use this opportunity to express their stance more firmly and build up their image, thereby gaining more support.
However, although the two parties restrained themselves, the entertainment reporters didn't care about it. Since the case had already been reported by other media outlets, and there were so many disputes, Mr. Adrian Kewell had no reason to stop them from following up, right? Therefore, they tried to find a way or two to dig out a word or two from him. For the first time, Miracle Director was caught in a controversy because of his identity as the boss of a media group.
However, although the situation was unexpected, Adriaan didn't respond immediately. He waited for a few days to observe the situation before answering the question in front of the reporters.
"This movie was completed half a year ago, but I didn't do any publicity. Instead, I delayed it until October. I didn't want this movie to affect the public's perception. You have to pay the price for doing something wrong, not to mention that Irene Voornos has cruelly taken the lives of several people. Of course, the scale of the crime is a matter of the law. We can't influence the law with our own likes and dislikes. That's why I made this movie not because I want to sympathize with anyone, but because I want to find the root of the problem. Those innocent people are indeed victims, but isn't Voornos a victim as well? If we only look at the surface and don't dig deeper, don't find the real cause of the problem, don't think of ways to solve discrimination, and find ways to help those who need help, then Irene Voornos won't just be a special case. "
That was Adriaan's statement. In addition, he also said that he would donate all the profits of the movie to charity, and take out another sum of money to help those who were at the bottom of the social ladder and were eager to change their lives. It was a very tactful statement. He didn't offend either side of the debate. He didn't express his opinion on Voornos' execution, but he also expressed some vague sympathy. At the same time, he stirred up the emotions of the readers and promoted his movie perfectly.
The effect was very good. Adriaan's reputation as a philanthropist grew. Although some people subtly pointed out that his statement was fence-sitter, they didn't hold on to it. Don't forget, he was a media mogul. If he needed to, he could find many people to wave the flag for him. Naturally, I'll satisfy your curiosity and openly express your own opinion. I'll also allow you to interpret it on your own. As long as you don't take it out of context, then don't bother me!
After that, the number of people who paid attention to the movie increased. When "The She-Devil" was released in mid-December, although it was only released in 20 cinemas, it earned more than 300,000 yuan in the box office over the weekend. For a movie that leaned towards the literary genre, this result was quite good.
Similarly, the reviews were mostly favorable. Naturally, when Adriaan produced the movie, he didn't completely copy the original version. Instead, he added a lot of details. For example, there was a small pendant that Voornos had been wearing since childhood. It represented her desire for her dreams. She always wore it on her, until she encountered a sadist. After she fought back and killed him, she trembled as she drove away with Hilby. She glanced at the pendant and immediately threw it into the trash can, indicating that she had completely fallen into a nightmare. After all, this was a movie, not a documentary.
These details added a lot of color to the movie. After all, Adriaan had been producing movies for almost ten years. Although they were all plagiarized, he had accumulated unparalleled experience in editing. Coupled with Gwyneth, who went all out — almost everyone had to admit that they couldn't associate the ugly and swearing woman on the screen with the elegant Gwyneth — the well-prepared Gwyneth played her acting to the fullest.
For example, after becoming a cold-blooded serial killer, Voornos pretended to be a prostitute, hitchhiking on the road, and then lured people deep into the woods to mercilessly kill them. After killing a few people, she met a gentle old man. He didn't ask for anything, he just wanted to help her. After realizing that something was wrong, he begged her to let him go and promised that he wouldn't call the police. He even showed her his wife's photo.
After trembling for a long time, Voornos finally pulled the trigger. After that, she returned to the car and sat in the driver's seat. Her eyes were wide open, and her teeth were chattering. That kind of complete despair was obvious and infectious. Many critics called this scene the most memorable scene in the entire movie.
"It's a kind of despair that can't be looked at directly. Gwyneth's performance is moving," wrote Roger Ebert in his review.
Gwyneth's outstanding performance made Annie seem a little overshadowed. It wasn't that her acting wasn't good, but from Adriaan's point of view, at least she didn't have the selfishness that the original character had. After all, Annie was still a rookie actress. Her most famous work was The Princess Diaries, and she had a very innocent image. It was inevitable that some people wouldn't be able to accept such a sudden change. On top of that, Gwyneth was exceptionally outstanding, so …
"Actually, don't worry, you did very well, Annie." Adriaan comforted Annie. "After all, most of the fans got to know you through The Princess Diaries. It'll take time for them to accept your change."
"I know." Annie Hathaway, who was sitting on his lap, smiled obediently. "But Universal will have a headache."
Adriaan couldn't help but laugh. After The She-Devil was released, Ron Meyer complained to him more than once. Because The Princess Diaries had done well at the box office, Universal had planned to make a sequel. However, after The She-Devil was released, Annie's image changed drastically. Her hair was cut short and straightened, her face was pale all the time, and her makeup was ugly. She looked completely different from the pretty girl in The Princess Diaries, which caused many fans to protest. But more importantly, she was playing the homosexual lover of a serial killer. How could she play Princess Mia in the future?
However, it was Adriaan who decided to let her play the role, so Meyer could only express her frustration.
"To be honest, Annie, it's not a good thing to make a 180-degree turn all of a sudden, but I still let you play this role. Do you know why?" Adriaan pinched her chin. "I believe you have the determination and the ability to play this role well, and successfully complete your image change."
"Thank you, Eide." The corner of Annie's mouth curled up. There was a hint of charm in her delicate and pretty face. Then, she leaned over and gave him a sweet kiss.
Although Adriaan was satisfied with this move, he still couldn't help but sigh. His rough hints back then had more or less left some residual effects. Although Annie was very obedient after that, there was still a bit of estrangement between them. But it didn't matter. When Gwyneth successfully reached the top this year, she should know what was best for her.
Basically, most people could already tell that Gwyneth had already locked in the Best Actress Oscar for next year. From 1998 until now, every actress who played the female lead in Adriaan's movies had won the Best Actress Oscar. Why would Gwyneth be an exception? One had to know that she had all the conditions needed to win the Best Actress Oscar. The role she played was from a real person, and it was a murderer. She also put on weight and pretended to be ugly. Most people admitted that her acting was impeccable.
And more importantly, she had been nominated for several years in a row, but she had always been unlucky. Last year, she had been the most likely to win the Best Actress Oscar, but it had been snatched away by Nicole, who had Adriaan's support. This year, Adriaan had directed a movie that wasn't particularly good in terms of quality, but he had let her play the female lead role. It was probably to make up for it.
Film school had to consider the pressure of public opinion, such as whether the Best Actress Oscar had been booked by Adriaan, but the pressure Gwyneth gave them was much greater. There was even an unidentified rumor that when Gwyneth talked about her father who had just passed away, the thing she regretted the most was that she didn't work harder and let her father see her win the Best Actress Oscar with his own eyes. Under such circumstances, could the Film school still choose someone else?
