King of Hollywood-Chapter 238 - 236 Unexpected

Chapter 238: Chapter 236: Unexpected

Chapter 238 -236: Unexpected

“He said… he said…” The protagonist Charles looked dazedly at his deaf-mute friend, but as the latter gestured, determination gradually took over his face.

“He said he suspects the groom is in love with someone else, so he does not meet the requirements for marriage,” Charles enunciated, and then slowly turned to look at the bride, who was so shocked, her mouth hung open.

“Is what he said… all true, Charles?!” the bride demanded, staring at him.

“Yes,” Charles nodded, and with a bang, the bride landed a heavy punch on his face, sending Charles tumbling down, a buzzing sound followed around him. At the same time, laughter from the audience below the screen accompanied the scene.

Adrian had lost track of how many times they had laughed out loud, but he felt a great sense of pleasure. These laughs to some extent proved the popularity of the new version of “Four Weddings and a Funeral.”

“Did you hear that, Julia? Everyone seems to enjoy it,” Adrian whispered into the ear of Julia Roberts sitting next to him.

“Really?” Although Julia’s tone was light, the rising and falling of her chest were very apparent, and her eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the screen, even though she had already seen the movie at a preview.

Adrian chuckled softly, grabbing her hand and slowly caressing it.

As Kelly and Charles embraced in the rain, the film was essentially over, but in the next few minutes, the director used a pictorial introduction to depict the aftermath of the characters, almost all of which were happy endings, with the male and female leads, although not married, living together all the same.

After the credits finished, the lights in the theater finally came on. A few seconds of silence passed, followed by a smattering of applause. It was not incredibly enthusiastic, but it was an acknowledgment from the premiere’s attendees.

“I won’t be joining the press conference. I’ll wait for you in the car outside,” Adrian whispered to Julia, giving her cheek a light kiss — the chaos in the theater at that moment meant no one would notice them.

“Aren’t you worried about being discovered by the journalists now?” Julia hummed softly.

“I trust you can shake them off,” Adrian said with a faint smile, gently stroking her hand again before following the exiting guests out. He had wanted to chat with Dennis, but looked around and didn’t see him until at last…

“Sorry, I was just…” Dennis gestured awkwardly with his left hand while his right arm was firmly around Winona’s waist. Winona, her face flushed red and leaning weakly against him, looked as if she would collapse if Dennis withdrew his arm, her face bearing the obvious look of satisfaction.

“It’s nothing, just some unimportant stuff,” Adrian said with a smile, waving his hand. It was clear what the two had been up to, so after a brief greeting, he left.

Another pleasant evening had passed. While “Four Weddings and a Funeral” had won unanimous acclaim from the premiere’s guests, it was uncertain what the critics would say.

“An outstanding romantic comedy, warm and loving, with a tightly woven plot. You can’t say every minute is unmissable, but the story is remarkable nonetheless. Mike Newell, the British director, has fully demonstrated his delicate sensibility; the four weddings and a funeral, each similar yet detailed in their differences, are shot exceptionally well, not to mention the meticulously chosen, apt British humor that becomes gut-bustingly funny upon reflection.

And the standout performance belongs to Julia Roberts. In Kelly, one can see echoes of Vivian, both so independent and strong, both so steadfast to their principles. But Kelly is Kelly, influenced by Vivian, yet so much of her character is uniquely her own. Julia has captured these nuances perfectly, especially in the scene where Kelly refuses Charles but then goes to his room, where her heartfelt expression is simply beyond praise…”

Reading this, Adrian put down the newspaper with a sigh and then, with a slap, smacked the pert bottom of the naked girl lying next to him: “Are you listening, Julia?”

“Ed!” Julia, propping her cheek with her hand, suddenly furrowed her brow. The legs that had been swaying paused, and she glared at Adrian with a seemingly angry look, though the undertone of playful scolding could not be hidden.

“I’m just a bit sad, you know. I was reading the praise about you,” Adrian exaggerated, rustling the newspaper loudly in his hand. “Look, the whole page is full of compliments, saying you’ve created another memorable character.”

“Of course, I’m listening. You were reading it quite well,” Julia said, turning to face him with a smile lifting the corners of her mouth, revealing her beautiful body for Adrian to adore, “So, please continue.”

“Sorry, but I don’t want to continue now,” Adrian said as he tossed the newspaper aside, looking at Julia with a somewhat mischievous smile. “After reading for so long, I now want some reward.”

“Wait, Ed, didn’t you have enough fun last night?” Julia immediately leaned back, but no sooner had she made the motion than she was embraced tightly by Adrian, who hugged her from behind.

“Damn it, Ed, I am really getting angry,” Julia started struggling fiercely, swinging her fists, but soon she was panting and went limp in Adrian’s embrace.

“This is… the morning, Ed…”

“Yes, I know, but isn’t it just perfect to do these things in the morning?”

“Don’t forget… last night… I am still… not quite accustomed to it…”

“Really? Well, that’s perfect, let’s do it again now. It was just too soul-stirring.”

“Damn! Don’t even think about it… Stop! Ah!”

Okay, let’s not dwell on Adrian and Julia’s “back door” morning exercise; speaking of “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” the current situation can only be described as splendid. Aside from those critics who were optimistic about the movie from the beginning, many who initially had negative opinions have changed their minds.

“This is indeed a nice movie, warm and moving. Screenwriter Richard Curtis with some common love stories from Life has constructed a fresh and profound romantic tale, and director Mike Newell with his excellent and fun filmmaking techniques has controlled various scenes with fluency. Plus, the casting is just right; each character has a unique personality that has left a deep impression on the audience.

Yes, the casting is spot on. The character of Kelly, played by Julia, doesn’t even need mentioning; it’s as though the role was tailored for her, allowing her to unleash at least 120% of her capabilities. Everyone else is the same, their fit with their characters allowing them to beautifully grasp the essential points. However, the biggest surprise was Dennis Knight, playing the leading man!

Prior to this, everyone’s image of him was stuck on street punks, neurotic robbers, and scruffy down-and-out men. It was unexpected that he suddenly became the charming and dashing leading man of a romantic comedy. Even more surprising, he portrayed the role so well that it almost made people forget the roles he played before! He was like a dazzling Cinderella arriving at the royal ball (forgive my description, as I can’t think of a better one while writing this), almost unable to connect to his past image. If there was to be a rank list of surprises brought by the movie, I think he surely would deserve the top spot.”

The article was written by the critic who initially was skeptical about Dennis playing in a romantic comedy. From this perspective, the critic can be said to be quite honorable, more so than those who criticize just for the sake of criticism.

“A drawn-out plot, with cold jokes that take forever to comprehend—if the humor in the movie takes that long for people to get, then it’s obviously a failure. Julia’s performance is decent, at least, but as for Dennis, he might as well go back to peddling in the streets. If you’re really bored, you might consider watching it to pass the time.”

“A movie pieced together from various fragments, don’t expect to have a delightful 100+ minutes in the cinema. The story, which isn’t funny, will just put you to sleep.”

Those who criticize just for the sake of doing so are, after all, the minority. More critiques are substantial and meaningful.

“The actors’ performances are noteworthy. Julia and Dennis indeed brought quite a few surprises, and the director’s arrangements for the wedding scenes are quite unique. You can tell a lot of thought went into the design of the scenes—but that’s about it. The second wedding was the funniest but somewhat disconnected from the third one. And Dennis’ performance was a bit too forceful at times, which might have affected the watchability of the movie. They really could have done better, but let’s hope Julia’s title as box office poison won’t be mentioned again.”

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However, no matter what the critics say in newspapers and media, on its opening weekend in 1100 theaters, “Four Weddings and a Funeral” scored a box office of $12 million! It took fourth place in the North American box office rankings!

While this isn’t a particularly great achievement, for a movie of its genre, it’s considered to be among the ones leading the pack. And that’s not the end of it. When the second weekend came around, with its presence increased to 1500 theaters, the weekend box office brought in $17 million, and the total North American box office exceeded $33 million!

Although the movie hadn’t yet covered its costs, definitely no one was saying it would be a failure. “Pretty Woman,” the film that made Julia famous all over the United Kingdom, earned about the same box office revenue within two weeks—but of course, “Pretty Woman” cost significantly less to produce than “Four Weddings and a Funeral.”

Most movie fans really like Julia in these kinds of roles.

“She’s particularly enchanting in such romantic comedies; you look at her and you feel a sense of power,” one fan said during an interview.

However, Dennis also had quite a few fans. (To be continued, for the follow-up, please visit www.qidian.com. More chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)