[Chapter 489: Jessica Alba]
Link took a quick look at the girl in front of him, then glanced at the profile once more.
Jessica Alba, 18 years old, youthful and fresh-faced, tall and slender in build.
With her Mexican heritage, her skin had a light olive tone, smooth as silk.
The girl sat on the couch, nervous and restrained, but her pretty cheeks still wore an innocent, sweet smile.
"Not bad! Congrats on signing up another promising talent."
Link handed the profile back to Sam Haskell.
"Haha, if you say Jessica's good, then she must be. Nobody has better eye for talent in Hollywood than you."
Sam Haskell grinned wide, showing his back teeth.
Jessica Alba's eyes sparkled upon hearing the praise, her smile growing even sweeter, resembling a doll.
Link shook his head; what Sam said was only half the truth.
In the entertainment world, to become a true top star, looks, talent, hard work, resources, and luck are all essential.
For example, the girlfriends in his life: some were physically beautiful but lacked effort; some worked hard but lacked talent; due to these reasons, their achievements in film careers varied greatly.
In Jessica's case, she was striking in appearance but had poor acting skills and average talent, suitable only to be a popular starlet with a development future much less promising than Jennifer Connelly or Charlize Theron.
"Sam, Guess-MGM's got quite a few film projects next year. You should ask Daniel if there are any roles fitting for Jessica."
"Haha, I will."
...
After Jessica Alba left the office, Sam Haskell switched the conversation to the assassination case.
There had been a lot of recent media coverage on the matter; when asked how he was handling it, he said WMA's PR department would cooperate with the publicity.
Link's response was similar to what he had told Lily before: keep a close watch on media reports, prevent them from pushing narratives like "the victim is at fault" or "Link deserved the assassination."
In public relations, the blame should be shifted to the Big Six studios and terrorists, to find reasons in those parties rather than on him as the victim.
Before, media analyses claimed he was targeted because Guess Studios rose too quickly, labeling him as womanizing or politically involved -- finding faults with him.
This kind of public opinion was misguided and would cause many problems over time.
Link planned to use his resources to turn public opinion around, diverting attention from himself to the terrorists/assassins and harshly condemning their actions.
Sam Haskell agreed, saying he would relay this to management so they could coordinate the PR campaign.
Because of his connections, Sam served as director of talent management at WMA and held a managerial role with considerable influence in the company.
...
After seeing Sam off, Link suddenly wondered why Sam, now a senior executive at WMA with plenty of responsibilities, was still signing newcomers like Jessica Alba.
Did he have some kind of ulterior motive?
Link pondered but couldn't figure it out and decided not to overthink it, returning to work on the new film project.
---
With assistance from Guess-MGM, WMA, and CAA, media narratives blaming Link for "deserved assassination" quickly waned, and the heated competition among Hollywood's Big Seven studios became a hot topic again.
This shift aimed to refocus the issue's core: Link's assassination was part of the industry's cutthroat competition and unfair business tactics, unrelated to other matters.
During interviews with The Hollywood Reporter and Vanity Fair, Link called for moderation in film industry competition and opposed using unethical methods to solve disputes.
Unethical competition would throw the film industry into chaos and decline.
Such practices hurt everyone and had to be stopped.
His remarks received support from many filmmakers.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and Hollywood film producers' guild also recently discussed this topic in meetings, suggesting industry problems should be solved internally without resorting to outside tactics, as such damage the entire film business.
The MPAA emphasized collaboration and sharing profits among studios, expanding the market to benefit all industry workers and ensure prosperity.
Upon hearing reports from his former assistant Annie, Link understood upper management at the Big Six studios hinted he shouldn't keep all the profits but share more with others.
He was open to cooperation as long as terms were favorable.
---
After handling these chaotic affairs, in early October, Link took his crew to Naples, Italy, to film the new movie The Talented Mr. Ripley.
"Scene 1, take 3, roll camera, action!"
When the clapperboard fell, the whole crew set into motion.
...
The film's plot centered on Tom Ripley, a young lowly grifter, with a unique talent for imitating handwriting and voices and adept at disguise. When wealthy Herbert Greenleaf mistook him for a Princeton alum, Tom accepted $1,000 to travel to Italy and bring Greenleaf's son, Dickie, back home.
On a first-class voyage, Tom quickly tasted luxury and began impersonating Dickie to a socialite named Meredith.
In Mongibello, he befriended Dickie and his girlfriend Marge by posing as an old classmate. Drawn to Dickie's charm and lifestyle, Tom became obsessed. But Dickie's casual cruelty -- especially toward a local girl he impregnated -- soured the illusion.
When Dickie started pushing him away, Tom snapped. During a trip to San Remo, Tom killed him with an oar and dumped the body, seizing the chance to become Dickie.
He forged letters, manipulated friends, and lived lavishly off Dickie's allowance. But trouble returned when Freddie Miles grew suspicious. Tom killed him too and faked a suicide note to cover his tracks.
The police accepted the lie. Even Marge's suspicions were dismissed, and Herbert rewarded Tom with part of Dickie's trust fund.
Now rich and free, Tom sailed to Greece with Peter, a quiet, trusting companion. But when Meredith reappeared and kissed him, Peter demanded answers.
Fearing exposure, Tom made a final, terrible choice -- murdering Peter to protect his secret and returning to his cabin alone, a prisoner of the life he had stolen.
...
In the film, Ripley's true identity was never exposed, nor was he punished.
He killed repeatedly to hide his identity and fulfill his desires, sinking into a bottomless pit of evil.
The film's theme matched the original novel: the corrupting influence of wealth and materialism on humanity.
Many would stop at nothing to succeed and gain riches, yet afterward suffer inner conflicts and confusion.
The movie explored human nature deeply but was complex and demanding, leading to average box office success, under $200 million globally.
To increase appeal and lower the viewing threshold, Link adjusted the film multiple times during shooting, ensuring artistic quality while adding commercial elements to achieve balance.
He might not have managed this before.
But after directing nearly 20 films, his experience surpassed all peers on earth, and he was confident.
...
"Cut!"
After one take, Link called Matt Damon and Jude Law over to talk.
Both had acting issues.
Matt wasn't smart enough in his role; his eyes lacked Ripley's ambition and greed.
This had to change, or the character would seem bland and unappealing.
Jude Law was homophobic and opposed to filming romantic scenes with Matt Damon.
Link had to persuade him to imagine Matt as a woman or imagine himself as a woman.
Regardless, Jude had to deliver a good performance.
Link wouldn't lower standards due to an actor's unwillingness -- it was irresponsible to the project.
Matt and Jude felt intense pressure upon hearing Link's directions, the once relaxed expressions becoming heavy.
This was Link's intended effect; The Talented Mr. Ripley was a thriller with a tragic core, needing a darker tone.
...
"Link, how am I doing? Any tips?"
Julie Delpy, dressed in a sexy spaghetti-strap dress, stood coquettishly before him.
"You're doing well so far, but in upcoming scenes where Marge meets Ripley, focus on conveying Marge's complex emotions, adding depth to the character."
"Got it. I'll act seriously."
Julie smiled slightly, stood on tiptoe, kissed his cheek, and went back to the busy set.
*****
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