Chapter 176: Polarization

The test screening of "Instinct" was held at a cinema in Beverly Hills Century City, with Simon and Janet departing from Malibu, browsing through Sofia Fisi's investigative report along the way.

Too many cases existed in memory where tycoons and celebrities encountered misfortune due to ill-chosen associations, with many leading to broken homes and loss of life. Sofia Fisi's affairs, closely related to Simon's private life, warranted his utmost caution.

Simon was very satisfied with Sofia Fisi's resume detailed in the report.

Emerging from a modest seaside town in Corsica, France, she graduated from France's public University Number Ten, majoring in Administrative Management, where her academic performance was nothing short of stellar.

Graduating at 22, she worked for an investment firm in Paris for three years before unexpectedly enrolling in the Zurich Federal Institute of Technology in Switzerland for advanced studies in Business Administration, only to drop out a year later and marry her former husband, Paul Breni.

Paul Breni, a French businessman involved in the wine industry, had vineyards in France's prime wine regions such as Bordeaux, Provence, and the Loire Valley.

However, the marriage ended in failure after three years, with Sofia Fisi gaining custody of their two children. In recent years, she worked in a real estate brokerage firm near Cannes in Nice, specializing in luxury properties with exceptional performance.

Simon flipped through the pages of the report, with Janet leaning over to ask after a moment, "Interesting, isn't it?"

The report included Sofia Fisi's primary career achievements, her marriage with her husband eleven years her senior, and the reasons for their divorce. In the divorce proceedings, Sofia successfully won custody of their children by citing Paul Breni's history of domestic violence, albeit at the cost of receiving a one-time alimony of 5 million francs, which was nearly depleted after covering the expensive legal fees of the year-long litigation.

Clearly, the businessman named Paul Breni was a decisive and ruthless figure. The report revealed that Sofia Fisi's children, now 7 and 5, had not received a cent in child support from Breni, whose family assets exceeded 300 million francs, in recent years.

Hearing Janet's question, Simon pinched her chin, smiling, "You were just born too fortunate, unaware of the hardships a woman without support faces along the way, finding it amusing instead."

"Not at all," Janet retorted, swiping the report from Simon and flipping through a few pages before handing it back, saying, "Look, it's actually here. That businessman is trying to regain custody of the two kids. He had an accident while yachting two years ago, likely losing his fertility. And Sofia Fisi agreeing to work for you is not coincidental, she seeks a strong support to protect her custody rights."

Simon browsed through the pages in front of him, merely smiling, "It's only right for a boss to protect his employees. Since you're so interested, you can step in when necessary."

Janet appeared genuinely intrigued, nodding with a mischievously satisfied expression.

Seeing Janet nearly outwit him, Simon quickly reached out to subdue her. Tickled under the ribs, Janet immediately collapsed into laughter.

The screening began at 7 p.m., with Simon and Janet arriving at the Century City AMC cinema ten minutes early.

To maximize promotional impact, Fox made the test screening quite grand, even setting up a segment of the red carpet, with a large crowd of media reporters and enthusiastic fans holding various posters gathered outside the cinema.

As Simon and Janet exited their vehicle, the orderly crowd instantly became restless. If not for the security guards, the crowd would have surged towards them.

Observing the situation, Simon declined interviews, opting for a quick photo session before hurrying into the cinema with Janet.

They were led to a lounge by the staff, where Fox's chairman, Barry Diller, and president of Fox Films, Ronald Goldberg, had arrived early. Alongside Brian De Palma, Michael Douglas, and other main creators of "Instinct," the lounge also hosted several top-tier film critics.

With the screening about to start, there was little time for pleasantries, and everyone soon took their seats in the auditorium.

Simon, Janet, Barry Diller, and others sat in the front, surveying the medium-sized auditorium filled with over two hundred media journalists and film critics from across North America. The effort Fox Films put into this screening was evident, covering most attendees' travel and accommodation expenses.

As the lights dimmed and the movie began, a brief, mesmerizing intro was followed by a starkly passionate scene that caught many critics off guard.

Although Simon's previous work, "Pulp Fiction," was known for its violence and bloodshed, it did not exploit nudity as a selling point.

However, this passionate scene was just the beginning. When the woman suddenly pulled out an ice pick and mercilessly stabbed the man beneath her, blood splattering, some of the media reporters and film critics in the auditorium were left in shock.

Was this a screenplay by Simon Westerlo?

Was this the work of Simon Westerlo, who created outstanding films like "Run Lola Run," "The Butterfly Effect," "Final Destination," and the equally astonishing "Pulp Fiction"?

Near the creators in the auditorium, Terence Rafferty, a renowned film critic from "The New Yorker," glanced at the young man's silhouette nearby after the opening scene ended. Turning to Richard Schickel, the chief film critic from "Time Magazine" who was also frowning, he asked, "Could it be someone else's screenplay under Westerlo's name?"

Richard Schickel looked in a certain direction, shaking his head, "I think if it weren't for his contract with Fox Films, Westerlo wouldn't agree to have his name on this film."

Terence Rafferty nodded thoughtfully.

Yet, he soon felt that while other renowned directors or screenwriters might avoid associating with controversial films, Westerlo, a young maverick, probably didn't mind. "Pulp Fiction" had stirred significant controversy recently, with a youth protection organization in New York protesting against the film's graphic depiction of drug injection to the state government, demanding its ban.

Now, after blatantly indulging in violence, Westerlo began to openly showcase eroticism.

It's hard to predict what he'll do next.

Terence Rafferty, a fan of "Batman" comics, worried watching the film's opening half-hour filled with suggestive scenes, that Westerlo might turn "Batman" into an R-rated film not suitable for children.

Fate seemed too kind to the young man.

Perhaps, it was time for him to face some setbacks.

With this thought, Terence Rafferty refocused on the screen, determined to watch the film critically.

He soon noticed the performance of the female lead, Linda Fiorentino, whose name he didn't know but remembered from her role as a quirky sculptor in Martin Scorsese's "After Hours."

Despite disliking some elements of the film, Terence Rafferty had to admit that, like Sandra Bullock in "Run Lola Run," Meg Ryan in "When Harry Met Sally," and Nicole Kidman in "Pulp Fiction," Simon Westerlo had once again chosen the right actress for the lead role.

However, this might also mean that the actress would struggle to escape her "Instinct" role as an erotic film actress.

Additionally, the performance of newly crowned Best Actor Michael Douglas was commendable, and Brian De Palma's direction showed his admiration for Hitchcock vividly. Besides the pervasive sexual elements, the film's core, as its title "Instinct" suggests, ultimately portrayed the deep-rooted desires in human nature driving one's actions.

The femme fatale also manipulated the men around her using human instincts, but her actions might also stem from the darker aspects of human nature.

As the screening ended, Terence Rafferty realized that without the sexual content, the film could still be considered a worthwhile watch. However, removing those elements would significantly diminish the impact of "Instinct," a film named for its exploration of primal urges.

This presented an unsolvable paradox.

As the two-hour screening swiftly passed, with the closing credits rising, Terence Rafferty was still reflecting on the film's scenes when Richard Schickel leaned over, whispering, "Roger left early."

Terence Rafferty paused, recalling.

There might be more than one person named Roger in the auditorium, but the one Richard Schickel pointed out without a surname could only be the famous film critic from Chicago, Roger Ebert. Influenced by the opening scenes, Terence Rafferty still harbored some prejudice against the film, but after watching it in its entirety, his inner dislike had diminished.

With a slight mocking tone, Terence Rafferty chuckled, "That's normal. Roger Ebert has never been too fond of suspense thriller films."

Terence Rafferty's comment was diplomatic, but Richard Schickel laughed knowingly.

As one of North America's few top-tier film critics, Roger Ebert was known for his gentle critique style, except for suspense thrillers.

This preference had a backstory. Many years ago, an ambitious young man aimed to be a screenwriter, favoring suspense thrillers. However, his scripts were repeatedly rejected, forcing him to switch careers to film criticism.

Due to his 'tragic experiences' as a screenwriter, this self-made critic became particularly critical of suspense thrillers.

After a brief chat, Richard Schickel noticed the credits nearing their end and asked Terence Rafferty, "Are you going to Fox's reception?"

Terence Rafferty hesitated. He was very interested in Simon Westerlo and had planned to use this opportunity to talk to him.

However, Fox's reception obviously had a PR motive. Terence Rafferty felt justified in accepting the flight and hotel accommodations for work purposes. But under these circumstances, attending the reception might compromise his ability to critique "Instinct" harshly.

After watching the entire film, Terence Rafferty's view of "Instinct" wasn't too negative, but he was reluctant to let others influence his opinions.

Looking around, besides Roger Ebert, it was clear that other attendees had left early. Evidently, despite receiving Fox Films' hospitality, a significant portion expressed their stance this way, likely foregoing Fox's return flight offer.

Turning back, Terence Rafferty decided, "Never mind, I'll head back to the hotel early. I have a flight back to New York tomorrow. Charlie, what about you?"

Richard Schickel nodded, "I'll go back to the hotel too."

The movie screening hadn't ended when Ronald Goldberg began receiving reports of early departures from his assistant.

Fox planned to use controversial marketing for "Instinct," which was fine. But now, Ronald Goldberg worried if "Instinct's" reputation completely collapsed, there would be no 'controversy' left to discuss.

The reception was held at the nearby Century City InterContinental Hotel.

However, over thirty percent of the two hundred-plus film critics who attended the screening were absent afterward, casting a shadow over Ronald Goldberg's mood.

Since last year's "The Butterfly Effect," Fox's performance had improved, with this summer's "Future Flight" being an unexpected success.

The company had high hopes for "Instinct," and Ronald Goldberg looked forward to adding another achievement to his resume before officially leaving this autumn, hoping to secure a bonus to fund his new company.

But now, the future seemed uncertain.

Engaging warmly with the crowd, Ronald Goldberg roughly understood the critics' attitudes. In short, there was a strong polarization. Moreover, due to high expectations for Simon Westerlo, this polarized reception leaned more towards criticism.

Clearly, "Instinct" would stir controversy, but its reputation might turn very poor.

Ronald Goldberg was unsure if audiences would still pay for a film controversial yet poorly received, even if it was a Simon Westerlo movie, especially because it was his work.

With these worries, Ronald Goldberg approached Simon and Barry Diller, who were chatting and laughing effortlessly, and couldn't help but say, "You two seem not to worry at all?"

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