Chapter 122: The French Kiss

Even though Arthur was in Cannes, France, he still paid attention to the news back home. In early May, Orion released the American sci-fi adventure comedy Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey starring Keanu Reeves and Pam Grier, which earned over $10 million in its opening weekend.

In the morning, in the suite of the Cape Hotel, Arthur rolled off the naked Nicole Kidman. The Mediterranean breeze blew the curtains, making them rustle; the warm sunlight on the carpet gave the room a lazy feel.

To Die For was nominated for the Palme d'Or in the main competition, but this year's Cannes Film Festival jury president was Roman Polanski. 

"I heard he isn't impressed with any of the films this year, except maybe the Coen Brothers' Barton Fink," Arthur remarked while lying on the bed, hinting to Nicole Kidman that To Die For had little chance of winning.

"Got it," Nicole Kidman leaned on Arthur's chest, stroking his body. "Why did you tell other distributors about the movies you wanted to buy?"

Arthur smiled and pinched her small chest. "Who said I really wanted those two films? I'm only interested in commercial films. Europa and Barton Fink aren't all that artistic; I was just saying it offhand. Making Miramax spend more money will only make them lose more."

"Ah, I see," Nicole Kidman laughed. "You're quite the schemer."

"How did you figure it out?" Arthur laughed, turning over to press down on her. "Today, I have meetings with some European film company executives. You might deal with them when you shoot in Europe. But you must understand that the European film industry is more open than Hollywood. They are very persistent in pursuing artistic value."

Nicole Kidman nodded, understanding what artistic value implied.

"Got it, but do you still have energy?" she asked, pulling Arthur into a kiss.

As the Cannes Film Festival proceeded, various hotel rooms were filled with deals. After all, most film purchasing agreements happened outside the screening rooms.

Arthur's Orion didn't have international distribution capabilities yet. Leaving the international market entirely to the Hollywood majors would severely hurt Orion's interests. Therefore, negotiating with international distributors at the festival was a good choice. Many distributors showed interest in films set to release next year, like The Bodyguard, A Few Good Men, and Scent of a Woman.

Arthur's suite at the Cape Hotel functioned as a makeshift film office, with numerous distributors, producers, and directors visiting daily.

"Pleasure doing business with you. I believe Galaxy's cooperation with Gaumont will become more frequent," Arthur said, shaking hands with Nicolas Seydoux, chairman of Gaumont Film Company.

"Absolutely," Nicolas Seydoux had come to discuss the European distribution of A Few Good Men.

The script had already been sent to Sophie Marceau, who was interested in the serious subject matter. At least it didn't require her to play in simple romantic dramas.

Compared to Hollywood's commercialization, European film funding sources were limited, with government subsidies being the primary source, followed by national TV broadcasting fees and distribution revenue. However, European films often performed poorly at the box office, making distribution revenue scarce, and TV broadcast fees often acted as another form of subsidy.

As the Cannes Film Festival closed on its final day with the ceremony in the Lumière Theatre, Roman Polanski indeed awarded the Palme d'Or to the Coen Brothers' Barton Fink.

Lars von Trier, who aimed for the Palme d'Or, only received the Jury Prize, Best Artistic Contribution, and the Jury Technical Prize for Europa. He lost control of his emotions during a media interview at the after-party.

"Arthur, Sophie Marceau is here. Do you want to go meet her?" a staff member whispered to Arthur in the banquet hall.

"Sure," Arthur nodded and told Nicole Kidman, "I'll go discuss the script with Sophie Marceau."

Nicole Kidman smiled, "That's the French Kiss for you. Go ahead. French actors are quite artistic."

"Come with me," Arthur said, taking her hand.

"Good evening, Mr. Smith. I've heard of your exploits," Sophie Marceau, dazzling in a red low-cut evening gown, greeted them.

Sophie Marceau had mesmerizing brown-green eyes, a strikingly beautiful face, and a slim, sexy figure that captivated people on and off the screen.

"Call me Arthur," he said, hugging her. "You truly are a woman of universal beauty. This is Nicole Kidman."

"You're very beautiful," Sophie Marceau said, hugging Nicole.

"Thank you," Nicole, a year younger than Sophie, was undoubtedly her junior despite her early fame.

"Sophie, shall we discuss the script in the meeting room?" Arthur suggested.

"Let's go," Sophie Marceau agreed.

In a small meeting room in the banquet hall, Arthur and Sophie Marceau discussed the script for "A Few Good Men."

"Arthur, I've read the script. With Hollywood stars like Tom Cruise, and a budget of about 200 million francs, why choose me?" Sophie asked.

Arthur smiled, "First, because I really like you. Second, I want to expand into the European market."

Sophie was taken aback, "Are all Americans this direct?"

Arthur shook his head, "A Few Good Men is a serious film without romantic scenes. Don't you want to try this genre? It's also your first Hollywood production. A $35 million budget isn't a small production in Hollywood."

"Hollywood is indeed tempting. Serious films are a good challenge for me," Sophie smiled. "How long do I have to prepare?"

"Three months. You can go to Los Angeles to rehearse with Tom Cruise and Anthony Hopkins."

"Okay, I'll go to the U.S. soon," Sophie said, kissing Arthur on the cheek. "I really liked To Die For, but it didn't win any awards, it's a pity!"

"See you in America, handsome man!"

*****

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