"Hey~ Good morning!" "Good morning, Luca!"
The next morning, Luca walked into the set full of energy.
However, unlike him, the crew seemed a bit sluggish, probably exhausted from last night.
"Luca, why did you leave early yesterday?"
The next morning, José walked into the set, yawning.
Luca shrugged. "Sorry, I thought I could put my shame aside and party with everyone, but unfortunately, I'm just too serious. I tried for a long time but couldn't do it."
"Pfft~"
José flipped him the finger. "You're such a hypocrite!" Then he remembered something. "Luca, the script you mentioned at the party yesterday sounded pretty good."
"Oh?"
Luca looked at him curiously. "You want to direct it? You can talk to Marcel about it. I'm sure he'd be happy to collaborate with you."
"No, I was wondering if you had any other scripts like that. I'd be interested in checking them out."
José had been around the industry for over ten years and knew what kind of person Marcel was. Working with them could easily lead to being used as a money-laundering tool.
Worse still, if the movie flopped, it wouldn't be surprising to end up on the street with nothing, or worse, dead.
"You like that kind of movie?"
Luca rubbed his chin, staring at him.
"Yeah, I love crime films. They're cool and full of adrenaline. That's real men's movies. Art films? They seem like something only sick people would make."
Luca laughed, agreeing with him.
Art films are all slow and drawn-out, with a sickly vibe. They don't compare to the thrill of a good crime film.
"Do you have time this afternoon? I'll take you to see a movie."
"A movie? With you? Isn't that a bit weird?"
José frowned, feeling slightly put off.
Luca's face darkened. "Can you be normal for once? I'm asking you to watch a movie related to the new script. It's called Infernal Affairs, though it hasn't been released here."
"The movie is about two men living with mixed identities, undercover for the police and the mafia. They represent their respective sides, battling both openly and secretly. It's absolutely explosive and full of action, perfect for adaptation."
"Undercover?"
José stroked his stubbled chin. "That sounds interesting."
"Yes, I'll bring you the disc tomorrow. You can check it out, and if you're interested, we could work on an adaptation together."
"Thanks!"
José quickly agreed.
After spending time together, his impression of Luca had improved significantly.
Luca was Brazil's number one heartthrob, talented, famous, and rich.
And on top of it all, this jerk was hardworking, serious, and dedicated.
If someone like him didn't succeed, even God wouldn't approve.
Of course, José was eager to collaborate with Luca.
Luca smirked. He had high hopes for José too.
Or rather, the main reason he brought up crime films yesterday was largely because of José.
Initially, he hadn't paid much attention, but recently, while watching Brazilian films, he remembered a really good Brazilian crime film, Elite Squad.
The film was both a box office and critical success.
Domestically, it broke the box office record previously set by Avatar and even won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
And the director of this film happened to be a guy named José Padilha.
The reason he remembered this so clearly was because one of the villains in Elite Squad was named "Luca," which made him watch the movie a few extra times.
Now that he was here, would that villain named "Luca" still exist? No way!
"Luca, get ready! We're about to start shooting!"
"OK!"
At 9:30 a.m., the filming of Buried resumed.
Compared to the previous day, Luca's performance had improved slightly, but not by much. His acting still lacked fluidity, and the effort behind his performance was too noticeable. It wasn't as seamless as it had been the day before, when it felt almost real.
"When will he reach that level again?"
José stroked his chin, growing more anxious. Filming the same scene every day was starting to get tiresome.
After lunch, he approached Luca. "Luca, how did you suddenly hit your stride the day before yesterday? Can you tell me?"
"It's nothing, I just put myself through a little suffering."
Luca shrugged and explained how he'd buried himself alive that day and how it coincided with a torrential downpour.
"That intense?"
José was a bit surprised, but he admired Luca's adventurous spirit. He grinned and said, "Luca, how about doing it again?"
"NO!"
Luca didn't want to take any more risks.
While burying himself wouldn't kill him, doing it again would definitely get him killed by Kate.
She had been furious that day and had given him quite a beating. He definitely didn't want to experience that again.
"Alright, we can take it slow."
José shrugged, secretly wondering how he could push Luca to that level again.
"José, have you finished editing the footage from that day? I'd like to see it for reference."
Luca brought up the footage again.
"No."
José shook his head, eyes twinkling. "Unfortunately, Luca, the footage from that day got lost."
"Lost?"
"Yeah, the cameraman was heading home with the tape when a group of gang members suddenly rushed him. They had guns and robbed him of everything, including the film reel."
The cameraman immediately contacted some friends to help track it down, offering a $1,000 reward, but they only found a few scraps of film.
The poor guy was so upset he fell ill that very night."
José was secretly impressed by his own ability to lie. He didn't even blink as he told the story, but felt a little sorry for the cameraman.
"How serious is Babank's condition?"
Luca asked, frowning.
"Very serious."
José blinked and said, "The doctor said the old man doesn't have much time left."
"That bad?"
Luca was surprised. The footage could be reshot, but the old man falling ill was a big problem.
"José, is Director Babank still in Rio? I'd like to visit him."
"Visit? No need, no need. The old man has gone back to São Paulo. Before he left, he asked me to tell you to focus on your acting and not let his situation delay the work."
He also said that this might be his last movie, and he hopes to see the final cut before… well, before his time comes."
José sighed, wiping at his eyes. "Luca, it's all up to you now. I hope you can fulfill the old man's wish."
Luca looked at him. "Alright, I'll do my best!"
The next few days, Luca went back to his routine of working hard on set and watching the footage afterward. In between, he did a few interviews and magazine covers.
After more than a week of intense practice, his performance gradually improved, getting closer to the level he had reached that day.
"Great! Great! That's it!"
On February 12th, in the stifling heat of Rio, José watched the monitor, clenching his fists tightly.
Luca's performance today was incredible. He was back in his "god-mode" acting, with his expressions, movements, and dialogue all perfectly synchronized, his performance smooth and seamless.
Now José understood why the cameraman had been so excited that day—watching this kind of performance was thrilling.
"Director, lunch is ready. When should we eat?"
The assistant director, Farkas, came over to ask.
"Lunch?"
José waved him off. "Lunch break is postponed. Give everyone a slice of pizza and a can of coffee. Eat at your posts. No one leaves."
"Got it!"
Everyone started refueling, but Luca kept performing.
"Lynda, Lynda, this is Paul. I need you to call me right now."
"Call me, it's urgent."
"I don't know what the hell is happening, but—gasp—"
"I'm buried alive in a coffin!"
In the wooden box, Luca held a sweat-soaked phone, his voice frantic.
At this moment, his hair was disheveled, his sweat-drenched clothes filthy. As he made the call, veins bulged on his forehead and neck, his breathing labored, his expression twisted—he looked just like a man on the brink of suffocation.
Through the gaps in the wooden box, sand kept pouring in, slowly covering his body. His voice grew more tense.
"Come on, Luca, keep going!"
José had forgotten all about the pizza, focusing instead on directing the crew to support Luca's intense performance.
Luca seemed almost possessed, completely immersed in the role.
The voice on the phone said, "Paul, hang on, we've almost found you. We're right above you."
Paul gasped. "I can't hold on, the sand is filling up."
As the wooden box shook, more sand poured in. Luca strained to lift his head, but the yellow sand slowly covered him.
The person on the phone said, "I'm sorry, Paul. I'm really sorry."
Paul hurriedly asked, "What happened? Huff~ What happened?"
The person on the phone: "Paul, the person in the coffin is Mark. Your phone helped us find Mark. I'm sorry, Paul. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry~"
The camera was slowly buried in sand, as the faint light from the phone was covered, and there was no sound left in the wooden box.
"Cut!"
José was silent for a moment, then suddenly jumped out of his chair and shouted loudly,
"That's a wrap! Dinner's on me tonight!!"
"Wooooo~"
"Thank you, director!"
The crew cheered, with people throwing their hats and shouting loudly. Some took off their jackets and started dancing samba on set.
"Haha, Luca, come dance with us! Huh~ Where's Luca?"
José twisted around and asked.
"Luca, why are you still lying in the box?"
"Something's wrong, Luca passed out!!"
"Hurry, get him to the hospital!"
(End of Chapter)