Capítulo 332: Chapter 332: Balancing Business and Art
"I'll be back on Wednesday, are you in Los Angeles?"
On the streets of Tel Aviv, Israel, Gal Gadot got out of the car, talking on the phone with Murphy as she walked towards a newsstand. "Darling, what's the opening weekend box office for the new film?"
Without waiting for a reply, she added, "Never mind, I'll check it myself, keep it as a surprise."
After a few more words, Gal Gadot ended the call and approached the newsstand.
"Do you have 'Premiere' magazine?"
Gal Gadot saw a Hebrew newspaper handed to her by the vendor, shook her head, and said, "I'm looking for the latest American 'Premiere' magazine."
"Ah..." the vendor slapped his forehead, turned around to search, and then handed her a magazine, "Is this it?"
Gal Gadot saw that the magazine featured a poster for 'Gone Girl' on its cover, paid for it, and took it. Checking the time, she walked to a car parked by the roadside, got in, and drove away from the street. Turning two corners, she reached her residential area.
A few years ago, her family had moved from Rosh Ain to Tel Aviv, specifically choosing this well-known secure area.
The black sedan weaved through the stylishly designed houses and soon stopped in front of a villa near the center of the area. Even in this enclave crowded with Jewish tycoons, this villa was notably prominent, with an area exceeding one acre—a significant size given Israel's land constraints.
After driving into the villa's garage, Gal Gadot picked up the magazine from the passenger seat and walked through a corridor directly into the living room.
"Weren't you meeting with a friend?" A magnetic female voice came from the sofa, "Why are you back so soon?"
"She had something come up last minute." Gal Gadot, carrying the magazine, sat down on a single sofa, "Mom, why are you up so late?"
Her mother managed a vast chain of hotels and was usually very busy, rarely at home at this hour.
"There were no appointments today." The middle-aged woman looked at Gal Gadot, "I was waiting for you to come back."
Gal Gadot smiled, puzzled, "Waiting for me to do what?"
The woman's gaze became sharp, "Did you book your flight back to Los Angeles yesterday?"
"Yes, Mom." Gal Gadot pouted, "School is starting soon, I need to go back and prepare."
"It's not just about school preparations, right?" Her mother didn't need an answer; she continued, "There's something else, isn't there?"
Understanding her mother's implication, Gal Gadot didn't hide it, "I miss Murphy."
Mentioning Murphy, a sweet smile unconsciously appeared on her face.
Her mother sighed deeply, knowing a serious conversation was needed today.
"Gal, since you were ten, you've always been a reliable girl," her mother skillfully communicated, "Mature, intelligent, composed—you embody all the virtues of our people."
She paused, looking at Gal Gadot, "I rarely interfere because I know you understand what you're doing and what you want. Even when you entered the Miss Universe contest, I didn't stop you."
"Yes, Mom." Gal Gadot looked at her mother gratefully, "You're the best mom in the world."
"But, dear..." The woman sighed deeply, "You're making it very difficult for me. You're spending more and more time in Los Angeles, and less and less time at home. This time you've only been in Tel Aviv for less than half a month, and you're already preparing to leave."
Gal Gadot bit her lip, seemingly missing the subtext, "I'm very sorry, next vacation I'll definitely stay in Tel Aviv with you."
Her mother shook her head, "Dear, you know that's not what I'm talking about."
What her mother meant was clear to her, but Gal Gadot chose not to retreat; this was something she had to face.
"Why do you always oppose my relationship with Murphy?" Gal Gadot's brow furrowed. "I still don't understand."
"I've looked into him," her mother said calmly, "He grew up in the slums of Los Angeles, was nothing but a thug until he was nineteen, and even went to prison..."
She looked at her daughter, "Do you think that can be erased?"
"I don't care." Gal Gadot spread her hands, "Murphy was indeed a jerk when he was younger, but that was then. He's completely different now."
"Have you considered that it might be a facade?" her mother looked piercingly, "And his reputation is very poor now, involved with drug dealers, even accusations of racial discrimination..."
"Mom!" Gal Gadot was alarmed by these accusations, "That's just tabloid sensationalism!"
Her mother raised a hand
to calm her, "Alright, those are sensationalized, but he's in Hollywood. Do you really plan to dive into that glittering mess with him?"
Gal Gadot showed no doubt, "I can handle any complexity."
"Will he come back to Israel with you?" her mother finally played her trump card, "Dear, why did you choose to study in Los Angeles? Have you forgotten your initial intentions?"
"I..." Gal Gadot opened her mouth but was cut off, "His career is in Hollywood, the center of the film industry. Do you think he'll give that up to come back to Israel with you?"
Gal Gadot fell silent. Without Hollywood, would Murphy still be Murphy?
Seeing her daughter contemplative, her mother wisely ended the conversation. Saying too much could be counterproductive.
However, before leaving the living room, she added, "Don't forget, he's ultimately not one of us."
These last words echoed in Gal Gadot's ears, reminding her of what she had subconsciously avoided touching on.
Indeed, she planned to return to Israel in the future. What about Murphy?
And from the daily nuances, she could feel that Jews, Arabs, Slavs, or any other ethnic group were all the same in Murphy's heart. He had no notions of Jewish supremacy. Even if he followed her to Israel, could he integrate into her family's social circle?
Moreover, how could she ask him to give up his career to follow her to Israel? This place wasn't his stage.
Sitting on the sofa, Gal Gadot thought for a long time but couldn't find a solution.
"Never mind, stop thinking about it." She shook her head vigorously, trying to clear her mind, "I'll be in Los Angeles for a long time, there's still time to find a solution."
With this thought, Gal Gadot felt she should do something to distract herself. She picked up the 'Premiere' magazine, found the page about Murphy, and started reading intently.
"North American weekend box office: 'Gone Girl' takes the crown, Murphy Stanton creates another box office and critical success."
Seeing this, Gal Gadot's troubled thoughts calmed, and the joy brought by her boyfriend's success quickly replaced her worries.
"Exquisite production, intriguing story, chilling dark humor, everything sets a disturbing tone... 'Gone Girl' will unsettle you and leave you breathless. This is the new masterpiece Murphy Stanton brought to North American moviegoers last weekend."
"Among Hollywood's younger generation of directors, Murphy Stanton is a prime example of balancing business and art. 'Gone Girl', while surprising audiences, also reaps a frenzy in the North American film market, earning $18.4 million on Friday (including $6.2 million from Thursday night previews) across 3,500 theaters, easily claiming the daily top spot. With continued strong box office on Saturday, it added another $19.2 million, culminating in a weekend total of $49.9 million from North America, undoubtedly topping the box office charts!"
"The film scored an 84 on aggregate media reviews, with an 87% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes—185 'fresh' tomatoes against 27 'rotten.' Cinema.Score gave it an 'A', receiving a favorable reception."
"Our special film critic also highly praised Murphy Stanton's direction, noting, 'Murphy Stanton's direction is flawless, excluding fantasies and illusions, proving once again that he is a standout young director, surpassing any Hollywood director born after the 1980s, as contemporary radical cinephiles might define, this film is an excellent date movie from hell. Everything shows that when a director and theme perfectly align, a great film like 'Gone Girl' is born.'"
Closing the magazine, Gal Gadot stood up, walked through the living room into the backyard, and dialed Murphy's number.
"Darling, I saw it."
As if the earlier conversation was completely forgotten, she said with a smile, "Congratulations, your new film is going to be a big hit again."
"That's normal, isn't it?" the voice on the other end carried a smugness reminiscent of Robert Downey Jr., but then it turned somber, "I'd rather see you congratulate me in person."
Hearing this, Gal Gadot felt a warmth in her heart, "I'll be back soon, I've already booked the ticket."
A noisy background came through the phone, sparking her curiosity, "What are you doing?"
"At a promotional event." The noise grew louder, and Murphy raised his voice, "I have a scheduled promotional event to attend at the airport."
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