Domination in America, Starting from being a Boxing Champion

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"Scene 12, Shot 8, Take 1, action!"

When the car arrived at the Île de la Cité set in the middle of the Seine River, director Woody Allen saw him getting out of the car with Marion Cotillard, his face dark with anger. He didn't even bother to greet them but shouted, 'Get them in makeup, we start shooting in ten minutes.'

Link wasn't in the mood to argue with him, so he changed into his original costume, which was a finely tailored grey suit.

He and Allen had also argued several times over this very suit.

Initially, Allen had wanted him to wear a loose-fitting casual suit with a wrinkled shirt, saying that was his usual style.

Link disagreed. The character had been altered and was no longer Woody Allen; it was now Link Baker.

In terms of wardrobe, it should fit his image and character. It could be a bit relaxed in style, to look casual.

But there was no need for a wrinkly shirt just to make himself look uglier on purpose.

After all, the character was set as a famous writer and Hollywood screenwriter, and his girlfriend's family was also very wealthy, so they cared quite a bit about dressing well.

And the supporting actress, Adriana, she's been the lover of notables like Picasso, Hemingway, Amedeo, and others; she's seen plenty of outstanding men.

If the male protagonist were slovenly and inarticulate, devoid of manliness, how could she possibly give up Picasso and Hemingway for him?

Link believed that a more handsome appearance and a chic wardrobe would show off more modern charm and catch the eye of the supporting actress, making her fall in love with him.

Woody Allen disagreed, arguing it was the male protagonist's talents and inner worth that made the female counterpart fall in love, not his good looks.

Link retorted. Could the protagonist really match Picasso, Hemingway, or Fitzgerald in talent?

The dispute continued unresolved until costume designer Sonya Grande stepped forward and suggested trying on two different suits to see which looked better.

Once he put on the finely tailored suit, the crew members were all drawn to his attire. The sharp suit, his messy yet stylish long hair, and his chiseled face gave him the aura of a classic, artistic actor.

A few of the female staffers couldn't help but clap and cheer, calling him too sexy.

Allen watched him for several minutes, cursed a few times with a dark expression, looking very much like a scumbag, and then ordered the crew to get ready to shoot.

"Cut!"

"Link, are you an actor or what? What is this performance? It's crap. And just so you know, with what you're doing, not only will you not get an Oscar, but you wouldn't even win a Zimbabwe Film Award."

Behind the monitor on set, Allen shouted at him.

The crew members, upon hearing the mention of the Zimbabwe Film Award, couldn't help but snicker covertly, no doubt a fictitious accolade coined by Allen to taunt Link.

Link shook his head. Before coming to Paris, the director's assistant, Frank Arela, had told him they only needed to reshoot the scenes in the rain, nothing else, and he didn't prepare in advance.

After arriving at the crew, however, Allen told him there was an important scene that hadn't been shot properly and that he needed to reshoot it with Marion Cotillard.

Without much preparation, he stood in front of the camera, and it was normal that the first take wasn't perfect.

But Allen exploited the opportunity to mock him. Link felt Allen was intentionally giving him a hard time.
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"Do you want me to go easy on you?"

Marion Cotillard joked.

"No need, I've got this,"

said Link, flipping through the script.

"Are you sure? Allen isn't planning on making it easy for you today."

Marion said as she adjusted his tie.

"Don't worry, how could I be afraid of an old man? As long as he's got the energy for it, I'm game."

"My dear, you're too sexy."

Marion tiptoed to kiss him.

Link bent down to return the kiss and pinched her pert bottom.

From a distance, director Woody Allen awaited the pair's readiness for the next shot but suddenly saw them kissing and grabbing each other's butts in front of the camera.

A flare of anger shot through him; he slammed down his script in fury and barked:

"Shoot! Start the shoot! If this doesn't work out, don't blame me for being foul-mouthed."

"Scene 12, Shot 8, Take 2, action!"

The clapper was snapped.

Link and Marion took their positions, began to summon their emotions, and when the cameraman signaled the start, Link looked at Marion, puzzled: "What are you talking about?"

"We should stay here, the dawn of the beautiful era, the greatest and most wonderful time in the history of Paris."

Wearing a white ball gown and with a smile on her face, Marion spoke in a sensual voice.

"But what about the twenties? There's the Charleston dance, the Fitzgeralds, and Hemingway,... I mean, I prefer their company."

Link said, shrugging his shoulders.

"But that's reality, very dull."

"Dull?"

Link's face showed a tinge of surprise, and with a complex expression, he said, "But that's not my reality. I come from the year 2010. For me to be in your era is like us being in 1890."

"Is that true?"

Marion asked in amazement.

"Yes, I was trying to escape my reality, thinking that going back in time, just like you're escaping your reality, we're all looking for the Golden Age. Look over there at those guys--for them, the Renaissance period is their Golden Age. They'd trade this beautiful era for a chance to paint with Titian and Michelangelo. And those from the Renaissance might fantasize about a better time under Kublai Khan. I've come to understand, albeit not a major epiphany, that it's clarified the things I once fretted about in my dreams."

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