As night deepened, the Hollywood Chinese Theater gradually quieted down. Accompanied by her assistant and bodyguard, Natalie Portman exited through the main entrance, preparing to get into her car. Suddenly, a few reporters surrounded her unexpectedly.
"Ms. Portman!" One of the reporters introduced himself, "I'm Daniels Crater from the Los Angeles Times. Can I ask you a few questions?"
Initially, Natalie Portman was ready to slip into her car upon seeing the reporters. But upon hearing that one of them was from the Los Angeles Times, she changed her mind, gently closed the door she had opened, and turned around with a perfect smile.
"Of course," she said, appearing very cooperative.
The other reporters seemed like they were just there for show. Being able to interview an Oscar-winning actress was quite a rare opportunity, so they kept quiet and let Daniels Crater ask the questions.
"As an Oscar-winning actress," Daniels Crater's first question was quite sharp, "why did you choose to star in a superhero movie like 'Thor'?"
"I'm always open to trying various things, including films."
Such a question didn't trouble Natalie Portman at all. "Moreover, at different stages of life, people enjoy different kinds of movies. Sometimes you watch a movie to escape, sometimes to laugh, sometimes to think. I joined 'Thor' mainly for the fun; playing this character was incredibly enjoyable."
Daniels Crater was relentless, asking, "In this kind of film, women are bound to play second fiddle, right?"
Natalie Portman playfully shrugged, maintaining her poise. "I think it's rare to get a chance to play a female scientist in such a movie. I'm happy to be a foil for the hero. Plus, I love the humor in this film, and the elaborate Asgard sets were pretty spectacular."
Realizing that this Los Angeles Times reporter wasn't exactly friendly, Natalie Portman lost interest in continuing the interview. Nonetheless, she remained courteous. "It's getting late, so let's call it a night."
With that, she ducked into the car and instructed the driver to head back to the Beverly Hills hotel.
"Phone!"
As the car started, Natalie Portman took her phone from her assistant and logged into her social media account.
"For my goddess, I have to see 'Thor'!"
"'Thor' is great—simple and fun!"
She scrolled through several comments, all praising her, which lifted her spirits. Thinking about the other film that premiered tonight, she opened Google and typed in "City of Chaos."
It had been over an hour since both 'Thor' and 'City of Chaos' ended their screenings. While mainstream media reviews wouldn't be out until the next day, the immediacy of the internet allowed fans and critics to share their thoughts promptly.
The Google search results displayed a long list of reviews for 'City of Chaos,' including those from ordinary moviegoers and professional critics.
Natalie Portman filtered the results and decided to start with the professional critics' pages.
"Failure! Failure!" She kept cursing in her heart as the page loaded. "It must be a total flop! All black reviews!"
However, the reviews she read thoroughly disappointed her.
Many well-known professional critics had already posted their thoughts on 'City of Chaos' on their social media accounts.
"In 'City of Chaos,' Murphy Stanton portrays New York City as a dark metropolis rife with crime, corruption, and pervasive wealth, reaching the lowest point of the social bottom line. The film instills infinite fear in viewers, with fear being its core theme! No film before has so clearly explained the relationship between fear, anger, and strength through its narrative."
—A.O. Scott
"This is the best noir film since the new millennium, with both visual and emotional impact that is thrilling, a benchmark for crime films. Murphy Stanton has redefined the crime action genre on the big screen, making it stunning. Despite its oppressive atmosphere by commercial film standards, this is where the film shines. Murphy Stanton's work is distinctly different from popcorn flicks."
—Manohla Dargis
"Murphy Stanton's characterization of Chris Dann is classic. From self-doubt to rigorous training to rediscovering justice, the entire process is seamless, with a rich, authentic inner emotional journey. An excellent series opener!"
—Richard Corliss
"Murphy Stanton's 'City of Chaos' breaks away from Hollywood's increasingly clichéd commercial films. The scale and grandeur are magnificent, the characters are rich and full, and the plot is more intricate and exciting—from the script, cinematography, editing, scene coordination, characters, music, and props, the film is a new benchmark for entertaining blockbusters. In a way, he has raised the bar for commercial films, which might be bad news for his peers but definitely good news for the audience!"
—Michael Phillips
"'City of Chaos' is a bold and outstanding noir crime film, possibly one of Murphy Stanton's best. He deviates from Hollywood's exaggerated, unintelligent style, using a realistic approach to create a gritty, bold, dark, and realistic style while using IMAX film to achieve an operatic grandeur! It's no exaggeration to say this film elevates commercial cinema to new heights, and its rich, dark, realistic style will have a profound influence on Hollywood's production style."
—Todd McCarthy
Next, Natalie Portman saw Kenneth Turan's review, which was also positive. Her previously good mood vanished!
All the reviews she just read came from some of America's most famous professional critics. Many of these individuals are often ranked among the top ten critics in North America by various media.
Luckily, Natalie Portman found a bit of solace.
"The film's first half, depicting the protagonist's inner transformation, is too long and tedious. The alternating reality and flashbacks, along with the use of both narrative and non-linear editing, make it somewhat difficult to follow, which is not appealing."
Although this review wasn't from a very famous critic, it was still a negative one, wasn't it?
Adjusting her mood slightly, Natalie Portman reminded herself that good reviews for 'City of Chaos' didn't necessarily mean it would outperform her film, 'Thor.' All that mattered was that the superhero movie had better reviews...
With this in mind, she searched for reviews of 'Thor,' and her face tightened immediately. Even without reading the content, seeing the names of the reviewers on Google's homepage was enough to make Natalie Portman uneasy.
Chrollo Galicia, Paul Standeris, Fero Martelu...
Who are these critics? She barely recognized any of them. Why weren't there any well-known critics? What did this imply?
Natalie Portman knew very well that this meant the top-tier critics had all gone to see 'City of Chaos,' leaving only a few lesser-known critics to review her Oscar-winning performance in 'Thor.'
Despite her reluctance, she couldn't ignore this fact!
After exhaling, Natalie Portman began reading the lesser-known critics' reviews.
"Kenneth Branagh successfully makes 'Thor' accessible, coherent, and engaging. He incorporates elements that could easily be handled poorly, creating a huge, magnificent, visually powerful superhero film."
This seemed promising. It looked like the film's reviews wouldn't be an issue.
With this hope, she continued reading.
"This movie has a great style, providing viewers with an excellent fantasy journey in the latest 3D format. The special effects and film settings ensure that the audience can immerse themselves in an exciting and stimulating viewing experience. Although not a groundbreaking film, it is satisfying and entertaining; the entire setting benefits character and narrative development."
These positive reviews didn't mention her by name, but Natalie Portman didn't mind. As long as the film was praised by critics, the lead actress would naturally receive accolades as well.
"The movie is chaotic overall, with one-dimensional character portrayals and disappointing performances. It relies on dazzling special effects rather than an emotionally engaging and compelling story to impress viewers. Even among Marvel's superhero films, it's quite average!"
"What!"
Natalie Portman furrowed her eyebrows into a signature eight-shaped line.
"Overall, the story of Thor's exile to Earth and his growth into a hero is too bland and unremarkable. It's a standard summer popcorn movie with nothing outstanding."
The more reviews she read, the more negative ones she encountered. Perhaps these lesser-known critics weren't as serious as the older generation, and some even mocked the film.
"The most interesting part of 'Thor' is explaining once again that gods are higher extraterrestrial beings. The movie is just too dull, with action scenes far worse than expected. It's a boring superhero film, worth two and a half or three stars at most, a film you could skip."
"Natalie Portman's performance is terrible, like a middle-aged market vendor, completely overshadowed by the supporting actress. The lead actress seems superfluous, the only reason for her existence being the third-rate melodramatic romance with Thor! Overall, this movie's intelligence level is at best a children's bedtime story, showcasing Hollywood's industrial assembly line special effects. Marvel isn't showing us a movie; they're showing us art direction..."
At this point, Natalie Portman couldn't hold back any longer. If not for maintaining her image in front of her assistant, bodyguard, and driver, she would have smashed her phone!
Luckily, she soon arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel. After a short while in her room, she received some good news that made her smile.
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