America gains both fame and fortune

Chapter 505 Chanel No. 5

No one expected that this year's Cannes Film Festival would end in such a chaotic way. The battle between the two Isabelles will surely be remembered in the history of film.

Martin quickly returned to the hotel. Relevant news continued to come in. The Cannes Organizing Committee had to spend a lot of effort to calm Anjani down, and the matter did not escalate to the level of calling the police.

In fact, Ajani was not injured. This female leader of the evil faction was probably pretending at the time.

Martin waited until late at night until Mene returned to the hotel before he felt relieved.

The next morning, he specially called Mene to have breakfast together.

At the dining table, Martin peeled eggs and asked, "Are you okay?"

Mene smiled sheepishly: "It's just that my clothes are ruined, nothing else."

Bruce said: "You were a hero saving the damsel in distress last night."

Facing Martin and Old Bull, Menet did not hide anything and said directly: "Actually, I could pull Huppert away, but I wanted to leave a deeper impression on Huppert, so I stood in the middle."

Martin gave Mene a thumbs up: "Great."

Bruce said, "I didn't expect you to be a scumbag!"

Mene scratched his head: "I learned it from you. Last time you said you were going to find the Kardashian sisters..."

"Shut up!" Bruce was furious.

Martin looked at Old Bull: "Sisters? Old man, what did you say at the beginning? You only love Khloe."

"Kim forced her way in, and Khloe was worried that her sister would be sad, but she couldn't refuse." Bruce's face was full of grievance after being wronged: "What can I do?"

He changed the subject abruptly: "Did Huppert say anything to you? You did so much."

Menet said: "She will take me to meet French female director Jeanne Labrune this afternoon and recommend me to play the leading role in her new film."

Martin asked with concern: "What are you going to do next?"

"He's the leading actor anyway." Menet smiled and said, "I can't refuse Huppert's kindness."

He took a sip of milk and continued, "Huppert thought that my acting with her was in line with the current social situation in France, a white woman and a black man."

Martin nodded: "Art film?"

Menet simply said: "Huppert's heroine is a bohemian high-end call girl who loves her job very much, but then suddenly feels bored. She wants to reawaken her love for her work and finds the hero who is a psychologist."

Bruce got to know Yu Pelle in detail for this year's Cannes Film Festival and said, "None of the characters played by your goddess of art are normal people."

After hearing Mene's description, Martin could imagine the final effect of the film, the usual style and tone of European art films.

Menet added: "This film will not start shooting until the second half of the year, so it won't conflict with Nolan's new film. I think it's okay to give it a try next time. With Isabelle Huppert in the crew, I can get to know more European filmmakers."

Martin will not interfere in this regard: "You make your own decision."

Bruce exposed Mene's past: "You want to meet more European goddesses, right?"

Mene showed his two rows of white teeth and laughed: "Old Bu, I will introduce you to them when the time comes!"

Thomas hurried into the restaurant at this time and came to Martin: "It's urgent."

Martin pointed to the chair opposite him and said, "Sit down and talk."

Bruce poured him a glass of water.

Thomas sat down and said, "The company called. Chanel just contacted them. Karl Lagerfeld wants to see you."

He came over in a hurry, picked up the water cup and took a sip, then said, "I contacted Chanel headquarters according to the contact information provided by the company, and confirmed that the person calling was Karl Lagerfeld's assistant. Karl Lagerfeld is currently in Cannes, and he wants to see you this afternoon."

Martin asked, "Why do you want to see me?"

Thomas said, "Advertising endorsement! He wants you to be the spokesperson for Chanel No. 5."

"Wait!" Martin asked the question in his mind: "Isn't Chanel No. 5 a women's perfume? Why do you want a male spokesperson?"

Thomas was equally puzzled: "I don't know either."

Martin frowned and thought, thinking that he would not be favored by Karl Lagerfeld, right? After all, what kind of men has Karl Lagerfeld not seen and experienced?

Thomas said: "You'll know once you meet him."

Martin asked again: "Has Chanel No. 5 ever had a male spokesperson in the past?"

"No, it never happened before." Thomas can confirm this: "After Nicole Kidman's contract with Chanel No. 5 expired, Chanel refused to renew her contract. It was like box office poison. Her endorsement effect was not good."

He had inquired about many things after the call: "This time, Chanel plans to hire a male and female spokesperson. The female spokesperson is said to be Audrey Tautou, who played Coco Chanel in the movie "Chanel in Fashion"."

Martin was unfamiliar with the name Audrey Tautou: "Has she starred in other famous movies?"

Thomas said: "'Emily', some people also call it 'Angel Emily'." The latter name reminded Martin of the corresponding movie, which should be "Angel Emily".

Martin said, "Okay, I'll go see him this afternoon."

Thomas stood up: "I'll go and give them a reply."

At 2:30 in the afternoon, Martin arrived at the yacht dock in Cannes and boarded a white luxury yacht.

Under the awning on the top deck, Karl Lagerfeld and his boyfriend Baptiste Giabiconi stood up to greet them.

Martin shook hands with Lagerfeld and nodded slightly to Giabiconi as a greeting.

The latter was an unknown little model last year, but after his chance encounter with Lagerfeld, he is now a popular male model in Europe.

Good words are free. Martin glanced at Lagerfeld's iconic sunglasses and white hair and said, "I didn't expect that I would have the honor of meeting the Caesar of the fashion world in Cannes."

Lagerfeld smiled and said: "He is the first actor born in the 1980s in Hollywood. He deserves the title!"

He said: "Congratulations on winning the Oscar and the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival. Martin, there are very few young actors like you who have achieved great success in both the artistic and commercial fields."

In front of Lagerfeld, who has a very high style, Martin also used words to set off his own style: "God has given me an outstanding talent, and my efforts have made the talent come true, that's all."

Lagerfeld nodded slightly and asked, "What do you think of Chanel No. 5?"

"It is the most representative perfume for women." Martin expressed himself like an artist: "Compared to abstract emotions or beauty, it can awaken their souls."

He combined these words with some of his experiences in his previous life, when many girls sold their souls and bodies for Chanel No. 5.

Martin directly asked the question in his mind: "Chanel No. 5 has never had a male spokesperson in the past. Why did Lagerfeld choose me?"

Lagerfeld said calmly: "It seems incredible and absurd for a man to interpret the most classic women's fragrance."

Martin waited for him to continue.

Lagerfeld said: "But the definition of Chanel No. 5 is revolution, breaking the secular conventions. You are a young man full of vitality, and time has precipitated a special mature charm in you. The two temperaments of youth and maturity are perfectly integrated in you!"

He looked Martin up and down carefully: "I can see that under your charming appearance, you have a wild and unrestrained heart. The masculinity you exude will attract countless women."

These words coming from a man who has a boyfriend made Martin feel uncomfortable all over and even got goose bumps.

But he sat as steady as a mountain, just smiling faintly, appearing extremely confident.

Lagerfeld continued: "If an outstanding man like you is fascinated by Chanel No. 5, it will convey a belief that everyone will be fascinated by Chanel No. 5!"

He emphasized the last sentence: "This will make Chanel No. 5 even more legendary."

Hearing this, Martin grasped the key point. In this age of information explosion, even Chanel No. 5 needs to create topics.

According to his understanding from many contacts with Cartier, luxury goods require more advanced marketing methods.

Martin said politely: "I am honored by your favor."

Lagerfeld nodded to him slightly.

Martin said: "Karl, I can't give you a definite answer right now. My agency and team need to comprehensively weigh the pros and cons."

He has always been particular about getting paid for his work. The five major sponsors just paid $600 million for the Cannes Best Actor Award: "I am currently cooperating with many brands, and I also need to say hello to them."

This matter involves many aspects, and Karl Lagerfeld did not expect Martin to give an immediate answer.

"Okay, now that we've finished our business, we can talk about something else." Lagerfeld asked, "Are you interested in going fishing at sea together?"

Martin glanced at Bruce and Thomas without leaving a trace and said, "Of course, I haven't fished on a luxury cruise ship yet."

Soon, the yacht started slowly and sailed out of the dock area.

There was a fishing rod on the boat. Martin had gone sea fishing when he was in Los Angeles. Although he was not a good fisherman, he was quite capable of using a fishing rod.

Before dark, the yacht returned to the dock and Martin said goodbye and left.

After coming down the long trestle, Martin got in the car and said to Thomas, "You go back to Los Angeles and study this matter carefully with the agency. I am not sure what the subsequent impact will be."

Thomas had never encountered this before, and said, "Once you sign a contract with Chanel No. 5, the influence will be huge. Are you worried about the negative impact?"

Martin said: "If it's not suitable, I would rather turn it down."

Thomas said: "Don't give an answer for now, we'll see what happens."

Martin reminded: "Say hello to all the sponsors."

The three of them returned to the Wuyang Hotel. Mene called and said that he would not be back tonight and would meet at the lobby front desk when he checked out tomorrow.

The next morning, Martin and his team separated from David Fincher and Thomas, took a flight to Paris, and then flew from Paris to Morocco to meet up with Nolan's crew there.

(End of this chapter)