After saying that, Simon waited for Amy Pascal to nod slightly before turning and walking elsewhere.
This party had been organized by Orion at Simon's request after he'd heard Ron McMillan's message last time. Everyone who'd helped make Run Lola Run had been invited, and Simon mingled wholeheartedly.
The party went on until late into the night, but Simon still got up early the next day.
Because he was moving.
His new residence was halfway up the hill in the Palisades area north of Santa Monica—a mansion on about an acre of land, more than twice the size of Janet's place in Malibu. It occupied a cliffside all to itself, with an excellent view; from inside the house, you could easily overlook the entire Los Angeles cityscape and the vast ocean scenery at the foot of the mountain.
Of course, the monthly rent was a steep $15,000.
Though he had no particular preference for mansions, Simon found that to ensure privacy, he basically had to rent this type of place.
Speaking of which, with his current net worth, buying a mansion would be well within his means, and deep down, he preferred living in a house that was his own. But right now, it was the peak of the 1980s U.S. stock and real estate bubbles.
If he couldn't see the future, Simon might have jumped into the hot market and bought a house. But he clearly remembered that with the stock market crash in the second half of this year, the U.S. housing market would also be hit hard and plummet. Buying then would not only mean much lower prices but also far more options.
After a busy weekend, the new week arrived quickly.
But early Monday morning, Simon was still in a deep sleep when the phone rang, waking him. It was Mike Medavoy, urgently telling him to receive a fax.
After some scrambling, Simon saw an article from the East Coast's New York Times. The title was just one word: "Hoax." The content came from a New York Times contributor named Mark Hollington.
"The first time I saw Run Lola Run, I fell deeply in love with the film. Every detail—the cinematography, colors, score, editing—gave me a fresh, eye-opening feeling."
"A movie can actually be made like this."
"But when I heard this film came from an 18-year-old boy, I immediately fell into some indescribable confusion. Then, like my West Coast colleague wrote in that article, I started recalling my own 18 years old, and even those of everyone around me."
"I grew up in a decent family, received a decent education, and was surrounded by plenty of smart people. But in the end, I realized that among all the people I know, not one had the potential to complete such an outstanding film at 18. Yes, I said 'potential.' Even if they'd been trained from childhood in directing, cinematography, scoring, lighting, and every other aspect of film, I don't think any of them could have single-handedly finished a film as stunning as Run Lola Run at 18."
"Now, somehow, someone has done it."
"He personally wrote the script, personally directed, personally handled the camera, personally did the editing, personally took care of the score... and all of it is so outstanding that it's beyond reproach."
"Is this really possible?"
"So, while rewatching the film repeatedly, I began paying close attention to everything about this young director named Simon Westeros. When newspaper info could no longer satisfy my intense curiosity, I even went to San Francisco myself and stayed there for a full week."
"Simon Westeros—perhaps he prefers to be called that now."
"This boy grew up in a children's welfare home in San Jose, San Francisco County. He had no family and no foster homes, which is indeed heartbreaking. Then, relying on federal welfare support, Simon Westeros quietly completed his education from elementary through high school without fanfare and was admitted to Stanford University in a stunning turn. I interviewed many people around Simon Westeros, and they did say he was a very hardworking boy. But at the same time, these people confirmed they'd never noticed any film talent in Simon Westeros; many didn't even remember him watching movies."
"So, I can basically conclude that Simon Westeros's film talent absolutely didn't come from his teenage years."
"Next, Simon Westeros entered Stanford University. But in less than two months, the poor young man was sent to a mental hospital for nine months of treatment due to a sudden mental illness."
"Clearly, two months at Stanford weren't enough for Simon Westeros to accumulate any film skills either."
"After that, I also visited that mental hospital. The doctor in charge of Simon Westeros was very guarded when I asked questions and didn't reveal much. I even tried to get his medical records but was told they'd been lost."
"Very cleverly 'lost.'"
"Though I can't determine what exactly happened during those nine months in the mental hospital, for a violent schizophrenic to leave after just nine months is already remarkable. He obviously couldn't have received any film training during those nine months either."
"Then, the miracle happened."
"When Simon Westeros appeared in Los Angeles, he suddenly became a film genius proficient in all sorts of professional skills."
"Yes, absolutely a 'genius.'"
"Every detail of Run Lola Run makes him worthy of the word."
"But is this really possible?"
"A person with no connection to film from childhood suddenly becomes a director; someone who's never touched a camera suddenly masters cinematography; someone who couldn't possibly have had any music training suddenly excels at scoring? And editing, and lighting, and all the rest?"
"As a film critic, a veteran movie buff, and a film industry insider who's barely crossed the threshold by writing a script or two—though I've never been involved in production—I know very well that any job in the filmmaking process requires long, focused honing to reach the top. No one reaches the summit without climbing."
"Now, looking at Run Lola Run's skyrocketing box office, the media's boiling-hot discussions, the lines of audiences waiting to get into theaters, and Simon Westeros being chased by paparazzi like a handsome rock star, I can't shake one thought from my mind."
"Hoax!"
"All of this is just a hoax."
"First, I must declare again: I have no doubt about the excellence of Run Lola Run. This is a outstanding film worthy of a place in Hollywood history."
"But,"
"I absolutely don't believe that so many of the credits in the film were personally handled by a young man like Simon Westeros. I'm more inclined to believe that all of this is just a farce orchestrated by some behind-the-scenes manipulator for massive profits."
"So, Simon Westeros, if I'm wrong, prove it to me! If you can prove it, I'm willing to apologize to you in any forum, in any way. But if I'm right, then tell everyone the truth—tell all the fans who love this movie but have been deeply deceived."
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