Invitation to a new work

The café buzzed with voices, and near the bar, more than twenty people stood in line, eagerly discussing how exceptional "The King's Speech" was and how splendid Colin Firth's performance had been.

However, most people opted for takeout. The Telluride Film Festival was so vibrant that no one wanted to waste time idly sitting in a café. They wished they could spend twenty-four hours a day shuttling between various theaters. As a result, there were even vacant seats around.

"A latte and a slice of Black Forest cake, thank you," the curly-haired chubby guy handed the menu back to the waiter. Then he noticed Renly's bright and expressive eyes, not a special gaze or a particular scrutiny, but rather a calm demeanor like a clear spring. Yet, that deep, bottomless ink-like color tempted people to delve into its depths.

Having grown up in a typical middle-class community near Los Angeles, he had witnessed the so-called social elites and upper crust—lawyers, judges, doctors, fund managers, government officials, and the like. Their condescending pride and arrogance were truly off-putting. That's why he had left his hometown of Orange, CA, freeing himself from all constraints, to wholeheartedly chase his film dreams.

The Renly before him made him curious. He could sense an underlying aloofness beneath Renly's gentlemanly demeanor, but there was no trace of offense, let alone the arrogance of superiority. This mild yet resolute, serene yet sharp temperament actually elicited a slight fondness.

So, he flashed a wide smile and extended his right hand. "Look at my memory. It's only now that I've remembered to introduce myself. Drake Doremus," he said with enthusiasm. "Sorry for interrupting your movie plans today."

Having learned that the curly-haired chubby guy was a director and had extended a collaboration invitation to Renly, Rooney took her leave. She was planning to watch "127 Hours", a film her sister had acted in but which she hadn't had the chance to see yet. In the end, only Renly and the curly-haired chubby guy remained in the café. They found a place to sit down and began their conversation.

"Renly Hall." Renly shook the man's right hand and casually stated, "The charm of Telluride lies in its association with films. Even now." Yet, his mind was filled with question marks: Drake Doremus? Who is he?

Renly didn't dare claim to be familiar with all film works. In the vast river of film history, there were not just thousands but millions of movies, and the lesser-known ones were like countless stars. However, the works from the 21st century were the ones Renly had watched the most extensively. He had almost seen all the lesser-known films. Yet, the name Drake Doremus, this director, didn't ring a bell for him.

What did that imply? Did it mean that Drake wasn't worth knowing? Were his works unremarkable? Perhaps just an obscure independent production that no one cared about? Should Renly turn and leave now?

No, Renly chose to remain seated. As he said, this was Telluride, and even if Drake was a relative unknown, forming a friendship with a fellow film enthusiast was a kind of reward. Besides, Renly wouldn't arrogantly assume he had mastered all films after the 21st century; that would be too conceited.

"I like your response," Drake said with a hearty smile. Renly's effortless and composed demeanor once again affirmed Drake's internal thoughts. "In fact, I'm in the midst of preparing my third film. The pre-production work is all done, and we're ready to start shooting at any time. The problem, though, is that I haven't found the right male lead."

Drake was telling the truth. He had been scouring around for nearly three months for the male lead for his new film, but he still hadn't found the right candidate.

For low-budget independent films, every aspect was a challenge. The actors he had his eye on might demand too high a price, or they might be dissatisfied with the script. The actors he could find might not fit the character he envisioned. Finding the right actor was like finding a needle in a haystack; no one knew when they'd discover a treasure.

That's why many independent directors often had a regular cast, either friends they were familiar with from life or actors they enjoyed collaborating with after a successful project.

Drake believed that Renly understood this well, as he had just finished shooting "Buried", also a low-budget independent production.

Indeed, Renly chuckled lightly. "I hope you're not asking for the impossible."

Drake also smiled. "I admit I have high standards. I've been waiting until now." In his composed manner, he subtly complimented Renly. At that moment, their coffees were served. Drake pushed his cup slightly forward, leaning in a bit. "Have you seen Richard Linklater's "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset"?"

"Of course," Renly recalled the playful banter with Rooney last night and couldn't help but grin. "Are you planning to make a romance film like that?"

"Yes, and no," Drake teased, a trace of smugness fleeting in his eyes. "I want to tell a story where two people meet, get to know each other, and fall in love—like two flames igniting a fervent passion for one another, heedless and driven by obsession, to the point of losing all reason. But just when their love is at its hottest, they're forced to live apart due to uncontrollable circumstances. The scorching love is doused with a bucket of cold water, facing the test of a long-distance relationship. So, where will this relationship ultimately lead?"

Drake's narration stirred Renly's memory, reminding him of a film that told a similar story— "Like Crazy".

The film depicted the story of two college students, Anna and Jacob, falling head over heels in love, as if they'd gone mad, forgetting everything else. Anna even disregarded her visa issue—she was a British student studying in the United States, and her visa expired after graduation. She failed to leave the U.S. within the deadline. Later, due to a friend's wedding, she had to make a trip back to the UK. Upon returning to the U.S., she was shocked to discover she had been denied entry at the border. Their love faced a severe test.

This was one of Renly's favorite romance films.

For many people, the movie depicted the pain and torment of long-distance relationships, but Renly held a different perspective. He believed that "Like Crazy" truly portrayed the essence of love, its most authentic form—starting from the moment of meeting, the chemical reaction of hormones erupting like a volcano, earth-shattering, plunging into the river of love; the madness and obsession of infatuation, destroying all reason, everything so wild, like the meeting of tornadoes; and then, they encountered obstacles, difficulties, struggles, and the temperature of love gradually cooled. Thus, love became a part of life, gradually eroded by mundane matters, its original appearance forever lost.

As Drake had just said, "Like Crazy" was somewhat akin to the duology and sometime later trilogy of "Before Sunrise", "Before Sunset", and "Before Midnight", presenting the complete face of love—from inception to demise, from brewing to dissolution—real and brutal, beautiful and heartbreaking. Yet, "Like Crazy" was different from Richard Linklater's trilogy. It explored whether the essence of love lay in the collision of passion or in the enduring companionship.

In daily life, love couldn't always maintain its boiling point of 100 degrees. It had its peaks and valleys. But during crucial moments, when the beloved wasn't by one's side, joy and sorrow, happiness and sadness, delight and setbacks couldn't be shared together. Then, was love still necessary? Especially when two lovers were separated by distance, the shackles of time and space causing constant missed opportunities, would they gradually fade from each other's lives? At this juncture, how should love continue?

Drake didn't provide a direct answer in the film, leaving an open ending that would evoke various interpretations from different viewers. This was precisely why Renly liked this movie so much.

Optimists might believe that they overcame countless obstacles and eventually came together. Pessimists might think that time's erosion inevitably changed both individuals, making it impossible to return to the past.

Renly fell into the latter category.

"Like Crazy" was a highly niche film because of its extreme realism and cruelty. It was nearly unbearable. But it was also exquisitely delicate and beautiful, allowing anyone who had truly experienced love to find a shadow of themselves in the film. Consequently, the film's box office results weren't satisfying, and its promotional efforts were mediocre. Nonetheless, it received unanimous acclaim among film critics, winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Unfortunately, during the awards season, its promotion and distribution fell short. It faced fierce competition from two films, "The Artist" and "Midnight in Paris", and ultimately failed to garner any recognition or even nominations. This was indeed a rare occurrence. Prior to "Like Crazy", the winners of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize had received consecutive Oscar nominations for three years, with two of those years securing Best Picture nominations.

Yet, despite all this, Renly's affection for "Like Crazy" remained unchanged.

However, Renly was unaware that the director of "Like Crazy" was Drake Doremus. More accurately, he had looked up Drake's information before, but unfortunately, Drake's subsequent works couldn't compare to "Like Crazy", including his 2015 film "Equals", which had mediocre quality. Consequently, Renly gradually forgot about this director. When he heard the name just now, he had no reaction.

The excellence of "Like Crazy" stemmed from the fact that it was an adaptation of the director's own story—his and his wife's true story. Every detail and emotion in the movie were so relatable. In the film, Anna and Jacob eventually came together, embracing each other despite their scars. In reality, Drake and his wife divorced in 2008.