Mark's voice leaped off the phone and his enthusiasm was shown through his tone.
"Congrats, kid. When l saw the numbers l almost broke the tablet. I thought the interns were pranking me, those little shits. Im getting offers from some studio executives. I mean not Spielberg-level, don't get hard. Some interesting people. This Italian director seems enthusiastic."
"What was his name. Ummm. Luca Guadalupe? Guadron? Fuck it's not coming to me."
"Luca Guadagnino" My voice trembled a bit.
"Ahh yes! I failed Italian, the teacher was a blowhard. Anyway, something about a adaption on a book. l believe it's homo-o-homo. I send the details for the audition, it will be the day after you come back." His Bostonian accent was louder.
The phone call ended as quickly as it began. I was incredibly confused as l remember the film was released in 2017 and that it launched Timothee Chalamet illustrious career. The film had a small budget but had a box office of 40 million dollars.
The hotel room felt warmer and my arms felt heavier.
What did Luca see in Margin Call that drew his attention. Some Wall Street bigmouth in some secret queer relationship in rural Italy. The comic image made me laugh.
The film was beautiful and the setting, 1980's lazy Italian countryside, was painted with nostalgic warmth as the film captured the haze of the beating sun and the azure blues of water and sky. The film seemed to skip through time like dream or a powerful memory. Oh, how l wished for an experience like that instead driving to my job at ShopRite with no help from management. l can remember the carts rattling across the tiles as a teenager during the hot New York summer.
This project can change my life. Ambition swelled up inside me and went to the local bookstore to get an English translation of Call Me by Name and took almost the rest of the day to finish it.
The description was thin at first, almost transient, and l couldn't help relate to the anguish felt by Elio. The feeling of first of love is like a sunset, a blaze of color — oranges, peaches, vibrant purples — much like the film. There is nothing half so sweet in life as love's young dream, said by Thomas Moore.
Among the best parts of the novel are the passages in which Elio imagines what he might at any moment utter in Oliver's presence or imagined presence. Elio's mind is racing with alternative scenarios. Is this even what he wants? He's not sure but he wants to find out. Matters are thought out and after some new bit of action or information, rethought and modified. There is a mastery of tone here that constantly astonishes and bewilders me.
I slept the best l could and woke up to sun hitting my face. I packed all my things - not much - and went to the airport and after 6 hours landed into LAX drowsy and jet lagged. The city was especially live due to the 35th Pride Parade and as a looked by, in a taxi, l could not help but asked if Elio would be there.
Right until the audition, l studied Italian, played the piano and guitar (I already could) and treated the novel as a "bible". As l walked along the stale, white hallway, dreary eyed, from all the work the previous night and heard my name called out by a man who was probably is the Casting Assistant.
The room was uncommonly huge but there were two black office chairs. Luca stood up and looked almost as stress as me, his eyes: green and brown; the color of grass dying, stared at me with warmth. He strolled over to me in that slow Italian tradition but his voice was quick as a cat.
"Ryan. A pleasure to meet you. You are dressed as l pictured Elio. I was wearing a red polo shirt with blue jeans. My tiredness added years to my life but Luca's spirit seemed to make the room more colorful as if we were..
Behind, Luca was a person I was surprised to see. His demeanor was calm and he spoke with a slight British accent.
"Hello, ny name is Andrew Garfield, Luca told me how much he's looking forward to see your presenza. Forgive me, I came from a long shoot two days ago but I feel younger with Luca right?"
"Youth is a easy thing to capture but when you see it, you can not just feel a hint of jealousy" said Luca. "But to show love, true love, that's a hard thing to do and when a old guy likes me see it—to see in Oliver and Elio in my dreams—I can not help but feel younger." He looked away for a long moment and quickly said, "I already my choice but can you two do just 2 scenes for me"
The person behind him Amanda Lowe, the main financier off the film seemed unimpressed with Ryan'a demeanor. Handsome but empty. As if she passed an art exhibit of antiques that looked impressive at first but as she read the description she unconsciously was transported to other thoughts. When Luca asked Ryan to act with a fill in actor for Oliver, she could not help but see the longing for love that seemed almost universal.
For the next scene, Luca asked Ryan to do a quick slow dance with Andrew. Luca played "Love my Way" by the Pyschedelic Acura. The marimba like percussion gives it an almost tropical warmth while the vocals sound restrained which gave the song a smooth and hypnotic feel. The two young actors gave into their roles and the two played it perfectly: Ryan feel into a somewhat anxious but aroused state while Andrew—the older one—felt more composed and confident. It is quite a marvelous thing to see two actors fully respond to each others energy.
Damn, Luca hit a home run this time.
_______
Kevin who had just came back from school was a shy and romantic minded high schooler. His days were passed in lazy yellow school buses and classrooms that smelled like gum. He was half-listening to his teacher babbling about the recession 3 years ago, in those days he was to busy playing Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed in his Xbox 360. Although his attention piqued when he saw the trailer for Margin Call.
He drove his 2001 Toyota Camry to his local AMC that was always dark and nearly empty. As he bought his tickets and almost slipped on the carpet filled with circles, he sat down.
The first scene was of Eric Dale (Stanley Tucci) getting fired and as he walked defeated through the hallway he passed Peter and Seth. Kevin immediately liked Peter's personality: gracious and intelligent; although he immediately disliked Seth's (Ryan Stone) smug expresssion. It reminded him of the football guys in his high school who often smoked weed in the locker room or shoved toilet paper down the toilet to flood the room to elicit laughs from their teammates.
As the film progressed, Kevin's impression of Seth intensified. But it was in the bathroom scene, where Seth broke down as he realized his career was over from the company layoffs.
His primal fear of falling of the social pyramid felt so real and one can not but sympathize with Seth. For all of his ambition and hubris, it was a byproduct of the rat race that is a hallmark of Wall Street. It is natural to rise through the ranks: to get the pretty blonde girl, own the latest Porsche, and get invited to the trendy parties. It was a seperare world or reality.
As the film ended, Kevin could not but feel empty as the credits roll down. As the other 3 people stood up and looked if they left a wallet on the seat, Kevin remained seated and was curious about the actor who played Seth.
I wonder what's his next project ?