Echoes of Hollywood

As the lights on the screen completely dimmed, the lights in the private theater instantly turned on. Roger Ebert leaned back in his chair and slowly closed his eyes. A nurse nearby immediately picked up a towel to gently wipe the sweat from his forehead and then quietly watched him, waiting for him to open his eyes and give instructions.

Due to several surgeries, Roger Ebert could no longer speak and rarely watched films or wrote reviews.

When 20th Century Fox sent a copy of the film, he initially intended to refuse it. However, upon hearing that it was a film by Murphy Stanton, entirely shot in an artistic style rather than his usual noir commercial films, his curiosity got the better of him, and he had the copy kept.

Roger Ebert enjoyed Murphy Stanton's highly stylized noir commercial films, but he had to admit that the director was overly ambitious. Despite having the ability to create deeper films, he plunged into the realm of commercial cinema and refused to step out.

Now, with this new film, Ebert was eager to see it.

"There's a clear gap between him and the top art film masters," Roger Ebert slowly opened his eyes. "But for a young director in his early thirties, managing to pace the narrative so smoothly without dragging and presenting a profound theme without being sharp is rare."

He turned to look at the nurse beside him, who had been with him for many years and understood his intentions immediately. She instructed the servant, "Prepare pen and paper!"

She then pushed Roger Ebert's high-backed wheelchair out of the private theater and into the adjacent studio, where the servant had already placed the pen and paper on Roger Ebert's dedicated desk.

The nurse positioned Roger Ebert at the desk and instructed everyone to be quiet before stepping aside.

Roger Ebert picked up his familiar fountain pen, closed his eyes to think for a moment, and then began writing on the paper.

"Accompanied by the protagonist Diego Ross's turbulent anger, Murphy Stanton and his new film dive into the chaos of Los Angeles in the 80s and 90s!"

"'Diego-Ross' is a film that induces tension, fear, and concern for its characters, heralding the rebirth of a talented and passionate director: Murphy Stanton begins to explore the essence of film art! Some have compared 'Diego-Ross' to Martin Scorsese's 'Goodfellas.' Such a comparison is well deserved. In 'Goodfellas,' the voiceover states that from as far back as he could remember, he always wanted to be a gangster. In 'Diego-Ross,' the protagonist seems to have no other options."

"Based on the true experiences of Los Angeles drug lord Diego Ross, Murphy Stanton, who himself grew up in the Los Angeles slums and later escaped through his efforts, ensures the story's authenticity as a foundation! After watching this film, you might wonder if this really happened in America? But as far as I know, some places in this civilized country are even more chaotic and dark than depicted by Murphy Stanton. The country's accelerating social division has made violent crime insignificant in some areas."

"Although the story always revolves around one character and has a single storyline, the director skillfully uses the camera to convey it within the slow narrative pace. Each long shot, character, and scene is meticulously crafted, making me wonder how many times he pondered each shot, refining and unifying the style. From start to finish, the cold, dark, and oppressive tone fully showcases the struggles of human nature."

"In some shots, Murphy Stanton employs techniques rarely used in documentaries, such as track zooms, high-speed flashes, and sudden freezes. More shocking than the visual imagery is the film's direct depiction of the harsh environment's impact on people."

"In terms of violence, 'Diego-Ross' isn't as intense as Murphy Stanton's previous noir films, but its atmosphere is even more chilling. The protagonist's environment feels utterly devoid of hope. The stories of people living in such places rarely get told. Murphy Stanton neither exploits nor despises them. He doesn't create plot points for false effect nor include a comforting, foolish love story. He simply observes everything with passionate, insightful eyes."

Although the film overly emphasizes the environment's negative impact on the protagonist, Roger Ebert thought these were minor issues. The environment's influence on people is indeed profound; denying its existence doesn't make it any less real.

Lifting his pen, Roger Ebert closed his eyes once more, thinking for about half a minute, and then opened them to give his final rating.

Out of a possible five stars, he awarded "Diego-Ross" four and a half stars and made a note to include a thumbs-up in his review.

The next morning, his review appeared simultaneously in his online column and in the Chicago Sun-Times, drawing significant attention.

Especially in recent years, he had rarely written reviews for individual films.

With the awards season already underway, Roger Ebert's and other professional critics' praise gave "Diego-Ross" more leverage in the race for nominations and awards.

Beyond these critics, the film also received widespread acclaim in the following day's print media.

"Murphy Stanton has created an excellent film with superb editing, a rich plot, and fitting music. What's more shocking is that this film is based on a true story!"

—The Hollywood Reporter

"A deeply moving film. Yes, the impact of this film is hard to describe in words. First, the director's skill is high, with advanced shooting techniques and editing methods. The music contrasts sharply with the theme—the harsher the story, the more lively the music. The slums of Los Angeles in the 80s and 90s, the closest place to hell on earth, are vividly recreated."

—Los Angeles Times

"Realistic, shocking, depicting a dishonorable, bloody legend."

—California Independent

"Editing, cinematography, music... Murphy Stanton's technical prowess is near-perfect. The narrative method is calm yet meticulous and smooth. The story itself is both real and brutal."

—San Francisco Chronicle

"A very realistic film that shows there are dark, dirty, violence-ridden, crime-filled places in America. Highly recommended."

—New York Post

"Amazing! Stunning! Some segments could serve as templates for audiovisual analysis! Environment dictates fate! Murphy Stanton has managed to make the film both brutal and artistic!"

—The New Yorker

"The film's media reviews are excellent. Among the 76 outlets included in Rotten Tomatoes, 85% gave positive reviews, with an average score of 8.4. On Metacritic, which aggregates reviews from top critics, the film averaged a score of 82 out of 43 reviews."

As the midday sun shone in the garden, Murphy sat on a wicker chair, looking at the newly replaced blooming bird of paradise, while holding the phone and listening to Kara Faith's data report from the other end. "Many mainstream media outlets believe the film has a good chance of securing nominations or awards at this year's Oscars."

"That will still require our efforts," Murphy was well aware.

Kara Faith continued, "But the audience reviews are relatively average. You need to pay attention to that."

Murphy nodded slightly, "I know."

This morning, he had already seen the data. CinemaScore's audience ratings from several test screenings for "Diego-Ross" only averaged an 'A-'.

For a film released on a limited basis, such a rating wasn't particularly ideal.

Murphy understood the reasons. The initial viewers were mostly his fans, who were accustomed to his fast-paced commercial productions. Such a slow-paced film might not hold their attention, though it wouldn't turn them away completely. It just didn't meet their expectations.

Fortunately, this film wasn't intended to be commercial or market-oriented.

"I've already instructed people to guide the market's word of mouth," Murphy had notified Bill Roscoe to mobilize his fan base appropriately. He changed the subject, "Any response from the Catholic Church?"

"None," Kara Faith confirmed. "So far, 20th Century Fox hasn't received any notices or protests."

She asked, "Should we do something?"

"No rush," Murphy thought for a moment and said into the phone, "Let's wait and see."

The film was still in limited release, and the media hadn't concentrated on this aspect. It was normal for there to be no reaction yet.

Just as Murphy ended his call with Kara Faith, in an unassuming office building in Santa Monica, Father Marquez Costello had just received a report from his subordinate.

"You mean..." he looked at the young priest across from him, "the film explicitly mentions *** and suggests Catholic faith can lead people astray?"

The young priest nodded, "Yes! You instructed me to keep an eye on this film. I went to the theater this morning. The depiction of our church is very disgraceful, far worse than 'Doubt' from a few years ago!"

Father Marquez Costello stood up, paced back and forth a couple of times, and instructed, "Contact 20th Century Fox and Murphy Stanton on my behalf. I want to meet them as soon as possible!"

"Understood!"

As the priest was about to leave, Father Marquez Costello called him back, "Prepare civilian clothes and movie tickets for me. I want to see this film myself!"

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