"Martin, ready?" Todd Phillips called out.
Standing before the dilapidated hallway of an apartment building, Martin flashed him a thumbs-up.
"Alright, Scene 16, Take 32—action!"
In an instant, Martin seemed to switch to a different "channel." His tall frame slumped, and he shuffled up the stairs, step by deliberate step.
Reaching the middle of the hallway, he slowly closed his eyes, then spread his arms as if struggling to tear free from an invisible cocoon, his movements heavy with effort.
"Camera, tight shot on Martin's face," Todd directed, his voice tinged with excitement. His eyes were glued to the monitor, muttering, "Expression—we need the expression here..."
In the hallway, Martin's arms stretched to their fullest. To his right, a massive camera loomed, its lens practically kissing his face. A sound tech gingerly extended a boom mic from behind, hovering just above his head.
Martin seemed oblivious to it all, lost in his own world. He exhaled softly, as if blowing away an invisible mask clinging to his face.
Behind the monitor, Todd nearly leaped from his seat. The screen captured Martin perfectly—every angle, crystal clear. The close-up of his profile was striking: a crooked half-smile, a nose quivering with suppressed emotion, and eyes radiating an icy chill.
Jack Nicholson shuddered. Every time he saw Martin slip into a role, it felt like the character was already living inside him.
"Damn," Nicholson muttered. "This kid doesn't sprout a new personality for every role, does he?" The thought gave him chills.
In the hallway, Martin began to move, arms swaying, spinning lightly. His eerie expression froze on his face, unmoved by his actions.
"Goddamn, this is unreal!" Todd exclaimed, sweating after just a few minutes.
As the dance ended, Martin steadied himself, his aura shifting back from that sinister edge—or rather, from "the Joker" to "Arthur." The scene captured the Joker slowly taking shape within Arthur's body, not yet fully formed, while Arthur's kinder side still fought back, though weakly.
Drenched in solitude, Arthur stared at the empty staircase, one hand on his stomach, the other behind his back, bowing faintly to the air in the hallway.
"Cut! That's a wrap Ar- Martin, you're a damn genius!" Todd blurted, accidentally calling him Arthur before catching himself, embarrassed. The performance's intensity had hit him hard.
Martin grinned. "Thanks. That slip-up's the best compliment I could get."
Chris Pratt, perched on a prop crate, stared at Todd in shock. The biggest suck-up in the crew is the assistant director?
Daniel Kaluuya, meanwhile, gaped at Martin, awestruck. Only up close, witnessing Martin's performance, could he grasp the sheer power of his character work. Compared to Martin, the "actors" he'd worked with on Skins or The Fades—were they even acting?
"Simply phenomenal. Unmatched," Daniel muttered.
Jack Nicholson overheard, and though he bristled with reluctance, he couldn't argue. He consoled himself: Hmph, if I were ten—no, twenty years younger, I could've pulled that off. Deep down, he knew it wasn't true.
Like dominoes falling, after Nicholson's visit, Leonardo DiCaprio showed up to check out the set. Unlike Jack, who came specifically, Leo was just passing through, in New York to discuss a new project with Martin Scorsese.
"Shutter Island?" Martin said. "I remember Dennis Lehane's novel by that name."
"Exactly," Leo replied. "It's adapted from that. I read the script—honestly, it blew me away."
"Scorsese's still got it."
In Martin's memory, Shutter Island's box office was underwhelming. Scorsese's psychological thriller was too opaque, leaving audiences confused and unmotivated to unravel its mysteries. The dual-narrative structure muddled the story's truth, leaving many viewers baffled by the ending. Still, it was a solid film and didn't lose money.
"By the way," Leo said, "Jack told me your Joker performance is scaring the hell out of people. I'm curious."
Martin smirked, dripping with subtle bravado. "I think my craft in The Joker has hit a new level."
How could it not? His inner magical prowess had advanced another tier.
"Really? Now I've gotta see this," Leo said.
"Scene 22, Take 69—action!"
This time, it was an outdoor staircase, a bridge scene. Martin stood on the steps, painted in full Joker makeup. Above him, two passersby—Daniel Kaluuya and Chris Pratt, one sporting a fake beard, the other glasses—lurked in the background. They'd become the film's go-to extras, offering up every angle of their bodies: backs, profiles, limbs, even butts.
Martin, as the Joker, danced freely on the steps. In this scene, the Joker was nearly fully formed, almost completely overtaking Arthur's original personality.
Artificial rain poured from above. Martin splashed through it, kicking, waving, head swaying. His curly, shoulder-length hair danced in the water, red-painted lips stretched into a manic grin, but his eyes remained chillingly detached.
"Damn, how's his eye work that good?" Leo muttered, staring at the monitor from behind Todd Phillips.
"It's the emotion," Todd replied. "The eyes need emotion to carry it. When it's intense enough, it spills out through the gaze."
"But how do you get emotion that intense?" Leo pressed. "And that look of his—like he's above all life. What kind of headspace does he tap into for that? He's not some nihilist who thinks he's god, right?"
"I haven't figured that out myself," Todd admitted. "Maybe we can ask him later."
"Hey, is that—Nicole?" Leo suddenly noticed the Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman standing nearby, with whom he'd been discussing eye acting.
"Hey, Leo, long time no see," Nicole said.
The New York Times: "With only 27 days until the 2008 election, Democratic candidate Barack Obama's momentum is surging. Gallup's October 8 poll shows him hitting record highs in support, lead duration, and lead margin..."
International Herald Tribune: "As the presidential race enters its final month, McCain's camp has unleashed a smear campaign, led by his running mate Palin over the weekend, claiming Obama sees America as deeply flawed and consorts with terrorists. On October 6, they doubled down, criticizing Obama's ties to radical anti-American, anti-Semitic pastor Wright..."
The Times: "French film icon Brigitte Bardot, once as famed as Marilyn Monroe, issued a statement on the 8th, blasting Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin as a shocking embarrassment and a disgrace to women, hoping for her defeat in the upcoming election..."