The lights above illuminated Matthew, casting a warm glow around him. This warm lighting, in addition to his wild and powerful aura, also gave him a touch of approachability. His perfectly fitted white shirt was unbuttoned at the top two buttons, expertly outlining his nearly perfect muscular physique. Even sitting still at the bar, he exuded a very masculine presence.
This scene was a long take, and before filming, the director specifically instructed Matthew that the male lead needed to embody a very cool and sophisticated demeanor.
He adjusted the sunglasses on his nose, picked up a beer bottle, took a "drink," and kept his eyes fixed on the book in his hand.
Behind him, extras, serving as background, moved back and forth.
Suddenly, there was a flurry of footsteps as armed police in uniform, carrying loaded weapons, burst into the hotel, speaking a language Matthew couldn't understand.
The scene was set in Colombia, so Matthew knew the gibberish was likely Spanish.
"Are you alone, sir?" the bartender behind the counter leaned in and whispered, "If you're alone, you need to be careful."
Immediately, armed police noticed them, walked over with their guns, and spoke Spanish lines to Matthew. Matthew took off his sunglasses, looked at them, pretending to listen intently, but used the opportunity to turn around, lean back against the bar, and simultaneously place one hand on the gun at his lower back.
Just then, the hotel door was pushed open from outside, and a coolly and provocatively dressed Charlize Theron walked in. Armed police immediately stopped her and questioned her loudly.
"No! I'm not alone!" Charlize Theron happened to see Matthew, and Matthew happened to look at her. He strode over, "No, no..."
He pointed at Charlize Theron and said, "I'm not alone."
As soon as he finished this line, director Doug Liman called a halt to the filming. "Stop! Matthew, Charlize, your gazes and expressions are completely off."
Matthew looked at Doug Liman, and Charlize Theron frowned slightly.
Doug Liman walked over and stood beside them, saying, "You two are the love-at-first-sight type! Mr. Smith's first meeting with Mrs. Smith should feel like Christmas morning. You need to convey the utmost warmth and romance."
He looked at Matthew and Charlize Theron,
"Do you understand?"
Charlize Theron didn't speak, she just nodded.
Matthew also nodded.
Doug Liman loudly announced to everyone, "Departments, prepare again. We'll start filming in five minutes."
Seeing the director leave, Matthew and Charlize Theron discussed a few things in low voices to achieve better "love-at-first-sight" chemistry during filming.
Ever since Charlize Theron signed the official acting contract, they had trained together for nearly a month, but the training was mostly for action scenes. For dramatic scenes like this, they mostly just did simple rehearsals.
As the producer of this project, Akiva Goldsman had been observing from the sidelines. Today was the first day of filming, and he was somewhat uneasy. The filming wasn't going smoothly, constantly stopping and starting, but this was normal. Filming had just begun, and the crew needed some time to gel.
The filming on set was once again halted by director Doug Liman. The male and female leads still seemed to be struggling to find the right reactions.
In this film, the chemistry between the male and female leads is crucial.
Soon, the filming on set was again halted by Doug Liman.
Akiva Goldsman understood why Doug Liman chose such a challenging long take as the first scene to shoot. Doug Liman clearly intended to use this method to tell the male and female leads, and even the entire crew, that work had begun and they needed to get into character quickly.
All sorts of problems arose on set: Matthew Horner's gaze was too sharp, Charlize Theron was too cold, lights flickered suddenly, a prop gun jammed the door... After more than a dozen takes, the crew gradually found their rhythm, and Matthew Horner and Charlize Theron also hit their stride.
"We're together."
Hearing Matthew Horner say this line, Akiva Goldsman looked up. Matthew Horner was pulling Charlize Theron towards the edge of the set.
At that moment, his eyes involuntarily followed the two of them. The male and female leads seemed to be sparking with chemistry.
To be honest, he hadn't previously found Charlize Theron to be particularly charming, but now she looked even better than in any carefully shot photograph. Her posture was crisp, her personality free-spirited, and her androgynous charm combined perfectly with her feminine sensuality.
Looking at Matthew, he complemented Charlize Theron perfectly. His uninhibited, free-spirited, and wild side could be fully displayed in front of Charlize Theron, and his charisma was off the charts.
Moreover, Akiva Goldsman even felt that he and Doug Liman were incredibly lucky to have chosen the right male and female leads.
After the difficult first take was completed, Doug Liman, seeing that Matthew and Charlize Theron were fully engaged, immediately urged the crew to pick up the pace to shoot more scenes while they were in the zone.
The second scene quickly began filming.
Matthew pushed open the door, leading Charlize Theron back to his room. Outside the door, armed police curiously watched them. As Matthew closed the door, Charlize Theron leaned against the back of the door, and Matthew also leaned against it.
Charlize Theron turned to look at Matthew, her face and eyes filled with the undisguised admiration a woman feels when she meets a man she likes. Matthew likewise looked at Charlize Theron, his gaze full of scrutiny, curiosity, and attraction.
"I'm Jane," Charlize Theron introduced herself, extending her hand. Matthew took her hand. "I'm John."
They looked at each other, their hands, though released, still intertwined... Perhaps driven by Doug Liman's insistence in the previous scene, Matthew and Charlize Theron were completely immersed in their roles. Even after director Doug Liman called cut, their hands and fingers remained intertwined, with no immediate intention of separating.
After a few seconds, Matthew was the first to break free from his character, and Charlize Theron also returned to her normal state. Their hands stopped at the same time, but they didn't immediately separate.
Matthew smiled at Charlize Theron, and Charlize Theron nodded slightly at Matthew. They turned around and walked together towards the resting area.
Charlize Theron was familiar with Matthew and didn't stand on ceremony. As they walked, she said, "Your acting isn't as bad as the media and critics say."
"Really?" Matthew turned to look at Charlize Theron and whispered, "Perhaps it's because acting with you feels particularly good, and it brought out my best."
After sitting down at the resting area, he took the cup of water handed to him by his assistant, took a sip, and then said to Charlize Theron, who was sitting next to him, "To be honest, I still don't understand what those people's standards are for judging good or bad acting."
Charlize Theron shrugged slightly. "I don't understand either. I only know one thing: they especially like handsome men and beautiful women to self-mutilate in films, so I did what they wanted, and at least the results weren't bad."
Matthew nodded and said, "I've read most of the professional and fan reviews for the films I've starred in, and I haven't found anyone who said they were taken out of the movie while watching me."
"I haven't either," Charlize Theron confirmed, then continued, "To pass the audition for this role, I watched all your films since 'Black Hawk Down.' You're definitely not as bad as those people say, and I can also see your progress."
She said very seriously, "If I measure by my own standards, Matthew, your acting is sufficient for most commercial films. As for art-house films..."
Charlize Theron pointed to herself, "From me, you should understand that many roles in art-house films don't actually require acting skills."
Matthew smiled and said, "I agree with that."
It was well known that Charlize Theron's acting skills were not outstanding, and he even thought they weren't much better than his own.
After a brief break, Matthew and Charlize Theron plunged back into filming. They were shooting scenes set in Colombia, including a very steamy face-to-face dance.
This dance was a passionate release for the male and female leads. Their mutual unfamiliarity and mystery stimulated adrenaline, and the dance was full of provocation and competition. Both were slightly tipsy, and the exquisite moments could only be expressed through their expressions and movements.
After the first day of filming, the two, led by the crew's press officer, gave interviews to media reporters.
"In the past, Matthew mostly acted alone in action films, but this time he has to be my partner, and two people together is a completely different matter."
Facing the reporter's microphone, Charlize Theron skillfully recited the lines pre-arranged by the crew, "We have to learn to advance alternately with loaded pistols, attack and cover, and shoot at moving targets. Although it's a bit crazy, we learned to trust each other."
When it was Matthew's turn to be interviewed, he said, "We will be using a lot of new high-tech weapons in the filming, including stun guns and tasers. From MP5 submachine guns to precision pistols with optical sights and high-capacity magazines, we have tried our best to perfect the use of various firearms. The instructors strictly required the actors to act realistically and authentically, rather than relying on imagination, and even the range of the weapons had to be precisely controlled."
Although this is an era of rampant film special effects, "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" is not a science fiction film, but a gunfight action film. Audiences in this type of film want to see actors perform stunts themselves, because this is not a computer game. The crew was willing to spend a lot of time before filming to let Matthew and Charlize Theron rehearse and test, with the aim of making the scenes as realistic as possible.