Chapter 481: Mutual Betrayal

In the makeshift office, silence reigned as Jessica Chastain recounted the recent events. Murphy, slightly frowning, did not immediately respond. The Israeli woman sitting next to him appeared angry but remained quiet, observing Murphy's reaction.

"Jessie," Murphy finally spoke, "are you sure it was Sheriff Gatlin Collins?"

"Yes!" Jessica Chastain replied emphatically, "I'm absolutely certain!"

Murphy stood up, pacing back and forth as if contemplating a strategy.

Jessica first glanced at Gal Gadot, who was frowning, then turned her gaze back to Murphy. This wasn't her first time siding with Murphy. She had once chosen him over her agent, which led to the peak of her career so far...

"Thank you, Jessie."

Murphy believed in reciprocating favors. Although he wasn't necessarily a good person, he often adhered to this principle. He nodded at Jessica Chastain and asked, "Did you change your phone number?"

Jessica understood what Murphy meant and quickly replied, "I changed it once."

"Give me your contact information."

At Murphy's request, Jessica took out a piece of paper from her handbag and handed it to him. Murphy gave it to Gal Gadot, who understood his intent and carefully kept the paper with the number.

Murphy then said to Jessica, "Keep your phone accessible."

"Okay."

Jessica nodded, knowing it was time to leave. "I'll take my leave now. If you need anything else, just call me."

She soon left the warehouse set.

Back in her car, Jessica Chastain breathed a sigh of relief. Having worked as Murphy's assistant before, she was familiar with his methods, which seemed unchanged.

She hoped for a substantial reward.

After sending Jessica off, Murphy sat quietly in his temporary office, deep in thought about what Jessica had shared. Gal Gadot didn't interrupt his contemplation, waiting silently beside him.

After about five minutes, Murphy's frown relaxed. Gal Gadot asked, "Is it very troublesome?"

"No," Murphy shook his head, "he won't find anything."

"No wonder the source of those bullet-threatening letters couldn't be traced," Gal Gadot realized, "the investigating officer was compromised."

Curious, she asked, "What exactly did you do back then that makes someone hold a grudge against you?"

Murphy smiled, about to speak when Gal Gadot interrupted, "Forget it, it's better not to know. The fewer people who know about this, the better. Let it stay buried."

She understood that Murphy's past actions were likely not honorable and might be the type that couldn't withstand scrutiny.

Since Gal Gadot said so, Murphy swallowed his words. Even if Sheriff Gatlin Collins investigated, he wouldn't find much. Neither Jessica Chastain nor Carey Mulligan knew the details, and even Kara Faith only saw the end results, not the process.

However, being privately investigated was uncomfortable.

Murphy said, "Gal, I'm going back to work. Call Bill and Robert and invite them over for dinner tonight."

With the crew waiting for him, Murphy left these matters to Gal Gadot and returned to filming.

With Murphy back on set, shooting resumed. This scene featured Robert Downey Jr. as Jordan Belfort and Jonah Hill as Donnie Azoff.

The scene was not complex. Jordan Belfort, facing an investigation by the FBI, handed a warning note to Donnie Azoff, unaware that Azoff was also under investigation by the FBI and would betray him.

During Belfort's bail period, Azoff visited his home, promising to help. Belfort, touched, tried to privately protect Azoff when cooperating with the FBI, showing him the note. Azoff, upon seeing the note, covered it with a towel and later handed it to the FBI.

The FBI arrested Belfort at his mansion. Realizing he had been betrayed, Belfort decided to turn in his accomplices, learning the harsh truth of Wall Street: there are no friends.

Murphy wanted the film to convey this mutual betrayal among Belfort and his gang.

As filming started, Murphy quickly called a halt. After reviewing the playback on the director's monitor, he loudly instructed Philippe Lachel, "Switch to a 100mm medium focal length lens to shoot close-ups of Joe and Downey!"

Using a medium focal length lens, objects in the foreground appear larger, and as the focal length increases, the frame narrows and the object's movement speeds up.

This classic technique, also used by Murphy in this film, draws the audience's focus to Belfort and Azoff's inner turmoil, heightening emotional tension.

With extensive experience in varied film genres, Murphy had honed his cinematographic skills, developing his own style and mastering shooting techniques.

Aside from medium focal lengths, he frequently used tracking shots, over-the-shoulder shots, wide shots, and mirror shots in this film.

Tracking shots are classic but under Murphy's application, they gained distinctive interpretations, forming a recognizable noir style. Typically, he used long tracking shots to record characters walking and talking. For visual richness, he arranged props and extras diversely between the camera and characters.

When the scene concluded with one character persuading another, Murphy had them move closer to the camera, capturing their eye contact.

Over-the-shoulder shots, though common, had Murphy's unique touch. He often shot over Downey's shoulder using wide lenses, making Downey's character appear larger than others, emphasizing his role and status for dramatic effect.

Sometimes, Murphy had Downey's shoulder occupy most of the frame, pushing the main subject to the edge, highlighting the scene's special meaning.

In this film, Murphy favored wide shots, be it over-the-shoulder, tracking, or other techniques. Whenever he wanted to emphasize the background, he used wide lenses, handling them bolder than many directors, reflecting the film's adventurous spirit.

Wide shots also facilitated mirror shot scenes, transitioning smoothly from wide to close-ups, seamlessly integrating into the narrative.

Of course, shooting wasn't just a collection of techniques. It often required continuous shooting with various lenses. Murphy seamlessly blended wide shots, close-ups, over-the-shoulder shots, and close-ups, achieving fluid, uninterrupted sequences.

After a successful day of filming, Robert Downey Jr. and Jonah Hill approached Murphy without removing their makeup.

"You guys did great," Murphy said, setting aside his work. "Especially the passionate scenes, even better than I imagined."

"Well, movies are an elevation of reality, and reality is even more exaggerated," Downey shrugged. "You had us engage with mid-level Wall Street workers during prep. What we saw..."

He shook his head, "A former school crush now works for an outer Wall Street firm and openly engages in 3.P."

Jonah Hill agreed, "What I saw was similar. I talked to a small company's client manager. He said during a company meeting, while the boss was on a video call, an analyst invited a lady in and started right there. Everyone was unfazed."

Murphy wasn't surprised. Any place brimming with money would have its share of chaos.

"By the way, Jonah and I plan to hit a nightclub tonight," Downey invited, "want to join?"

"No," Murphy shook his head, "I've invited Bill and Robert over tonight."

As he gathered his things to find Gal Gadot, Jonah Hill said mysteriously, "I've learned a big secret from the Wall Street folks!"

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