Days after 9/11, an A-list screenwriter is forced to pair up with a female Bollywood writer and retool his violent action film into a musical.
The whole world is stunned… including Douglas Leigh, screenwriter of the successful BERSERKER action franchise.
Caught by scotch and worried about his missing daughter, Douglas wrestles writer’s block. How can he change the half-shot and bloody BERSERKER V: TARGET LOCKED into something called ENCHANTED EVENING?
Even if he could remember how to write nice… Douglas must balance the insecurities of “No Prisoners” Anthony Fergus – the aging action hero of the BERSERKER franchise -- with the desires of newcomer Rita Santiago, a voluptuous and driven former Mexican soap star.
And there’s more pressure coming from Spike Ritts –sleek, young, black studio executive anxious for his first hit; Max Stern – long-time BERSERKER producer and Douglas’ true friend; and Harper Lee –the mindful Hong Kong director with his crack martial arts crew.
Spike introduces a reluctant Douglas to his new writing partner-- youthful Bollywood scribe, Dana Karachi. Douglas balks; but Spike insists and for the first time in his life, Douglas finds himself writing with someone who’s got an equally strong opinion on just about everything.
First Douglas belittles and ignores Dana, then refuses to collaborate until Spike confines the writers to a run-down motel where they will not be released until they deliver.
Reluctantly, grudgingly, Douglas and Dana work on ENCHANTED EVENING until they learn to marry styles and personalities but… never music. Douglas discovers long dormant feelings -- even jealousy -- when Bollywood star Kaspar Jivan serenades Dana at a surprise curry dinner delivered by her family.
Meanwhile the world teeters on. Spike and Harper make backroom deals. Max plays high-stakes golf. “No Prisoners” Anthony learns to tango incognito; and Rita lobbies to be more than the “bimbo” in the background.
Finally shooting on ENCHANTED EVENING begins. Douglas, Dana and the others are excited, even inspired until Spike drops a bomb -- seems just a short time after 9/11 the viewing public is back to its old violent habits so… back to Douglas’ original script.
Dana’s out of a job. Douglas returns to the bottle and the old script except… now, neither satisfies him.
After drinking himself sober, Douglas takes a leap of faith, humbles himself and begs Dana’s help to enlist Anthony, Rita, Max and even Harper to shoot a scene from ENCHANTED EVENING behind Spike’s back. Just to see what’s possible.
But Spike isn’t fooled… He previews the clandestine scene at a flag-waving BERSERKER Marathon. Amidst audience boos and catcalls for their lost “ No Prisoners” hero, Douglas tries to stop the screening; Max loses confidence in his friend; and Rita reduces Anthony to a simpering mess. Dana’s only future seems to be with Kaspar in Bollywood.
But when the audience turns and embraces the new dancing and romancing hero, Douglas and Dana look like geniuses – they’ve created a new genre, perhaps even a new way to look at the world.
It’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship or… is it?
|