Review: 'The Wrecking Crew'
The 2013 Academy Award winner for Best Documentary, 20 Feet From Stardom, told the story of the background singers whose voices were heard on countless records from some of music's greatest artists– while remaining virtually unknown by anyone. My Father and the Man in Black, a 2013 documentary about the life of bad-boy Johnny Cash and his manager Saul Holiff– directed by Holiff's son Jonathan– was an attempt to discover his father's legacy through his recently uncovered work. This year's Academy Award-winning film Whiplash shined a spotlighted the studio band and the pressure of getting every note right. Combine these three films, and you will have a good idea of what The Wrecking Crew is about; directed by Denny Tedesco, son of legendary guitar player Tommy Tedesco, the documentary sheds light on the solid group of studio musicians, know as "The Wrecking Crew," who provided the orchestration to some of the music industry's most legendary performers and records of the 1960s and 70s.
The film opens with a medley of the greatest hits of the 60s; popular tunes from The Beach Boys, The Mamas & the Papas, Nancy Sinatra, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, and more. Almost immediately we are drawn into the sounds of this golden age of music, everything from Rock n' Roll to Pop and R&B to Soul, are quickly recognizable. What wasn't known, however, were the people who actually performed these songs on the records. The Wrecking Crew is as much a celebration of the music as it is praise and acknowledgement for the musicians themselves; how their dedication and passion for their job changed the music industry forever.
They played on a majority of the Beach Boys records, which was unknown to most everyone. That "Pet Sounds" record you have? Yep, that was performed by The Wrecking Crew.
Director Denny Tedesco starting making this film in 1995 when his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer, determined to show the world just who his father was, and how his group of friends influenced the music industry. Tommy Tedesco was popular among his peers, and his guitar skills were unmatched (If you've ever heard the Adam West-starring "Batman" theme song, or listened to the M*A*S*H* or Green Acres themes, you've heard him play). He is probably the most famous artist you've never heard of. Tedesco, along with the rest of the musicians, were just outside of the spotlight, but attention wasn't what they were after. Being able to play music for a living– paying the bills by playing the guitar– was all they aspired to.
A group of studio musicians formed in Los Angeles during the 1960s, where the music scene and recording studios were gaining momentum. These musicians were the new wave of players, and because of their anti-suit wearing attitudes and disregard for the "No smoking in the studio" rule, they were dubbed "The Wrecking Crew" by the older generation of musicians. These guys (and singular girl, Carole Kaye who absolutely kills it on the bass) were Rock n' Roll professionals. A group of 20-30 players (no one is quite sure just how many members there were) made up the crew, and their fresh take on music, combined with their complete professionalism and talent, made them sought after by nearly everyone in the industry. From movies to television shows, The Wrecking Crew definitely kept busy– their spouses would say too busy.
Surf rock was extremely popular in the mid 6os with The Beach Boys at the peak of their fame. Brian Wilson, founder of the band, was regarded by the crew as a pure genius. He brought the ideas, and the crew brought the sounds. Ironically enough, they played on a majority of the Beach Boys records, which was unknown to most everyone. That "Pet Sounds" record you have? Yep, that was performed by The Wrecking Crew, only vocals by the Beach Boys. Glen Campbell, who became a solo artist years later, actually took over Wilson's guitar spot on the record. Glen Campbell, known today for his hits like "Gentle on My Mind" and "Wichita Lineman," originally got his start as a guitar player with The Wrecking Crew. And who did Campbell call upon when it was time for him to record his first album? His friends, his "Crew."
Nearly 60 years later, after the passing of many of its members (for whom the film is dedicated to during the end credits), The Wrecking Crew is finally getting some of the recognition they undoubtedly deserve. After watching this documentary, there is no way you'll be able to listen to another Beach Boys' song, Simon & Garfunkel record, or virtually any record from the 60s and 70s without thinking of the real men (and woman) who made it possible. Nowadays, the concept of the "studio musician" is outdated, many bands record independently or without additional musicians, and moreover, from electronic sampling of the original instruments. Denny Tedesco not only creates a vivid look at this special moment in history with The Wrecking Crew but finally gives these hardworking, extremely talented musicians, their turn in the spotlight.
The Wrecking Crew will open at Landmark’s Nuart Theatre in West LA, South Coast Village 3 in Santa Ana, and IFC Center 5 in New York.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX5BCgmr7tg
Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Riley Stearns on 'Faults'
Artists, filmmakers, and genuinely best friends, Riley Stearns and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are about as cool of a couple that you can think of. Aside from being husband and wife, Stearns and Winstead paired up as director and actor to make Stearns' debut feature Faults, a thriller about one girl's forced attempt to break free from a mysterious and all consuming cult (a character that was written exclusively for Winstead, and is something, Stearns tells me, he can't wait to do again). Sitting down with the young writer-director and actress during our exclusive and enjoyable conversation, we talk about making his first movie, why getting blacklisted was a good thing, and the type of role Mary wants to play next–something that will requite her updating her hilariously outdated IMDB profile page. We begin:
SO THE FAULTS SCRIPT WAS BLACKLISTED, WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN?
RILEY STEARNS: So agents and managers all vote on their favorite [unproduced] scripts of the year, and at the end they tally up the votes and you’re given a point value, the higher the points the better the score, [best scores end up on the Blacklist]. What’s weird about us ending up on that list is that we had already made the film when we ended up on it, so we weren’t an unproduced script.
MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD: We kind of made it under the radar…
RS: But not to manipulate anything, we were just a small movie! So I’m sitting in the editing room and I’m getting tweets and text messages from people like, “You’re on the Blacklist!” It is a big deal, especially because we were in the top 10. Had the film not been made, it would have been huge for us because I think it would have gotten read by even more people and actors, but the film worked out the way that it did for a reason. Everyone who was involved already really wanted to be there, not just because it was on something like the “Blacklist.”
IT’S FUNNY BECAUSE INITIALLY, GETTING “BLACKLISTED” SOUNDS LIKE A BAD THING.
RS: Yeah like Blackballed.
MEW: Haha I know!
WHAT PART OF MAKING THIS FILM DID YOU FIND MOST CHALLENGING?
MEW: I would say the initial casting and just getting it off the ground was the hardest part. We got our producers, which was such a wonderful thing knowing that somebody was going to actually fund this movie. That was incredible. After that, we didn’t really know how it all worked in terms of how you find your lead actor. Of course you get casting directors, but we were all over the map in terms of who Riley and I thought should do the movie. [Ansel Roth] is such a tough role, we didn’t know who could pull that off. The character goes so many places; he’s got to be funny, then he’s got to be sad.
RS: A lot of actors just look like models or are just boring, but we wanted a guy who had “lived.”
MEW: We wanted some life on his face.
RS: Leland just kind of fell into our laps and once that happened, everything was perfect and fell into place. I know it’s cliché to say, but I don’t think I could see anybody else playing this part other than Leland.
I’M ACTUALLY WATCHING ‘THE WIRE’ RIGHT NOW AND SEEING LANCE REDDICK WAS SO SURPRISING!
RS: I was a huge ‘Wire’ fan, Mary watched some episodes…
MEW: I would come in when he was watching it, but I never sat down and watched it
RS: I think she was shooting Scott Pilgrim vs. The World or something like that when I first started watching them. But yeah, Lance was about to work on ‘The Guest’ with our producer so they had met a few times and passed him the script. We had a few phone calls about the character he’d play and he was a little hesitant, I think he wanted the showier role, which is Terry, and I told him why he was actually better for this one part. He really liked what I had to say and trusted me, and showed up and knocked it out of the park.
The funny thing about him is he’s so different from his character on ‘The Wire’ that it’s almost disarming. He’s a really nice guy! He’s in the best shape out of anybody I’ve ever met; he walks in and he’s like the Terminator, looking like he’s posing and flexing all the time when in fact he’s just standing normal.
THE PART OF CLAIRE WAS WRITTEN EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOU MARY, DID YOU HAVE ANY RESERVATIONS OR FEEL ANY PRESSURE?
MEW: Both, yeah, haha. My reservations weren’t about [accepting the role], but being uncertain if I was the right person for it. I wanted the film to be great and I thought it was a really challenging role, and I didn’t know if I was a natural fit for it or if I was going to have to try to push to be this weird cult member girl and I was terrified of it coming off fake. There were all these fears I had in terms of just the performance. The more we talked about it and started having discussions with everybody, I was staring to feel more comfortable. Once we started shooting and the scenes were coming to life, I really stared having fun with it.
WHAT WAS THE LAST SCENE YOU SHOT?
RS: We actually got ahead of schedule by a day, so we ended up doing 19 days instead of 20, and the last scenes were supposed to be with the parents, but it ended up being that we were able to shoot the talk show segment, about six minutes long. We used this old vintage tube camera that has ghosting when you pan, really cheesy lighting, and I was the camera operator. It was the coolest way to end the shoot because everyone would die laughing.
MEW: Oh yeah, it was really funny.
RS: Everyone stuck around even though they didn’t need to be there anymore. And without us knowing, our producers set up a wrap party immediately after, so we just walked out of the parking lot of the sound stage and there were food trucks, people pulled up their car and played music out of them, we had a dance party. It was really fun.
MEW: It felt like a real celebration of “We just finished this,” and that’s so exciting.
I didn’t know if I was a natural fit for it or if I was going to have to try to push to be this weird cult member girl and I was terrified of it coming off fake.
I REALLY ENJOYED THE VARIATION OF INTERESTING CAMERA ANGLES IN THE FILM, SPECIFICALLY THE LONG TAKE DURING CLAIRE’S TALK WITH ANSEL.
RS: The cinematographer [Michael Ragen] got nervous because he had to zoom slower than the slowest setting the camera would do automatically, so a lot of it was on him to ride perfectly and end in this one frame with little margin of error. That was the most takes we did on anything, other than some really pivotal focus things, and I would say it was about 13 or 14 takes of that one scene.
I NOTICED THERE WAS A LACK OF A MUSICAL COMPONENT IN FAULTS, BUT I THOUGHT IT WORKED PERFECTLY. I FOUND THAT I WAS PAYING ATTENTION EVEN MORE.
RS: That’s nice to hear! One of my favorite films is Dogtooth and I think that’s the first time I noticed a film with a lack of a score. No Country For Old Men is the same, you don’t really notice it. The main thing for me is, I didn’t want to make somebody feel something through music, I wanted them to feel that way because they were experiencing the acting. I realized we were going to need a little bit of music here and there, so we brought on Heather McIntosh, who just did the film Z For Zachariah which premiered at Sundance. She only had two weeks to do the score, but she ran with it and I think it works really well. We were just in New York showing it and there was a really weird reaction at the end of the movie…
MEW: I never thought about that was probably because there was no music, I never thought about that until you said that.
RS: Totally.
MEW: That’s why people were so weirded out, it took people awhile before they were like… [ she slow claps 2-3 times].
RS: A lot of screening we’ve done, New York included, it finally gets to my name [in the credits] then you hear a couple of claps going. I think part of that is people are in a bit of a daze or state of shock and not sure what to feel. Maybe some people just don’t like it and that’s why they’re responding that way.
To read our review of Faults, click here.
WAS IT HARD FINDING THAT BALANCE BETWEEN “WORK MODE” AND “LIFE MODE,” BEING MARRIED AND ALL?
MEW: It’s kind of crazy how natural and easy it is, I think we really are the same people when we are at home or at work. We don’t have to put on different hats or anything.
RS: We just went into that mode too where it was professional once we got to set. The thing that people tell me, which is absolutely funny and weird and actually kind of cool, is that a lot of crew members didn’t know until the last day of shooting that we were married, let alone a couple. We kissed at the wrap party and there were people like, “Wait, are you guys together?”
THEN THEY’RE TEXTING TMZ…
RS: It’s so funny because we didn’t [hide anything] on purpose, but it’s a nice thing that people saw us as professional.
MEW: We’re lucky that we like working together and being around each other and we would always want to work together if we could. If he could write or direct every movie that I do, I would totally want that.
WHEN YOU TOLD YOUR FAMILY THAT YOU WERE DOING THIS MOVIE TOGETHER WERE THEY EXCITED?
MEW: Oh yeah.
RS: The people who would give us the weird reaction of, “Don’t do it, it’s going to ruin your marriage,” were people we didn’t know as well.
MEW: Yeah anybody who knew us knew that this was a really exciting thing because we’ve been working towards this for a long time.
DO YOU HAVE A POSTER OF FAULTS HANGING IN YOUR HOUSE?
RS: Not yet, but that’s the plan for the alternative poster.
MEW: Yeah the blue fits in really well in our house.
ARE YOU CURRENTLY WRITING ANOTHER SCRIPT?
RS: Subconsciously I can’t let go of this until it’s done and out in the world, but now that it’s almost there I’m finally really excited to write the next thing again. As soon as this is done I think I am going to take a couple of days and stay in a hotel with no Internet somewhere and outline, then come back and start getting to work. The next idea is a lead role for Mary. Keeping it in the family.
ARE YOU WRAPPING ON OTHER FILMS?
MEW: Right before the holidays I finished a film in New Orleans with John Goodman that J.J. Abrams produced, it’s another contained thriller. I have a TV show that starts airing a couple of days after Faults comes out. Now I’m just looking for the next thing to do, and waiting for him to write the next part for me.
I think a theme in a lot of the characters I’ve been playing lately, not really Claire so much, but a lot of other characters is that I like playing people who are trying to be good people but who mess up, then keep trying. Keep trying to be better and striving to figure their lives out. I feel like that’s relatable, and I like playing those kinds of parts.
RS: And superheroes.
MEW: And superheroes!
THERE YOU GO RILEY, YOUR NEXT PROJECT…
Faults is in select theaters and VOD today.
'Faults,' a Dark Comedy About the World of Cults
It's always refreshing to see a story play out on screen that is both entirely original in concept and then executed with incredible performances, which is exactly what we have with Faults. Director Riley Stearns' new film is a conceptually adventurous black comedy about the world of cults, making for a metaphysical thriller that is captivating from the very start.
Claire (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is a 28 year-old girl who believes she has found her "true home" within the mysterious world of cults, specifically the group Faults. Her desperate parents seek the help of Ansel Roth (Leland Orser), a dowdy motivational speaker who specializes in helping people escape such things, to rescue their daughter. With a hefty reward being offered, money he desperately needs to pay back his former manager, Ansel accepts their offer. A plan is then set to kidnap Claire and "de-program" her from her troubling and isolating experience, but mystery and intrigue lie ahead, as we discover, alongside Ansel, that Claire may not be exactly who she once was.
That pretty much sums up Faults; it is not a loud, visually boisterous film, however it demands attention in a more subtle way.
This cleverly spun story would not have been the same without Orser and Winstead, whose fearless performances charm and enhance the script's sharp dialogue. Orser gives Ansel a desperation that is both comedic and heartbreaking in his consuming desperation to save Claire's life and his own.
Winstead, who also happens to be married to director Riley Stearns, is no stranger to emotionally investing roles. Her performance is understated at first, but the more we learn about her, the fuller her character becomes. Whether she's crying, screaming, or just blankly staring, everything Claire does is purposeful and poignant. Her wide range of emotions perfectly play to the film's twists and surprises, without spoon-feeding the audience what we should be feeling.
A unique approach Stearns took was the use of, or lack thereof, a musical component. Most films have some sort of composition to aid in emotional pinpoints or transition between scenes, but Faults has an extremely light score. Even the end credits were scrolling in complete silence, making for an intense listening and viewing experience. It's like how a person can command the attention of a large group by silently whispering; soon enough everyone is silent, trying to understand what you are saying. That pretty much sums up Faults; it is not a loud, visually boisterous film, however, it demands attention in a more subtle way. From the opening scene until the very last shot, Faults has that special something that hooks you, and you willfully fall into its world.
The set design and cinematography deserve major recognition as well; Brown and drab interiors of the hotel are made aesthetically pleasing due to unique composition and close-ups from the director of photography Michael Ragen. Consuming close ups on Ansel stress his spiraling downward life, while long takes on Claire implicate mind control and her proverbial power over him.
Faults may best be described as a "dramatic thriller," but its darkly humorous moments sprinkled throughout the film blend genres to make it impossible to place in any one specific box. It's a winning achievement for first-time feature director Stearns and cast, and a great sign of more good things to come.
Faults opens at the Los Feliz 3 theater and on VOD March 6th.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ylsmarMnE
Review: 'Wild Canaries'
The latest independent film from husband and wife filmmaking-duo Lawrence Michael Levine and Sophia Takal, Wild Canaries, is a screwball comedy that tackles murder, love, and the complicated reality of relationships. Barri (Takal) and Noah (Levine) are newly engaged thirty-somethings and barely getting by in their small Brooklyn apartment that they share with Barri's best friend Jean (Alia Shawkat). When their elderly neighbor Sylvia suddenly dies, Barri is convinced that something's fishy about the situation and that foul play was involved. Noah, on the other hand, dissuades Barri's outrageous claims that their neighbor was murdered, but is soon persuaded that there really is more going on than meets the eye. Barri enlists the help of Noah and Jean and together, they set out to find the killer and expose this death for what it really is: murder.
While the synopsis makes for a nice visual, unfortunately, the film fails in comparison (I'd say this is a case of the trailer outperforming the final film). The biggest flaw is the lack of real risk that Levine, who is also credited as the screenwriter, gives his characters. Barri acts like Lena Dunham attempting to impersonate Nancy Drew while looking like Inspector Gadget, risking her life, her relationship, and her friend's job, and for what– the chance to say "I told you so?" Barri breaks into various apartments of people she suspects killed Sylvia, and, of course, they all come home while she is stuck inside, a gag used one too many times, which inadvertently makes the character appear dim rather than heroic.
Not only do these plot points not seem very flushed out, we lose sight of main point of movie; Are we observing New Yorkers figuring out their love life, or are we trying to catch a murderer?
While there are funny moments, mostly coming from Levine and Shawkat's performances, most of the film is lackluster, especially the relationships between the characters. Jean, an outed lesbian, suddenly shows feelings for Barri, who doesn't exactly stop their random coffee house kiss. Noah's co-worker is an old girlfriend, also turned lesbian, who makes out with Noah while working late one night. Neither one seems to feel bad about it, and then we cut to the next scene. No real resolution there. Not only do these plot points not seem very flushed out, we lose sight of the main point of the movie; Are we observing New Yorkers figuring out their love life, or are we trying to catch a murderer? It definitely didn't help that the characters had to literally explain the ending rather than just showing it. Either Levine and the production ran out of time, money, or this was an artistic choice that is another side-effect of a poorly written script.
For those looking for a light comedy, however, Wild Canaries could be your cup of tea. The story is light and the characters are engaging, although at times teetering the line between goofy and annoying. The style of the film is edgy, scenes are cut between quickly and it doesn't drag. While Levine and Takal may not be familiar faces, they both have celebrity doppelgängers that are quite funny. Sophia Takal is a mirror image of Anna Kendrick, even down to her speech patterns and cute-sy mannerisms. Lawrence Michael Levine could be Mark Duplass' twin brother, even his interpretation of the mumble core genre seem to mimic Duplass.
Wild Canaries made the festival run last year and found distribution through Sundance Selects, which is by all means a great achievement. I really wanted to like this film– all in all, it seemed like the quintessential independent movie. Not that Wild Canaries was bad, but I was left disappointed. I would never want to discourage anyone from expressing themselves creatively, as I'm sure Levine and Takal both worked on this film for years. Collectively as the screenwriter, producer, director, and actor, I can only imagine the pressure they were both under and the pride they must feel upon its' completion. However, the most important aspect of a film, any film, is a good script, and, unfortunately, that is this film's weakest link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c-MlUFppKA
Review: 'My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn'
Nicolas Winding Refn, a casually dressed youthful-looking guy, sits in a Paris apartment while getting his fortune read from a deck of cards. His fortune teller, an old Parisian man with disheveled grey hair and an artist's beard, decodes his cards– Refn has pulled from the deck the equivalent of "working for success." The man reminds him that one must work for pleasure, whereas working for success only destroys creativity. Then the camera turns to his wife Liv, and she is asked what she ideally wants from her husband. Her response: A family man. And so, here begins the introspective journey of director Nicolas Winding Refn, a man who wants both a successful career and thriving home life, a respected name in the film world, but above all else, happiness.
Just shy of an hour, My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn is the perfect glimpse into the world of the director, whose repertoire of films to date is nothing but impressive. The 44 year-old, who brought us the Ryan Gosling dramas Drive and Only God Forgives, has earned a total of 25 wins and 36 nominations for his work. So, who better to capture the intimate and personal moments than his wife Liv Corfixen, who steps out from the shadows of his "doting wife" and becomes a director in her own right. It is quite funny to overhear Refn "strongly suggest" different camera angles she should use while making the film, proving that the title of this documentary is extremely accurate.
Drive's success seems like a double-edged sword to Refn; his popularity has skyrocketed and has opened many doors, yet his personal "bar" is set high as he competes with himself to outperform and out-succeed it.
Corfixen gives audiences a glimpse into her world as a mother with a working husband and their two cute and very active children. In the film, the family is staying in a Bangkok apartment for six months while they shoot the film Only God Forgives. It's in this setting where we observe Refn in his zone: parenting skills on display one minute, and the next, he is making revisions to his script and reorganizing the scenes of his film on note cards. It's quite the juggling act that Refn compares to a chess match, a game in which he cannot afford to be the checkmate.
The documentary, which is half subtitled (they speak Danish), is a behind the scenes look at not only the film he is working on, but the life of the director which makes for a very entertaining watch, especially those with an interest in filmmaking, Refn himself or Ryan Gosling. Gosling does make an extended appearance in the film, and seeing him in natural light and interacting with Refn's children is refreshing. Off-screen Gosling is quite the comedian too, cracking jokes and being an overall good guy. Seeing Gosling and Refn bounce ideas off of each other in approaches to Only God Forgives will definitely make you want to re-watch it.
Behind the flash, the celebrity and the camera, we see a man who is insecure– questioning, self-doubting and over-thinking. He is the one who made Drive, pre-any expectations. Drive's success seems like a double-edged sword to Refn; his popularity has skyrocketed and has opened many doors, yet his personal "bar" is set high as he competes with himself to outperform and out-succeed it. It becomes quite emotional as Refn privately (until now) struggled to find clarity, as he tells his wife, "I've been working on this film [Only God Forgives] for three years, and I still don't know what it's about." My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn is an artist's tale of growth and development, and this documentary is refreshing proof that no one is immune to pressure and insecurity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4ENePj7Xxg
Edy Ganem on 'Ana Maria in Novela Land'
Edy Ganem's fame is rising, and if her Twitter followers prove anything, it's that she has a loyal army of supporters that can't wait to see her big break in the romantic comedy Ana Maria in Novela Land. With the success of her role as Valentina Diaz in Lifetime's award-winning series Devious Maids and now her starring role as not one, but two characters, further proves that her name is one to remember. Ganem, extremely humble and charming at only twenty-five, she jumped on the phone to talk about her first lead role and working with the late actress Elizabeth Peña– which happened to be her last film. We begin:
CINEMACY: THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME IN A LEADING ROLE, SO HOW HAS THIS EXPERIENCE BEEN FOR YOU?
EDY GANEM: It’s been a whirlwind; I’m starting to find that this whole career tends to be really ‘whir-windy,’ haha. I got the script for this as I was finishing filming Devious Maids in Atlanta and within a week of being back in L.A., we started filming Ana Maria in Novela Land, so it was really stressful that week. We had rehearsals, fittings, and I had the script in my hands and kept wondering, “How am I going to do this?”“Do I memorize everything right now?” I was freaking out. Once I got on the set I got the hang of how everything worked, and after meeting everyone else, it became a really, really fun experience.
I didn’t realize what all was going on until after I was done. I played not only one, but two roles– I thought that was really badass. I think that’s what attracted me from the beginning, as an actress, how fun is this? I get to play two completely different characters.
YOU WERE REALLY CONVINCING TOO, I DIDN’T REALIZE YOU WERE PLAYING BOTH CHARACTERS…
Ha! Yeah the makeup crew was great! They really brought their A-game for this.
HOW MUCH OF YOURSELF DID YOU BRING TO EITHER CHARACTER?
I didn’t have to audition for this part, but normally when you do audition, there is a character description and a breakdown. Since the role was offered to me [and there was no description] I was like, “Woah, I can’t believe they trust me to do this. What of they don’t like what I do?” It was an honor to be able to come in and know that they thought I would be a good Ana Maria and a good Arianna.
I think as an actor, every character I play is in a way me because I can’t be anything but myself. That’s how I feel. I know there are different actors out there with different approaches but for me, I just mute certain characteristics and bring out or enhance other aspects of myself. For example, if I’m playing a really violent person– in general I’m not violent– I could mute the loving, peaceful part of me and emphasize my “angry” self. For Ana Maria, I’ve always had a bit of a quirky side and a little bit nerdy, and so I really focused on that. Arianna is a person I am not like at all; I would never be so demanding and self-centered, but it doesn’t mean that sometimes I want to be like that! How fun would it be if I were a little more bitchy? Like if someone was to say something to me, I’d just reply, “shut up!” Haha. I bring that side out in Arianna. It’s good therapy!
DID YOU HAVE TO WATCH ANY SOAP OPERAS FOR RESEARCH?
I’ve already seen so many. I grew up in Mexico, my whole family is Mexican and I feel like it was a part of our culture. I knew how soap operas worked, I just never thought I would be part of one! It was actually a little bit challenging because acting for film and TV is very different from what we see in the Latin community. In soap acting, everything is more passionate and big. We actually had [co-star and Columbian soap opera actor] Juan Pablo Gamboa on set so it was fun to get advice from him. It was really fun, I have to say– I think it was a little bit more fun to play Arianna because of how crazy she gets. Yeah, I really enjoyed being in the novela world.
LUIS GUZMAN IS IN THIS FILM TOO, WHAT WAS WORKING WITH HIM LIKE?
He is such a sweet guy, really down to earth and willing to be there for you. I feel like he has an intense stare that can come off as a little bit intimidating but he is such a sweetheart! I wore some crazy high heels in one of the scenes and in between takes he would look at me and be like, “Are you ok mommy? You need to sit down? Are your feet hurting?” The fact that somebody even notices that you might need to sit down is just so caring. That was the case with everyone; we all had a blast on set because we were all there to really bring it and willing to play.
I told her the first day I was on set with her that it was an honor to be able to work with her and I’m so glad I said that...
SADLY THIS IS ELIZABETH PEÑA’S LAST FILM, HOW DID SHE AFFECT YOU AS AN ACTOR?
She had been working so long and I believe she paved a road for a lot of us newcomers, and so for me to get to work with her was very– it was so unexpected; to be with one person one day and then learn the next day that they’re no longer with us was hard. I told her the first day I was on set with her that it was an honor to be able to work with her and I’m so glad I said that because now, more than ever, you realize you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. I have to say, my memories of her are of a joyful, smiling, laughing woman because that’s what we did all day on set. She literally had to clean and re-do her makeup because she would be laughing so hard her eyes would cry. We also had wonderful conversations about life, boyfriends, and marriage. She was so inspiring and such a strong woman.
So far my career has been wonderful in that I’ve been able to work with amazing people. In Devious Maids I worked alongside Eva Longoria and Marc Cherry and the cast: Dania Ramirez, Roselyn Sanchez, Ana Ortiz, Judy Reyes and in this film I get to work with Elizabeth Peña and Luis Guzman.
DURING THE FILM’S CREDITS THERE IS THIS GIANT DANCE PARTY– I IMAGINE THIS WAS LIKE THE ATMOSPHERE ON SET…
Haha yes! That scene was so funny and so fun. At first we were like, “What are we doing?” The fact that everyone was nervous like, “wait how do I dance? I don’t have a style,” oh we were so nervous! I actually had some choreography and had to learn my moves with a dancer, but after we got into it and everyone started dancing, nobody could stop them.
ANA MARIA FINDS SOLACE IN HER TELENOVELAS, WHAT DO YOU PERSONALLY FIND SOLACE IN?
Depending on how I’m feeling or where I am in my life, I always try to look back at the basics and realize that no matter what I may be going through, I am really lucky and blessed to have my family, to be healthy, to be alive and to know that even if everything goes wrong, I can still get up every morning and start again. As long as I’m alive and healthy, I can keep going! It sounds really simple, and it is.
For our review of Ana Maria in Novela Land, click here.
Review: 'Ana Maria in Novela Land'
We all have guilty pleasures, and for Ana Maria (Edy Ganem), the telenovela 'Pasión Sin Limites' is hers'. Besides running a fan-fiction site dedicated to the show, Ana Maria unintentionally, but completely, disregards her family, friends, and even loses her job– all for putting the show and its lead character, Ariana Tomosa, first. In a word, she is: obsessed. However, through an unexpected twist of fate, Ana Maria discovers first-hand that the grass isn't always greener on the other side in this traditional romantic-comedy with a twist.
Let me start off by saying that Ana Maria in Novela Land is silly, but intentionally so–and that self-awareness is part of its charm. It's Freaky Friday meets Desperate Housewives with the vibe of a Disney Channel original movie. Nevertheless, it is not meant to be taken seriously, so if you decide to watch this film for anything other than light, harmless humor, you should probably find another movie.
Let me start off by saying that Ana Maria in Novela Land is silly, but intentionally so–and that self-awareness is part of its charm.
Edy Ganem (Devious Maids) is fantastic in her breakout role as Ana Maria, a twenty-something single girl who still lives at home with her parents and finds solace in her daily telenovela-watching. As she watches the show with her parents one night, simultaneously live-tweeting her followers, a crash of thunder booms and magically, Ana Maria is transported into Novela Land, replacing its leading lady Ariana (also played by Ganem). Ariana, in turn, wakes up in Ana Maria's world, and her spoiled self doesn't know what to do in the "real world." It's a classic tale of comedically introspective self-confrontation, discovering one's own flaws and trying to change for the better, and the fact that it is an all Latino cast is a very welcomed addition to the genre.
Ana Maria in Novela Land has the traditional romantic-comedy formula for success: a charming leading lady, a funny script, and colorful imagination. Director Georgina Garcia Riedel gives Ganem a lot of material to work with in playing both characters, and while audiences will obviously need a suspension of disbelief to enjoy the film, it is still quite charming. Ganem is joined by veteran actors Luis Guzmán (Boogie Nights) and the late award-winning Elizabeth Peña (La Bamba), who passed away last October from cirrhosis of the liver. This is actually Peña's last film, so fans of hers should definitely seek this one out (the film is dedicated to the late actress).
Overall, Ana Maria in Novela Land is a harmless and humorous film that will have no problem finding its key demographic among teens and those looking for a carefree film. Due to its breezy nature, I believe it would make for a very funny play. Running at just about an hour and a half, this film may be your next guilty pleasure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGKgnANGQiI
Anna Kendrick, Jeremy Jordan and Richard LaGravenese on 'The Last Five Years'
Anna Kendrick is a self-proclaimed "bad bitch," and behind her girly demeanor and perfectly pressed outfit at our press conference, she's totally right. Kendrick owns the room at The Four Seasons Hotel where she sits alongside co-star Jeremy Jordan and director Richard LaGravenese, Granted, most of the questions are fielded her way, and she could not have been more humble and hilarious (and bad-ass) about it. Her newest movie, The Last Five Years, is not just another musical for Kendrick, or for Jordan and LaGravenese, for that matter. With its totally unique and unconventional structure, it is unlike any movie any have worked on before. As many of the songs were recorded live during the filming process, we certainly had a lot to talk about, such as the biggest challenges making the film, Kendrick's worst audition, and those darn cicadas that nearly cost them a day of shooting. We begin:
CINEMACY: HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT TRANSLATING WHAT'S BASICALLY JUST A TWO PEOPLE ON STAGE, TO AN IMMERSIVE, FULL PERFORMANCE?
RICHARD LaGRAVENESE: Originally the show was done as monologues out to the audience and in listening to it I couldn't help but imagine it as playable scenes, because the songs not only belong to the person singing but also to the person receiving it and it adds a whole other layer to relationships. We worked on backstories for the characters so that when they're "listening," their emotional story is being forwarded. [Anna and Jeremy] worked very hard on that.
ANNA KENDRICK: The director of the original production, Daisy Prince, came to set one day and she was having a sort of "out-of-body" experience because first of all she was like, "Cathy speaks!" That was new for her. Also she didn't know that Cathy would be so artsy, and I forget sometimes that we weren't working from material that dictated all of these things, because my first experience was reading Richard's screenplay. For every high school, college, professional production of this, this isn't the definitive version of Cathy and Jamie.
ANNA, YOUR CHARACTER GOES THROUGH A TERRIBLE AUDITION PROCESS IN THE FILM. WHAT WAS YOUR WORST AUDITION?
AK: So many terrible auditions... [Laughter]. I remember once for this movie that was mediocre at best, there were all these girls and boys for the two leads in this coming of age tale, and the director wanted us to dance together. The director brought us all into the room, how horrifying, and we had to dance with each other in front of everyone else and then we had to perform the scenes in front of everyone. Oh my god, I still think about it to this day, it's the memory that pops up when I'm about to fall asleep and then I'm just like, up until 2:30am. Cold sweats. So certainly, I recognize myself very much in the song "Climbing Uphill."
HOW DO YOU OVERCOME THAT REJECTION?
AK: Oh I'm just a bad bitch [Laughter]. That's the thing though, clearly I don't. I'm still thinking about it. It's like any embarrassing experience that you have, I think it just makes you normal. I don't feel the need to move past it because it's a part of me and if I didn't have those experiences, I would be unable to relate to other people because I would be like, "what do you mean you were embarrassed? Isn't everything wonderful for you all the time?" It's good to be humbled.
JEREMY JORDAN: Shame is good.
AK: Shame is good. Self-doubt is healthy [laughter].
RICHARD, HOW DID YOU APPROACH THIS FILM SO IT WOULD COME ACROSS AS INCLUSIVE TO THE PEOPLE THAT MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH THE PLAY?
RL: I didn't [Laughter]. My goal here was to make something for myself and people that I know love theater. I am a geek and I know that this score is a classic among us, and nowadays I realize that with the technology business changing so much from when I started, there are opportunities where I don't have to appeal to a mass audience anymore, I can make something that's different and risky and do it the way I want to do it. That's why I didn't want to [make this film] with any Hollywood involvement– I didn't want people to impose on it, to make it more "accessible" to the general public. I'd like the general public to step up and say this is something different. People who will like it will like it, people who don't get it will not get it at all. And that's fine with me.
YOU BOTH ARE INCREDIBLE SINGERS, WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING SONG TO SING?
JJ: The most challenging song for me was probably the "The Schmuel Song." We were in a 95 degree apartment in the middle of summer wearing Christmas sweaters...
AK: I was so smelly and he had to pretend to like me...
JJ: So smelly. I had to scream as an old Jewish man and at the same time, have 20 different props and dress [Anna] by putting bows on her head and use swords made out of umbrellas, Oh God. And she's just sitting on the couch making fun of me the entire time. It was probably one of her favorite days, although it was a nightmare for me.
AK: I really enjoyed doing "Summer in Ohio" because it was a sort of fantasy and it's one of the only pieces in the film that's actually like a fantasy. I guess to most challenging was "See I'm Smiling" just by the nature of it, trying to be honest in that song and also trying to belt D's and stuff.
JJ: There were some people across that lake [shooting location] that were like, what the hell is going on over there?
RL: We also had the luck of the cicadas– apparently they make their migration to Staten Island once every 16 years, and that Wednesday they decided to come. This is going to sound like a made up story but it's not because I was freaking out. On the sound man's chair there was a cicada, and just for a joke I knelt down and said "please tell your people to just be quiet" [Laughter]. We ended up not having too bad a time with them.
BEING THAT THIS IS NOT YOUR FIRST TIME DOING A MUSICAL, HOW DIFFICULT IS THIS ONE IN COMPARISON TO THE OTHERS LIKE PITCH PERFECT & INTO THE WOODS. THEY'RE ALL MUSICALS, BUT COULDN'T BE MORE DIFFERENT.
AK: You're absolutely right, I think that it's a cute tagline for people to say I'm doing these musicals all in a row but they're such different movies, they don't feel the same at all. Especially because Into The Woods was this enormous production and we had the time and resources to be perfectionists and I was very, very grateful for that and this was more a situation that was held together with love and duct tape, and that's exhilarating, actually. If anything, I found the waiting on Into The Woods one of the many challenges. To be on a time budget [with The Last Five Years] and be that focused was incredibly helpful. If I'm honest, I prefer this way of working, but it's just not conducive to telling a story like Into The Woods so very different experiences but equally rewarding.
Well, if I knew the secret there wouldn't have been so many takes where I sounded like a f*cking dying chipmunk.
I HEARD YOU SANG "STILL HURTING" 17 TIMES.
AK: Sure... [Laughter].
RL: It wasn't because of her voice, most of it was because of the camera hitting the table...
AK: That's the real problem with movies, the camera.
HOW DID YOU KEEP THAT SONG FRESH AFTER SINGING IT SO MANY TIMES?
AK: I feel like I drew a lot of energy from the support of the crew who were unbelievably compassionate and understanding. Nothing gave me greater inspiration than seeing the 40-year-old dolly operator in his classic Hawaiian t-shirt, he had the same earpiece in his ear that I had and watching his face and all these people are honoring the thing that you're trying to do, that gives you an unbelievable reserve of energy.
HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT TO DEVELOP CHEMISTRY WITH JUST 21 DAYS OF SHOOTING?
JJ: We didn't [Laughter]. Haha no, you know like anybody getting to know somebody, we went and had drinks and got drunk. And told some fun stories about each other. And then you go to work and then you mind that experience when you have to get intimate, and then you learn to laugh sh*t off too. You learn to just have fun and not take it too seriously... until Richard makes you do seven takes in a row of yelling at Anna Kendrick and then you're like, "I need a hug."
DID YOU FIND YOURSELF SIDING WITH ONE CHARACTER OVER THE OTHER AT THE END OF THE FILM?
JJ: Naturally when you're shooting it you're going to side with your own character because you have to get into the headspace of that person, you understand them.
RL: My approach was: everybody has their reasons. Love is this poor thing, we put so much pressure on it, it has to be forever, it has to look like this, it has to feel like this, and I think you have to fall in love with certain people to evolve personally. It doesn't mean that the love that was lost is a regret, it means it was necessary for you at that time. I believe [Cathy and Jamie] really loved each other, but it wasn't just about that. She had an identity that was being subsumed by his, he was in a new place in his life; they loved each other but it didn't work out, and how often does that happen to all of us?
WHAT IS THE SECRET TO CRYING AND SINGING WITHOUT MESSING UP THE MAKEUP?
RL: Haha, what's the secret!?
AK: Well, if I knew the secret there wouldn't have been so many takes where I sounded like a f*cking dying chipmunk. The thing was, we were open to the idea of sacrificing a certain amount of vocal quality for performance. In "Still Hurting," that was sort of fine. But then in something like "See I'm Smiling," at the end of that day I screeched. I was absolutely undone.
RL: She had to, emotionally that's where she was.
AK: We just had to go through it and hope for the best because in that scene she is powerful and she is expressing herself and we just had to go for it. By the end of that day there was nothing going on in the old throat center.
THIS IS COMING OUT RIGHT BEFORE VALENTINE'S DAY, DO YOU SEE THIS AS A DATE MOVIE?
RL: Well this weekend you can have the real hard sex with 50 Shades of Grey and then come and see us and see what happens after the hard sex and you have to deal with reality.
JJ: I'm pretty sure our sex in the movie was PG-13.
RL: I know that when people come to see this, the movie is reflective of where you are at that time. I showed it to a young friend of mine who hated [Jamie] and I didn't understand why until realized she had just broken up with her boyfriend. You project whatever you're feeling onto it, and that way if you're thinking about love on Valentine's Day weekend it's a great movie...
AK: Yeah, it's also a great movie to say, "aww, I'm so glad our relationship is so healthy."
Check out our review of The Last Five Years here.