Director Steven Knight on 'Locke'
"It's really funny, I'm just seeing the construction site and the concrete delivery..." "Haha, if only we had done the L.A. Times photo in front of that..."
I look behind me from the 10th floor of the Ginsberg Libby office to see, in fact, a giant construction site on Hollywood Blvd. It's quite fitting; I just finished talking to Steven Knight, director of the dramatic thriller Locke, in which ordinary man Ivan Locke is confronted with life-altering decisions in a single night. Locke is a blue-collar family man, working as a concrete supervisor on construction sites (cue the irony) when he receives a phone call that will change his life forever. In this mesmerizing film, which only focuses on one character in one location, the role of the director is magnified, and so it was my pleasure to sit down with Steven and talk about working with Tom Hardy, his directorial style and the "anti-film" that is Locke. We begin:
THE ONE THING THAT STUCK OUT TO ME IS THAT THIS FILM IS DESCRIBED AS AN "ANTI-FILM," DO YOU LIKE THAT?
It's not that it's an "anti-film," it's just different. The thing about this film is that people are invited to use their imagination. One of the best comments is when people come out and they forget they haven't seen the other characters because they sort of made them up, and I feel that with technology and budgets, it is possible to put the imagination on the screen. It's someone else's imagination, but it's all there. With a film like this you have to sort of work at it because you're not given anything other than the interior of the car and one person. With Locke, I didn't want to make an art-house, experimental film that would only appeal to a particular audience, but a film that would appeal to everyone that's made in a different way. Often "experimental" means a particular sort of audience, that only those people are intelligent enough to "get" experimental, and that's not true.
THE IDEA FOR LOCKE CAME FROM YOUR PREVIOUS FILMS' CAMERA TESTS ON THE ALEXA CAMERA, DID YOU END UP SHOOTING ON AN ALEXA?
No we shot on a RED at the end...it was smaller so we had more room in the car. The director of photography used a RED on cars at night before and they're very good, just brilliant.
YOU COULD PRACTICALLY SEE SHADOWS IN THE DARK...
Oh you can shoot starlight. When I was looking at the tests they were so beautiful. Even as we shot this I wanted it to be that you could turn the sound down and show it at a bar or a club or whatever and people would look and be intrigued by it.
ANY SCREENSHOT LOOKS LIKE A PIECE OF ART, IT'S AMAZING.
Yeah!
IN CASTING THE LEADING MAN, TOM HARDY, DID YOU HAVE SPECIFIC CRITERIA YOU WERE LOOKING FOR OR DID HE BLOW YOU AWAY UNEXPECTEDLY?
This film came together as a series of happy accidents, really. I was meeting Tom about something else and just thought if you're going to have someone on screen for that long you better be really good and I think he's the best actor. I put to him the idea before writing the script and he was really intrigued. I wrote the script with him in mind knowing that he'd be able to pull it off and then we were shooting within a couple weeks.
IN A MOVIE LIKE THIS, A LOT OF IT DEPENDS OBVIOUSLY ON THE ACTOR, BUT ALSO THE DIRECTION BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HIDE BEHIND MUCH...
Exactly, yeah.
WHAT DIRECTIONS DID YOU GIVE TOM? DID HE CREATE IVAN?
The script remained exactly the same, word for word, because he likes to work off the page which is great. We sat round a table for five days and went through the script with the other actors so any sort of direction, we could deal with then. The beard was his, the clothes were his, the Welsh accent was [inspired by] somebody he knew. Tom said 'This is the first straight role I've ever done.' You know? He's not a monster, he's not a madman... the point of the whole [film] is to take an ordinary man with a wife and two kids who works in construction and then see if that can sustain onscreen. It's an ordinary tragedy.
DID YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT MAKING A FILM THAT WAS SET IN "REAL TIME"?
No, not really. There's always the practical and logical reason not to do the obvious thing when you're making a film. There's always someone that comes along and says 'no you can't do that.' But with this, because I wanted it to be like a play, the most logical way to do it is to get three cameras rolling and then I say "action" once and we set off. The other actors were in a conference room in a hotel with a real phone line into the car, so the calls are all real. I would cue the first call, second call and we'd shoot it beginning to end all the way through. The only times we pulled over is because the RED has a memory card of about 30 minutes, so every 27 minutes we'd pull over, change the memory card, change the lens, change the angle and leave Tom alone so that he's still in character. We had 16 movies at the end.
WOW, SO WAS THE EDITOR IN HEAVEN OR PULLING HER HAIR OUT?
Haha, no it was great.
AT THE END OF THE DAY WAS THE FINISHED PRODUCT EXACTLY AS YOU ENVISIONED IT?
That's the thing, as you write a film you always have the film in your head, beginning to end and edited perfectly. When you go and make it in the real world things change... but with this, it's as close as I've ever got to it being exactly how I imagined it.
AS A DIRECTOR, ARE THESE TYPES OF MOVIES WHAT YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED FOR?
Completely, completely. I'll be doing another one at the start of next year which again will be quite experimental, with Helen Mirren. The Hundred Foot Journey has just been cut together and is looking fantastic.
Review: 'Cuban Fury'
Bruce Garrett is an odd 13-year-old boy. Instead of lacing up his sport cleats, he shines his dancing shoes. Rather than putting on a team uniform, he buttons up his bedazzled satin blouse. Bruce is getting ready to compete in the UK Junior Sala Dancing Championships when he becomes a victim of a traumatizing bullying attack, and he vows to never dance again. All of that changes, however, when he meets his new boss Julia who, turns out, has a thing for salsa dancing. Now Bruce must try to overcome his fears of dancing if he has any chance of impressing Julia, but can he do it?
Although the premise is a little silly, Cuban Fury does star some comedy veterans, which is much-needed name recognition for any commercial success. Known for his roles in Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead is leading man Nick Frost, who plays the child dancing prodigy turned overweight, insecure office worker. Chris O'Dowd plays Drew, Bruce's womanizing, albeit arrogant, co-worker. It's a stark, but welcoming, contrast from his role as the bumbling Officer Rhodes in the ingenious comedy Bridesmaids. In Fury, O'Dowd lies, cheats, and dances in an attempt to win over the affection of Julia's heart, played by none other than Rashida Jones. Her good looks and intelligence make Jones a leading lady worth admiring.
It's more of a low brow humor at play here, which plays a little too safe to make for a more memorable comedy.
A majority of the humor comes from Frost and O'Dowd as they each compete for Julia's attention. Their on-screen chemistry even leads to a hilarious dance-off, which is sure to bring the audience to laughter. Drew's over sexualized, crude jokes also bring humor to the film, although not without its fair share of jokes which fall flat. It's more of a low-brow type of humor, which plays a little too safe to make for a memorable comedy. Even seasoned comedians can't save this rom-com from falling flat.
Overall Cuban Fury is a feel good movie but plays too safe to be taken seriously as a romantic comedy. It's more of a "watch-on-the-plane" type of film that is sure to provide a few laughs, but not without a few awkward cringes as well. It doesn't play by the rules as far as having a storybook ending, which is a nice change, but ultimately, I'd wait until it hits Netflix to check this film out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqWVLL4YxGI
Review: 'Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda'
The graphic scenes filmmaker Michael Lucas captured in this documentary are not only shocking on a political level but on an ethical one as well. Men and women are tortured, beaten, and even killed, because of their lifestyle. They're called "dirt" by government officials and now have to compete with the introduction of "anti-gay" legislation. Under this law, LGBT people would be reprimanded for saying that they have equal rights as "normal" people. Sound familiar (read: Nazi Germany)? Needless to say, being gay in Russia makes for rough life. Lucas gives audiences a peek into this world in his eye-opening documentary, Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda.
Lucas talks to open and closeted gay men and women as they recall stories to the camera of growing up in homophobic Russia, where they risk family relationships, jobs, and their lives to be themselves. It's raw and emotional, but these teenagers, young adults and grown men and women bravely describe their struggles. Lucas also interviews passerby-ers on the street, whose opinion of LGBT people are extremely terrible. Along with interviews, Lucas shows videos (which have since gone viral) of abuse and torture, made out of ignorance minds intent on "getting the gay out" of people.
LGBT men and women recall stories of growing up in homophobic Russia, where they risk family relationships, jobs and their lives to be themselves.
Attacks and slurs aside, the most shocking fact is that this is common practice in Russia. Hate crimes are becoming normalized and it has a lot to do with Vitaly Milonov, the Russian government official whose policies have influenced growing homophobia in Russia. Milonov's interview is unbelievable, literally blaming being gay on mental disorders and sicknesses.
Campaign of Hate is a relatively short documentary, running just shy of an hour and a half long. English subtitles are used half the time as many interviews are conducted in Russian, with the occasional English speaker. It's not the easiest film to sit through due to its subject matter, but it is an important one to see. Campaign of Hate acts as more of a public service announcement than an entertaining documentary, but a worthwhile experience nonetheless, if not to see the despicable and unbelievable state of current affairs for the LGBT community. If Michael Lucas set out to bring awareness of this ongoing torture and unconstitutional legislation in Russia, then this documentary is evidence of that success.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnuo9IGZqkU
Review: 'Breathe In'
Day three of the AFI Film Festival brought an American Independent film by director Drake Doremus (Like Crazy), who stuck to his formula of forbidden love with Breathe In. I really wanted to like this film; the cast is made up of industry vets like Guy Pierce and Amy Ryan and the overall tone seemed like a lofty love story, in the best way possible. Unfortunately, even a great cast and solid cinematography couldn't combat against a weak script.
Pierce plays Keith Reynolds, a married high school music teacher who is unhappy with his life. His wife Megan, played by Amy Ryan, is overly domestic and oblivious to Keith's subtextual feelings. The film begins just as the couple is getting ready to meet their houseguest, a foreign exchange student from London named Sophie, played by Felicity Jones. It has been arranged that Sophie will be attending a year of high school with the couple's daughter Lauren (Mackenzie Davis). Immediately, there is sexual tension between Keith and Sophie, which is further fueled by her enrollment in Keith's piano class.
It's an artistic choice that works well, the color palette acts as a character itself.
Although obvious, Keith and Sophie deal with the tension in subtle ways; their flirtation builds for 3/4th of the movie until they finally kiss. The direction from Doremus during this climactic scene forgoes the obvious "crescendo," instead of sexual exploitation, Sophie gently kisses Keith on the lips. This realism anchors the film, but even it's authenticity doesn't forgive its weak storyline. Keith's character is too weak to sympathize with, Megan's character is too naive to feel sorry for and there just isn't enough background to feel anything for Sophie.
The cinematography in Breathe In is beautiful, seemingly shot in layers of ominous blue tones. It's an artistic choice that works well, the color palette acts as a character itself. Doremus probably won't strike gold again in this film as he did with Like Crazy, but for those who are into stories of tepid romance, Breathe In could be right for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjPReJ2Jy8I
Leonard Maltin's 2014 Movie Guide
Congratulations Ben Stephens! You’re the winner of the “Leonard Maltin's 2014 Movie Guide” contest! Check your email for further instructions. Thanks to all who entered, and keep your eyes peeled for our next contest!
In celebration of our new site, we're giving away a copy of the New York Times Bestseller paperback, Leonard Maltin's 2014 Movie Guide. With over 15,000 summaries, there's enough information in this book to stump any cinephile. COMPLETE WITH- Leonard's all-new personal recommendations for movie lovers.
Here’s how to enter!
In the comments section below, answer this question:
“WHAT MOVIE, OF 2014, ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING (OR HAVE SEEN) AND WHY?"
And be sure to follow CINEMACY on Facebook,Twitter, and Instagram for future contests, giveaways, and movie news!
Contest ends Wednesday, April 2nd, at 5:59 p.m. Winner will be announced Wednesday, April 2nd.
Good luck!
Synopsis:
Summer blockbusters and independent sleepers; masterworks of Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, and Martin Scorsese; the timeless comedy of the Marx Brothers and Buster Keaton; animated classics from Walt Disney and Pixar; the finest foreign films ever made. This 2014 edition covers the modern era, from 1965 to the present, while including all the great older films you can’t afford to miss—and those you can—from box-office smashes to cult classics to forgotten gems to forgettable bombs, listed alphabetically, and complete with all the essential information you could ask for.
OFFICIAL RULES
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN: Leonard Maltin's 2014 Movie Guide giveaway. Contest is open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states and Canada, age 18 or older at time of entry. Void outside the US and Canada where prohibited by law. Sweepstakes begins at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (“PST”) on 3/25/2014 and ends at 6:59 p.m. (“PST”) on 4/2/2014. All entries must be made via the comments section on this page. Winners must respond with their mailing address within 72 hours of being notified or an alternate winner will be selected. All federal, state and local regulations apply.
Review: 'Just a Sigh'
If you're in the mood for a Parisian, melodramatic, and romantically unsatisfying drama, Just A Sigh (Le temps de l'aventure) may be just the film for you. It's a quirky film that stars well-known French actress Emmanuelle Devos as Alix, a struggling actress who happens to meet a handsome man on her way to an audition. What begins as a flirty cat and mouse game eventually turns into a full-fledged affair, lasting only one afternoon, which cuts short a storybook ending we as an audience root for.
Alix is an unorganized, borderline "broke" actress hoping for her big break in the city of lights. Though she desperately needs a job, her focus begins to wain when she meets Doug (Gabriel Byrne) on the train to her audition. They part without getting each other's names or numbers but reconnect a few hours later after Alix finds him in a group of funeral mourners. They strike up a conversation, again, slightly boring, but what gives this relationship any jolt of tension or intrigue is the fact that Alix has a boyfriend. However, that doesn't seem to stop her as she follows Doug back to his hotel room where things heat up rather quickly. Cut to- Doug and Alix laying in bed wearing nothing but sheets while reality starts to slowly creep back into Alix's mind.
It's Francis Ha-esque characteristics and sprinklings of subtle humor make for enjoyable moments, but it's not quite enough to overcome a weak script.
Unfortunately, that's where the excitement stops. It's unclear whether director Jérôme Bonnell expected the ending to be an emotional moment, but ultimately it falls flat, which can be attributed to sub-par screenwriting. This character-driven film is engaging thanks to the fantastic work of Emmanuelle Devos and Irishman Gabriel Byrne; their electricity is felt on screen and not exaggerated in the least. It's a very realistic portrayal of infatuation, love, and loss. Considering the script, it's a shame to think how powerful this film could have been if the story met the level of the performances.
Ultimately, Just a Sigh is a mediocre, "day-in-the-life" film that would have made an incredible short, as one gets the sense that this is far too stretched out to qualify as a solid feature-length film. It's Francis Ha-esque characteristics and sprinklings of subtle humor make for enjoyable moments, but it's not quite enough to overcome a weak script. At the end of the film, Just A Sigh leaves you with, simply that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSiBf6PNr2w
Review: 'Leave The World Behind'
Electronic house DJ trifecta Swedish House Mafia takes to the big screen to both explain their 2013 surprising breakup and say one last farewell to fans in the musical documentary Leave The World Behind. The film, which premiered at SXSW on Wednesday, gives fans a backstage experience of their final globe-spanning tour, aptly titled, “One Last Tour.”
Even though I’m personally not a fan of EDM (Electronic Dance Music, for those over the age of 30), I went into the screening with an open mind. However, as non-judgmental as I tried to be, there’s no denying the egotism right from the start.
The film opens with band members Sebastian Ingrosso, Axel Hedfors and Steve Angello racing down the Miami shoreline via jet-setting speedboat, cut against flashes of bass bumping dance club life. It could be a joke from director Christian Larson about the stereotypical "bro" attitude within their music and culture, but, in this case, it's hard to differentiate between the joke and the audaciously presented, party-your-face-off reality. The DJ's proceed to share stories of drug use, binge drinking, and other not so seemingly "glamorous" behaviors. As this reviewer notes, the moment I knew I wasn't a fan came when archival footage of the Mafia, before their mainstream success, was introduced. One of the members was wearing a graphic t-shirt reading, "Have sex with me, I'm Axwell." One man's trash is another man's hyper-masculine banner cry for YOLO-ing.
One man's trash is another man's hyper-masculine banner cry for YOLO-ing.
Larson does a good job, however, of also showing the paternal, more humanistic side of these guys that any raver definitely wouldn't have seen before. As the trio gets ready for their last world tour, they are shown as family men, hugging and kissing their wives and children before jetting off to blast their beats to party-tripping minors at massive stadiums. It is refreshing, and a bit funny, to see them face-timing their children backstage and singing lullabies just minutes before they go on to perform one of their sold-out concerts. It's a fun juxtaposition that gives the film some substance for the non-fan.
The overall vibe of the film is upbeat and vivid, as to be expected with any good music documentary, let alone one featuring electro ravers. We follow the group through their ups and downs as a band, observe arguments and subsequent make-ups, which all theoretically allow us to see why this might be their last hurrah. Unfortunately, the story is lacking one crucial element: stakes. Leave The World Behind falls flat because there are none; the guys have already decided to end the band and although the tension between them is palpable enough to fill a cramped green room, it's not enough for an engaging final story. Visually, the journey that we take with SHM across multiple countries is energizing and stimulating, but when the distractions are gone and Larson is left with his three knob spinners, the energy falls flat. It's no surprise that the band broke up because they were “lazy” and "non-committal."
For fans of Swedish House Mafia, Leave The World Behind will satisfy all senses, serving as a proper cinematic escape and send off for the eyes and the ears. The music pulsates through the screen and into the audience, creating an uplifting vibe and overall positive feeling, though in a much more watered-down way then sweating it out to the manic music live show. Leave The World Behind, while not a cinematic masterpiece, is a great film for fans of SHM and electro dance music. No matter how much I fought it, there's no denying the power of Swedish House Mafia's music; admittedly, I left the theater with the acoustic version of their infamous hit “Don’t You Worry Child” playing in my head, and it didn’t stop for days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGBNJmxJPTc
Zoe Kazan and Jenée LaMarque on 'The Pretty One'
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The Pretty One has all of the elements of a good indie film; first there's Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks), the bubbly actress whose name may not yet be a common household one, but soon will be. Put her with an equally comedic and charming leading man, New Girl's Jake Johnson, and the chemistry is set. Then, combine a fresh storyline with a distinct vision from first time director Jenée LaMarque and you've got The Pretty One, a story of identity, loss and a young adult's coming of age. The Standard Hotel in West Hollywood is where I sit down with Kazan and LaMarque and talk to them about their experience making the film. We begin:
I CAN SEE IT IN THE FILM THAT YOU WERE INSPIRED BY MOVIES LIKE “LARS AND THE REAL GIRL” AND “LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE” AND THEY’RE GREAT FILMS CROWNED BY CASTING, SO WHEN YOU ARE WRITING A FILM LIKE THIS ARE YOU CASTING IT THE ENTIRE TIME?
JENÉE LAMARQUE: I wasn’t in this instance… not every actor that came in, no other actor basically did what Zoe did in terms of matching what the tone and the feel and the vibe was going to be.
DURING THE AUDITION PROCESS, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU SAW A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND THE TWO OF YOU GETTING TOGETHER WAS SORT OF A GEOGRAPHICAL GOOD-FORTUNE. WHAT WENT ON IN THAT AUDITION?
JL: Oh, I was a huge fan of Zoe’s but she was in New York and she just happened to be in LA that week we were casting. We were about to cast someone who nobody felt 100% about, we were kinda bummed, but then we were like ‘let’s just have a couple more sessions’ and then that day (Zoe) came in. Her sense of humor and her innate comedic ability is exactly what I find so hilariously funny. I knew at that moment she was the right person for the role, I looked over at my producer Steven Berger and we locked eyes and we’re like oh, there she is. We’ve worked so hard and now it’s as easy as bringing in Zoe Kazan.
WERE YOU THINKING OF YOURSELF WHEN YOU WERE WRITING LAUREL AND AUDREY?
JL: I sort of am each of those characters; I can’t write in public because I look really funny, like I make weird faces, I cry… It would be like people watching me go to the bathroom.
DID YOU WORKSHOP THE SCRIPT AT ALL? IF SO, HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT TO TAKE IT THROUGH OTHER MINDS?
JL: That’s the most important thing, getting other people’s point of view. When you’re trying to get a specific tone and make sure what you’re trying to do is actually being executed, it’s absolutely necessary to have feedback. I started writing this film just before I started at AFI (American Film Institute, Los Angeles), I studied screenwriting, and so I was learning screenwriting as I was writing this film. I was learning how to digest feedback as I was learning to write. That was the most helpful thing, work shopping it.
ZOE, IN “RUBY SPARKS” YOU KICKED OFF A NATIONAL CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FEMALE IDENTITY AND MALE FANTASIES ABOUT IT, AND THIS IS ALSO A FILM ABOUT FEMALE IDENTITY BUT FEMALE FANTASY. DID YOU SEE “THE PRETTY ONE” AS A BOOKEND, PART OF A CONTINUEM?
ZOE KAZAN: I didn’t really think about it because it feels like such a different movie to me… I guess the thing that appealed most to me about this film was the kind of journey (Laurel) goes on. Her internal journey seemed much more important to me. This movie felt so much more like someone breaking through something; breaking through grief, breaking through an old conception of herself, breaking through her childhood into adulthood, so it didn’t really occur to me that there was thematic similarity. I feel like Jenée and I have really similar tastes so it’s not surprising to me that the film that I write and the film that she wrote would have something in common.
WITH THE TITLE OF “THE PRETTY ONE,” WAS THERE A SPECIFIC TWIN YOU HAD IN MIND THAT WAS THE PRETTY ONE, OR WAS IT SUPPOSED TO BE INTERCHANGEABLE?
JL: I think it is interchangeable in a way; I think there is irony to the title in the sense that in families and in siblings and with twins in particular, there’s a lot of labeling that goes on in terms of ‘who’s the smart one’ ‘who’s the good one’ ‘who’s the bad one’ and I think what’s happening in the film is (portraying) that it’s not about those external assessments, but how you see yourself that’s the most important thing in your life. So yeah, in some ways I think Audrey would obviously be the pretty one, but their identical twins, and it has to do more with the way she presents herself to the world. She chooses things that make her more conventionally beautiful.
ZK: There’s so much that we have no control over, and then there’s the stuff that you do have control over and that’s sort of what I feel Audrey has made the most of, she’s like plucked her eyebrows, got a good haircut, learned how to put on makeup the right way, and Laurel has made the choice to neglect herself… her not making choices is sort of an indication of her greater ambivalence about herself. I think sometimes we think of “prettiness” as being very superficial and not that important in terms of the quality of a person, but I think that when people feel happy, they look beautiful.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MEMORY OF WORKING WITH JAKE JOHNSON DURING THE FILM?
JL: (Laughter) There is this scene when (Laurel and ..) are about to go on this date… and when we shot the scene (Laurel’s) in bed and he’s waking her up and then just in between shots he was just doing these weird dances and then he used to call himself the gorilla …
ZK: No, the silverback...
JL: Silverback! And so he was doing these weird dances and everyone on set just couldn’t stop laughing and we couldn’t continue on because we were all laughing so hard.
ZK: I don’t know why this is my favorite memory but we shot in this pool and it was much colder than it was supposed to have been, there was supposed to be two scenes in this pool and we shot the first one and I’m just a hypothermic person, I’m never warm, I’m cold right now…
(Laughter)
I couldn’t stop shaking, I couldn’t act! Jenée was like, ‘we have to move you out of the pool, obviously’ and Jake stayed in the pool so that we could still tie the scene to the pool… (During the scene) we kiss and every time we kissed his face would be so cold and I just felt so much love for him for certainly taking one for the team. He did that so without drama… he was totally my hero in that moment.
IS THIS A GOOD DATE MOVIE?
ZK: Yeah!
JL: I think it’s a great date movie! I think there’s an authenticity to their relationship and an element of fun, and in the end, even though it’s dealing with this heavy subject matter, it’s a crowd pleaser.