Bryan Cranston, Elle Fanning, Diane Lane, Michael Stahlbarg & Jay Roach on 'Trumbo'
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Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Elle Fanning, Michael Stuhlbarg, and director Jay Roach take their seats at the rectangular table to begin our press conference at The Four Seasons Hotel. Immediately, I'm drawn to each and every one of them- all laughing and in genuine good spirits. For those who are familiar with her work, what I'm about to say is obvious: Elle Fanning is one of the sweetest and most down-to-earth young actresses I've ever spoken to. Her effervescent personality shines from the very beginning of the interview, as she is genuinely surprised to be asked the first question. Not to be upstaged was the man himself, Mr. Bryan Cranston, who joked around with Elle, exclaiming "What the Elle?" when she was asked the first question, and he was not. This little snippet into the relationship of the cast only further proves that they have truly something special, it's not just "movie magic". Cranston talks about getting into the character of Dalton, incessant smoking included, while Fanning talks about her favorite costumes as Dalton’s daughter, Nikola Trumbo. From Roach’s interest in the Hollywood Ten to Stuhlbarg and Lane’s initial script impressions, our interview highlights the individual connections each of them made to the film, and it is nothing short of inspiring. We begin:
Elle, were you aware of the "Hollywood Ten"?
Elle Fanning: Before reading this script, I wasn't aware that the Blacklist or the "Hollywood Ten" existed, so it was shocking to learn that part of history. After I read it I asked my parents about it and they were like yeah, that actually happened. Getting to play Nikki Trumbo was really special and I hope I did her justice in that way.
Dalton Trumbo has very distinct characteristics, can you talk about getting into character, specifically the voice?
Bryan Cranston: There is a double entendre to that: the "voice" of Trumbo. There is a lot of source material, video, and audio tapes, on him, but you can get lost in that. If you only focus on the source material, you could start down a road of impersonation and I wanted to be very careful not to do that. That being said, he was a very flamboyant character, he was a beautiful, wonderful, big character. It's kind of an amalgam of research, like a detective assembling clues. Every time I start a show or a character, I always envision him somewhere outside of me, and I feel like the more research I do or the more I talk to people, the closer he gets. At some point, you have to have trust and faith that he becomes a part of you.
What were the challenges of Trumbo's working conditions? Writing in the bath and chain-smoking, etc...
Bryan Cranston: The challenge of working in the bathtub was not to get pruney fingers, and not to drink too much before getting into the bathtub. After staying in there for an hour or two or three, sheepishly asking for another bucket of hot water. Then discreetly placing that desk so that no one sees something they shouldn't, and believe me, no one should see this.
Laughter
Bryan Cranston: For the cigarettes, I stupidly thought, "well, I'll definitely not smoke real cigarettes because then I'll protect myself from ingesting nicotine and tar". But then I realized I'm still inhaling smoke, smoke is going into my lungs, and there were many times when we were looking for places in the script where I didn't have to smoke. But Mitzi and Nikki [Trumbo] said their dad was a chimney, he often lit one cigarette to the other. So that was more of a physical challenge.
Elle, can you talk about the fashion during this time period? What did you like best?
Elle Fanning: I went through so many different time periods of clothes, from the 50s through 70s, so that was exciting. I remember the day I had to be the oldest version of myself, I was in this vintage Halston dress, I did my hair and had on a lot of makeup, and the first AD came over to me and said, "Hello, nice to meet you. You're going to sit here," thinking I was just part of the background actors, and I was like, "No it's Elle! I've been working with you for a long time now!" He didn't recognize me!
Diane, what was it like to explore the Hollywood history that you grew up in?
Diane Lane: I'll steal a quote from Dame Helen Mirren when she said on last night's red carpet that Heda Hopper chased Charlie Chaplin right out of the United States, singlehandedly as a personal mission of hers. Dalton Trumbo really did a tremendous service to this country when he undermined them at their own game. This movie needed to get made and it's just a perfect story that happens to be true! John MacNamara did such a tremendous job with the screenplay because he encapsulated so much of one man's heroic journey.
Is there a cautionary tale in Trumbo?
Bryan Cranston: I think embedded in the story is a definitely a cautionary tale, but the film, first and foremost, is entertainment. And I think through entertainment we'll have more people possibly taking with them the message that is behind it. I think anytime a government sets out to oppress civil liberties that the citizens need to be very concerned and speak up. Stand up. Hopefully, the younger generation will be able to learn from that and see its parallels when they pop up. As Jay [Roach, director] pointed out very astutely last night, some people may equate what happened in the movie to Benghazi hearings- spending millions and millions of dollars, months and months of energy, and that's over-reach.
What attracted you to this story as a director?
Jay Roach: I've always been interested in how dangerous ideas spread, you can see it in the other films I've done like Game Change and Recount. It's the idea of people sitting around a room and saying, 'I know, let's take a fear, like a genuine threat, and apply it to some of our political enemies and destroy their careers.' That logic is so fascinating, and someone like Heda Hopper who had 32 million readers could sell that notion and get people, friends, colleagues, to turn on each other and literally try to destroy each other's lives. These movies to me are therapy because I get so anxious, could this happen again? Yes, this could happen again! But I also fell in love with this man and his writing and his heart and his soul, the letters he wrote from jail to his wife and kids, some of the funny letters he wrote to his enemies... he called one producer who wanted to be his friend thought he should stop talking, he called him a "political hermaphrodite." I connected to him, and then when we got this cast it was like, ok, this is a director's paradise.
What was your initial impression of your character when you first read the script?
Michael Stahlbarg: I read the script and started digging up and writing things down about Mr. Robinson, I was quietly excited and quietly terrified at the same time at the prospect of getting into the shoes of somebody of such stature and talent and as iconic as Edward G. Robinson was. I really enjoyed the private exploration the script dealt with in terms of his journey. It was so much fun to be a part of so much laughter.
Elle Fanning: When I learned Diane Lane and Bryan Cranston were going to be my parents, I was freaking out.
Laughter
Diane Lane: I've been a huge Jay Roach fan and was hoping that if I didn't get the part, he'd still see that I could be funny on purpose and hire me for a comedy in the future. I came to the office to meet for the job and I had already taken a juggling lesson to impress upon the seriousness of my commitment. I thought 'God help me if I got the part,' because I needed every possible moment to prepare for that scene.
Bryan Cranston: The script is always the first thing that attracts an actor, and this was A+. Then I looked at the character, the director and the rest of the cast. It's an important factor- does the director have the sensibility and the sensitivity to be able to explore and navigate a bunch of actors with different ways of approaching the work- there's no one size fits all- and it takes a very insightful person to be able to do that. Despite his lack of those qualities...
Laughter
After talking to Jay it was an easy yes for me.
For our review of Trumbo, click here.
Review: 'Why I'm Not on Facebook'
Facebook. Is. Everywhere. This obvious, but still terrifying, fact, is how TV personality and director Brant Pinvidic chooses to introduce audiences to his latest documentary, Why I'm Not on Facebook. As a millennial who actually doesn't have a Facebook myself, Pinvidic's reasonings for shunning the social network definitely peaked my curiosity. And in just over an hour, he seems to hit on every pro and con that comes with an online profile. Despite an interesting premise and a seemingly built-in audience, it's a shame that the low production value and over-abundance of gimmicks distract from the film's bigger message about the societal impact of the Facebook revolution.
It only took about six years for the phenomenon that is Facebook to go from small college campuses to the White House. Currently, there are more than a billion people registered and its founder Marc Zuckerberg has become as recognizable a name as The Beatles or Ronald McDonald. As Facebook has increasingly become an overwhelming part of how we communicate with others, it wasn't until his preteen son expressed a desire to join the network that Pinvidic really became aware of its grasp and set out on a mission, with cameras in tow, to answer the question, "Is something wrong with Facebook, or is something wrong with me?"
So Pinvidic set out on a mission and with cameras in tow, tried to answer the question, "Is something wrong with Facebook, or is something wrong with me?"
Interviews from the infamous Winklevoss twins Cameron and Tyler prove entertaining as they share that despite the very public legal battle against the corporation, they do in fact have Facebook profiles. Pop cultural celebrities like Dr. Drew Pinsky and Rosanne Barr are familiar faces as they talk about how Facebook affects them and the narcissism of it all.
Why I'm Not on Facebook should serve as inspiration for all documentary filmmakers who have the motivation to create but feel held back financially. Granted, it looks as if this film was made in the early 2000s' with flip cameras as a major source of capturing footage, yet, through a little detective work, I figured out it was actually made in 2012- shocking! Overall the film feels too hokey to be taken seriously, and while it is intentionally cheesy- perhaps to intrigue younger audience members- there are more than a few moments when I questioned Pinvidic's direction. An animated Mark Zuckerburg turning into a human-eating alien during the film's title sequence should give you a good idea of the movie's tone.
There are other, perhaps better, movies about the Facebook phenomenon that don't feel as dated as this one. Cyber-Seniors, for example, is a timeless documentary that deals with senior citizens navigating the internet and using Facebook for the first time. Then there is, of course, David Fincher's The Social Network which brought Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal as Mark Zuckerberg a nomination for Best Lead Actor. Why I'm Not on Facebook is a very thorough examination about the social media's effect on our generation, but visually the film looks dated and feels about 5 years too late in its release to fully make an impact.
Why I'm Not on Facebook opens on VOD today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq2-wE9qLxE
First Look at a Social Media Addict in 'Why I'm Not on Facebook'
We scored an exclusive clip of Why I'm Not on Facebook, the documentary from TV personality and director Brant Pinvidic. Blending real life interviews with news clips, TV shows, and other archival footage, he documents his search for the meaning of Facebook with a casual storytelling style that is both personal and endearing. The deeper he explores the social network’s vice-like grip on those who use it the more he realizes the answers to its popularity lie within. Whether you’re a fan of Facebook or not, this is one film that is funny, fascinating and a must for anyone wondering what everyone is talking about.
Why I'm Not on Facebook is available On Demand everywhere today.
Review: 'Suffragette'
When a woman President could very well be the future of America, it's hard to believe that less than 100 years ago, we were banned from participating in any and all political activities. While essentially only considered as "somebody's wife," women who went against the grain and fought publicly for equal rights were called suffragettes. Director Sarah Gavron (Brick Lane) and screenwriter Abi Morgan (The Iron Lady) bring this all-too-important story about women (and made by women), to life in Suffragette.
Blending fact with fiction, Suffragette tells the story of the strong-willed women in Britain who, in 1912, took a stand against the current political state to demand equal rights. They were rebels, activists, and heroes. When their peaceful protests were ineffective, these women turned to more public and violent displays to seek attention for their cause. Breaking windows and blowing up mailboxes became regular suffragette actions, citing that, "War is the only language men listen to."
While the main character in this story is fictional, Maud Watts serves as a representation of all young women and mothers who joined the political revolution. In a solid performance that balances subtlety and strength, Carey Mulligan plays the 24-year-old Watts, spending her days working in a factory laundering clothes for far less pay than her male counterparts. When she gets swept up by her friend and fellow suffragette, Violet Miller (Anne-Marie Duff), Watts can't help but fall under the spell of their passion. The mystique of women like Edith Ellyn (Helena Bonham Carter) and the movement's worshiped leader Emmeline Pankhurst (Meryl Streep) are appealing, but as Watts soon learns the hard way, she is going to have to sacrifice the life she knew for the life she wants.
The mystique of women like Edith Ellyn (Helena Bonham Carter) and the movement's worshiped leader Emmeline Pankhurst (Meryl Streep) are appealing, but as Watts soon learns the hard way, she is going to have to sacrifice the life she knew for the life she wants.
Maud is a fictionalized portrayal of one such suffragette who endured years of unfair treatment, yet one real woman who deserves recognition and, unfortunately, doesn't get nearly enough is Emily Wilding Davison. Davidson can barely be considered a supporting character, yet it was her courage and decision to sacrifice her life for the movement that gave the suffragettes a worldwide platform to ultimately spark the change. Davidson famously walked in front of a horse at the Epsom Derby in 1913, drawing attention to the political movement. Her death made national headlines and was credited as the turning point for women's rights. However, her death is but a fleeting moment in the film and while the film's credits give more explanation into the subsequent effects of her actions, the lack of additional backstory into who she was onscreen seems like an obvious and terrible oversight.
The trendy cinematography is greatly appreciated as it juxtaposes the film's historical setting and time period. What could have been moments of monotony and dullness are spiced up with hand-held, naturalistic shots that thrust the audience into the middle of the riots and transport us from our seats to the scene. Its attempt to connect with a younger audience can also be seen in the film's poster- hot pink (almost Hot Topic-esque) graphic lettering seems like an interesting pairing next to the pale and muted photo of the film's three stars.
While an Oscar nomination is indeed being floated around for Mulligan, the trailer alone is enough to send chills down the spine thanks to the haunting rendition of Fleetwood Mac's 'Landslide', Suffragette as a whole lacks finality on the part of its lead. With a far too brief appearance from Meryl Streep in a blink-and-you'll-miss-her scene, Watts' story is also short-changed. Mulligan's ability to portray so much through subtext and facial reactions makes her wonder to watch on screen, and it feels unfair to both the audience and Watts herself in the decision to forgo tying up the loose ends. The breakup of her family never finds reconciliation, which is a hard pill to swallow after such emotional scenes show her as a highly devoted and loving mother.
Suffragette likely won't be at the top of the list for those looking for a potential date night movie, as it's definitely not a light feel-good film. However, if you're looking for inspiration, education or a quality cinematic experience, look no further than here. At the film's end, a fleeting title card notes the dates that women were given the right to vote in various countries. This was met with some audible laughter from fellow critics who may have seen the obvious overlook, as it notes that all women in the US were given the right to vote in 1920. This fact is only true for white women, as black women weren't given the same right for another 35 years. However, the film did receive applause as the credits started to roll, so if Gavron's intent in telling the story of the suffragette movement was to inspire this generation into action and remind audiences that "Deeds, not words" get things done, then by all accounts has she succeeded.
Suffragette opens at the Landmark this Friday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4jBXQM7mIk
Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen, Lenny Abrahamson & Emma Donoghue on 'Room'
26-year-old Brie Larson makes her way to her seat in the Orchard room of the Four Seasons Hotel looking every part the "seriously popular" girl she's been referred to, and nothing like her disheveled character, Ma. In a light blue, bell-sleeve blouse and flared jeans, her only similarity to Ma is the undeniable love and admiration for her 9-year-old co-star, Jacob Tremblay, whom she helps get settled in and comfortable before our interview starts. As everyone takes their seats, we are reminded that we could very well be talking to a group of people who may be particularly busy come this awards season. From left to right sits the director Lenny Abrahamson, Joan Allen, Larson, Tremblay and author/screenwriter Emma Donoghue. While Jacob steals the scene with his honest answers, things get serious when we talk about the mystery of putting a face to these fictional characters, the dark places Brie went offscreen to get into character, and how acting is really only "playing". We begin:
Jacob, was it hard for you to get into character?
Jacob Tremblay: It was actually not that hard because it was mostly a playing movie where I played a lot. I play a little kid that's kind of like, 'eh, whatever'. [The hardest part] was wearing an itchy wig.
Emma Donoghue: I'm sorry about the wig, that one's on me.
Laughter
Emma, what was it like adapting your own novel for the screen? How precious were you with the original text?
Emma Donoghue: I relished the opportunity because cinema has different techniques, it offers different pleasures. One thing I love are the ways in which the film is different from the book. There are so many moments when you're looking at Jacob's face onscreen and you don't know what's going through his mind and I love the unspelled nature of that. In the book, you know exactly what they're thinking. I love the way they brought the character to physical life and that you get equal access to both Ma and Jack in the film. In many ways, that's a huge improvement from the book.
There were two completely different points of view, you capture Ma's perspective of being more claustrophobic and the openness of what Jack sees. How did you design this visual tone inside Room?
Lenny Abrahamson: That was probably both the most challenging and exhilarating part of making this film, to hold on to that capacity to operate inside Jack's magical sense of this space as a place that, as he says at one point in the film, "Went all the way to the end". On the other hand, we're looking at this grimy single room location. [My cinematographer] Danny Cohen and I found ways to move in and out of Jack's point of view subtly- we didn't want big stylistic marks because I think that would undermine the believability and intimacy of the encounter with the characters.
What were your thoughts when you first received the script?
Lenny Abrahamson: I read the novel first, I didn't know Emma had very sneakily written a script before she even published the novel. So I read the novel, fell in love with it and had very strong ideas about how we might translate one into the other. I wrote Emma a long letter that said the things I thought were special about the book, and luckily there was synergy in what Emma and I were both thinking about the script.
Brie Larson: I had read the book maybe a year prior and one of the mysteries was Ma because she is seen through Jack's eyes, and so she's a saint, she's so ethereal and sort of faceless. I was very curious when I heard it was being made into a movie as to who that face would be, and I never pictured it would be my face.
For our review of Room, click here.
Brie Larson: The thing that I was so drawn to was the myth that was there. This is not just some story about some sort of crime tale, this was Plato's cave, this was Rapunzel, Bluebeard, Demeter & Persephone- it is all of these reference points that I loved so much. I was lucky that when I sat down to meet with Lenny, he understood it in the same way that I did and was interested in exploring the same aspect of taking a story we've all seen on the news and making this a real universal story about love and growing up, and the beauty of living in a small space as a child. There are some aspects of it that are so beautiful and so nice to not see the darkness but on the other hand, there is a whole range of experiences that are being missed because of it.
Did playing Ma ever become an emotional taxing experience for you?
Brie Larson: Over the course of the seven months I spent prepping and filling my brain with everything that was "her," I was really changing the neurological patterns of my brain so that by the time we hit set and we're shooting, I don't have to think about my wrist hurting or the lack of vitamin D. It becomes so ingrained in you that you just know it. Because of that, you have to be quite gentle with yourself and very understanding that you are just being a vessel for somebody. It's important to allow yourself to go down the road of being that vessel but having a very clear understanding that it's not you. I would even go so far as to take a piece of paper and draw a line down the center of it and write "Brie" and "Ma" at the top and just list all the things that were me and all the things that were her. So in those moments when I'm at lunch like, "I feel like no one understands me," it's like nope, that's Ma, that's not me.
What were some of the ways you got into character?
Brie Larson: I wrote three journals. I also stayed at home for a month. I imagined there was a lot of time for her to reflect and magnify and to create a fantasy as to what her past was. I had some amazing conversations with my mom and I'm of the age now where a lot of my friends are having children of their own and getting to speak with them about this turn that happens, where suddenly there's no time to wallow. Your heart grows three sizes and suddenly there's this thing you have to love, nurture, and protect, yet at the same time try and explain what the world is.
Jacob Tremblay: I was shy at first, but then I wasn't shy because my mom had this idea that Brie should come over and we could get to know each other a little bit more. So that happened, and then we became friends.
Brie and Joan, you spent so much time with Jacob on screen, how did that enhance your performance?
Joan Allen: It reminded me to stay open and curious. Acting is childlike in some ways, you're pretending. Sometimes you can have a tendency to overthink things and that doesn't look as natural. It was very inspiring to work with Jake who is very present and in the moment.
Brie Larson: Yeah, you remember there's this sense of play and ease to all of it, and that although we are telling a story that has some delicate and dark material, it's not one that we really need to dip that far into. The same way that he brings this perspective of innocence and light to the movie is exactly what he brought on set. Like when we did our reunion scene- I'm banging on the police car door and I'm crying and holding him and they yell cut, I remember Jacob pushing me off of him going, 'I don't get it, you just saw me 10 minutes ago.'
The television was an amazing prop, it added so much depth to that little room.
Emma Donoghue: When I was writing the book I sweated over whether they should have a television or not. I knew they couldn't be fully connected but I thought if they didn't have TV is would be like 19th-century life and it's not that I wanted their world to be pre-modern, I just wanted it to be isolated. Once Jack starts asking those questions [of reality] and Ma gives him answers, the TV does become a way for Jack to figure out how Room fits into the wider world. I was particularly happy when we got a fan letter from the creator of "Dora the Explorer" who was delighted that Jack never renounces Dora. Even in the second half Jack is still loyal to Dora.
Lenny Abrahamson: The transition from the inside to the outside world would have been entirely different without the existence of TV.
How did you prepare for such dramatic roles?
Brie Larson: How is started was trying to understand those two years of basic silence of being alone in this place [before Jack was born]. I meditate, so I was a little familiar with trying to get to mental silence and how hard that is. I had some friends who had been on silent retreats and I was fascinated by their reactions. Some of them could go 10 days, but I had other friends that couldn't last 24 hours. There was this sense of sitting with yourself and imagining Ma at 17, 18, 19-years old the way most teenagers don't. There were moments I had remembered of my childhood that were so beautiful and other moments that I had completely forgotten that were painful.
Joan Allen: I had done some readings about abductions. Jaycee Dugard's mother Terry Probyn had some Youtube footage of what was like to be reunited. She said it was a very difficult thing to reunify and you need a lot of help in the way you do it. I'm also the mother of a 21-year-old so I've been sufficiently scared by various choices she's made in her life.
Laughter
Most films shoot out of order for practical reasons, but I'm assuming you shot all of the room first and then the outside world later?
Lenny Abrahamson: The decision was made very early on that we would shoot as far as possible in sequence. Shooting the room sequence first wasn't practically the easiest thing to do because we shot in Toronto coming into winter and it would have made a hell of a lot of sense to get the exteriors out of the way while the weather was still ok, and then when the temperature hit -15 to get inside a nice, cozy studio. Also for Jacob's sake- that was the original reason. It would be a lot easier for Jacob if the story unfolded naturally. It's tough enough, his role is already difficult so shooting in sequence really helped. I think all of us, in the end, found it a wonderful way to work. It's going to be really hard to go back to the traditional way of working.
Review: 'Room'
Hands down, I have not felt so much emotion from a movie since I was 13-years-old watching Titanic for the very first time. What I experienced while watching Room was a combination of gut-wrenching sorrow, enthusiastic triumph, and sympathetic love all wrapped up in a tightly packaged 118 minutes. Already touting Oscar buzz, and rightfully so, Room is one of those special films that gets everything right- from phenomenal performances to ingenious storytelling and visceral camerawork. Films like this don't come in spades. If there is one movie to see this weekend, heck- this year, make sure it is Room.
Brie Larson delivers one of the strongest performances of her career as Ma, a victim of a kidnapping who has been forced to create a home out of the petty 10"x 10" woodshed where she is being held captive. The film begins on the morning of her son Jack's (Jacob Tremblay) 5th birthday. Jack doesn't know of life outside of their room, or "Room" as it's so innocently named, and Ma has purposefully kept it that way. She creates a vast and exciting wonderland inside this tiny space; from telling stories to coming up with creative rituals to pass the time and intellectually stimulate him. Jack's sense of wellbeing and happiness are all Ma cares about, however, she knows that the two of them can't stay locked in Room forever. One night Ma hatches a risky plan that could either result in living happily ever after in the real world or risk never seeing each other again.
We follow Ma's emotional journey so closely that we may begin to lose ourselves in her struggles as a mother, and relate to her even if we don't have children ourselves.
Imagine never knowing anyone other than your mother. Not knowing what a dog looks like, what rain is, or how the wind feels when it blows on your face. This is the life Jack leads, yet despite the absence of materialistic items, he is happy. He is curious when he sees a mouse, whom he simply names "Mouse", eating crumbs from the floor. The single skylight gives Jack an outlet to dream about space and planets. All of this is made possible by Ma who, herself still a child, refuses to give up on a future for herself or Jack. This special bond between mother and son is a testament to love and how through the power of imagination one can survive anything.
Room tips much of its success to the powerhouse performances of industry veterans Joan Allen and William H. Macy. Their heart-wrenching reunion with Ma is near impossible to get through with dry eyes. As I stated earlier, Brie Larson solidifies her reputation in this business as she takes Ma to the darkest of places. We follow her emotional journey so closely that we may begin to lose ourselves in her struggles as a mother, and relate to her even if we don't have children ourselves. And I can't say enough about Hollywood's next rising star, 8-year-old Jacob Tremblay, who brings beauty to the ugliness of his circumstances in Room. His innocence and extraordinary talent make him the perfect "Jack", no one could have played the part as well. His ability to carry a scene and evoke mature emotions and the purity of his childhood makes him so sympathetic and a magnet for our eyes on-screen.
Room is an adaptation of author Emma Donoghue's best-selling literary work of the same name, and those familiar with the novel will certainly not be disappointed in this cinematic interpretation. Keeping true to its integrity, director Lenny Abrahamson (Frank) delicately transforms the 2-dimensional pages of the book into a visually stunning, highly engaging experience.
I left the screening literally speechless, not only do I think Room is one of the best films of the year, it sets the bar for other filmmakers attempting innovative storytelling and dynamic character development. Room isn't just a movie, it truly is a full body experience and although it can be uncomfortable at times, it pushes the audience to tap into emotions in a way that has rarely been done before. We embrace everything and are mesmerized by it. Even watching the trailer again brings tears to my eyes. To all involved in the making of Room, I thank you for such a fantastic work of art.
Room opens at ArcLight Hollywood and the Landmark this Friday, national expansion November 6th.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C6fZ-fwDws
Director Reed Morano on 'Meadowland'
Reed Morano may be a first-time director, but don't let that fool you into thinking she doesn't know what she's doing behind the lens. Morano, a noted cinematographer whose past works include Kill Your Darlings and Frozen River, joined the American Society of Cinematographers in 2013. She is currently the youngest member, and one of only 14 women, in an organization of about 345 members. As if that is not impressive enough, she still finds time to raise her two children and direct her first feature film, Meadowland. Talk about a Superwoman! I was able to chat exclusively with Morano, from her press day in New York, about her similarities to lead actress and friend Olivia Wilde, her "elegant naturalism" vibe, and which A-list actors gave her the courage to make the film. We begin:
What is it like seeing these posters for Meadowland all over town with an all-star cast, and then seeing your name, "Directed by Reed Morano?"
It's pretty cool, I'm not gonna lie. That's a good question because it's one of those things that doesn't get talked about much, but it is so real. I'm sitting in the conference room right now and the poster is sitting in the window and I have one at home now, and I'm just like, 'This is so weird, how did this happen?' 'How did I get so lucky?'
I thought the film was so interesting because it is every parent's worst nightmare, but the way it was shot made it look as if it was a dream. It is beautiful. What was your inspiration for the look of the film?
I always knew I wanted it to feel naturalistic. Something I was striving for could be described as elegant naturalism where it wouldn't feel rough, but you would feel really close to the characters. The script dictated to me where the visuals needed to go in order to make the film as successful as possible because you need to feel emotionally connected to these characters because if there is a wall up between the audience and Sarah and Phil then it's never going to work. They're not going to have the impact that they need to have. What they're going through is difficult and they do some things that make them hard to like, but then at the same time, can you blame them?
Rather than shoot this in a straightforward manner, I feel like when people go through tragedy the world often seems turned upside down. For me when my dad passed away when I was 18, it felt like I was walking around in the Twilight Zone. I had tunnel vision. I thought it would be interesting to try to convey what it feels like when you've been through something like this visually on screen. I didn't really know how. My editor Madeleine Gavin and I often described the film as a fever dream, it becomes almost hallucinatory at times.
Did you see yourself in Olivia Wilde when you cast her as Sarah?
You know what's funny, that wasn't the reason why but I think there are a lot of similarities about Olivia and I in our attitude and the way we look at the world. It's an honor for me to say that because I put her on this pedestal of one of the greatest people I've ever met and had the pleasure of working with. When I met Olivia, she was trying more than anything to take herself out of the box that she's been put in and I felt like I was trying to do the same thing. At the time we cast Olivia, she wasn't a mom yet but she wanted [this part] so bad. She would force herself to go to this place that is really hard to even fathom. As luck would have it, she ended up getting pregnant while we were trying to finance the movie. She thought I was going to recast and I was like, 'Are you crazy? We're doing this, together till the end.'
Your supporting cast is also incredible, what did they bring to the screen that was unique to them?
They each brought a little bit of themselves to their roles. With Luke [Wilson] I had worked with him before on The Skeleton Twins, but just being the person he was, I knew he could do this. I feel like there's this untapped side of him that is so interesting and intriguing and I wanted to see him go there. Same with Elisabeth Moss. That was a role that was appealing to me because she's been playing certain types of characters and hadn't played a role like this. Of course in casting they wanted me to look at the usual suspects for the role of Adam's drug addict foster mom, but we've seen this before. Unfortunately, actors can be stereotyped and the thing they all had in common was that they were all deeply connected. What was really great was that the cast brought their faith to the project- believing that I could make something they would be proud of.
Do you have a favorite shot from the film?
You know, it's funny, it's hard to separate myself from favorite shots and favorite scenes because now falling into the director roll, I can't separate myself from my favorite moments in the movie. From a cinematographer's perspective, I have some favorite shots but I prioritized the story and the acting and the narrative and didn't want to pay attention to the cinematography because I knew it would fall into place and I didn't need to worry about it. But I do have shots that I love. There's one shot in the beginning after Jesse goes missing- the clouds outside of the house right before you cut to the scene where Sarah and Phil are having dinner with their friends. The clouds have this surreal, most bizarre color. What I like about that is, everything in the film is supposed to feel weird and surreal, and those clouds and its color was real.
Speaking of color, I thought it was interesting how Sarah wore a yellow sweatshirt throughout the film. Yellow usually symbolizes happiness and joy, basically the exact opposite of how she is actually feeling.
Yes, it was definitely intentional. I personally went through some stuff where I was sick for awhile and the last thing I wanted to do was dress up and look nice. I wanted to do the bare minimum. I knew that whatever Sarah was going through was probably a million times worse than what I went through. The obvious choice would be to have her wear a black hoodie or something like that. My costume designer, Olivia and I were all in agreement that whatever Sarah had before Jesse went missing is all she has now because she would have never gone shopping since then. She had a yellow sweatshirt because everything was fine. I also like the idea of challenging the obvious in every way.
Was it a challenging transition going from cinematographer to director?
It was easier to get the movie made. People had a little more faith in me because of the number of sets I had been on, so I had a bit of a leg up. Figuring out what to do as a director was a big unknown for me, like how do you speak to actors? How do you get out of them what you want out of them? Getting through Day 1 with both the responsibility of directing and dp'ing simultaneously, I was like, 'What the fuck am I doing?'
Does the success of Meadowland scare you, or excite you, as you take on your next film?
That's an interesting question, I haven't been asked that before. I don't know how high I've set the bar. I feel like we've made the best movie we could make, but yeah, it is a little intimidating going to the next project but then also it's empowering. I could take all the things I learned on this movie to the next level.
For our review of Meadowland, click here.
Review: 'Meadowland'
Meadowland has been on the buzz list ever since its debut and nomination for "Best Narrative Feature" at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. Cinematographer turned director Reed Morano tackles a heavy subject matter in her first feature film by confronting how different people cope with pain, and if they ever move past the state of unimaginable suffering.
A year after their son mysteriously disappears in a gas station bathroom on a family road trip, Sarah (Olivia Wilde) and Phil (Luke Wilson) are left to deal with the aftermath of their son's kidnapping, trying to keep the family together and attempting to move forward. Phil, a beat cop, transitions back to work rather seamlessly. He seeks out support groups and befriends others dealing with similar problems. Sarah has a harder time coming to grips with her reality. She, a school teacher, absentmindedly sits through classes and seeks comfort in the misfits from her classroom. She lives in a fog and by abusing pills used to treat depression, she is able to temporarily forget the life in front on her.
About halfway through the film, Sarah becomes fascinated with Adam (Ty Simpkins), a young boy with Asperger's. Her maternal instincts to care for him grow stronger as she finds out he is a foster child with neglectful parents, played by Elisabeth Moss and Kevin Corrigan. On the verge of a mental breakdown, Sarah acts without remorse and desperately does what she feels she needs to do to be the caretaker she once was.
In a style that is becoming increasingly more popular, the raw and naturalistic look that grounds the film in reality is a big part of Meadowland's appeal.
This story is every parent's nightmare, yet Morano makes the world of Meadowland look like a dream. Cotton candy skies and unapologetic New York City lights make up just a handful of beautifully composed shots that give Meadowland it's hallucinogenic quality. There is no denying that Morano is good, very good, at what she does behind the lens. In a style that is becoming increasingly more popular, the raw and naturalistic look that grounds the film in reality is a big part of Meadowland's appeal.
For all of the critical praise Meadowland has been receiving however, I feel among the minority by questioning it's (as of today) 100% rotten tomatoes score. My only criticism comes from the character, Sarah- the decisions she makes throughout the course of the film seem questionable and juvenile to the point where I lost sympathy for her and began to judge her. I'm assuming this is the exact opposite of what Morano wants from the audience. While everyone reacts to pain and loss in different ways, and no way is the "right" way, it is hard to feel sorry for Sarah while she abuses pills, stalks children at her school, has aimless sex, cuts her wrists, and above all else, refuses to cooperate with police who have a lead in finding her son. While her husband attends support groups to help deal with his problems, Sarah never seeks help, and it is very obvious she needs it. Her refusal to accept or ask is frustrating.
Life is made up of fleeting moments, and Morano takes the same approach with her supporting characters whose screen time is but a passing moment. Great performances from John Leguizamo and Giovanni Ribisi round out this already A-list cast. For a first time director, Morano has transitioned gracefully and proves that her years of on-set experience as a cinematographer have successfully prepared her for the big screen. She knows how to capture a scene, yet more emphasis on character development and making them sympathetic would have further propelled Meadowland's success. In any case, it's a solid debut.
Meadowland opens at Sundance Cinemas and the Laemmle Playhouse 7 this Friday, On-demand October 23rd.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIas8DA0Hdw