Director David Gelb on 'A Faster Horse'
It's awesome getting an "Opening Day Announcement" in your inbox for one of your friend's films. It's even better when you get the chance to "professionally" talk to him about it. David Gelb made a name for himself after the 2011 release of his award-winning documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi and ever since the film's worldwide success, he has gone on to direct the thriller The Lazarus Effect and Netflix's first original documentary series, Chef's Table. Needless to say, he's been a very busy guy. Doing what he does best, Gelb uses his signature cinematic style to make a fascinating film about the Ford Mustang, it's 50th Anniversary redesign and the rarely talked about manufacturing process that takes cars from sketch to sale. We begin:
Everyone has a Mustang story, I'm curious what yours is?
I grew up in New York City, Manhattan actually, and nobody drives in Manhattan- my parents didn't have a car, my grandparents had a car because they had a country house, but my parents didn't drive. Whenever my dad would come to L.A. for business over the summer or whenever I didn't have school I would come with him and he would always rent a Mustang GT convertible. He would make a point how it was the "GT" version, you know, cause it was faster. It had a V8 engine- at the time I had no idea what that was, I thought V8 was a vegetable juice. I always felt so cool riding with him.
So when the idea was pitched to me as a car movie, I thought, 'I don't know.' But since the car is a Mustang, I had this story and everybody that I talked to about it had their own sort of connection to a Mustang. I thought it was so interesting how people are emotionally connected to this car and more often than not if you have a Mustang, you love your Mustang. I thought, why not make a film about that- about the emotional connection people have with their car.
The passion onscreen towards the Mustang is electrifying...
The people who care the most about it are the engineers themselves, they grew up loving Mustangs and they're trying to make something up to their own standards.
Did the Mustang's 50th Year Anniversary mean more to you after your experience working on the film?
When I think of the 50th Anniversary it makes for a better story because the stakes are so high. This is a car that has an incredibly large and devoted following with millions of Facebook fans and Mustang clubs around the world. For the guy building the 50th Anniversary version of this car, it's a lot of pressure because you have to make something that honors all of its tradition and all those Mustang fans who don't want it to change, you know- if it ain't broke, don't fix it. At the same time, he has to make something that will expand the audience and get new drivers to drive this car and bring this car into the future.
The 50 year Anniversary weighs pretty heavily on everybody. It was also a great opportunity to tell, in parallel to the story of our Chief Engineer Dave Pericak, the story of Lee Iacocca and his struggles in bringing the original car to life.
After watching the film, the parallels between a Chief Engineer building a car and a Director making a movie seem undeniable.
Absolutely, I learned a lot from Dave. It's interesting, in Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Jiro has maybe three apprentices including his son who work for him at the restaurant, so it's a very small film. When I was making that film I was the cameraman, the sound operator... I was basically doing everything. I did have a fantastic translator/assistant and editor, and that was pretty much the entire team. On A Faster Horse, Dave has this giant team and so our team also increased in size. Watching his leadership style was inspiring- he wants to get the best person in each position, and then he trusts those specialists and cheers them on and helps them to achieve their goals while letting everyone excel in their own roles without micromanaging them or making them feel inhibited. Dave gives this fantastic speech in the movie about how his job is to be the biggest cheerleader and to help empower people to reach for the best work they can do, knowing that Dave will be there to catch them if they screw up, and it's ok to take a risk. I try to apply those lessons in all the projects I do now.
And what's better, you're working with some of your good friends?
Oh yeah, it's amazing to have a team that I trust so much. Everybody's really able to do the best work that they can.
What did they each bring to the film that was unique to their personalities?
Will [Basanta, Cinematographer] can shoot a scene as if he is the director. I'd like to say that I need to be there but to be honest, I trust him so much that if it's a tight space, he'll just go in and when I ask him if he got it and he says yes, I know that he's got it. His eye is also incredible, it's so much fun to work with him because we build on each other's ideas. He can film a two-hour meeting without stopping, handheld, his endurance is amazing. Isaac [Hagy, editor] is just an absolutly brilliant editor. He's someone who understands the director's intentions when he's looking at the footage but then can see things the director's not seeing and use the footage to even greater effect. He'll put together scenes that are far better than I could have even imagined. Someone who I had never worked with before is Mark Monroe, our documentary writer- which is a new role for me. I've never really had the luxury of having someone to assist the editor and myself in that way. What Mark does is go through the transcript and helps put together scenes in an order that's very dramatic and exciting. He helped us weave between the present day story and the archival story.
It's certainly a team effort and everyone has their individual talents and it all comes together to form a whole that we're all very proud of.
At the end of the day, you've accomplished so much and you continue to impress us with your work. How do you stay motivated during periods of uncertainty?
I just love to make movies and work with my friends. I think when you make a film you learn something new about yourself. I've been planning on jumping between fictional films and documentaries. It's hard to explain, it's just a feeling and you just go and do it. I'm very fortunate because a lot of opportunities have been presented to me, but ultimately it's something that you just feel in your gut and for documentaries especially, you're always asking yourself, 'Is this an experience that I want to live vicariously?' I wanted to make a film about Mustangs because my dad used to drive me around in a Mustang. When I got to the Ford Factory I was just blown away by how they put these cars together, the amount of work, labor, blood, sweat, and tears. I thought maybe I could live vicariously as an engineer for a year, following them around and driving in their cars, and sharing this story that not many people know about.
For our review of A Faster Horse, click here.
Review: 'A Faster Horse'
Director David Gelb has a knack for seeking out the finer things unique to different countries and bringing it to the big screen. He introduced audiences to the world of 85-year-old Jiro Ono (now 89) in the critically acclaimed documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, putting what was once a hidden secret among Japan's foodies on the map for intercontinental tourists. Now, Gelb tackles an icon a little closer to home: the Ford Mustang.
With the same cinematic look and feel as Jiro, A Faster Horse goes in-depth into one of America's favorite cars, the Mustang. With its 50th Anniversary approaching at the time of the film's production, Gelb is given unique access to the Ford factory in Dearborn, Michigan like no one has before, to document the intricate process of the car's 5th redesign.
Gelb puts the Chief Program Engineer Dave Pericak front and center as he walks us through the whole five-year process of building a car. First come the sketches, then the execution of clay models made to scale. After the car has been molded, the engineers work tirelessly to design the over 2,000 pieces it takes to put the Mustang together. No doubt, problems arise constantly. Too much buzzing on the steering wheel, parts that won't quite fit, nothing is spared when capturing this very realistic and raw process. After it's all said and done, it's quite clear that the Mustang- and cars in general- are all works of rolling art.
The mustang is more than just a car, and as such, 'A Faster Horse' is more than a documentary; it's an ode to history, memories, and the future.
A Faster Horse does not just focus on the future of the Mustang, in fact, a significant portion of the film is dedicated to its history. The Mustang first debuted in 1964 and since then has remained a cultural American icon. Driving the point home are the high energy montages from various films and commercials dating back to its genesis using the Mustang as its sleek and stoic co-star.
Now, let me say that this is not just a film for gearheads. While the average person may not be familiar with the auto industries technical lingo, the emotion and passion in which the interviewees talk about their job is inspiring. The mustang is more than just a car, and as such, A Faster Horse is more than a documentary; it's an ode to history, memories, and the future.
Those with even the slightest interest in cars will no doubt leave the film with a higher respect for the Mustang. Assembling his team of college friends, cinematographer Will Basanta and editor Isaac Hagy, Gelb collectively capture the unique essence of the Mustang that is sure to get car enthusiast's tongues wagging. The level of access Gelb reaches will excite Ford super fans; from secret test drives at night to avoid the paparazzi to internal issues and boardroom conversations, A Faster Horse makes for one thrilling and heartwarming watch.
A Faster Horse opens at the AMC theatre in Burbank and Vimeo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mloeFzMPn64
Review: 'Partisan'
This award-winning thriller piqued the interest of audiences at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival by taking home the "Special Jury Award for Cinematography" and now it's set to open in select theaters today. 28-year-old Ariel Kleiman makes his directorial debut with Partisan, a film about one child's coming of age and maturity in a sequestered commune, facing his moral conscience all alone. Despite the broadly appealing storyline Partisan, unfortunately, will leave the audience with more questions than answers.
An off the grid commune on the edge of a crumbling city is where 11-year-old Alexander (Jeremy Chabriel) lives with his mother and figurehead Gregori (Vincent Cassel), along with multiple other children and their mothers. Like a scene out of Prophet's Prey, Gregori is the "Warren Jeffs" of the secular compound; he teaches the children how to grow vegetables, care for livestock, and essentially survive off the grid, a lá Jeffs. Gregori's main objective: training his child army to be thriving assassins.
For a film that's as forcefully plot driven as Partisan is, it's a disappointment that more screen time wasn't dedicated to Gergori's backstory- just why did he create this commune?
For years, Alexander has gone along with the scheduled killings of people in the outside world but with every mission, he becomes growingly more interested in life outside of his home. He begins to defy Gregori, and the 11-year-old's attitude starts to chip away at Gregori's cool and calm demeanor. What was once a "father and son" type relationship now becomes "good vs evil", and only one will come out on top.
Partisan has all of the makings of a cult classic, a sinister thrilling story and fantastic performances from Cassel and Chabriel. Vincent Cassel (Black Swan), a notable French actor, doesn't disappoint as a sympathetic yet sadistic cult leader. On the opposite end of the experience spectrum is Jeremy Chabriel, who astonishingly makes his acting debut here. His talent far surpasses his 13 years and mark my words, he is one to watch. Chabriel is on a path to greatness.
Unfortunately, the film suffers from two very big flaws which may keep it from succeeding as a cult classic. First, the lack of tension between Gregori and Alexander in the film's latter half is weak and not executed to its fullest potential. The screenplay called for triumphant and chaotic moments, but instead we are left with a flat shadow of its goal. The second, and probably biggest, flaw, is the lack of character building on the part of Gergori. For a film that's as forcefully plot driven as Partisan is, it's a disappointment that more screen time wasn't dedicated to Gergori's backstory- just why did he create this commune? What secrets was he hiding from his followers that he did not want them to explore the outside world? Above all else, why was he raising his child army as assassins? Without this information, we are left questioning just who to root for and why we should root for them.
From the very first frame that sets up the vast dystopian landscape, Partisan draws you in. The visuals are immediately arresting. Heavy influence from George Miller's Mad Max is apparent in the films' production and characters but still remains authentic to Kleiman's vision. Admittedly, and disappointedly, my hopes that Partisan would be one of the better films of the year seems unlikely.
Partisan opens at Laemmle NoHo 7 and on Demand today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS5nblYINZk
Review: 'This is Happening'
It is always a delight to see 89-year-old Cloris Leachman on screen, whether she's getting down on "Dancing with the Stars" or hearing her iconic voice in the animated film The Croods. We know her as a quick-witted woman with sass, and we love her for it. It's no surprise then that Leachman shines as the ailing but feisty grandmother in the comedy This is Happening, a heartfelt story about two estranged siblings setting aside their differences in order to find their runaway grandma.
Per his father's instructions, straight-laced Philip Davis (James Wolk) is instructed to place his grandmother Estelle (Leachman) in an assisted living facility. Not wanting to disappoint his father, Philip obligatorily prepares for a solo trip to his grandma's house in Palm Springs, leaving behind a mediocre job and a bossy girlfriend for a week. When his drug dealer/slacker sister Megan (Mickey Sumner) hears of Philip's trip, she sees it as an opportunity to pick up a large supply of marijuana from her dealer, so she convinces Philip to let her tag along.
If anything, Cloris Leachman is the film's saving grace, and could be reason enough to watch the film.
When they find Estelle at her home, they are taken aback by her eccentricity. Her taxidermied dog Ralph rests atop the television set while Estelle's copper wig lays perfectly styled on top of her head. It isn't until Estelle and Megan smoke some pot when Megan lets it slip that the only reason why her and her brother are there is to put her in a retirement home. Not one for confined living, Estelle grabs the stuffed dog and takes off in the middle of the night for Seattle. As if the stakes of a missing grandma wasn't high enough, Megan reveals to Philip that she left a 5 lb bag of marijuana in the trunk of the car that Estelle took.
At its core, This is Happening is a very silly, over the top film that could have greatly benefitted from the "less is more" approach. Having Philip and Megan be two polar opposites that ultimately come together for the greater good is a theme that has done before, but it is the way in which the characters push each other's buttons that is tiring to watch. Some of the bizarre situations they find themselves in, like breaking out of hospitals and stealing convenience food from small town gas stations, could have been genuinely funny if the scenes were played more realistically and less soap opera-y. The acting seemed as if it was for the stage, in which case over exaggeration is encouraged. In films, however, over exaggeration is obnoxious. Unfortunately, the characters of Philip and Megan are so "by the book" and stereotypical that we can predict the upcoming jokes in the scenes and sigh from the lack of authenticity that makes either character sympathetic.
This is Happening seems targeted to millennials, and could do well among the VOD audience. If anything, Cloris Leachman is the film's saving grace, and could be reason enough to watch the film. Her performance is reminiscent of June Squibb in Nebraska, to give an even better idea. Director Ryan Jaffe may not have hit a home run with this film, but seeing as this is his feature film directorial debut, I have high hopes that his breakout film will be forthcoming.
This is Happening opens this Friday at the Laemmle Ahrya Fine Arts Movie Theatre in Beverly Hills.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dprsVsILp2M&feature=youtu.be
Review: 'Ashby'
Nat Wolff takes the lead as another "teenage heartthrob" (see: Paper Towns, The Fault in Our Stars) in the latest coming of age film Ashby. Doing what he's proven he does best, Wolff takes the "boy likes girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl" situation to pleasurable, although not groundbreaking, heights. Director Tony McNamara, known for his extensive TV experience, tries his hand at the long form narrative but can't shake the "made for TV" vibe throughout. While a pleasing attempt at a feature debut, it's hard to imagine Ashby will have too much staying power past its theatrical release.
Wolff plays Ed Wallis, the new kid who recently transferred into an Oregon high school. His extensive knowledge of Ernest Hemingway in the film's first scene is unexpected, yet very engaging. Perhaps this is not just another teen rom-com after all? Ed describes Hemingway's life as a daily struggle. A man who believed that in order to prove his manhood, one must try to get killed and overcome it. Not a discreet enough reference to render it pointless, we assume he must be foreshadowing the film's titular character Ashby, played by Mickey Rourke.
Despite Ashby's inherent "teen drama" formula, the juggling of storylines and non-fluid editing makes me think that this movie would have been better served as a television series rather than feature film...
Ed meets Ashby when he is assigned to write a 2,000-word paper on an "old person," and turns to his kooky next-door neighbor. Clearly not the 'former napkin and straw salesman' he claims to be, Ed knows there is much more to Ashby than he is letting on. After finding a stack of passports (which I'm pretty sure were old pictures of Rourke from Google images), guns, and knives littered throughout his house, Ashby confesses to being a hired assassin. Their relationship grows throughout the course of the film and they find each needing the other one more than either of them could have imagined.
The film's biggest con is having three parallel story lines which all center around Ed, making for one watered down film. The first is Ed's coming of age learning experiences with his next door neighbor. The second is some minor teenage angst in dealing with a strained relationship with his absentee father (he lives with his mother played by Sarah Silverman). The third is a high school romance with the nerdiest girl in school, Eloise (Emma Roberts). Their relationship is put to the test when Ed joins the football team and must decide where his priorities lie.
Roberts, who shares the screen with Wolff in Gia Coppola's Palo Alto, effortlessly captures your attention onscreen, but can't shake the screenwriter's stereotypical, one-dimensional character that Eloise was written as.
It is so good to see Mickey Rourke on the big screen, even if his talents aren't being utilized to their fullest here. His masculine yet compassionate and comedic performance hits every note just right and leaves us wanting more. Despite Ashby's inherent "teen drama" formula, the juggling of storylines and the seemingly unintentional off-kilter editing, makes me think that this movie would have been better served as a television series rather than feature film, but it is enjoyable nonetheless.
Ashby is in select theaters, on Demand and digital HD September 25th.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6NyqgsFwz0
Review: 'Prophet's Prey'
In the early 1800s, a man named Joseph Smith claimed he had been chosen by God to restore the Church of Jesus Christ on earth. For the next ten years, he was said to have received "messages" from above which eventually were translated into the Book of Mormon. Among the messages was the instruction that Mormon men were to have at least three wives to reach the celestial kingdom. Multiple wives bearing many children, known as polygamy, was seen as one of the most important components of the holy doctrine, and was the belief of the self-proclaimed "prophet" Warren Jeffs when he took control of the FLDS (Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints) church and its people in 2002.
Prophet's Prey trails closely behind private investigator Sam Brower who has dedicated years to monitoring the religious cult, sometimes from a distance and sometimes not. In the film, Brower is confronted, chased and followed by FLDS security in an attempt to expose the group's deepest and darkest secrets. What results is a riveting documentary, an unintentional horror film that exposes what truly goes on behind the doors of one of the world's most evasive religious sects.
Animated sketches recreate the FLDS history, giving those who are less familiar with the religion and its teachings an opportunity to get caught up to speed within the film's first three minutes.
However what looks like paradise from above is in fact a mirage; one step into the reality of this scene and into the day to day life of a Warren Jeffs' follower reveals a world void of joy, happiness, and individuality.
Director Amy Berg captures the innocence and remorse of so many current ex-members and how they feel about the life they lost while brainwashed at the hands of Warren Jeffs' tyrannical mind control. Warren's brother Wallace speaks candidly to Berg, expressing the emotional devastation at the loss of his children who, still complying to FLDS rules, remain hateful towards him and want no form of a relationship. One of Warren's wives, Janetta Jessop (#63 for those keeping score at home) tells stories of underage marriage, bearing a child, and an irreparable relationship with her own mother.
It is ironic that Berg pairs beautiful sweeping aerial shots of the FLDS' mountainous compound with the full sound of a children's choir singing hymns. These moments could be taken from a fairy tale, an innocent scene born out of purity. However what looks like paradise from above is in fact a mirage; one step into the reality of this scene and into the day to day life of a Warren Jeff's follower reveals a world void of joy, happiness, and individuality.
Dustin Lance Black, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, and Regina Scully are a few of the powerful forces that serve as executive producers, while music by Warren Ellis and Nick Cave round out this who's who of famous backers.
At one time being #2 on the FBI's most wanted list (next to Osama Bin Laden and Whitey Bulger), Warren Jeffs was captured in 2006. Today, Warren's brother Lyle rules over more than 10,000 FLDS followers on behalf of his brother, who still remains locked up in a Texas jailhouse. Despite his capture, the worry of Warren Jeffs' control over his followers has not stopped. Interviewees are concerned that blind obedience will see thousands of people follow Warren to the grave, reminiscent of a Waco or Jonestown. Even though he is behind bars, Prophet's Prey leaves us with the indication that Warren's reign is not over yet.
Prophet's Prey opens Friday, September 25th at the ArcLight Hollywood followed by a national rollout.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWUP9IYjfgI
Review: 'Goodnight Mommy'
Equal parts cerebral and graphic, Goodnight Mommy (Ich Seh, Ich Seh) is an immediate cult favorite from Austrian filmmakers Severin Fiala & Veronika Franz. A contemporary setting with a mid-century modern aesthetic, the overall tone of the film is quiet, daring its audience to listen and watch more closely. With their glowing skin and bright blue eyes, the characters seem angelic and inviting, yet be prepared for this seemingly warm cinematic experience to throughly turn your world upside down and possibly leave you with nightmares. You've been warned.
Twins Elias and Lukas (Elias Schwarz, Lukas Schwarz), nine year-old boys who find each other's presence company enough, are awaiting their mother's return from facial reconstructive surgery in the early scenes of the film. Bandaged and unrecognizable, she (Susanne Wuest) returns home and immediately something seems off to the boys. This is not the mother they knew.
Together, the boys make a pact that they will get her to crack, and the torturous ways in which they go about getting their information is almost unbearable to watch.
Small incidents since their mother's return only further proves to the boys that the bandaged woman is impostor. She favors one son more than the other, vocalizes her frustrations with the twin's relationship as if wanting to break them up, and more significantly, is missing her signature mole on the right side of her face. Together, the boys make a pact that they will get her to crack, and the torturous ways in which they go about getting their information is almost unbearable to watch.
There are some stereotypical thriller tropes that are sprinkled throughout the film; for example, you know it's a scary movie when the family doesn't have neighbors and live in a remote, yet beautiful, wooded oasis. A couple jump scares here and dream sequences there, this art film didn't necessarily need to stoop to that level to achieve those "scary" moments.
Goodnight Mommy works because it is a very tight, solid film. There are three principal actors, one main location, and minimal dialogue. The horror builds from the twin boys' insecurities, which is perfectly conveyed by novice actors Elias and Lukas, who make their cinematic debut here. Their innocence is perfectly guided too, making it hard for the audience to confidently decide on who to sympathize with. It is a welcoming but unsettling feeling, is this really their mother? And if so, is she an innocent victim? Are the boys just misunderstood or are they terrorists? Being a genre film, we tend to throw guesses at every possible twist very early on, but keeping an open mind and enjoying the ride will give you the best experience.
Goodnight Mommy opens at Cinefamily this Friday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kXpUaQpXMA
In 'Finders Keepers,' One Man's Foot is Another Man's Treasure
In 2007, a North Carolina man got a lot more than he bargained for when he bid on a used grill from a repossessed storage unit at a local flea market. Much to his surprise, when Shannon Whisnant took the grill home, he discovered a severed human foot inside. An egotistical and boisterous personality, he unapologetically intended to keep this foot forever, despite demands of its return from the man whose foot it was. As bizarre as it sounds, this all happens within the first act of the film Finders Keepers, truly one of the strangest and funniest documentaries of the year.
While most people who discover an amputated body part would either alert authorities or get rid of it as quickly as possible, Shannon found this as an opportunity to cash in on 15 minutes of fame. Assuming that this severed foot would be an easy moneymaking spectacle, he charged $1 for children and $3 for adults to take a peek at just the grill the foot came in. He was making a name for himself as a ruthless media hog, and much to the dismay of his family, Shannon thought this was his big break. He always wanted to be “famous”. However, when John Wood caught word that Shannon had the foot, his foot, he publicly demanded it back. What happens next is a ridiculous media frenzy, a fantastic chain of events that ultimately leads to a custody battle over the foot on the Judge Mathis TV show.
It’s an unconventional idea, but the way John speaks to the camera and explains his hardships so honestly and, now seven years sober, so openly, we can’t help but support his decisions, no matter how crazy they may be.
Just how did the foot get in the grill in the first place? This is the question asked by so many throughout the course of this bizarre, true-life tale. Unfortunately, the story is born out of tragedy– John lost his foot in an airplane crash that also left his father dead. On top of struggling with drugs and alcohol for years, the death of his dad was especially hard on him, so he decided to mummify his foot in memoriam. It’s an unconventional idea, but the way John speaks to the camera and explains his hardships so honestly and, now seven years sober, so openly, we can’t help but support his decisions, no matter how crazy they may be.
Directors Bryan Carberry and Clay Tweel have really found a needle in a haystack with Finders Keepers. While it is tonally a funny film, they don’t shy away from hitting poignant, emotional notes that ground the film and give it substance. While it could have been easy to laugh at and look down on the situation, the way Carberry and Tweel capture John’s essence and Shannon’s ignorance is sweet; we laugh not at them, but with them.
I first saw Finders Keepers when it screened during this summer’s Sundance Next Fest and while I initially didn’t have high expectations that this documentary would be anything out of the ordinary, I did predict that I would be in for a wild ride. Now having seen the film, the term “wild ride” seems like an understatement. Funnily enough, when I left the theater at the Ace Hotel in Downtown L.A., I ran into John and his wife about a block away. I stopped to talk to him for a good 20 minutes, and he told me even more outrageous facts that will possibly be made into a narrative film. You heard it here first.
Finders Keepers opens in Los Angeles this Friday, September 25th; VOD October 2nd.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bexyqstg4-E