Deadline Hollywood - Oscar Preview/Producers - 12/14/16

PRESENTS

DECEMBER 14, 2016 OSCAR PREVIEW/PRODUCERS

DENZEL THE TWO-TIME ACADEMY AWARD WINNER RETURNS WITH FENCES, THE PROJECT OF A LIFETIME.

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DEADLINE.COM/AWARDSLINE

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RIZ AHMED TOM FORD MICHAEL SHANNON IAIN CANNING JAMES L. BROOKS

12/9/16 1:08 PM

CONTENTS

DECE MBE R 14 , 2 0 16 OSCA R PRE V IE W / PRODUCE RS

P UB L ISH ER

Stacey Farish ED ITOR

Joe Utichi

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FIRST TAKE Riz Ahmed on Rogue One and The Night Of; Documentary shortlist; Foreign Language conundrum

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COVER STORY Fences might be Denzel Washington’s masterpiece. Mike Fleming Jr. meets him

22

NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Tom Ford on the autobiographical side of his new film Plus: Michael Shannon is the grizzled sheriff the world needs right now

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THE DIALOGUE: PRODUCERS Lion The Edge of Seventeen Silence

36

FLASH MOB Deadline Presents AwardsLine Screening Series

C R EAT IVE D IR ECTOR

Craig Edwards

ASSISTAN T ED ITOR

Matt Grobar

D EAD L IN E CO- ED ITOR- IN - C H IEFS

Nellie Andreeva Mike Fleming Jr.

EXEC UT IVE ED ITOR

Michael Cieply

AWAR D S ED ITOR & COLUM N IST

Pete Hammond

D EAD L IN E CON T R IB UTORS

Peter Bart Anita Busch Anthony D’Alessandro Lisa de Moraes Patrick Hipes David Lieberman Ross Lincoln Diana Lodderhose Amanda N’Duka Dominic Patten Erik Pedersen Denise Petski David Robb Nancy Tartaglione VID EO P ROD UC ER

Scott Warren

C H AIR M AN & C EO

Jay Penske

VIC E C H AIR M AN

Gerry Byrne

C H IEF OP ERAT IN G OF F IC ER

George Grobar

SEN IOR VIC E P R ESID EN T, B USIN ESS D EVELOP M EN T

Craig Perreault

G EN ERAL COUN SEL & S.V. P. , H UM AN R ESOURC ES

Todd Greene

VIC E P R ESID EN T, C R EAT IVE

Nelson Anderson

VIC E P R ESID EN T, F IN AN C E

Ken DelAlcazar ON THE COVER Denzel Washington photographed for Deadline by Michael Buckner THIS PAGE Iain Canning photographed for Deadline by Gabriel Goldberg

VIC E P R ESID EN T, T V EN T ERTAIN M EN T SAL ES

Laura Lubrano

VIC E P R ESID EN T, F IL M

Carra Fenton

ACCOUN T EXEC UT IVES, F IL M & T V

Brianna Hamburger Tiffany Windju

AD SAL ES COOR D IN ATORS

​Kristina Mazzeo Malik Simmons

P ROD UCT ION D IR ECTOR

Natalie Longman

D IST R IB UT ION D IR ECTOR

Michael Petre

ADVERT ISIN G IN QUIR IES

Stacey Farish 310-484-2553 sfarish@pmc.com

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DOCUMENTARY SHORTLIST p. 8

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FIX p. 12

ROGUE SON

With his role in a Star Wars movie on the cusp of release, Riz Ahmed reflects on his career, and his defining turn in HBO’s The Night Of.

BY JO E U T I C H I

RIZ AHMED’S ROLE IN NIGHTCRAWLER was a breakthrough for the talented actor, who had, up until then, proved himself mostly at home in the UK, with the likes of Four Lions, Shifty and The Road to Guantanamo. With Hollywood unable to deny Ahmed’s versatility and fastidiousness, 2016 has been a banner year. Kicking off with Jason Bourne in the summer, Ahmed set the small screen alight in the brilliant HBO series The Night Of, and will play Bodhi Rook in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,

PHOTOGRAPH BY

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Jeff Singer

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releasing this weekend. When we

stimuli to move you from one action

not really bothered by what you’re

of a theory I’d heard from Scoot

spoke, he’d just come fresh from his

to the next, while the film moves at

doing. It has allowed me to make the

McNairy—one of the stars of

first viewing of Gareth Edwards’ Star

100 miles an hour and there are 100

music I make and write the things I

Gareth Edwards’ first film, Mon-

Wars spin-off…

moving parts.

do without thinking too much about

sters—who thought the first 10

how they’ll be received.

years of a career was the period

So, how is the film?

It must help to have people like

Honest to God, I think it’s really good.

Donnie Yen around.

Do you ever feel like you’ve

your craft, before you have any

I’m so excited for people to see it. It’s

It’s really kind of amazing that people

stumbled?

hope of sustaining a career for

genuinely achieved what it set out to

like Donnie Yen manage what they

Each role I do I feel like I’ve failed in

life. How do you reflect on these

do, which is to put forward a slightly

do, and speaking with them and

some way or another. Not a complete

last 10 years, now you’re working

more edgy vision of the Star Wars

learning that side of it was actually

failure, but as long as I keep failing in

on these big studio pictures?

universe. It has the dirt-under-the-

really enjoyable. I just love learning

new ways, that’s good actually. I like

It’s funny you mention Monsters and

fingernails feel of a war movie.

and being pushed out of my comfort

to keep a little mental note of the

The Road to Guantanamo, because

zone. So going from small dramas to

lessons I’m learning from one day to

Gareth actually told me today that

middle of it, it doesn’t really sink in.

massive sci-fi action was definitely

the next. It can be a healthy attitude,

The Road to Guantanamo inspired the

There’s the initial fanboy moment

a plunge in the deep end, but I really

psychologically, to approach work

road trip aspect of Monsters.

when you’re told you’re going to be

relished it.

like that, but it’s not always that easy

in a Star Wars film, and then when

That feeling of being a beginner is

Certainly I feel lucky that I’ve

on the business side. People seem

been able to do this for as long as I

you first turn up on set. But then you

really quite exciting for me, because

to have shorter attention spans than

have, and I still feel lucky that I get

kind of get lost in it, like you get lost in

it’s kind of scary, you know? I can cer-

ever, so that making movies, and

to do this at all. I don’t know if that’s

anything else.

tainly understand why it’s not neces-

betting on whether or not audiences

a pinch-yourself, working-class guilt

sarily the move that everyone makes,

are going to see them, becomes ever

thing, or maybe imposter syndrome,

a double-edged sword, because it

because it can be quite exposing. It’s

more of a crap shoot. It does feel like

but I do really wonder when I’ll be

makes it so much harder to stay in

a vulnerable position to put yourself

our business, or our culture, is slightly

found out. And maybe there’s some-

it when you’re thinking, oh my God,

in. The more well-known you are, too,

less forgiving of failure than it used

thing healthy about that, because it

Stormtroopers! [laughs] But actually,

the higher the stakes attached to

to be.

stops you from becoming compla-

you weirdly don’t have to do any work

every decision you make, and if you

to create emotional associations with

fall flat on your face from one thing

BAFTA where he was saying that film-

going, “Wow, I’ve really accomplished

those kinds of things, because the

to the next, there are more and more

making isn’t something you become

a lot.” But I do feel very happy to have

inner six- or seven-year-old in you is

people that are going to be watching.

magically good at. It’s something that

worked with such a diverse range

still getting a little scared of the sight

But I’ve always operated on the

you learn how to do. It’s a craft—like

of people, and on diverse projects. I

Letting that feeling through is

Paul Greengrass gave a talk at

cent. The flip side is I don’t sit around

of a Stormtrooper. What I realized

assumption that nobody is watch-

carpentry or anything else. You need

do feel proud of that and I want to

by the end of the shoot was that I

ing. Nobody’s really noticing and you

three, four or five films to maybe

continue to do that.

should go with those feelings rather

should just kind of do what you want

know what the hell you’re doing, and

than fight them.

to do. I guess maybe that changes a

these days we don’t allow filmmakers

ent worlds a lot. Switching between

bit after you’re in something like Star

that leeway.

a working-class household and a

I grew up dancing between differ-

You’d done Jason Bourne, but the

Wars. But I try not to think about it,

scale of Rogue One must have

because I think it’s quite freeing to

Your first feature film, The Road to

won a scholarship to and had to take

been an adjustment also.

assume that other people have got

Guantanamo, came out 10 years

a bus to for an hour-and-a-half each

It was my first full-on studio movie,

other things going on and they’re

ago this year. It made me think

day. In the middle was British Asian

middle-class private school that I

and while The Night Of did feel like

street culture, with gangs of kids and

a big movie, nothing is quite on the

its own exciting and really dangerous

scale of Star Wars. It was a massive

subculture. I was always pinballing

adjustment for me having come from

between those different worlds, and

small British films like Four Lions,

so I think a part of me needs that

Shifty and Ill Manors.

skepticism from one project to the

It was a learning curve, adjusting

next; it just feels normal to me. If I get

to a six- or eight-month shoot. My

stuck in one vibe then I start to feel

first experience of that was on Night-

claustrophobic, so I’m glad I’ve been

crawler, and then again with this. You

able to scratch that itch.

realize it’s not the same in America, and you have to kind of manage your energy in a different way.

Plus Star Wars was a different kind of role for me, with all the action in it. That’s an almost entirely

RIZKY BUSINESS Above: Ahmed as Naz Khan in HBO’s The Night Of, deep into his transformation.

Below: As Bodhi Rook in Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Not to draw a tortured parallel here, but your character in the superlative The Night Of winds up having to adapt to just as many different worlds in that show.

different skillset; trying to inhabit an

He does go through quite a trans-

action sequence from moment to

formation; not just in his intentions,

moment. It really does require intense

or what he learns, or his outlook

concentration, to find the specific

on life, but really in a kind of raw,

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R IZ AH M E D P H OTO G RA P H ED FOR D EA D LI N E BY J E FF S IN G E R

To be honest, when you’re in the

you had to persist at, as you learn

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have to go, “OK, this is this per-

The best things happen when you get

son’s vibe, and he’s now going on a

out of the way a bit.

journey.” What I really liked about The Night Of, was to set up a character by

You’ve written articles, and made

saying, “This guy has a lot of different

music, about the way you’ve been

vibes; this is them at school, this is

treated as a Muslim, by airport

them at home, this is them out and

security for example. The Night

about.” The values and behaviors

Of deals in some of those kinds

they’re displaying from one world

of prejudices. You were recently

to the next is always at odds. I think

stopped once again. Why haven’t

people are like that, but we don’t see

we been able to fix this?

it on screen very much. It was that

The reason I make the music I make,

blueprint that really attracted me to

and the reason I’ve written what I’ve

the character, but I didn’t know how

written in the past, isn’t because I’m

large the transformation would be

trying to do something important,

until I read the other seven scripts, six

or get on a soapbox. It comes from

weeks before we started shooting.

the same place as anyone pursuing a creative act, which is to try and tell

What goes through your mind

the specificity of my story and my

then?

experience, to share it with people.

You think, OK, so I need to start going

reasons, because it’s cathartic. I’ve

time, and I need to fill a massive wall

got certain things on my chest and I

full of Post-It Notes, and I need to

need to work them out and articulate

start plotting how this transforma-

them. Like I said, I make and say these

tion will take place from one scene

things with the assumption that

to the next. It was a kind of “Oh, shit,”

people have got other stuff going on

moment. Then, it was on. I thought I

and they won’t want to read this or

knew what I was getting myself into,

check it out.

but it was something else.

R IZ AH M E D P H OTO G RA P H ED FOR D EA D LI N E BY J E FF S IN G E R

The biggest gift was that we did

“EACH ROLE I DO I FEEL LIKE I’VE FAILED IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER. NOT A COMPLETE FAILURE, BUT AS LONG AS I KEEP FAILING IN NEW WAYS, THAT’S GOOD ACTUALLY. I LIKE TO KEEP A LITTLE MENTAL NOTE OF THE LESSONS I’M LEARNING FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT.”

I’m doing that for quite personal

to the gym in about two months

But it’s interesting because the thing I’ve learned recently is that the

fundamental way. Who he is really

shoot in sequence, but we didn’t

specific is universal. Every time we

transforms. As a character, he’s not

really stop, for example, to allow

think there are marginal stories that

able to be very active, so you can’t

the physical transformation to take

aren’t relatable or mainstream or

chart that journey of transformation

place. I started at my normal weight,

visible, we don’t tell those stories. But

through a series of massive deci-

and then from Episode 3 I started

actually the specificity of experi-

sions, one after the other. He is pin-

hammering it at the gym. You have

ence is something people relate to,

balled around too, and he shouldn’t

a day on set, and it’s still 10pm in

even if it doesn’t correlate to their

be hit from one paddle to the next,

Yonkers, so you drive to the city to go

circumstances.

but he is, and those transformations

the gym until midnight, and you have

are taking place.

to be up again at 5am. I won’t lie; it

A personal place. And it’s connect-

did take its toll.

ing with people for personal reasons.

It’s quite tricky in a lot of ways, and as always you wonder what you

So that’s where it’s coming from.

They’re not being asked to sign up to

could have done differently. When

Isn’t it doubly scary, that you

a political manifesto. I’ve had British

I signed up, I had no idea what was

don’t know if those hours in the

soldiers and Jewish girls in Connecti-

going to happen with this character.

gym are going to pay off in the

cut contact me and say, “Thanks for

All I had to work with was the pilot

right way necessarily? At least as

the music you’re putting out there.”

script. Really what attracted me to

an actor doing a scene you must

What we relate to isn’t what’s on the

that character was how subtly it was

have a degree of control.

surface.

written. It left enough negative space

Well, I don’t think it’s really all that dif-

I think what we need to redis-

in the writing for you to try something

ferent. You put the work in, both ways,

cover right now in this really divided,

with it. All of the raw ingredients—

but you actually can’t control the out-

divisive climate of “us” and “them” is

that kind of scaffolding of the charac-

come, and if you try to, then you won’t

personal connection. I know that can

ter—was down to the bare bones, but

get the best results. The best things

sound a bit hippy-ish and hokey-ish.

still really three-dimensional.

that happen are those magical things

Ultimately, the whole basis of any art

Being able to play this kind of

that come when you relinquish a bit of

is the idea that, deep down, “me” and

culture thing I’ve spoken about; you

control. If you’re open to the unpre-

“you” are actually the same. There’s

don’t often get to do that on the big

dictable happening, that’s when jazz

no “us” and “them”, just “us”. It’s dif-

screen. I don’t know if that’s just the

starts to happen and things start riff-

ficult because it’s not, man. We’re all

mad dash of 90 minutes, that you

ing, and you find grooves and rhythms.

in this mess together. ★

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CHARTED TERRITORY

Gold Derby’s Oscar Odds At press time, here is how Gold Derby’s experts ranked the Oscar chances in the Best Picture and Animated Feature races. Get up-to-date rankings and make your own predictions at GoldDerby.com

Welcome to the Jungle COMPOSER JOHN DEBNEY REVEALS HIS FAMILY’S DISNEY LEGACY. AN OSCAR NOMINEE for The Passion of the Christ, composer John Debney found in Jon

adaptation, bringing their shared story full circle.

Creating a scrapbook of his Disney history to

Favreau’s The Jungle Book the fruition of a

show to producers in hopes of landing the gig,

personal family legacy.

Debney soon found himself working alongside

The son of Disney Studios producer Louis

Favreau for the fourth time, composing themes

Debney, John Debney is among the few who

that rang true, in relation to both Indian culture

can claim vivid personal memories of Walt

and classic Disney scores.

Disney himself—not to mention the Sherman

Thinking about a desirable sonic

Brothers, the legendary songwriting duo behind

experience for filmgoers, the pair revisited

the original animated Jungle Book and many

Disney’s “Fantasound,” a stereophonic sound

Disney classics. “My dad worked for Disney

reproduction system developed for Disney’s

for over 40 years, so I sort of grew up on this

Fantasia. “Jon wanted to come up with the

lot, with the Disney kids, and what have you,”

contemporary version of that, sort of a

Debney explains. At age eight, Debney found

heightened Atmos mix, and that’s sort of what

lifelong friends and mentors in the Shermans.

we did,” Debney says. “We flew many sounds

Richard Sherman would ultimately collaborate

around the theater, more than I’ve done before,

with the composer on the music for Favreau’s

and just had a lot of fun with it.”

BEST PICTURE

ODDS

1

La La Land

9/2

2

Manchester by the Sea

13/2

3

Moonlight

15/2

4

Fences

9/1

5

Silence

12/1

6

Loving

14/1

7

Lion

14/1

8

Arrival

16/1

9

Jackie

22/1

Sully

28/1

10

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

ODDS

1

Zootopia

7/4

Editor Tom Cross found another plum gig in Damien Chazelle’s La La Land.

2

Kubo and the Two Strings

4/1

A LOT OF GLITZ AND GLAMOR

of editing against a musical

and one Oscar later, life is good for

backdrop to be a dream scenario.

3

Moana

11/2

editor Tom Cross, as he steps out

“People have certain expectations

of the editing suite to discuss his

about how sound is going to relate

4

Finding Dory

9/1

latest: Damien Chazelle’s ethereal

to picture,” he explains. “It’s fun to

old Hollywood musical, La La Land.

be able to play with that.”

5

The Red Turtle

14/1

6

Sing

25/1

7

Sausage Party

33/1

8

The Little Prince

40/1

9

Miss Hokusai

100/1

Trolls

100/1

CUT TO THE BEAT

Having worked with the

Through conversations with

director since the 18-minute,

Chazelle, Cross discovered that

Sundance Jury Prize-winning

certain thematic ideas embedded

Whiplash short, Cross came on

in the film would bleed into the

early, as Chazelle developed the

post-production process; with

says. “He wanted to tell the story

film’s music with composer Justin

reference to visual grammar, the

through bold montages and other

Hurwitz. The inspirations were

director was interested in the

optical techniques, because he

many­—Singing in the Rain, the films

language of dreams. “For Damien,

saw those things as an expression

of Jacques Demy. And as with

the language of dreams is the

of what was going on in the hearts

Whiplash, Cross found the process

language of old cinema,” Cross

and minds of the two characters.”

6

10

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“

++++.”

Ann Hornaday, THE WASHINGTON POST

“A landmark film. Astonishing.”

THE NEW YORKER

“There are few movies that speak to the American moment as movingly – and with as much idealism – as Jeff Nichols’ ‘Loving.’

Ruth Negga is a revelation.”

Manohla Dargis, THE NEW YORK TIMES

“Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga give performances that will be talked about for years.”

Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN ALL CATEGORIES INCLUDING

BEST PICTURE BEST DIRECTOR JEFF NICHOLS

BEST ACTOR JOEL EDGERTON

BEST ACTRESS RUTH NEGGA

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY JEFF NICHOLS

Written and Directed by JEFF NICHOLS For more on this film, go to www.FocusFeaturesGuilds2016.com

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© 2016 BIG BEACH, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ARTWORK: © 2016 FOCUS FEATURES LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

12/7/16 12:48 PM

D OCUMENTARY SHORTLI ST

SMORGASBORD OF EXCELLENCE Clockwise from top left: Scenes from 13th; The Ivory Game, O.J.: Made in America and The Eagle Huntress.

REEL PEOPLE

The Academy has narrowed the field of Documentary features down to 15 contenders. What made the cut?

BY A N T O N I A B LY T H

Baldwin’s unpublished letters in an

cameras exposing the machinations

exploration of how America has

of the illegal ivory trade. With soaring

reinforced racial stereotypes through

vistas shot from ranger helicopter

media and advertising over genera-

ride-alongs and truly nail-biting

tions. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson,

moments of undercover work, the

the film serves as a blistering indict-

film boasts Leonardo DiCaprio as its

ment of systemic racism both then

environmentalist EP.

and now.

DOCUMENTARY SEEMS A PARTICULARLY FICKLE and

the Inferno not making the cut.

There were of course plenty of

One of the most lauded contend-

The Eagle Huntress gives us the fascinating subject of the first girl in

ers on the shortlist revisits the story

12 Kazakh generations to become

terrifying genre for filmmakers, with

clear and obvious choices that did

of O.J. Simpson, only without the

an eagle hunter, highlighting an

unpredictability always an issue,

make the list. O.J.: Made in America,

investigative angle. Ezra Edelman’s

ancient practice in what feels like

funding often a huge struggle and

Weiner, 13th and Gleason, to name

O.J.: Made in America digs deep

an untouched secret world, with

generally a large personal, emotional

a few. The Academy’s shortlist will

into the history of race relations in

the stunning cinematography it

investment–although perhaps

be slashed to a final five on January

Los Angeles and the political climate

deserves.

that’s the truth of most modern

24th.

that surrounded the ‘trial of the

Kirsten Johnson’s film Camera-

century’. Made for ESPN’s 30 for

person stands completely alone

address the issue of race in America.

30 series, spanning five episodes

as a sort of documentary anomaly

announcement of their documen-

Ava DuVernay’s Netflix film 13th

and seven and-a-half hours, the

in that it’s wholly unlike any other

tary shortlist, the cuts can feel

uncovers a horrifying ‘loophole’ in

documentary has inspired chatter

doc seen before, either on or off the

especially cruel to those who poured

the 13th amendment that allows

not only for its epic achievements,

shortlist. A patchwork of Johnson’s

their life and soul into these films.

slavery where there’s a criminal

but also for its category-pushing

massive archive from her years spent

For example, Miss Sharon Jones!

conviction. Taking us on a shock-

parameters—is it a film or is it a TV

shooting footage around the world,

and Jim: The James Foley Story were

ing ride on the downward spiral of

series? Either way, it’s already won

the film is both a unique memoir and

left off the list, proving that even

a justice system that perpetuates

four Critics’ Choice documentary

a study on the power of the camera.

much-predicted frontrunners aren’t

racism, DuVernay’s is the only docu-

awards, along with New York and Los

An immersive and emotive experi-

always safe. As an Emmy winner, the

mentary ever to open the New York

Angeles film critics awards.

ence, this is documentary art, rather

latter film seemed an especially solid

Film Festival. She also snagged best

choice, but with 145 films to whittle

documentary and best director in

Davidson’s The Ivory Game and

down to 15, unfortunate exclusions

the streaming category at the Crit-

Otto Bell’s The Eagle Huntress

films stand at the forefront. Based

are part of the painful process. Even

ics’ Choice doc awards recently.

delve into nature. The Ivory Game

on Eric Schlosser’s non-fiction

takes us on a journey through African

thriller and directed by Robert Ken-

elephant territory, with hidden

ner, Command and Control takes

filmmaking.

Still, with the Academy’s

Several films on the shortlist

veteran doc-maker Werner Herzog

Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your

has to swallow the bitter pill of Into

Negro takes us through James

8

Both Richard Ladkani and Kief

than narrative storytelling.

In the science department two

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D OCUMENTARY SHORTLI ST caricature, including the tenderness of his relationship with then-wife Huma Abedin.

Clay Tweel’s film Gleason takes a heartbreaking look at former NFL player Steve Gleason’s battle to manage his ALS disease while raising his son. Originally begun as a home video project by Gleason, who wanted to leave messages for his then unborn son Rivers, eventually Tweel came on board to craft the footage into a beautiful story of triumph of love over adversity.

Snapped up by Amazon at Sundance, the film deservedly picked up five Critics’ Choice nominations.

Tweel goes close-up on Gleason’s relationship with his wife Michel, and a terrifying blow-by-blow look at

we watch Rivers grow up in a happy,

the 1980 Titan missile explosion

upbeat environment, where illness is

in Damascus, Arkansas, while Alex

not allowed to define family life.

Gibney’s Zero Days is a chilling delve

Gianfranco Rosi’s Fire at Sea

into cyber warfare and not only how

examines the international refugee

shockingly possible it is, but how

crisis at an eye-wateringly personal

unprepared and unprotected we

level, as we land on the Italian island

remain.

of Lampedusa—an initial arrival point

Nanfu Wang’s Hooligan Spar-

for many thousands of refugees. The

row follows activist Ye Haiyan as

film documents the struggles of the

she attempts to find justice for six

DOCUCOPIA Documentary requires an enormous personal and emotional investment from filmmakers. From top: Life, Animated; Weiner; Gleason.

schoolgirls who were raped in China in 2013. Not yet screened in mainland China, Wang’s film may never make it to cinemas there, as she rips the lid off the cover up of the incident and the victim blaming process

island’s single doctor, Pietro Bartolo, but also gives voice to a young boy, Italian resident Samuele Pucillo—a move that allows an unopinionated view of how life on the island is changing. We watch refugees arrive from Africa, the Middle East and Asia

that saw the teenagers accused of

and we are not spared the vision

prostitution.

of those who lose their lives in the

With the current horrifying

process as Rosi gains access to the

prevalence of mass shooting in the

his voice through a love of films like

created a figurehead for neighbor

coast guard ship. So we are shown

U.S., Keith Maitland’s Tower features

The Little Mermaid. A heartwarming

negligence at the expense of an

the view of the crisis from out at sea

a timely topic with a look into the

look at the power of cinema and an

effective and genuine investigation

and from inside the refugee camps

first school shooting in the country’s

unravelling of the mysteries of the

into Genovese’s death. Solomon

while the film allows the footage and

history–the 1966 incident at the

human spirit.

fascinatingly truly solves the case

its subjects to speak for themselves,

while hopefully helping the family to

with Rosi employing no narration

find peace.

or voiceover. This is a documentary

University of Texas at Austin. Based

When Kitty Genovese was

on Pamela Colloff’s Texas Monthly

stabbed on a New York street in

article “96 Minutes”, Maitland inter-

1964, the press widely reported that

estingly uses cartoons to illustrate

38 witnesses stood by and did noth-

into the lives of men under fire–for

ject, in that we’re given an unstruc-

the story, along with original footage

ing. Eventually that story became

very different reasons. Weiner

tured impressionistic chaos with no

and new, previously undocumented

synonymous with the memory of

helmers Josh Kriegman and Elyse

clear and straightforward solution.

witness testimony.

Genovese, despite the fact that it

Sternberg’s originally intended to

Another film that looks at anima-

Both Weiner and Gleason delve

where format brilliantly echoes sub-

Given a smorgasbord of excel-

was wholly inaccurate. Originally

document the comeback of the

lence here, choosing a final five

tion in an unusual way is Roger Ross

conceived as an HBO series, James

scandal-afflicted politician, only

nominees seems an impossible

Williams’ Life, Animated. A recipient

Solomon’s film The Witness looks

to find themselves spun around

and somewhat crazy-making task.

of three Critics’ Choice noms, the

into the series of lies and misun-

in a 180 mid-shoot when Anthony

Fortunately, the level of criti-

film takes the magic of animated

derstandings that led to those false

Weiner once again found himself

cal acclaim everybody above has

film to a whole new level as we follow

reports and the horrifying impact

in hot water. The resulting film

already received should go some way

Owen Suskind, a young autistic man

they had on Genovese’s loved ones.

snagged them the US Grand Jury

to consoling those who won’t get to

whose condition once precluded him

This is a moving exploration of how

Prize at Sundance and created a

walk the hallowed halls of the Oscars

from speaking. That is, until he found

the media ‘solved’ the case and

window into the real life behind the

this year. ★

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Untitled-45 1

12/7/16 6:04 PM

FO REI G N SPOTLI G HT

THE FOREIGN FIX Subtitled films are struggling at the box office as the market changes. What’s to be done?

BY NA N C Y TA RTAG L I O N E

films that cross over through social

roundly scours fests for breakout for-

media—that achieve a certain level

eign films and this year has The Idol

of success—probably are more suc-

(Palestine) in the Oscar hunt, agrees.

cessful than they ever would have

“There really are too many films and

been before, not just theatrically but

mediocre films being released—and

also on VOD.”

I’m not talking about major studios,

THE ACADEMY HAS CHAMPI-

are currently facing distributors of

ONED films from far-away lands for

movies with subtitles and how do

films are doing worse than ever

mediocre films—I’m talking about

60 years, helping to raise the profile

they get their titles to jump above the

before. So basically, you have those

independents. A lot of the bad ones

of a select few. Along with those that

cacophony that surrounds the bigger

few films in the year that do well,

are foreign films too. It used to be

score an Oscar win, a nomination or

pictures?

that cross over into the zeitgeist. And

when a foreign film opened, odds

then all the other foreign films, they

were it’s going to be a terrific movie.

seem to get totally lost.”

Now, not so much.”

make the shortlist, there are dozens more that often fade into oblivion. So

Sony Pictures Classics has won 14 Foreign Language Oscars, most

On the flipside, “The smaller

One of the problems is that we

although they certainly are releasing

how does foreign language film trans-

recently with Amour and Son of Saul.

late to the general moviegoing public

This year, it has such pics as Elle

are in an environment where “there

matter is that the distributor’s job is

in the United States? As a matter of

(France), Toni Erdmann (Germany)

are so many films being made, there

to do whatever we can to create a

data, North American box office on

and Julieta (Spain) vying for a slot.

are so many options for entertain-

presence where the films are distinc-

foreign language films (excluding Bol-

Co-President Michael Barker says,

ment hours. Whether it’s great

tive enough in the marketplace to get

lywood titles) as of November 29 is

when it comes to releasing foreign

television, sporting events or current

people to go out and see them. And

$57.4 million for the year, in contrast

language movies today, “Basically, it’s

events,” continues Barker.

it’s harder and harder to make them

to the same period last year, which

good news and bad news.

saw $71.5 million. So what challenges

12

“The good news is those few

Jeff Lipsky, EVP Marketing & Distribution of Adopt Films, which

Barker says, “The fact of the

distinctive.”

Lipsky believes the media has

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idea of having their world premiere at Lincoln Center. The New York Film Festival would take on a resonance and a gravitas that it’s lost.”

Yet another stumbling block is promoting films with people who don’t count English as a first language. “It becomes a nearly impossible chore in terms of getting publicity,” says Lipsky.

So, what makes a foreign language film work? Barker says, “You have rock stars like Pedro Almodóvar and Isabelle Huppert that help make a film work at the peak of their form.

You have movies like Toni Erdmann, Land of Mine and you go, ‘This is fresh, we’ve never seen this before. This is a game-changer.

“What these films have in common, regardless of Oscar consideration or not, is something that makes them feel like the experience TRAVELS Main image: Paul Verhoeven’s Elle, starring Isabelle Huppert. This page, above: Martin Zandvilet’s Land of Mine. Below: Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta.

in the movie theater is going to be a great experience.”

Lipsky recalls working on Lasse Hallström’s 1985 film My Life as a Dog. “Once that film became beloved in NY and LA, around the country

But we always factor that into the

we would walk into any cinema and

equation and so if your film crosses

see that 20% to 30% were either

over theatrically, you can count on

children or teenagers who were

a certain amount of revenue which

being brought by their parents and

makes the transaction worthwhile.”

they were loving the movie.” Now, he

Agrees another exec, “there’s less

believes “the audience is there” but

options in terms of your ancillary sales.

it’s “an older audience and I always

DVD is pretty much gone, so that

rue that there’s no new generation.”

leaves SVOD- or iTunes-type deals.”

With regard to Oscar, a win can

Lipsky thinks some of the North

certainly help at the box office, but

a great responsibility. “The peak

called Rotten Tomatoes? What do

interest level in foreign films—at

you mean? We’re going to tell you

American festivals should change

the category is different to the main

least since the days of Bergman and

what movie sucks? We’re going to

strategy. “What happens with foreign

races because very few people deter-

Truffaut—was when Roger Ebert and

tell you what’s shit? That’s what the

language films in this country? The

mine what gets nominated.

Gene Siskel were on PBS every week.

American public is interested in?”

New York Film Festival. But people

Cautions Barker, “What we’ve

The only close thing you’ve got now is

Another exec agrees that what

in New York don’t even appreciate

learned over the years is if you cam-

characterizes a good foreign language

it. You know why? Because in every

paign vigorously then you can have a

He calls out “the story of the

film that can break out is the reviews.

iteration, from the days of Richard

really serious backlash. These are peo-

incredible shrinking New York Times”

But if a film isn’t going to work theatri-

Roud to Richard Peña and now the

ple whose votes cannot be influenced

where indie reviews are “relegated to

cally, then what? Netflix has certainly

Kent Jones days, it’s basically just

in any way shape or form. They spend

the ghetto pages. What gets a high-

stepped up to fill a void as it recently

the best of Cannes or the best of

a lot of hours watching these foreign

profile review still? Bad Santa 2.”

did with Divines, the film that won the

Berlin. The main slate is only about 30

language films over a long period of

Caméra d’Or in Cannes this year.

movies and the media doesn’t cover

time and are very [dedicated].”

when NPR does a review.”

Those reviews, Lipsky contends, are “not for New York Times readers

If a movie does succeed in the

and aren’t going to influence busi-

theatrical marketplace, Barker says,

ness. They’re half a page of a color

“then all the other media fall into

What’s the solution? “This is

Language Film,’ not ‘Best Foreign

picture of somebody that’s in the

place.” But there’s a codicil. “Televi-

supposedly the media capital of the

Language Film, as selected by a

movie. People who go to see foreign

sion, no matter how well you do with

planet Earth, why don’t you simply

political body of one per country.’ The

films don’t need the pictures.”

foreign language films, you’re not

institute a policy that the main slate

distributors here will find the best for-

going to do the same kind of numbers

has to be world premieres?” Major

eign films at festivals to be released

dumbing down of film criticism. Why

you would do with an English lan-

filmmakers from all around the world,

here, so it should be whatever is

would anybody ever go on a website

guage picture and your DVDs as well.

Lipsky opines, would “salivate at the

released qualifies.” ★

Worse for Lipsky, “There’s the

it because the media has already covered them [elsewhere].”

So how can the Academy help? Lipsky: “It says ‘Best Foreign

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I

N A LONG CAREER, FULL OF ICONIC PERFORMANCES

and Oscars, that has established him on the shortlist for Greatest Living Actor, Denzel Washington may well have outdone himself with Fences, and much of it is because he has put the focus on the talent around him. It’s the most ambitious of the three films he has directed, this adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning August Wilson play that he and most of the cast first performed on Broadway. That run won Tony Awards for Best Revival, for Washington’s performances as Troy Maxson, the former star Negro League player who hauls garbage in 1950s Pittsburgh, and for Viola Davis as his long suffering wife, Rose.

At the film’s first Guild screening in Westwood, Washington took the stage after for a Q&A, and spent most of it doting on his cast, and especially its two youngest members, Jovan Adepo and Saniyya Sidney, who play the Maxsons’ children in the film.

Washington is in a good mood when we meet on a Saturday—him dressed in a flannel shirt and an all-black Yankees cap—because his kids will meet him when we’re through. They are all finding their way in the family business.

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Denzel Washington takes Mike Fleming Jr. through the crafting of his adaptation of August Wilson’s classic play, and reuniting the cast of its 2010 Broadway run.

Viola Davis and Denzel Washington photographed for Deadline by Michael Buckner

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TOGETHER AGAIN After a run on Broadway, the big-screen adaptation of Fences reunites the cast, including Viola Davis and Denzel Washington.

12/9/16 1:40 PM

People have told me that you are the same way

he was running touchdowns in Pee Wee football, she

more about building his brand as an actor. His disci-

when you’re on a set and in character. Don’t

beat him to the end zone many times.

plined strategy of starring in consistently performing

distract Denzel.

mid-range dramas had finally brought him to the $20

Well, yeah. You’d better be focused. But a game is 2

How does all this influence the family dynamic

million-a-film pinnacle; slower than a lot of white

or 3 hours of concentrated time. A movie can be a

in Fences?

stars who took shortcuts by starring in the big budget

14-hour day. When you’re younger, you try to stay that

Well, that’s the love between a mom and her son.

spectacles Washington avoided.

focused for 14 hours, you get worn out. So you learn

There’s a scene in Fences where Troy just walks out.

Last time I interviewed Washington, it was still

to pick your spots. Maybe relax in the trailer. You work

He’s angry, he knocks stuff down, and Rose is sitting

wavered a bit—he has plenty of fire and brimstone

While the intensity of his performances hasn’t

your way right up to the take and you hit it, then you

there at the table, upset, and she doesn’t realize her

moments as the existentially tortured, tragic Max-

regroup. What’s important to me is, you build up to

son’s watching. Then he walks in, he says, “Are you

son—Washington has evolved. You hear stories about

that moment, and then you hit it. In that way, it’s like

all right?” I told him I wanted him to just kiss her to

how, when his son John David was breaking records

getting up to bat, you hit it and then you go back and

death, until she can’t take it no more, until she’s not

at Morehouse before a brief NFL career (he’s now

sit down.

mad anymore. And Jovan said, “Oh, I’d love to.” So,

an actor), his father practically wore out his highlight

he started kissing, and she didn’t know he was going

reel and all the friends he forced to watch again and

Why, when you’re acting, do you prefer solitude

to do it, and she’s trying to be mad and so she starts

again. You can almost feel the influence of his evolv-

to camaraderie?

breaking. She said, “Just go on upstairs and clean up.”

ing life in Fences.

Well, people take your energy, like I was trying to take

He leaves and you see that look on her and it’s like…

[Jordan’s]. Not to say that people try to mess you up, What’s a better moment for you: hearing your

but I found I had to create space. If you’re too friendly

A truthful moment?

name called twice during the Oscars, or watch-

with everybody, then they’ll think you’re that way all

It’s like I tell people, a mother is that son’s first true

ing your son break loose for a long touchdown?

the time. You might be getting ready to shoot a scene

love. That son is the mother’s last true love, pure

Well, I’ll tell you. I once went to an Angels game and

where your mother dies, and somebody’s telling jokes.

love. He comes out and this woman’s taking care

they’re playing the Yankees. Now, I’m the only one

You don’t want to be in that place. So you got to

of him. Now, a wife has a love for her husband, but

sitting there with all-Yankee gear on, right, in Anaheim.

protect that.

not like that.

And we’re close. So Jeter’s in the batter’s box, and

I know some people can go, “Oh, he’s moody,

there I am, bragging about my son John David. “Oh,

he’s…” Yeah, well, nobody goes to watch the movie

Hearing you talk, it seems obvious that you’re

Derek, he’s 8… my son is the D Division 2 player of the

and says, “Man, he sucked, but I heard he was nice

a better director because of your evolution as a

month,” or something. I’m bragging to everyone, really,

to everybody. He brought cookies every morning.”

parent. You’re still a big star with all the acco-

out loud, but mainly to my good friend, Derek Jeter. I’m

So, how’s the movie? “Oh, he’s terrible.” [Laughs] It’s

lades, but is it a stretch to imagine you’re more

going, “Yeah, my son’s the number one rusher in the…”

true. You’ve got to protect your performance.

interested in their accomplishments now?

It’s a little like directing. If you let people in,

It becomes about your kids. My son John David,

And Derek, who’s going click, click, click, tapping the dirt from his cleats, he looks up and he goes, “Yeah,

everybody has an opinion. The guy in craft services,

stars on that HBO series Ballers. I’m living through

well, he must have got it from his mother’s side.” And

the caterer will go, “I’ve got a couple ideas…” You’ve

them. Olivia’s acting. I’ve got two who are behind the

then, as God is my witness, he gets up and hits a

got to protect against that.

camera. Katia is an associate producer on Fences.

home run. While I’m taking flack. “Oh, Denzel, oh.”

Malcolm has graduated from AFI in their directing How did you learn to protect that and establish

program. He’s working for Spike, getting the coffee,

Isn’t this the moment where you unzip that bag

those lines?

hustling, whatever he’s got to do.

you should be carrying, and you put one, and

You stay between your ears and you stay quiet and

then the other, Oscar on the dugout roof?

you don’t engage with a whole lot of folks, all the

What I did was, I looked around at everybody, like,

time. They see that, hey, he comes out ready. He

“Don’t say anything. Nobody say a word." You know,

works like this, leave him alone. By the way, I did wear

Fences started when Scott Rudin sent you

no, “Hey, that’s your good friend, your buddy, Denzel?”

out my son’s highlight reel. I was looking for it the

August Wilson’s movie script. When did you

other day and couldn’t find that old VHS tape. I gotta

decide to direct, and why bring it first to the

Spike [Lee] when he was doing one of those first

find it, it’s got all his highlights, even high school. It’s

stage?

Michael Jordan commercials. We were in Chicago and

the ex-athlete, wannabe athlete [mindset], and you

When he first called me, he sent my agent August

the Bulls were playing the Lakers, and the Lakers won

live through your kids. But my wife, Pauletta, is worse.

Wilson’s screenplay and asked that I read it. “Do

that first game. We went out to dinner, afterwards,

You ever see that clip they ran on Letterman, when

you want to act in it? Do you want to produce it?

with Michael. Now this guy is famous. I was a body-

she got knocked down? She’s on the sidelines, and

Do you want to direct it?” I said I wanted to read

guard. He was Michael Jackson famous. He owned

the play is coming her way. It’s a sweep to him, and

it first. Let me try that. When I read it, I realized I

Chicago. He had the police, the off-duty guys, give us

she starts heading down there. She’s going to meet

had never read the play. I’d seen it in the ’80s with

an escort to an Italian joint. He had the whole back

him at the end zone. The guy chasing him runs out

James Earl Jones and Courtney Vance, when I was

section, and I was trying to get him to drink. I was like,

of bounds and bangs into her. Knocks her down. She

in my twenties. And there’s Troy Maxson, age 53.

“Yeah, let’s have a toast…” Uh uh. He was focused.

jumps right back up, faster than he did. She stood

I’m 55 and thinking, I’d better hurry up. I’ll be too

And then he came back to LA, beat us three straight,

over him like, “Get up, punk, you can’t even hit.” When

old. So, I call Scott and I said, “You know, I want to

Reminds me of another time, I think I was with

and that was his first ring. I remember we did a toast, and he’s like [fakes a swallow]. I said, “You didn’t drink, c’mon.” It was great to meet him, but to see that level of focus. He’d been close so many times by that point. It had always been the Knicks or Boston, always breaking his heart. And they finally got in, and it wasn’t so good for the Lakers.

16

Pauletta has jumped back out there too. She just did a play, and she’s singing. Everybody’s working.

“WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO ME IS, YOU BUILD UP TO THAT MOMENT, AND THEN YOU HIT IT. IN THAT WAY, IT’S LIKE GETTING UP TO BAT, YOU HIT IT AND THEN YOU GO BACK AND SIT DOWN.”

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ON SET Washington sets up a shot (right) as the director. Left: playing Troy Maxson alongside Stephen Henderson's Bono in the film.

do the play.” He’s like, “You want to do the play?”

Sounds familiar…

Was that an awkward transition?

He said, “Let me go raise the money.”

I could imagine me saying, “Dad, I love you.”

No, I loved it. I don’t know if I became that right away,

“What’d you say?” “Oh, nothing.” That didn’t

but when my first son was born, I was, “Hey, you

really happen, but…

kidding me?” Maybe my father felt the same way and

How long did that take?

Felt like a day. They had to book a theater. It wasn’t long after he called me.

it was just that he was working all the time. I don’t How much of that informed your scenes

remember, as a child, going, “Oh, my father doesn’t

with Jovan Adepo, who plays Troy’s aspiring

love me.” There’s no stories like that.

When during the Broadway run did you decide

athlete son Cory?

to direct the film?

I probably brought it all, subconsciously. My

So like Troy Maxson, he provided, but he wasn’t

I remember it wasn’t during that run. We finished

father was a gentleman who worked three jobs,

going to put his arm around you?

that in 2010, and I know it wasn’t then because

so he was always running from one to the other.

I didn’t understand it then, but I remember him sitting

what happens is, you go do a play, and I end up

What does ring true is, I remember he worked

in the driveway, with his foot out of the car, the door

losing money for what my overhead is, then I’ve got

for the water department and he told me he

open, listening to the baseball game. When I got older

to go do a movie so I can catch up. I wasn’t ready

could get me on. And in 25 years I could become

I realized, this was the only time he got to himself.

right away, because when you direct, that’s going to

a supervisor, you know, that way of thinking. My

He leaves the job, then he’s got to come home and

be another year and a half of no money.

mother’s like, “He’s going to college.”

eat, change, listen to my mother, and then go to the

Really?

My father had fifth grade—whatever—educa-

driveway, listening to the ball game, was his only time

I mean, what they pay you and what my overhead

tion, and grew up in the south. So yeah, in those

to himself probably. He got to listen to one boss, then

is, I lose money. And between preparation, shoot-

regards he was like Troy; this big guy, not a yeller or

he comes home and my mother’s in the house, so

ing, and post-production, and everything right on

a screamer, but hard working, blue-collar guy who

he’s got to listen to another boss. Then goes to a job

through to what we’re doing here, now, you’re not

could only see as far as he could see. Not a really

and listens to another boss. I just remember that,

making money. I’m losing more than I’m making.

great reader. I remember my mother asking him

coming out, and he’s just sitting there and listening to

It is remarkable how this is set in the ’50s,

to look at something, and he starts fidgeting for

the baseball game. That was his moment.

But it was similar in that he wasn’t educated.

next job, you know, his night job. So, that time in the

with issues of segregation and blue collar angst

his glasses, and she’s like, “Never mind, I’ll read it.” I

that might seem antiquated. Instead, there is a

think he used to do that to act like he was wasting

Jovan Adepo bears the brunt of those scenes

timelessness and universality to it. If you grew up

time, so she would read it. I don’t know for sure.

where Troy mercilessly channels his bitterness

with an awkward relationship with your father, you

Oh… I can hear my mother now, “What’s that

into breaking down the athletic aspirations of

article you put out? Your father could read.” So

his son Cory. You wonder what it might feel for

don’t say that I said my father can’t read. I don’t

a young actor to go toe-to-toe with an actor as

ity was the father/son, husband/wife elements.

want to hear from my mother! “Your father could

strong as yourself. As the director, what goes

Pick a color, it doesn’t matter. Older guy falling

read.” That’s her.

into helping a young actor be appropriately

will see yourself in there somehow.

More than the race thing, I think the universal-

for the younger chick, that father/son tough love

There are more loves and kisses and hugs

defiant and prideful, without withering when

relationship. The latter, especially with my genera-

from my wife’s side of the family. They’re all

Denzel Washington is really bringing it?

tion. Fathers didn’t hug their sons. My father never

huggers and kissers, and crying. I was like,

Well, 80 percent or 90 percent of it is casting. That’s

gave me a hug. “Get out of here, boy, what are you

“what is this? I’ve got to marry her.” Her father,

when you’ve got to see what the other guy has, and

talking about? Why don’t you go hug the lawn

everybody there would cry, and there’s none of

that is where I would push the young actor. And he

mower?”

that on my side.

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guys came in and left me feeling like, what are you

down what they say.” I wanted to say, “You got some

So what was that like?

so mad about? “Well, you know, me and you don’t

of their numbers? Maybe I can give one of them a

When she was giving it to me? With those tears, and

get along,” and I’m like, “You mean the whole movie,

call.” But it was just a lovely day, and he wrote Gem

what did she say, “It didn’t take me no 18 years to

you’re going to be walking around like that, pissed

of the Ocean, and as it turns out, and I forget why,

realize the soil was hard and rocky,” and she keeps

off? You’re going to wake up like that?” He just was

but I didn’t do that play. And then Scott Rudin called

going, and she doesn’t stop. And what does he say?

the right one and had the right flexibility. And he

about Fences.

What can he say?

looked like he could be Viola and my son.

August Wilson himself wrote the script, but

There’s nothing he could say. As a director, how

person. There’s only going to be one Cory. So, you can

a play is not a movie. What was the biggest

do you help her build to that perfect moment?

bring a million of them in here and I’ll know when it’s

challenge in turning it into a film and not having

We all had the luxury of having done the play, to great

the right one, and he was just the right one.

it seem… stagey?

success. So, as a director, I knew what worked. So it

It’s just like I tell people in casting, I only need one

It was a process of asking, “Where else could these

was, don’t over direct, don’t screw it up, let her rip.

Didn’t he nearly work with your Magnificent

scenes take place?” It could be out in the park. It

And just make sure you’ve got the camera in the right

Seven and The Equalizer director Antoine

could be walking up Broadway. I did a lot of writing,

place because she’s going to bring it like she does. In

Fuqua?

wrote other scenes, cut them, and boiled it right back

the scene itself, I didn’t have to do much talking to

I forget how I brought it up to Antoine, but he said

down to what he had written. But in the play, every-

her. Maybe after, she asked me, “What do you think?”

that [Jovan] was the best actor who read for… I don’t

thing takes place in the backyard. So, when things are

I’m like, “Let’s do another,” and I might have said,

want the kid that got the part to feel bad, but it was

falling apart, he’s sitting on the back porch, drinking,

“Let’s try a softer one.” But you don’t want to mess

Training Day, the TV show. He thought Jovan was

in the play. So I put him at the bar, drinking. He’s still

with it, get in there and start directing now.

the best actor, but he didn’t feel he had the street

sitting alone, drinking, and Bono, his friend, comes to

thing that Antoine wanted; that edginess. I said,

see him. Well, if he wasn’t home, he might come to

You have worked opposite great actors in

“Well that’s great for us because we’re in ’57 and he

the bar to see him. He’s still a friend that’s looking out

intense scenes. Gene Hackman comes to mind,

shouldn’t have that.” He’s not a street kid. That’s not

for his buddy. So, in fact, in the movie we use a part

in Crimson Tide.

who Cory is, because his mother has done a good job.

of the old line. He said, “I stopped by the house and

There was a moment where he was doing his thing,

nobody was there. I figured…” And then I cut him off,

and he looks at me, and I realized it was my turn but

You are bringing the first work of August Wil-

so you know that Bono is this friend who cares for

I was watching him. Viola is another. Dakota Fanning

son’s to the screen, but it sounds like it won’t be

him, loves him, and he can see what’s happening, long

is another. When she was in Man on Fire, I’m like, she’s

the last.

before Troy could see it.

not 10. She’s sitting there and she’s looking at me like,

All 10 of them. The other nine I did a deal to make those films at HBO. Will you direct all of them?

yeah, like, it’s your line.

You’ve done Shakespeare on stage and screen.

There are those actors like Gene and like Viola

Fair to say you wouldn’t change his lines?

that you get up there with. It’s interesting you men-

No. No.

tion Gene because there’s a battle; a combat that

No. They put that out, that I was going to be in them

goes on between those two characters. In [Fences]

and direct them. No. I’m just producing them. We’ll

August Wilson is new to movies, but were you

it’s even more intense because that was just two guys

hire the right directors. In fact, I’ve got the first version

as reverential with his words, the ones good

and ego. This is love and betrayal, and she’s right, and

of a screenplay for Ma Rainey, which we’ll do first.

enough to win Tony Awards and the Pulitzer?

so you really don’t have a leg to stand on, and so it

We didn’t have to change them. He doesn’t talk

becomes, how do you take it? You take it like a man.

That is some legacy to uphold. You got to meet

about where it happens, it’s just, his friend came to

Good luck.

August Wilson?

see him because he cares about him. In the play, his

I only met him one day, back in 2005. I flew up to

friend leaves and Troy’s sitting there on the steps by

We’ve been talking sports, and you hear

Seattle and I spent a day with him, before I did

himself, but it’s sadder, in a way, when he leaves him

baseball players talk about when they get in

Fences. He was working on a play, which turned out

at the bar, and now he’s sitting there drinking, and

this zone, where the game slows down, where

to be his 10th play, I think, Gem of the Ocean. I don’t

it sort of helps inform the next scene, which is, now

they can see the pitch coming so clearly, and

know if they said he was writing something with me

he’s home and the boy comes home, and he realizes

it’s impossible to get them out. Do you find that

in mind or my agent said, “I think it’s a good idea to go

oh, he’s drunk. In the play, he’s sitting on the porch,

as an actor, in some of the great scenes that

up there and meet him.” Whatever the reason, I spent

drinking. Bono leaves him that way, and then the boy

you’ve done, you get in the same kind of zone?

a lovely day with him.

comes in this way. But now in the film, it feels like

I remember it was pouring rain up in Seattle. We

more of a passage of time. In the bar you see him tak-

sat inside and we sat out on the porch and just… I

ing shots, and then by the time we cut to the house,

don’t even know if we talked about business, but it

he’s got a pint half-full or whatever it was. So, you go,

was just a great day with this genius who was just

“Oh, wow, here he goes.”

the most regular guy. I remember he just smoked cigarette after cigarette. It was like he was from

He’s ready to have his fuse lit.

another era.

He’s ready to have his fuse… exactly. I like that. He’s

It was kind of awkward. It’s like, what am I there for, really? I don’t want to say, “Hey, can you write

ready to have his fuse lit. He’s all teed up, and here comes the son, to light that fuse.

something for me?” And he wasn’t saying, “I’m writing something for you.” But I was asking him about his

Some of the film’s strongest moments belong

process; how do you go about it. And he said, “Well,

to Viola Davis. When Troy betrays her, she

I just shut down the house and lock all the windows

becomes Woman On Fire. It is so intense, I found

and doors, and I listen to the characters and I write

myself feeling shame for my own male species.

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or 4 hours with 3 or 4 cameras, but then when you got in there, you could do the whole scene. I tried to find places where, especially in this film, we could do the whole scene, so you could get a good run at it.

Do you see yourself taking risks like he did? You look at Man on Fire, from the frenetic camera work to the placement of subtitles on screen.

You don’t see filmmakers impose a style in a risky way like that. How helpful was he in TREADING THE BOARDS Davis and Washington during the 2010 Broadway production.

pushing you to move past your comfort zone?

I’m paraphrasing, but I remember Ridley telling me that Tony was the most technically advanced director, and this is Ridley Scott, calling Tony the

“WE ALL HAD THE LUXURY OF HAVING DONE THE PLAY, TO GREAT SUCCESS. SO, AS A DIRECTOR, I KNEW WHAT WORKED. SO IT WAS, DON’T OVER DIRECT, DON’T SCREW IT UP, LET HER RIP. ”

best at that of anybody he knew. I don’t dare think of myself in that way. Like I said, I just steal from the best. If you’re going to steal, you know, take a little Tony Scott, a little Ridley.

A little Spike Lee and Antoine Fuqua?

Yeah, exactly, and you add yourself in there. Antoine

Yeah, but when you’re in the zone, you don’t realize

Your cast said your guiding message to them

and I were talking about the opening shot [in Fences],

it at the time. You’re just there, and maybe the

was, remember the love. You had to look really

and he said, “I would be above.” I said, “Yeah, like God’s

director talks about it later, or even after a take.

hard for the love, in Troy. What did you mean by

point of view?” And that’s the first shot of the movie. I

When we did Glory…

that?

remember us talking about it and I liked that idea.

Well, you start on page 1, not on page 70. Yes, these

You know, it was Spielberg who told me, “Steal

And that incredible moment…

things are going to turn, but without the love there

from the best.” So I steal from Spielberg too. And

Oh, you’re going to talk about that one? Ok, there you

first, the audience isn’t invested. This way, it breaks

Spielberg’s talked about stealing from Kurosawa. He

go. Well, we did the scene, went through the whipping

your heart because you realize how much they love

said, “We all steal from Kurosawa, Denzel.” He said,

and all that, and they said cut or something, and I

each other, and this guy’s just a little screwed up. But

“There are no new shots.” There are only so many.

looked up and I remember Ed Zwick, I don’t know,

if they don’t love each other… What you don’t want is

Yeah, we can put on the ceiling, on the floor, over

but he seemed to be tearing up. And I was like, “Well,

for the audience to go 10 minutes in and think, well,

there, over here. You’re sitting there, I’m sitting here.

what do you think?” He’s like, “Let’s do another one?

why are they together? Or, when they break apart,

Do we shoot it like this, or like that, or through the

What do you say?” It was there and we knew it.

you don’t want them saying, “Yeah, I could see that

glass? There’s only so many ways to skin the cat, and

coming, that’s not that much of a stretch.” The more

the key is that it doesn’t come off like, hey, look at me,

with a lot of the actors. Mykelti Williamson, Stephen

love—especially love between both of them—the

the director!

Henderson, you know? As the director, you make sure

more you realize what Rose has put up with, for the

you got film in the camera because, as an actor, you

sake of love.

That’s how it felt here, not just with Viola but

don’t want to hear, we didn’t get that.

Especially in a movie like Fences, you don’t want to be taken out, suddenly, and go, “Oh, that’s a Denzel shot! But what’s that got to do with the story?” You

Maybe that’s the genius of the play.

want it to feel seamless. At the same time, it’s two

Mel Gibson said that directing and starring in

Maybe you’ve got to ask women a lot of these kind of

hours of people talking. So how do you make that

Braveheart left him so exhausted he couldn’t

questions because I don’t know how they think. But…

work? How do you pick up the pace?

talk to anyone for weeks. Your first two films as

It’s like a simple line, between Troy and Rose. He does

a director, you played supporting roles. What

all this talking, blah, blah, blah, and says, “Rose will tell

When you compare Fences to your first two

toll did the dual roles take on you when you

you.” She says, “Troy’s lying,” and never looks up, and

films, Antwone Fisher and then The Great

were the central figure onscreen?

he doesn’t stop and go, “No I’m not.”

Debaters, what did you do here that you might

It might’ve been tougher for him in Braveheart

They’re one person. That’s what breaks your heart,

because it was so physically demanding and it

because they’re really a great team, and he’s the one

wasn’t like they did Braveheart for five months on

who screwed it up.

Broadway. So he was figuring things out on the day.

not have been able to on those other films?

I just know more. You start to learn what not to worry about. When I did Antwone Fisher, I worried about everything. I didn’t know what a director

I didn’t have the anxiety of, is this going to work?

Was there a director in particular who helped

was supposed to do and so I’m like “Oh, maybe I’m

For me, the anxiety was, am I going to screw it up?

nurture your desire to get behind the camera?

supposed to do this?” You’re worrying about things

I wasn’t searching for Troy, or trying to reinvent him.

You take a little bit from everybody.

you don’t need to be worrying about. You learn from

We had to catch up Jovan as Cory and the little girl

experience to delegate authority. Here, I put the best

[Saniyya Sidney]; they were the two new actors.

What did you take from Tony Scott, for

around me and let them do what they do. In that first

She is a firecracker. We did the scene, when they’re

instance?

go round, I wasn’t even sure what they do. Not to

singing and then Jovan starts breaking down. I said,

Maybe to think outside the box, where you put the

mention, what I was doing.

“Look, you just take care of your big brother.” She

camera. If sometimes it takes a little too long to figure

was like, “OK.” And she gives him the hug and did all

out where to put the cameras, don’t worry about it

You had Viola in that movie, as the mother

that stuff. She’s just so innocent, she doesn’t even

because the actors are going to bring it when they get

who abandoned Antwone Fisher. She had not

realize she’s under pressure.

there. Sometimes he’d do set ups that might take 3

been on my radar, but it was a “who is that?”

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moment, when the son confronts the mother.

the wisdom. I love that, and we used it. He’s always

You described how Troy had to take her fire

watching. Listening to the wife, and then he looks

in those memorable Fences scenes, but in

at me, but I didn’t even see him looking. He’s just

Antwone Fisher, she displayed so much guilt,

always doing things quietly, but he could see where

shame and despair, without saying a word.

this thing’s going.

That’s right. I don’t remember if she auditioned,

He’s a great actor, and I’m happy for him and

I’d have to ask her. She must have, unless I saw

for Russell [Hornsby] and for Mykelti because it’s

her in a play.

their turn. They’ve been chopping wood a long time, and now it’s their chance to shine, and people

What do you remember about that scene?

are responding to it. As for Viola, she wasn’t going

I knew to leave her alone, and it was good that I

anywhere. People are like, “Who is this Stephen

wasn’t in that part of the film, I remember it was cold

Henderson, and where’d he come from?” He’s been

and we were in Cleveland in an abandoned housing

chopping wood for a long time. He is the classic

project. It was freezing, and I remember she just

character actor, and now it’s his turn.

stayed in character, just stayed with it, and it was

THAT’S HOW MY NATURE IS. I THINK I’LL ALWAYS WANT TO ACT, WHICH IS WHY THIS IS NICE. ACT ON STAGE, ACT IN FILM, AND DIRECT. IF YOU GET TIRED OF THIS, THEN YOU GO OVER THERE. YOU’RE LIKE, ‘I AIN’T LOOKING TO DIRECT RIGHT NOW,’ SO YOU COME BACK OVER HERE AND LET SOMEBODY ELSE WORRY ABOUT THAT.”

just like, you know what, just leave her alone. She’s

It looks like Viola will compete in the Best

delivering. I’m watching the monitor and I’m like,

Supporting Actress category. I recall you not

“Man, she’s killing it.” I had to work with Derek Luke

getting nominated in the Best Actor category

more in that scene, because he has a big speech and

for Philadelphia. Your co-star, Tom Hanks, won

he had ‘prepared’. I think he decided he wanted to cry

and it seemed you might have been right there

in the scene, and I remember saying to him, “You have

had you gone in the Supporting Actor category.

the right to feel everything you feel after what she’s

Your longtime agent, Ed Limato, said simply,

done to you, but don’t let her see you sweat. Don’t

“Denzel is not a supporting actor.”

Nightcrawler was a crazy ride.

give her the pleasure of seeing it.” He got that note,

Right.

Oh, and this is a good one too. He really likes those

and ran with it.

dark corners of LA. And I play a character… I call it Did you ever regret that?

Cornel West with Asperger’s. He’s this lawyer stuck

I don’t think the scene would have had such

Being put in [that category]? No. No. And in this

in the Civil Rights era, only it’s now, and he still

power had you gone the other way. Is Viola

case, it’s her decision. I told her I don’t agree with

dresses like it’s the ’70s with a big afro and a little

the best actress you’ve worked with, in terms

it, but it’s her decision. She’s a grown woman. And

Asperger’s going on.

of being able to summon tears and extreme

you know what? Her performance speaks for itself,

emotions?

in whatever category. You can start a new category.

How come we’ve never seen you in spandex.

Well, forget the tears, because you can just put some

You saw the movie.

Everybody’s doing these…

water on there and have tears. But in Antwone Fisher,

Spandex?

it’s actually that there’s just one tear, and it’s not until

You stick to your principles, from the way you

he walks away. He says everything, and she never

built your star power with movies of a certain

Yeah. The superhero thing…

breaks. And then I went to a shot where he walks

budget range that consistently perform, to the

Oh! I was like, where are you going with that? I didn’t

across and you’re left on him. Then, I cheated his

way you stay out of the limelight. Then there’s

even go to Action Hero, I went to the dark side of

steps [to the door], and I stayed with her. And you

the advice you took to heart from Sidney

spandex. Asking myself, “How did you know? I swear,

hear his steps, doom, doom, doom, and choom [the

Poitier…

it was only that one time!”

door closing]. And then, the tear came. It’s just the

You mean, if they see you for free all week, they won’t

way it played, and when she played it, and I built the

pay to see you on the weekend?

timing into it with the steps and the door.

I looked at it and realized, “Wow, she waited until

Oh, my. Never had the urge to play a superhero?

Not so much now. No.

That’s the one. Robert De Niro just made a deal

he went out, to drop that tear.” It didn’t hit her until

to star in a David O. Russell series with Julianne

Or Star Wars?

he went out the door, like in the scene in Fences when

Moore. Movie stars increasingly are doing things

That’d be nice. That’s different than spandex. If

Cory’s singing with his sister, and it doesn’t hit him

for streaming services and cable. How does

Spielberg called me and asked me, you know, yeah,

until it hits him. He’s singing [their childhood song]

Poitier’s advice square with a fast changing

whatever.

“Old Blue Died”, and suddenly he starts breaking

business?

down. He’s thinking it’s going to be just fine, and then

Well, he told me that when I was 20, too. De Niro’s

don’t want to see that. That’d be motivation, though;

he starts thinking about his father. And this little girl is

not 20.

I’d have to get it together. Who’s the oldest spandex

doing it so brilliantly, saying, “come on Cory, come on,

But I don’t know about the spandex part. You

guy? Is it Ben Affleck, is he the oldest Batman?

Does any of this changing shape of stars lead

Michael Keaton was young when he did it, and so was

you to alter your path?

George Clooney? I’ve never seen a 50-year-old guy in

Was it automatic that the adult actors in the

I’m busy. I’m trying to take care of August Wilson

spandex. You don’t want to see a 60-year-old guy in

play were going to be in the movie?

right now. That sounds a little pretentious, but you

spandex. No. No. I don’t think so. With the high boots

It was for me. I decided, yeah, I wasn’t leaving

know I’m in that world [with his other plays]. And I’m

and the socks and everything.

those guys behind. They were the reason we

booked for a couple years anyway. We’re going to do

were a success. Who could have been a better

another Equalizer in 2018. I’m doing a film in the spring

Last year, we saw this outcry over a lack of

Gabriel than Mykelti? Who’s a better Bono than

called Inner City. Dan Gilroy, this great writer who did

diversity in Oscar nominations. Feels like this

Stephen? I wouldn’t do that to him. No way. He’s

Nightcrawler and directed it, it’s his second film. This

year is much different. Did you see it as a crisis

the bass player of the band, the foundation and

is his second film.

last January?

you could sing it.”

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appreciated acting more, or I should say, I appreciated directors more. I thought, this is hard. Let me get back over here and just sit in my trailer and wait until they call me. You realize how much it takes.

At the same time, you know, when I was a kid, I was a coach. I like seeing other people do well. Here, I’m enjoying seeing Viola and everybody shine. It’s OK. I can be the behind-the-scenes guy. It doesn’t matter to me. I’ve had enough opportunity to shine, but just to see other people do well, with great material, obviFIRST STEPS Derek Luke and Denzel Washington in Washington's directorial debut, Antwone Fisher.

ously, that has become very, very satisfying for me.

Maybe more than you could have when you were earning your stripes as an actor?

Maybe. It’s just a process. I wasn’t thinking about directing then. I was trying to make it as an actor,

No, and it didn’t start in January. We just talked

person for you. In his heyday, he was really alone.

and there was never a plan at 22. It wasn’t until Todd

about it in January. Why did it start in January?

Yeah, him and Harry Belafonte.

Black really got me thinking about directing, and I

Because of the Oscars? But think of how many

kept dragging my feet. And then, on Antwone Fisher,

other years. I’ve been there when I was the only guy

You ever discuss what that was like?

there that looked like me, so, that’s not new. At the

No, not directly. I remember, one of the great pieces

same time, it’s good for us this year.

of advice he gave me came early on in my career. He

What was your hesitation?

said, “You know, the first four or five films you make

Just because you make a hit movie doesn’t mean

Did the Academy reforms to diversify the

or that you’re in will determine how you’re perceived

you can run the studio. We keep going back to sports,

voting body go far enough? Do you have a

in this business. So remember that in your early

but how many players thought they could become

voice in the Academy?

decision-making.”

managers, and it doesn’t work out? A lot of times it’s

It’s all a good thing. I’m not actively involved; I

they pinned me in a corner finally.

the guy who wasn’t the big star who became a great

don’t go to meetings. I haven’t been asked to, but I

Very shrewd. How did that help you?

coach. The guys who were big stars weren’t neces-

haven’t volunteered either. Cheryl Boone Isaacs has

Actors want to be loved and they are hungry and

sarily good coaches, and they got out of it quickly.

been fighting a good fight, and she has made a lot

they want to eat. Black, white, blue, or green, we’ve

Magic, Jordan. Look at Steve Kerr, Phil Jackson, Luke

of changes, and it takes time.

all done things we look back and go, “Oh boy.” But

Walton. Average players, great coaches.

The key, though, is material, and getting movies

sometimes you needed to do that to get to the

made. What awards they get, we’ll see, but the key

next level. I guess in my case, Sidney was saying,

Those stars can be impatient, but I find as I get

is that it starts on the page. We need to nurture

“Be patient.” Because he saw something in me that

older, by-lines mean less to me than helping

and develop good writers, across the board. When

made him say, “Hey, it’s worth taking your time.” And

a young person grow. You had that opportu-

you have these giant blockbusters, you know writ-

I listened to him.

nity with Fences and it was clear from a cast interview you did in that first screening that

ers want to eat too, so you say “Hey, let’s write like a nice little family drama about this black family.”

It has certainly worked. We all get older and it

there was some patriarchal pride in seeing

OK, but how am I going to eat?

doesn’t seem like you are slowing down. You

others shine.

are aging well, and you’ve still got a good head

That’s how my nature is. I think I’ll always want to act,

Didn’t Spike Lee hit it on the head when he

of hair.

which is why this is nice. Act on stage, act in film, and

said that nothing changes until there are more

[Smiles, removes his Yankee cap to make sure]. I

direct. If you get tired of this, then you go over there.

decision makers of color at studios?

guess I do have a good head of hair.

You’re like, “I ain’t looking to direct right now,” so you

No question. It is all of the above: writers, directors,

come back over here and let somebody else worry

producers. You know what’s interesting? My son

You can certainly direct more often. Clint East-

graduated from AFI, in the director’s program, and

wood made the transition, and in his 80s, is still

with two black directors, but there were about 6

knocking down one good film after another.

happy when I’m up there watching Stephen and all

or 7—not just black—producers of color. I wanted

I’ve watched what he’s done, and have followed it

those guys talk. I’m good with that. It feels good.

to see more writers, actually, but those tracks are

closely. When I got into directing, I said to myself,

It’s not like oh, wait, be quiet, this has to be about

all being developed. I’d like to think that especially

sooner or later, they’re going to stop calling me as an

me, me, me. This is our moment. All of us. August

with the networks and cable and everything else,

actor, but [Eastwood] can call himself. I mean, he

Wilson wrote a masterpiece. We see great, great

there are more opportunities. So, it’s a heck of a lot

had his biggest hit as a director or actor at 80, with

performances here, and I won’t even say it’s an

different. I was talking to my wife about that the

American Sniper. He’s my hero. I want to be that guy

old-fashioned movie, just a good family story, and I’m

other day, how it was when we were coming up.

when I grow up.

proud of it. I’m proud of everybody. I think we took

And now, the opportunities with a show like Empire,

I don’t know how he got into directing, but he

about that.

And like you said, I get a lot of gratification. I’m

care of August Wilson. That was my job.

with the Tyler Perrys over here and the Spike Lees

realized he had to expand. I didn’t just get into it for

over there. There are 500 channels, so there’s a lot

that. I was asked to do it by Todd Black, the producer

It has been a long time since Training Day, but

more opportunity.

of Antwone Fisher. That’s how it started, but now that

those loud, heated conversations Troy has with

I’m in it, I also like it.

God? It is kind of nice to see you can still howl at

You mentioned how, some years, you were alone. I can see Sidney Poitier is a touchstone

You can get bored over here. I’m not bored with acting, but once I got behind the camera, I

the moon.

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Tom Ford returns to feature film with Nocturnal Animals, and walks Mike Fleming Jr. through his pitch black new thriller.

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Tom Ford photographed for Deadline by Michael Buckner

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OM FORD is waiting in the otherwise empty Kit Kat Club of the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan. He is the first to remark the absurdity of how atmospheric this must look, particularly as he doesn’t come off as staged when he engages in a warm topic like his latest film triumph. Still, he is as meticulously coiffed as he always seems to be, in signature dark suit, white shirt and tie.

His is a sartorial splendor that leaves this journalist, for the first time maybe ever, spending more than a few minutes trying to figure out what to wear (even though he had agreed in advance not to judge too harshly). Famed for his trailblazing fashion exploits that moved him from creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent to the launch of his own Tom Ford label, Ford brought the same attention to detail to his 2009 directorial debut A Single Man, the self-financed drama about a man left so empty by the death of his lover that he becomes obsessed with the careful planning of his own death. Colin Firth won an Oscar nomination, and Ford left many surprised by his command and confidence as a storyteller.

It took seven years, but he has taken a quantum leap with Nocturnal Animals, which has the expected visual flourish, but is grounded by a meticulous detail to telling a complex story. Ford directed the film from his scripted adaptation of the Austin Wright novel Tony and Susan, a relatively straight-ahead story about a woman sent a manuscript by an ex out to show he made good on his potential.

Ford turned that into a disturbing trip down the rabbit hole reminiscent of American Beauty, with multiple storylines and bravura turns by Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Laura Linney.

SHOOTING GALLERY Amy Adams’ classy gallerist gets a blast from the past when she's sent her ex-boyfriend's new novel.

Your first film, A Single Man, sold after its

scripts, circulated them, rented a ballroom, and I put

Toronto premiere; the only major deal that year

together a little audio/visual presentation in Cannes.

as the indie business cratered. Nocturnal Ani-

I pitched the film to this room, and then had

when we had already started to take the highest

mals was a splashy sale on a script and a pitch

individual appointments and we started off selling

bids but hadn’t signed anything. The budget at that

in Cannes. What did you learn from A Single

individual territories.

time was $17 million—it would go higher—and we

Man that informed how this one went down?

I didn’t want an American studio. I knew I was

things, just turned me off.

Focus Universal came to me during this process,

covered about $12 million. Then Focus Universal

That first time, I couldn’t get anyone to believe

going to shoot in Los Angeles. I knew I was going

came to me and said, “We want the world.” I said,

I could make a film. I was confident I could, so I

to work on the film in America. I’m not good with

“No, thank you.” This went on for a few days, even

financed it myself and intended to sell it, which I did.

a lot of voices in my head. I don’t mean that in an

after I’d left Cannes. And they finally just said,

I also started out here intending to finance myself,

egotistical way, but I’m better at creating if it can be

“Literally, write on a piece of paper what you want.” I

but I thought I’d mitigate my exposure by selling

somewhat more organic and pure. I get confused

won’t tell you what that was, but I did. I’m very lucky.

foreign distribution rights.

when I hear too many voices, and the reputation of

They said yes to absolutely every single thing and

Hollywood studios interfering, re-cutting, all these

they honored it, and they have been terrific. It has in

Working with Glen Basner, we printed up 200

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a sense restored my faith in what it might be like to

live in Highland Park in Dallas because that’s the

women. What message were you trying to

work with a Hollywood studio.

fanciest neighborhood. These four houses are in High-

convey there?

land Park. Which one would I live in and why?” I wrote

It’s a microcosm for one of the themes of the film.

even see it until I handed over the deliverables. I was

her back and I told her, exactly. She sent me a tape

These are women who have let go of everything

still able to work in a completely independent way.

of Lady Bird Johnson and said, “This is the accent I’m

that our culture says that they should be, and they

And the film also went over that $20 million budget

thinking, does this work for you?” I said yes, exactly.

were so joyful. I loved these women. They were so

a little bit.

When she arrived on set, she was prepared. I had Karl

comfortable with themselves, with their bodies,

Lagerfeld make her suit. But her performance? Stun-

absolutely uninhibited. I had so much fun the day

ning and more than I could have even hoped for.

that we shot and I had so much fun editing these

I still obviously had total final cut; they didn’t

By $2.5 million?

A little bit more but not much, which I covered and

Aaron Taylor-Johnson was another. I was so

women. I found them so incredibly beautiful and

hopefully, I’ll get back. But it was great to have a

impressed and to say surprised is probably not

then we cut to Amy who’s sitting there absolutely

partner from the beginning in planning the distribu-

the right word. He’s a close personal friend. His

exactly like our culture tells us a beautiful woman

tion. Focus has been wonderful. The creative team

wife and I have been friends for a long time. I was

should be. Successful, and dead inside. That’s one

at Focus, the marketing team, they’ve been terrific,

never expecting that of him. He was so inside that

of the themes of the film.

and Donna Langley’s been incredibly supportive.

character. That scene in a lot of ways hinges on his performance. You have to be left questioning, what

Not surprising you would be asked to explain…

Peter Schlessel, who bought the project, said

the fuck is he going to do next, where is he going

I think a lot of people might think, OK, well, it’s really

that the film you delivered was so close to the

to go? Every take, he did something different. We

strange. Tom Ford’s in the fashion business. He

one you pitched, at close to the price, which he

would talk about it and didn’t let Jake know what he

uses all these thin models on a runway and this is

thought was remarkable for a director making

was going to do, which of course just threw Jake off

how he opens a film. Our eye is led, but as a fashion

his second feature.

and made the whole thing feel off balance.

designer, I learned a long time ago that anytime I

It is my second film, but I’m 55 years old. I’m not a

Laura’s scene took three hours. Everybody was

find something arresting—even if I find it, at first,

kid. I’ve been in business a long time and I know how

like that; you don’t get a lot of rehearsals with big

maybe not attractive but arresting—I need to stop

to deliver. I run a big company and I wouldn’t make

actors. Amy Adams, I had almost no time with.

and look at it. Because usually there is some sort

a promise that I didn’t think I could keep. So while

Michael Shannon too. Actors just aren't available for

of incredible beauty in it, and culturally, our eye has

it’s early in my film career, it’s not early in my career

two weeks to come in for rehearsals. It just doesn’t

been led to sort of look and say, “Oh, that’s beautiful

and I felt very confident I could say to people, “This

happen anymore.

but that’s not.” But yet, you start to really look at

is what it’s going to be, this is about how much it’s

these women and at the happiness and joy in their

going to cost, this is when I’m going to deliver it to

After terrifying everyone at the Toronto

you.” And I did that.

premiere, Aaron Taylor-Johnson gets onstage

faces, and they’re incredibly beautiful.

It sounds arrogant, but I guess when I think

afterwards. A proper British gentleman. How

Were you surprised that some wondered if

back to A Single Man, the thing that surprised me

did you know he could summon this visceral,

that scene was done at the expense of these

most was when people said, “Oh, I didn’t think

primal, redneck psycho?

women?

you could do that.” Before, everyone said, “Oh, of

Did you see him in Kick-Ass? You would never know

That would be the audience making that judgment

course you can make a movie! It’s going to be great.”

that guy was English. He’s so good with accents,

because all I’m doing is putting these women on

Afterwards, they said, “How did it feel? Because, you

and inhabiting characters. He’s different in every

screen. If the audience judges that, then that’s

know everyone was laughing at you!” I was like, “Why

role he plays, to the point where he’s almost

perhaps the responsibility of our culture which has

were you laughing at me? I told you I could do it.” I’ve

unrecognizable.

told the audience, all of us, that this is what we should

had failure collections but I pride myself in delivering what I say I am going to. I’m glad it worked this time.

We were having dinner one night and he was telling a story. I don’t even remember what it was

think about these women. But if you really look, there’s great beauty there, because they are who they are.

“AS A FASHION DESIGNER, I LEARNED A LONG TIME AGO THAT ANYTIME I FIND SOMETHING ARRESTING—EVEN IF I FIND IT, AT FIRST, MAYBE NOT ATTRACTIVE BUT ARRESTING—I NEED TO STOP AND LOOK AT IT. BECAUSE USUALLY THERE IS SOME SORT OF INCREDIBLE BEAUTY IN IT.” Sure, you had a vision sketched out. What

about but I was watching him. He didn’t realize this,

Amy Adams’ Susan draws our sympathy at the

surprised you most while making the film?

but I was thinking, would Aaron be right for this?

beginning. She is in this superficial marriage to

You have to keep an open mind. You can write some-

He started to tell some story, and he went off on

this guy who’s obviously cheating on her, and

thing, visualize it, map it out and go over the shot list

something. It was like a glimmer of insanity and I

she is alone. But she becomes progressively

with the DP. When you get there, you have to be will-

thought oh, my God. You. Would. Be. Perfect. He was

harder to like as we learn more about her and

ing to say, “OK, that’s not as interesting as I thought,

even better than I could have ever hoped.

her…

but wow, this performance is great. Let’s shoot it.” An open mind keeps it fresh and helps it stay alive.

I wasn’t surprised the performances were great, given the actors and the space they had to perform.

Amy and Jake I went after in a more traditional

Really?

way. I knew I wanted Amy and she was the first person I attached and then after Cannes, I went

Well, yeah, when you observe her relationship

after Jake.

with Edward and her withering criticism of his work, and then she tosses him and his unrealized

Laura Linney was terrific. She came in and did that in one day. We’d done a little bit, beforehand. She

Amy is cold perfection, and we first meet her

potential aside for a shortcut to an upscale life.

emailed me and said, “All right, my character would

in that scene with overweight naked older

Describe what went into drawing that character.

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99 Homes when it came to understanding

wrapping up, and this is one last case

the complexities of the Florida real estate

he’s determined to see justice on.”

trade, and met with a salesman with a

You could argue that, no matter

panache for flipping properties. While

how nefarious or eccentric Shannon’s

Ford sought Shannon out and entrusted

dramatic personae have been, there’s

the role to him, the actor says that the

a grounded humanity to them all. This

realization of Bobby occurred when Ford

in large part boils down to Shannon’s

“took the clippers out of the hairdressers’

approach. Even though his angelic Bobby

hands and started cutting my hair. I never

is a complete 180 from the ruthless Rick

had a director do this before. Tom knows

of 99 Homes, in the actor’s opinion, the

exactly [what he wants]; he’s lived the

latter isn’t a bad guy. “It’s my job [as an

whole movie in his imagination.”

actor] to not be judgmental of people,

Nocturnal Animals is one of 10 films that feature Michael Shannon this year.

Anthony D’Alessandro meets him.

The actor had a different approach on

gruesome stuff in his career, which is

Since landing his first feature role in

but to understand them,” Shannon

the Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day,

said about that role at an Awardsline

Shannon has remained a tireless working

screening last year. “Rick just wanted to

actor. This past year, IMDb lists Nocturnal

be a real estate broker. It’s like during the

Animals as one of 10 titles he starred in.

Bubonic plague. He’s like the guy who

Some of Shannon’s highlights this year

had to drag all the dead bodies away; this

include playing the King of Rock n’ Roll

is a responsibility that was thrown in his

in Elvis & Nixon, starring in two movies

lap. I don’t think he’s the devil.”

by his friend and frequent collabora-

Some actors prefer to keep their bag

tor Jeff Nichols—Midnight Special and

of tricks closed; Shannon on the other

Loving—and playing an angry boyfriend

hand, embraces any discussion of his

in the noir romance Frank & Lola, from

craft, his preferred acting method being

film journalist-turned-director Matthew

A REMINDER TO EVERYONE in town:

of troubled personas, from a paranoid

“Meisner, because he’s trying to get

Ross. Another troubled guy? Not at all.

Michael Shannon has graced us with his

Gulf War veteran in Friedkin’s Bug to the

actors to listen to each other.” Coming up

We sympathize with Frank’s anguish,

towering, square-jawed presence for

tragic Givings in Revolutionary Road, a

during his 1990s Chicago theater days,

because his girlfriend cheated him.

quite some time.

guy who has no problem getting into the

Shannon credits Jane Brody, a drama

face of Leonardo DiCaprio’s imperfect

teacher and casting director. “Her big

chance with young talent like Ross—and

tially in the last eight years following

husband character Frank. Then there’s

thing was that acting is about relation-

earlier, with Nichols’ 2007 debut,

his Oscar-nominated supporting turn

Shannon’s religious Fundamentalist

ships, and that is the foundation of

Shotgun Stories? Shannon explains:

as John Givings, the clinically insane,

Prohibition officer Nelson Van Alden in

acting,” he says.

“It’s exciting to work with a filmmaker at

brusque young man in Sam Mendes’s

HBO’s 1920s gangster land drama series

Shannon would get to the soul of

the beginning of their career. I had the

Revolutionary Road. But Shannon had

Boardwalk Empire, as well as the ruthless

Bobby every morning during production

pleasure of working with some of the

already made his mark before that film,

suburban real estate shark Rick Carver

by listening to Hank Williams songs dur-

great cinema minds like Martin Scorsese

with a slew of prolific filmmakers includ-

from last year’s 99 Homes.

ing the 45-minute drive to set. Prepara-

later in their careers, but I often wonder

tion depends on the role, and in the case

what it would have been like to work with

Sure, his profile has risen exponen-

ing Michael Bay (Pearl Harbor, Bad Boys

This year, in Tom Ford’s sophomore

Why would a seasoned actor take a

II), Cameron Crowe (Vanilla Sky), Oliver

feature Nocturnal Animals, Shannon

of Nocturnal Animals, Shannon flew with

him during Taxi Driver, or with Werner

Stone (World Trade Center), William

plays another heavy; a hard-bitten Texan

his instincts, and decided not to meet

Herzog during Fitzcarraldo.”

Friedkin (Bug), and Curtis Hanson (8

cop named Bobby Andes, who comes to

with any Texan lawmen before cameras

Mile, Lucky You).

the aid of Jake Gyllenhaal’s devastated

rolled. “Cops are a prevalent part of our

people,” adds Shannon with feeling.

out-of-towner Tony Hastings. Tony’s

consciousness,” says Shannon.

“Someone took a chance on me.”

And for a bulk of that early career momentum, Shannon has Lee Daniels to

been ambushed by a group of notorious

thank. Yes, the director of The Butler and

hicks who’ve killed his wife and teen-

Precious, and the co-creator of Fox’s hit

age daughter. Bobby helps Tony exact

TV series Empire. Before becoming a film-

revenge. Technically, they’re both charac-

maker, Daniels was a talent manager, and

ters in a novel-within-the-movie written

spotted Shannon’s turn as the inept drug

by author Edward Sheffield (Gyllenhaal

dealer Chris in Tracy Letts’ 1998 play Killer

again). He sends the book to his ex-wife

Joe; the actor’s first paid acting gig in NY.

Susan Morrow (Amy Adams), who has

“Lee called me after seeing Killer Joe

Los Angeles art gallery owner. Morrow

bers Shannon. “He phoned a casting

dives into the book, reliving Hastings’

director, and then told me to go to the

tragedy as though it’s possibly one she

audition. ‘I just got you the job,’ Lee said.

once experienced with her ex-husband.

Dundun in Jesus’ Son.”

Bobby fits Shannon like an old shoe, but at a warmer angle than some of his

Call him raw, tough, deadpan, down-

previous parts. “He sees through the

to-earth, Shannon is known for his array

smoke and mirrors and to the truth,”

26

LAWMAN Michael Shannon as the hard-bitten Texas sheriff in the novel-within-amovie of Nocturnal Animals.

ascended in status and is now a wealthy

and said, ‘I can get you work,’” remem-

‘Just show up.’ The role I read for was

“You have to take a chance on

M I C H AE L S H AN N O N P H OTO G RAP H E D FOR D E ADL I N E BY C H RI S C H A P M A N ; BAC K DROP BY CA I T LI N DOH E RT Y/ WWW.P 1 M.CA

adds Shannon. “He’s seen a lot of

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The scenes with her mother told you a lot.

Watch Amy’s face in the scene with her mom. She withers, very subtly, and she says he has a different kind of strength. Her mom says, “What kind of strength is that?” “Strength to believe in him and to believe in me.” The way Amy delivers that, it’s almost like she can barely believe in herself and she knows her mom’s about to shoot her down. But she says, “He has the strength to believe in me,” and she doesn’t believe in herself. She’s the one who doesn’t M I C H AE L S H AN N O N P H OTO G RAP H E D FOR D E ADL I N E BY C H RI S C H A P M A N ; BAC K DROP BY CA I T LI N DOH E RT Y/ WWW.P 1 M.CA

believe in herself, which is why she leaves Edward.

She is a victim of her insecurity, of her upbringing, of her background, of that particular world, a culture that tells her she should be beautiful, have beautiful children, a beautiful house. That’s a woman’s responsibility, which is an antiquated way, which as she says, “My mother, she believes in antiquated idea of

NIGHT VISION Tom Ford directs the action on set with Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Shannon.

what I should be or how I should be.” You know, we all make mistakes and she will go on to make the most major mistake, one that triggers much of the plot.

You like her more than I did.

At one point, she says, “I can’t believe what I’ve done,” and we all make mistakes. We start out in life thinking maybe one way is the path we should follow. There’s a great line about how midlife is when you get to the top of a wall, when you’ve climbed a ladder and get to the top, only to find the ladder has been against the wrong wall. That’s what happened to her. She’s

life are free. There are connections with people, the

warm, because when we remember things we tend

hit a moment where she has all these things that she

sky, the earth. Susan has lost her way in that, so she

to romanticize them, even if it’s a fight or if it’s a love

believed she was supposed to have. And she’s empty

is quite autobiographical.

scene, so there in Susan’s head, they are warm.

inside because she threw away the important thing.

Susan, and the character of George in A Single

That was the period of her life that was warm,

Man, were both autobiographical to a certain extent.

in contrast to the period of her life which is now so

The novel provided the subplot, but how much

George was me grafted on to Christopher Isherwood

cold and gray. Which is why it’s not a sunny, happy

of Susan was informed by people in your own

and then Colin Firth grafted on to me and Chris-

Los Angeles. It’s a gray, foggy… You don’t live in LA,

life, or people you observed?

topher Isherwood. All of us are quite similar. In the

but it does get like that; the gray, foggy LA and

A lot of it is autobiographical. As Edward says,

movie, on the day he’s planning on killing himself, he

that weather looks terrible because that city is not

you know, nobody really writes about anyone but

puts on a suit, shines his shoes. He’s holding himself

built for fog and rain. It’s built for sun and it all looks

themselves. I believe that, that you write what you

together, like a crustacean, and so is Susan. She’s

like it’s made of cardboard and going to fall down.

know. That level of materialism, the disregard for

built this hard shell because inside, she’s…

Whereas London looks great in the rain because it

people in your life and spirituality, is something I’ve

was built for it.

certainly battled. 10 years ago, I hit the point where

Empty?

Susan reached, and I moved past that.

Empty or tortured or damaged, vulnerable, and

throughout all these stories, particularly the color

I also wanted particular colors to be emphasized

she’s trying to hold herself together through perfec-

red. Red is passion, red is blood, red is anger, red

What drew you out of it?

tionism. If the outer world is perfect, maybe she’ll

is vivid. It can mean a lot of things, but the story is

Well, I had a drinking problem and a drug problem,

be OK. And that I definitely can relate to.

really all one story because they fuel each other. For

which I should probably quit mentioning because

Edward’s anger, when we see him through the wind-

the press seems to make bigger thing than it needs

When Christopher Nolan directed Inception, he

shield wiper, we then cut to the inner-novel where

to be. You know in America, people like to talk

color-coded each of the dream sequences to

Tony explodes and says, “I should have stopped it,”

about, “Oh you battled that.” Truthfully, work drew

help viewers navigate the complicated narra-

because that is what drove him to write that scene.

me out it, along with whatever pulls you out of a

tive. You tell stories on parallel tracks. Explain

And what he’s saying in that scene is, “I should have

mid-life crisis. A lot of psychology, finding a new

what you did visually to distinguish them.

stopped the moment my family was stolen from

voice in contemporary culture. We could go on for a

I did do the same with the grading. However, I wanted

me.” Which was that moment in the car, and seeing

long time about rediscovering, reconnecting with a

it to hold together as a complete film. And while

her with him… they start to fuel each other.

certain sort of spirituality.

there are three stories, it’s really one story. But I’ll talk

I came to terms with materialism. We live in a

first about the grading and then we’ll come back.

There are a few instances like that, and they start to spin into the same story. They had to also

material world. Velvet feels great. Cashmere feels

Susan’s world is cold, so it’s desaturated. It’s in

link in a certain way and by the time we get to the

great. Steak tastes great. Good wine, if I still drank,

blue tones. When there is color, it’s sharp and garish.

end, her world is quite colored again and vivid. Her

tastes great. We are material but you have to keep

The inner story, which is meant to be visceral, is

dress is green. The restaurant is warm because

all of that in perspective because really, as your par-

gritty and a little bit oversaturated. Everything is rich

she’s alive again. She’s been awakened and so the

ents told you when you were a kid, the best things in

in that way. The color tone in the flashbacks are

color pallets sort of merge.

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FALLOUT In the chilling opening scene from the world of the novel, Aaron Taylor-Johnson's bullying redneck (right) runs Gyllenhaal off the road.

Most book adaptations are faithful to the source material. Using the characters from the Austin Wright novel Tony and Susan, you ended up with something more original and metaphorical. How long did it take for you to find the handle on the story you wanted to tell?

It took me a couple of years. I optioned the book because it spoke to me. The central theme of finding people in your life that you love and not letting them go or throwing them away is what spoke to me. Our culture, everyone throws everything away.

We throw stuff away.

I also loved the device of being able to communicate through a piece of art; in this case Tony’s novel. Tony and Susan is an inner-monologue, just like A Single Man. We just hear this woman thinking. She doesn’t do anything but sit in her house and read while her children are playing Monopoly. Nothing happens, so I knew it would be very hard to film. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it into a film. But I knew I loved it, I knew it spoke to me, so I knew I had to option it.

Luckily, it came out in the UK in 2011 and wasn’t released here until 2012. So it was on no one’s radar and I was able to get the option for it. I had a couple

“EVERY TAKE, AARON DID SOMETHING DIFFERENT. WE WOULD TALK ABOUT IT AND DIDN’T LET JAKE KNOW WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO, WHICH OF COURSE JUST THREW JAKE OFF AND MADE THE WHOLE THING FEEL OFF BALANCE.” She’s casting Edward because she knows nobody

with a bit of Clint Eastwood.

of false starts, thought about it, worked on it a little,

ever writes about anyone but themselves. She sees

I can’t recall if it was John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock or

thought about it. Once I finally figured it out, it took

that red sofa and realizes, “Oh, that’s the red sofa

another director—maybe not Hitchcock because

me six weeks. Then I sent it to Amy Adams and she

I used to lie on when I was always criticizing his

he didn’t have great respect for actors—who said

said yes.

work.” She walks into her entry hall and she sees

a director’s job is 70 percent casting. Cast brilliant

that photograph she has by a great artist called

actors who you suspect are right for the role, then

What was the ‘eureka’ moment where you

Richard Misrach, with the two guys standing in the

figure out their process and help them to their best

cracked the code?

field of grass. I recreated that exact field of grass for

performance. They want to shine on that screen, so

It was in elevating Susan’s position in life and

Edward’s death scene. All the things in her life, his

then you’ve got to give them space to let them do

grafting my own ideals of pain and pleasure onto

life, they all mesh. I’m rambling.

that.

Edward for a medical student. She leaves for

For those who saw the movie and are unsure

Amy in this part and certainly with Colin in A Single

reasons of security. Edward’s character becomes

of the clues, you are laying them out pretty

Man, is I don’t tell them that I’m going to not cut.

an insurance salesman, and has three children,

good here.

I just keep the camera rolling and keep the crew

and their lives are more or less the same sort of

When Susan leaves Tony, it’s in front of a car body

quiet, and the actors kind of go, “Fuck, he’s not

suburban life, and the end is quite lukewarm. They

shop and there’s a green GTO. That’s burned in his

cutting. Shit.”

don’t set up a place to meet. She reads his book,

mind. So when he writes that book, Ray [Taylor-

critiques it, puts it aside to make dinner for her

Johnson] drives a green GTO because that is

What do you get from extending the scene?

family. So the themes are there but not in a way

burned into Tony’s mind. There are links between all

With a good actor, you end up getting authentic-

that could make them cinematic that an audience

those stories.

ity. They’re forced to go into themselves. Amy

her character. In the story, she leaves the writer

would watch. I had to exaggerate everything so

One thing I do, all the time, and especially with

Once I figured out how to take these people and

especially, I’d just keep rolling until the film runs out.

that it would be clear. The hard thing was to figure

make them archetypes—to turn it into almost an

Colin’s crying scene. I just didn’t stop. So he had to

out how to exaggerate the themes. So I made it a

operatic, melodramatic noir film where everything is

keep going into himself, and finally, he just lost it.

melodrama and made everyone archetypes, and

heightened—that was the thing that made it work.

made that inner story a fairytale so it’s a work of

Things were beautiful but very subtle in the book

fiction being seen through her eyes.

and I’m not sure they would’ve played as powerfully if it had remained that subtle on the screen.

That is why both Edward and Tony are played

That was memorable. It made us understand the weight of his loss.

When they think they’ve given their performance… I give them plenty of space and I think you have to trust them. You can’t get inside their bodies

by the same actor, and Tony’s wife in the novel

Michael Shannon’s dying lawman is right out of

and make them do things. I’m also very calm. I’m

seems so much like her?

an Elmore Leonard or Cormac McCarthy novel,

not one of these directors who scream and yell and

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torture actors. I think I’m good with actors because I think I respect them.

a void; absolute emptiness.

Having grown up in Texas until I was 11, I know

Ridley Scott once told me he can read a script and visually frame out every shot, while he’s

that part of the world and what it feels and smells

doing it. His brain is just wired that way. His

Firth seems a consummate pro, a good thing

and sounds like. I don’t necessarily know those

challenge became learning good storytelling

to have on a director’s first film. What did you

people, although I’ve seen them. I grew up in a nice

because that was not his strong suit. You have

learn from him?

middle-class family in Austin, Texas, which was very

the advantage of being a writer, as well. Where

That actors are your safety net and you must always

different than that.

did that come from?

only work with great actors. Even if the script is

My grandmother was closer to Susan’s mother; I

flawed, or your editing is flawed, you’ll get great

remember my grandmother saying to my little sister,

and in high school I won awards. But that doesn’t

performances. Work with great actors.

“If you don’t date poor boys, you won’t fall in love

necessarily qualify you to be a screenwriter. I think I

with poor boys, and if you don’t fall in love with a

might have a hard time making a film I didn’t write

Jake Gyllenhaal is a very masculine actor,

poor boy, you won’t marry a poor boy.” She thought

because it’s so much part of the process of thinking

who was totally emasculated on that Texas

that was an appropriate thing to say to a young girl.

about what I want to say, as the totality of the film.

roadway in Nocturnal Animals…

Once I’d figured out to put Susan in this world, I

I have no idea. I always loved to write, as a kid,

It’d be interesting to see if I could make a film

And he struggled physically with his own personality

wanted the gritty contrast of that other world, and

from someone else’s script. I would have to rewrite

not to jump in and be more physical.

so Susan and Jake are also both from Texas. I gave

it probably.

them that link, which doesn’t exist in the book. It How do you help him check those instincts?

just fits together though it’s hard to explain the

You went seven years between films, the way

That was a very difficult scene to sit through,

writing process.

you do it. Weren’t there good scripts handed

a father’s worst nightmare. Trying to decide

to you?

if these rednecks are harmless, or deadly. Do

Success in one creative business doesn’t

Lots. But I don’t like not being in control. So if it’s

I make my stand right now, or endure their

always transfer to another. The Diving Bell and

controlled by somebody else—if I don’t own the

taunts until they go away? He makes all the

the Butterfly was an incredible film and you

underlying material—I don’t even want to read

wrong decisions and has to live with the

could see Julian Schnabel’s painting influences

the script. It doesn’t matter how enticing, who’s

aftermath.

there. How helpful were your skill sets in creat-

attached. I don’t want it. I can’t do it, so I have to

And there are three of them and one of you, and

ing and launching fashion lines in forging such a

develop it and find the right thing.

two women, and do they have a gun? They’ve got

confident vision onscreen?

crowbars. What’s going to happen? All I had to

I had a point of view. You have to have that if you’re

rible, one I might make next, we’ll see. It is extremely

do was keeping reminding Jake who his character

a painter, a sculptor or a fashion designer. And you

politically incorrect satire. In today’s world, I’m not

was. Purposefully, the character in the novel is

have to have something to say and a point of view if

sure satire means anything because what’s going on

meant to seem weak because in the outer world,

you’re a filmmaker. I think I’m a good storyteller who

in our world is already satirical.

that’s what Susan’s mother called Edward. But

for years told stories through fashion. Each collec-

guess what? That’s the last thing Aaron says to

tion tells a story, and has a lot more work behind it

The shocking election results have prompted

him, “You’re too weak.” And that is what gets Tony

than maybe people understand or give us credit for.

speculation that this kind of hangover drove

I’ve written two original screenplays. One’s ter-

those ’70s films with themes of counterculture

to pull the trigger.

A mythology?

and paranoia. Maybe there is a place for what

honest guy who was blindsided. He’s on that

Well, even more than that. You know fashion design-

you’re talking about?

roadside going, “Are they going to help us or not?

ers are probably some of the greatest experts on

Without getting too much into politics. I wanted

Fuck, what do I do?” He has a blackout moment,

film that you can imagine because every time we

Hillary to win, I voted for Hillary, but there are

which Edward also had too. He loved Susan,

start to design a collection, that is an inspiration. I

enormous amount of people in our country who feel

his soulmate. It never even occurs to him that

have built entire collections around Fassbinder’s Bit-

absolutely disenfranchised, left behind, who don’t

she’s going to have an affair and leave him, let

ter Tears of Petra von Kant. We know film backwards

have jobs, and feel that no one is speaking for them.

alone abort their child. So in the inner novel, the

and forwards, and images and sets and clothes and

From a Democrat side, I learned a lot and we have

character has to seem weak and be blindsided,

costumes and people and characters, and so we’re

to address this. These people need jobs and hope.

and then beat himself up about it, break down and

storytellers in that sense.

There’s always something to learn from everything.

He does appear weak to us, but he was an

finally pull himself together enough to blow that guy away when he calls him weak.

It was hard for Jake, and it was very physical.

But the real thing is that when you’re a creative

I know that I’m not necessarily addressing the point

director like I am, and you have a large company

that you brought up but anyway. As for what’s next,

with hopefully, a point of view and something to say,

I need some space. Promoting a film is exhausting. I

Those guys really were grabbing, and you know

you have to hire great people and know how to work

finished editing, we went right to Venice two weeks

Jake’s natural instinct would be to punch him. We

with them. They have to be talented and you have

later, and it’s been like that ever since.

had a running machine put in for Jake, and I’ll tell

to know how to inspire them and lead them and

you, he did a lot of running while we shot those

give them the space to create their very best. That’s

What was most gratifying about the reception

scenes, trying to get some of that physicality out.

exactly the same as making a film, where you’re

and top prize in Venice?

pushing and leading gently towards your ultimate

Oh it meant so much to me, because I lived in Italy.

vision. The skill set is very much the same.

I still have offices there and manufacture all my

It is not a picture postcard of Texas, the state where you grew up. Were there some memories

I’ve also worked with Helmut Newton, Richard

clothes in Italy. I have so many Italians that I work

that informed why you set it there?

Avedon, Irving Penn, Mario Testino, Steven Meisel.

with. I was there, of course, with Colin for A Single

The original story’s set in the Northeast, in pre-cell

I know how to frame. I know how to light, I’ve been

Man when he won Best Actor. This prize meant an

phone 1993. Now you would lock your car doors, call

doing that for years. Even technically, I understand a

enormous amount to me, and I literally flew all the

for help and we wouldn’t have a movie. It’s a bit of a

lot about that aspect as well.

way back from New York to pick it up, and then went

fairytale, but I had to find a setting where there was

to Toronto. It really touched me. ★ D E A D L I N E .C O M / AWA R D S L I N E

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D THE DIALOGUE

OSCAR CONTENDERS/ PRODUCERS

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Iain

approval. We were backed by The Weinstein Company, Screen Australia and Transmission

CANNING

★

★

★

★

[Films] in Australia and New Zealand, so we were able to cast whoever we wanted in the film. People’s perceived star value became, in some ways, irrelevant, because we wanted to find the right actors for the role.

How involved was Saroo and his family

The Lion producer on the remarkable true story of Saroo Brierley.

BY DIANA LODDERHOSE

in terms of developing the story?

They trusted us completely. We showed them the script as we went along and because we were taking a very truthful road, they were very supportive. It was a bit bizarre for them because this had all happened so recently, but they have been enormously supportive and when we first screened it

SINCE ESTABLISHING THEIR UK-AUSTRALIAN production banner See-Saw Films in 2008, Iain Canning and Emile Sherman have had a career trajectory that most young independent producers can only dream of. Their indie blockbuster The King’s Speech won Best Picture in 2011, and from there the company has become one of the most respected international independent production houses around, whose films frequently crop up in the awards race. Sitting in their uber-cool Shoreditch offices in London’s East End, Canning reflects on their latest film Lion, based on the true story of Saroo Brierley, a man who, 25 years after being orphaned on the streets Calcutta, uses Google Earth to track down his childhood home and family.

to the whole family, they were all sitting like individual cinemagoers watching the film, and by the end, they were all collective, sitting together. It was really, really lovely.

[Saroo’s adoptive mother] Sue is just really incredible. They waited for years to adopt and she always says she didn’t mind waiting because it allowed Saroo to be born, and then for him to need her.

Saroo had another brother in real life— Kallu. Why is he not in the film?

We actually filmed him, but we felt it started to confuse the dynamic between Saroo

How did you find Saroo’s story?

ahead and they started putting everything

and Guddu. So we had to make a decision

We were in Sundance in 2013 and were

on tape. Garth looked at all the tapes, whit-

to streamline the story from a character

screening Top of the Lake there, of which

tled it down to 100 kids and then flew over.

perspective. At the time when they were

Garth [Davis] had directed three episodes.

Sunny and Abhishek [Bharate] were quite

growing up, the dynamic was very close

We were trying to find something to do

quickly identified as having the right spirit.

between Saroo and Guddu, so we had to

with Garth next and we became aware of

And while Sunny is extraordinarily

streamline the narrative, because they had

what was becoming a very hot story out of

cute and wonderful in the film, it’s such a

such a strong relationship that that ended

Australia. Vanity Fair had just done an article

director’s performance from Garth. Some

up dominating the story. But Kallu does get

on Saroo and we knew people were meeting

directors try to trick kids so they’ll take them

a name check actually at the start of the

him and his reps to talk about making a film

to an emotional space which is untrue to get

film—both he and his sister are mentioned,

version of his story. Emile knew he had to get

the type of performance that looks right on

but you just don’t spend time with them.

back to Sydney. We chatted to Garth and he

camera, but Garth didn’t want to trick him,

was keen to direct it if we could get it. So, we

he wanted him to trust him so he would talk

You have had a lot of success with The

had the director, but we just needed to go

to Sunny about each scene and by the end

Weinstein Company with, for example,

and get the rights.

of the process, Sunny became an actor, and

The King’s Speech. What does the jour-

is now in other films.

ney with Lion feel like with them, given

It’s important to note that this wasn’t just

the changes that have been happening

a Saroo decision, it was his entire family that What about the older Saroo, Dev Patel?

within the company?

As it was Garth’s first feature, he wanted to

It feels like they’ve obviously had a bit of

Sunny Pawar, who plays the young

go out and meet every potential actor for

a transitional period where more of the

Saroo, is so remarkable on screen and

Saroo. Dev, in a very graceful and un-egotis-

established staff members have left, but I

carries the story so well for such a young

tical way just went through the process like

think the people there now are having their

boy. How did you find him?

every other actor. I think he ended up doing

moment in the sun. They’re doing a great

We first met him through all the auditions

an eight-hour audition process in the final

job and Lion has always been a film that has

when he was five. He was six when he made

round and he totally embraced the process

connected with audiences. I think if you can

the film and now he’s eight. We auditioned

and showed us that he was exactly the right

produce a film that Harvey can run with and

between 1,500 and 2,000 kids and we

person for it.

his job then is to publicize and bring in as

we had to persuade.

needed the combination of the characters

The great thing about this film is that

Guddu and Saroo so we sent a few people

we were able to finance it without any cast

PHOTOGRAPH BY

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Gabriel Goldberg

many people as possible, then it becomes a really exciting process. ★

D E A D L I N E .C O M / AWA R D S L I N E

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James L.

mentored on other movies. “The mantra is: the movie’s the boss,” he insists.

BROOKS

★

★

★

★

“Nobody’s the boss because the movie’s the boss. We all serve the movie. We all give everything we can to the movie. And that’s the way it was.”

As for his own working style as a producer, especially on a project he didn’t write or direct, it’s the same work

The Edge of Seventeen producer is still going for quality in an ever-changing industry.

BY PETE HAMMOND

ethic. “I was on the set 90% of the time, I’d say, but it wasn’t looking down and seeing somebody direct. It was being in the ditch while somebody directed. And it was very active. It was always a labor of love. It involves several other people that we work with who were there passionately, which was great. There wasn’t a cynical element any place. Everybody in our group appreciated the chance to try

I

F THERE IS ANY PRODUCER MORE consistently associated with high quality projects than James L. Brooks, I can’t think of one. Even though he got his big career break as a writer of the notorious flop TV series, My Mother the Car, penning a couple of episodes in 1966, the sheer impressiveness of his output since then in both TV and movies— as either writer, director, producer, or all three—is towering.

Consider three Oscars and eight nominations, some 20 Emmys and 53 nominations, and a resume that includes television hits like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, The Tracy Ullman Show, Room 222, Lou Grant and The Simpsons, the latter now renewed through an incredible 30th season. Then there are the movies he not only

and do a good movie.”

And they did, if you judge by early awards notice. Brooks and Craig were nominated for the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Comedy by the Broadcast Film Critics Association, with Steinfeld picking up a couple of nominations there as well.

Craig was also named by the New York Film Critics for Best First Feature. Pigeonholing this film in the teen genre can be hurtful when it comes to awards recognition, but The Edge of Seventeen seems to be overcoming that and joining the large number of Brooks productions that have drawn strong kudos attention over the decades since The Mary Tyler Moore Show

produced but also directed, like his triple

right off that it—and Craig—had enormous

Oscar-winning feat on Terms of Endear-

potential, so he took it on as a producing

ment, Broadcast News, As Good as it Gets,

project, but he is quick to say he produced

movies made without interference

I’ll Do Anything and Spanglish. And those

this film and didn’t co-write it.

these days, Brooks has high praise for

His imprint, though, is clearly there,

As for trying to get smaller, smarter

the distributor of the film, the relatively

Maguire, Big, The War of the Roses, Say

as Craig indicates when asked about his

new STX, which recently took out double

Anything and Bottle Rocket.

input and their working relationship. “It

truck newspaper ads filled with glowing

was terrifying at first, honestly, but then

quotes for the movie. “They broke their

Add to that list the current The Edge of Seventeen, a terrific new comedy star-

I think the thing I found is that nobody

business model for us and told us in our

ring Hailee Steinfeld, that comes from

works harder and nobody cares more,”

first meeting that they were doing that

a first time writer/director, Kelly Fremon

she says. “And nobody commits himself

because of the strong script, and that

Craig, whom Brooks is mentoring. While it

[so resolutely] to capturing the truth.

was great,” Brooks says, hoping there is

might be easy to label it a teen comedy, it

He keeps asking, ‘Are we getting these

still room in the business for these kinds

is so much more than that. In its explo-

details right? Are we being as honest as

of movies that are fully independent in

ration of a unique 17-year-old named

we can?’ I think a thing that was really

spirit, and apart from what the majors

Nadine, whose life in school and at home

cool is that it became two people really

seem to be specializing in these days.

seems to be spiraling out of control, the

looking at a project and letting that be

“The difference is the major studios have

comedy should connect strongly with not

the master, and serving that, and both

successfully made it a business, and

only those teens who can identify with

going nuts about trying to get that right.

they have these tent-poles to serve, and

Nadine’s plight, but with adults looking

It was really cool to do that together; to

everything diminishes down the moun-

for smart comedies, as well.

do that next to somebody that you have

tain side.”

Brooks spent a lot of time with Craig in developing the script, even though it came

admired for so long.”

As for Brooks, he says it is never

With The Edge of Seventeen, James L. Brooks is still climbing, going for qual-

to his company, Gracie Films, essentially

about him, despite the praise he gets

ity against all the odds of getting it on the

as an unsolicited spec. Brooks could tell

from Craig, and so many others he has

screen. Travelling up that down staircase.

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★

BAC K D RO P BY CAI T LI N D O HE RTY/W W W.P 1 M .CA

he produced, like Starting Over, Jerry

sent Emmy records swirling.

Chris Chapman

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SILENCE

Producers ★

★

★

★

clearing them and going back to Cecchi Gori and Graham King.

I told Marty and Rick Yorn that we had to go to Cannes. Marty needed to come and sell the movie. Having Marty in Cannes talking to buyers would be life-changing to them and it would make this project real for them. Marty got excited. We sold

Irwin Winkler, Emma Tillinger Koskoff and Randall Emmett on giving Martin Scorsese’s film a loud voice.

B Y A N T H O N Y D ’A L E S S A N D R O

the rights in the open market and raised $21 million on international before it went to Cannes. We hired Stuart Ford to be our sales agent, and we didn’t have a cast or a distributor at that point.

We spent tons of time on the budget, there was a line producer in my office with Emma. We knew we were going to shoot in Taiwan. We lost our equity investor weeks

F

OLLOWING A SCREENING of Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ in 1988, New York City’s Archbishop Paul Moore Jr. sent a copy of Shûsaku Endôs 1966 novel Silence to the director. The novel followed two Portuguese Jesuit priests who venture to Japan in 1639 to find their mentor, who has committed apostasy, and wind up encountering persecution. Scorsese was struck by the book’s themes of sacrifice, and how it dealt with the essence of Christianity. Trying to mount the film proved an uphill battle that lasted close to three decades. Here the producers recount that the Taiwanese monsoons weren’t necessarily the most challenging part of this $40 million production.

before filming. Gastón Pavlovich and his group suggested coming in for a bigger piece of equity. Production lasted roughly for four months, with three months of pre-production.

After the adversity Marty encountered with certain Christian groups with The Last Temptation of Christ, there has to be a sense of relief that finally Silence is connecting with them.

Koskoff: We screened to hundreds of Jesuits in Rome and they were beside themselves. Marty also had a private meeting with Pope Francis. We screened to—knock on wood—good reactions with

Where do you begin trying to mount a

Vancouver, but it would have been expen-

the church. Father James Martin helped us

film like Silence?

sive to bring the actors over from Japan.

with everything, from getting Andrew Gar-

Emma Tillinger Koskoff: Silence went

Taiwan satisfied as a great location. The

field through the spiritual exercises of the

through many financiers over the years,

labor cost was reasonable next to most

Jesuits, to making sure the masses were

changing hands with many legal melees.

western countries—and certainly com-

handled under the right terms. Marty sub-

Vittorio Cecchi Gori was an early investor.

pared to Japan—and they had a local crew

scribes to America magazine and he had

We went through many different budget

that was very capable.

a feeling that [its editor-at-large] Father

levels and it wasn’t going to get made

Randall Emmett: Roughly four years ago,

James Martin would be a good person and

unless the budget made sense. Marty got

I received a phone call from my agent, Ari

advisor based on the articles he wrote.

to a place where he said, “Look, tell me

Emanuel, and he asked me if I was inter-

how much money I have, and I’ll make it for

ested in making a Martin Scorsese movie.

What was the most challenging Martin

that price.” Graham King had it for a long

Hearing this, I was like a 12-year-old kid in a

Scorsese film to mount?

time and spent a lot of money on it. He

candy shop.

Winkler: Raging Bull. United Artists hated

settled for a very fair price with us to buy

Then the real work began. I immedi-

it. In a meeting with Marty, myself and

the rights back.

ately spoke with Emma about the budget

Robert De Niro, the two heads of UA

Irwin Winkler: I was visiting Marty on

I could raise. Fast forward six months, Ari

at the time said to Bob they wouldn’t

the London set of Hugo and asked him

calls me again and says that they’ll reduce

do a movie about a cockroach like Jake

what happened to Silence, that adapta-

the budget. I flew out to New York and had

LaMotta. Nonetheless, we were able to get

tion he was working on with Jay Cocks. He

a quick meeting with Irwin, who I worked

the movie made. They were desperate for

said, “I still have it, why don’t we make it

with on Home of the Brave. He took me

another Rocky. And we asked them, “Why

together?” The principals including myself,

upstairs to Emma and Marty. I groveled

would we do another movie with you if you

Emma, Marty, and the actors—we all had

and begged to do whatever it took to be a

don’t do this one?”

to defer our fees upfront. It was the only

producer to stand side-by-side with them.

way we could proceed.

One immediate objective was to find

I had no idea what I was getting into,

The physical aspects of this movie were definitely more challenging than Raging

and how complicated the rights were. I

Bull and Goodfellas. We had to reinvent

a place where we could shoot it that

worked with Emma and Irwin and it took

1640 Japan rather than the Lower East side

was actually financeable. We considered

me a year of doing the chain of title rights,

of New York. ★

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12/9/16 1:42 PM

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★ | flash mob DEADLINE PRESENTS AWARDSLINE SCREENING SERIES MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI, DEC 1, LOS ANGELES Director Claude Barras and producer Max Karli.

DEADLINE PRESENTS AWARDSLINE SCREENING SERIES INTERROGATION, DEC 6, LOS ANGELES Executive producer Aalif A. Surti, director Vetri Maaran and executive producer Guneet Amarpeet Kaur.

DEADLINE PRESENTS AWARDSLINE SCREENING SERIES

RE X /S H U T T E RSTO CK

GOLD, DEC 7, LOS ANGELES Matthew McConaughey, Bryce Dallas Howard, Edgar Ramirez and director Stephen Gaghan.

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