Deadline Hollywood - Oscar Preview/Actresses - 11/30/16

PRESENTS

NOVEMBER 30, 2016 OSCAR PREVIEW/ACTRESSES

CLIMBING THE

RIDGE Teaming up to bring the extraordinary story of WWII hero Desmond Doss to the big screen, Mel Gibson and Andrew Garfield ascend Hacksaw Ridge.

PLUS

FELICITY JONES / NAOMIE HARRIS / JESSICA CHASTAIN REBECCA HALL / EMILY BLUNT

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CONTENTS P U B L I S H ER

Stacey Farish

NOVEM B ER 30, 201 6 OSCA R PR E V I E W / ACT R ESS ES

EDI TOR

Joe Utichi C R EAT I V E DIR ECTO R

Craig Edwards

AS S I STA N T E D ITO R

Matt Grobar

DEA DL I NE CO - E D ITO R- IN- CHIE FS

Nellie Andreeva Mike Fleming Jr.

EX EC U T I V E E D ITO R

Michael Cieply

AWA R DS ED ITO R & CO LUM NIST

Pete Hammond

DEA DL I NE CO NTR IBUTO RS

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 V I DEO P ROD UCE R

Scott Warren

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FIRST TAKE Pharrell Williams; previewing SAG and Globes; Foreign Language spotlight

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COVER STORY Mel Gibson, Andrew Garfield and Bill Mechanic unpick Hacksaw Ridge

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FELICITY JONES The British star shines in A Monster Calls, Inferno and Rogue One

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BARRY JENKINS Creating magic in Moonlight, the next great filmmaker emerges.

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C HA I R MA N & CEO

Jay Penske

V I C E C HA I RM A N

Gerry Byrne

C HI EF OP ERATING O FFICE R

George Grobar

S EN I OR V I C E PR ES ID E NT, B U S I NES S D EV E LO PM E NT

Craig Perreault

G EN ERA L CO UNS E L & S .V. P. , HU MA N R ES O URCES

Todd Greene

V I C E P R ES ID E NT, CR EATIV E

Nelson Anderson

V I C E P R ES ID E NT, FINA NCE

Ken DelAlcazar

V I C E P R ES ID E NT, T V ENT ERTA INM E NT SA LES

Laura Lubrano

THE DIALOGUE: ACTRESSES Naomie Harris Jessica Chastain Rebecca Hall Emily Blunt

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CRAFT SERVICES Three of this year’s costume design hopefuls share their work

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FLASH MOB Deadline Presents AwardsLine Screening Series, AFI Fest

V I C E P R ES ID E NT, FILM

Carra Fenton

ACCOU N T EXECUTIV ES , FILM & TV

Brianna Hamburger Tiffany Windju

A D SA L ES CO O R D INATO RS

​Kristina Mazzeo Malik Simmons

P RODU CT I ON D IR ECTO R

Natalie Longman

DI ST R I B U T IO N D IR ECTO R

Michael Petre

A DV ERT I S I N G INQ UIR IES

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

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ON THE COVER Mel Gibson and Andrew Garfield photographed for Deadline by Dan Doperalski THIS PAGE Naomie Harris photographed for Deadline by Michael Buckner

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THE MUSIC OF HACKSAW RIDGE p. 8 | SAG/GLOBES PREVIEW p. 10

FOREIGN LANGUAGE RACE p. 14

PRIME NUMBERS

In a competitive year for Oscar’s Original Song category, Pharrell Williams is intricately embedded in the production and music of Hidden Figures.

BY JO E U T I C H I

THERE ARE FEW MUSICIANS in this year’s Oscar race who can have had as significant a contribution to the projects they’re attached to as Pharrell Williams with Hidden Figures. Already Oscar nominated for the phenomenal hit song “Happy”, which was attached to Despicable Me 2 in 2013, the multi-hyphenated musical artist steps into his second feature film as a producer—after last year’s Dope—with Theodore Melfi’s movie, which tells the true story of the African American women working at NASA in the 1960s who helped send the first U.S. astronauts into space.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY

Michael Buckner

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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN ALL CATEGORIES INCLUDING

BEST PICTURE BEST DIRECTOR JEFF NICHOLS

“

BEST ACTRESS RUTH NEGGA

★★★★.”

Ann Hornaday, THE WASHINGTON POST

“A landmark film.

Astonishing.”

THE NEW YORKER

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

Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE

“Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga are superb.”

Chris Nashawaty, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

“Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton deliver two of the best acting performances you’ll see this year.”

Brian Tallerico, ROGEREBERT.COM

“Ruth Negga is a revelation.”

Manohla Dargis, THE NEW YORK TIMES

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Written and Directed by JEFF NICHOLS © 2016 BIG BEACH, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ARTWORK: © 2016 FOCUS FEATURES LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

For more on this film, go to www.FocusFeaturesGuilds2016.com

11/22/16 4:44 PM

was listening to the music in his ears,” Williams notes. It becomes a recurring theme, as Russia’s successful space launches make global headlines and political pressure requires that deadlines are brought forward.

The song, though, that Williams finds most uplifting is “I See A Victory”. “That’s the one that lights me up,” he enthuses. A soaring anthem, “it’s about the necessity of reminding ourselves that everything’s going to be OK,” notes Williams. “But it also parallels the early ’60s with what women are going through to today.

“When we heard about the proj-

Williams contributes no fewer than

ect, it just made sense for everything

eight pieces of original music to its

we stand for,” says Williams. It had

soundtrack, and collaborated with

come to him through his producing

Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch

partner Mimi Valdés, who had taken a

on the score.

SINGIN’ Williams performed the songs from Hidden Figures with the cast at the Toronto Film Festival.

And also, what men go through when they see their counterparts suffer and they want to stand behind them, beside them, with them.

“No matter what is going on in

meeting with Donna Gigliotti. “It was

“Mimi knew I was going to lose

about uncovering a significant part of

my mind when I heard about Hidden

you pull all the way out to the Moon’s

history, and the lifting of women and

Figures,” says Williams, “And I was all

view of Earth, you’ll realize, ‘OK,

the highlighting of their importance.”

about it the minute I heard about it.

that’s where I am right now, but look

The film stars Taraji P. Henson,

The next thing we knew, we were in

at how far we’ve come, and look at

the middle of it, seeing it through.”

where I’m headed. This is just today,

as Katherine Johnson, Dorothy

The complexity of sending men

but I see a victory.’ That’s what that

Vaughan and Mary Jackson, three

into space was fascinating to Wil-

“computors” at NASA’s Virginia

liams. “When you find out some of

facility, who were responsible for the

these intricate parts were played by

wanted to make a big contribution

complex mathematical calculations

women, then it becomes a whole

to this project, and that it required a

behind the early space program.

other thing,” he explains. “The picture

fresh approach to music. “Hans Zim-

Based on the book by Margot Lee

becomes much more full and you get

mer, Benjamin Wallfisch and myself

Shetterly, the film highlights the

a real, holistic understanding for how

got into a room and we all worked on

extraordinary talents of these three

it got done. We know we got there,

the score,” he recalls. “We wanted to

women, and the unthinkable compli-

but the truth behind what specifically

make sure there was a different offer-

cations of their lives in an era in which

happened introduces you to the real

segregation was still rife.

pitfalls they faced. And you see, at

Initially hidden in a windowless

every turn, there was a woman.”

building—away from the white, pre-

Katherine Johnson’s consider-

dominantly male scientists offered

able talent was not ignored at NASA,

positions of power—these women,

where she was elevated to the

and many like them, worked tire-

highest offices to do her work. But

lessly to ensure the safe delivery and

there were no bathrooms for African

recovery of NASA’s rockets in an era

Americans in the building to which

before computers made mathemati-

she’d been sequestered, and so John-

cal calculations easy. When the first

son endured a 45-minute trip each

IBM was installed at NASA, they

way just to use the bathroom. This

learned the complex machine code

one of the many challenges Johnson

necessary to program it. And when

faced inspires one of Williams’ songs

John Glenn braced to take his first

for the movie: “Runnin’”. “The song

space flight, Katherine Johnson’s

is about what they must have been

calculations were the only ones he

going through in that era,” notes Wil-

was prepared to trust.

liams. “They realized there wouldn’t

The fact that their names had been largely forgotten to history

be a day when they weren’t running.”

Williams worked on the music as

until now inspired Williams, who was

the film was coming together, and

born in Virginia in the 1970s, and

“Runnin’” was ready in time for Melfi

so saw it as a homegrown story. In

to shoot those scenes on set. “Ted

addition to producing the movie,

shot the ‘Runnin’’ scenes while he

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song is about.”

Williams says he always knew he

ing, because when you listen to most

“WHEN YOU FIND OUT SOME OF THESE INTRICATE PARTS WERE PLAYED BY WOMEN, THEN IT BECOMES A WHOLE OTHER THING. THE PICTURE BECOMES MUCH MORE FULL AND YOU GET A REAL, HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING FOR HOW IT GOT DONE. WE KNOW WE GOT THERE, BUT THE TRUTH BEHIND WHAT SPECIFICALLY HAPPENED INTRODUCES YOU TO THE REAL PITFALLS THEY FACED. AND YOU SEE, AT EVERY TURN, THERE WAS A WOMAN.”

scores, the chord progressions and the melodic direction usually has a Euro or Anglo basis to it. Our interesting challenge, which we were happy to rise to, was to have something that was a little more reflective of how Katherine, Dorothy and Mary must have been feeling. It was a cool, interesting perk that came along with getting the job.”

Enforced segregation may have come to an end, Williams notes, but there are still huge challenges of inequality that Hidden Figures attempts to address. “This still happens to women,” he insists. “As men, we have become desensitized to it, like it’s the norm.”

But he remains optimistic about what the future holds. “I think the norm is changing. Everything is changing right now, as we speak. I think that’s a beautiful thing. It’s a time for true equality.” ★

R EX /S H U T T E RSTO CK

Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe

your environment, you know that if

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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN ALL CATEGORIES INCLUDING

BEST PICTURE BEST DIRECTOR TOM FORD

BEST ACTRESS AMY ADAMS

“A KNOCKOUT...

TOM FORD SURPASSES ALL EXPECTATIONS...A MASTERFUL PIECE ABOUT CRUELTY, WEAKNESS AND THE PAIN WE INFLICT ON EACH OTHER BOLSTERED BY SUPERB PERFORMANCES FROM GYLLENHAAL AND ADAMS. DON’T SLEEP ON THIS ONE.” Raphael Abraham, FINANCIAL TIMES

“AMY ADAMS IS SPECTACULAR.” Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE

For more on this film, go to www.FocusFeaturesGuilds2016.com

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© 2016 FADE TO BLACK PRODUCTIONS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ARTWORK: © 2016 FOCUS FEATURES LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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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 Lead And Supporting Actress races.

Get up-to-date rankings and make your own predictions at GoldDerby.com OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS

Ridge Notes

HOW RUPERT GREGSON-WILLIAMS HELD BACK TO GIVE THE WAR FILM A GREAT PUNCH.

“IT’S ABOUT THE STORY, not about the music.”

That’s the wisdom that Rupert Gregson-Wil-

Gregorian chant, Gregson-Williams chose two bassoons and two cellos for a two-part melody

liams received from Hans Zimmer 18 years ago

that harkens back to the hero’s simple Virginian

when the composer was cutting his teeth, writing

roots. Underpinning this cue in later iterations is

cues for DreamWorks Animation’s The Prince of

a love theme. “It’s heard during the war scenes

Egypt. And it’s a rule of thumb that the British

because Doss yearned to return to his wife, Doro-

composer still abides by, especially in his latest

thy,” says the composer.

contemporary classical score for Hacksaw Ridge,

Gibson and Gregson-Williams intentionally left

Mel Gibson’s account of World War II army medic

the score out of the first 10-minute-plus battle

and Conscientious Objector Desmond T. Doss,

scene and let the sound take over, to keep the

who saved over 75 lives during the 1945 Battle of

sequence’s intensity intact. But then the music

Okinawa.

aptly returns during the second battle, where

“We didn’t want the music to sound like it

Doss stands atop the ridge, doubting his faith,

belonged to a conventional war hero; he was

and pondering whether he should go back and

bearing his faith and no gun,” explains Gregson-

save the men.

Williams, who sought to strike an emotional tonal

“Mel doesn’t hide from emotions when he

balance between Doss’s spirituality and bravery

directs,” says Gregson-Williams, who sought to

on the battlefield without being heavy-handed.

get into Doss’s head when he wrote the score.

For Doss’s main theme, reminiscent of a

“So, I didn’t hold back.”

ODDS

1

Emma Stone La La Land

21/10

2

Natalie Portman Jackie

7/2

3

Ruth Negga Loving

5/1

4

Annette Bening 20th Century Women

15/2

5

Amy Adams Arrival

14/1

6

Taraji P. Henson Hidden Figures

33/1

7

Jessica Chastain Miss Sloane

40/1

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS

ODDS

1

Viola Davis Fences

21/10

2

Michelle Williams Manchester by the Sea

3/1

3

Naomie Harris Moonlight

5/1

4

Nicole Kidman Lion

9/1

5

Greta Gerwig 20th Century Women

22/1

6

Janelle Monáe Hidden Figures

25/1

7

Felicity Jones A Monster Calls

28/1

ROMAN HOLLYWOOD

Makeup and hair department heads Jean Ann Black and Cydney Cornell explain their process on Hail, Caesar!

BOASTING A HISTORY WITH THE COEN BROTHERS dating back to their early films, makeup and hair department heads Jean Ann Black and Cydney Cornell were excited to delve into the pair’s latest effort, old-Hollywood comedy Hail, Caesar!

An airy La La Land mystery set in the ’50s, on Hollywood backlots and Romanesque sets, Caesar! required a multitude of looks. The research process began with revisiting the past—to

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the films of Esther Williams, for example, and sword-and-sandal picture Quo Vadis, which helped define the Roman movie-within-the-movie. “That actually wasn’t that easy, because when you have all the Romans and the Israelites, it really adds to the stress,” Black explains.

Working with an immense tally of extras, particularly in scenes involving George Clooney’s Baird Whitlock, the pair were tasked with spray-tanning

those body parts appearing on camera. “Then, oh my gosh, just those Roman helmets alone,” Cornell interjects. “We had to decide, ‘Does hair show out the edges of the helmets, or does it not show?’ We had to make everybody’s the same.”

Since working together, the duo has gone on separately to craft the hair and makeup for several other 2017 Oscar contenders, including Passengers, Allied and Rules Don’t Apply.

TIME FOR A CLOSE-UP Cornell and Black go to work on the set of Hail, Caesar!

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ONLINE.COM

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PET E HAMMOND

FRONTRUNNERS As the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors’ Guild Awards approach, films like (clockwise) Sully, Manchester by the Sea, Lion and Loving are on voters’ lips.

GLOBES WATCH

With the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards likely to make a big impact, these are the films hoping for an Oscar bump.

BY P E T E H A M M O N D

IT’S STILL EARLY, BUT TWO INFLUENTIAL GROUPS will be announcing their nominations in mid-December, and they could both make a big impact on the nascent Oscar race, which will wait a further month before announcing its own nominations.

The Golden Globes and the Screen Actors’ Guild Awards are both nationally televised awards shows that get lots of ink, and their nominations are bound to make an impression on Academy voters as they’re deciding which screeners to watch over the holidays. With the BFCA Critics’ Choice Awards moving a full month earlier this year to 10

December 11th, the Globes and the

get the phrase “Golden Globe Nomi-

SAG Awards nominations are likely to

nee” onto trade advertising.

have greater impact than ever before.

At press time, for instance, Mar-

For the Globes’ drama race, frontrunners are Manchester by the

tin Scorsese’s much-awaited major

Sea, which debuted at Sundance

contender, Silence, won’t even have

nearly a year ago as 2015 awards

screened in time for BFCA mem-

were handed out; the indie sensa-

bers, and thus looks to be out of

tion Moonlight; Warner Bros. film

the running there, whereas Oscar

Sully; Denzel Washington’s Fences;

and Globe voters will get the time

TWC’s great hope, Lion; the touching

necessary to screen it. A gaggle of

interracial marriage story Loving; Mel

Globe nods could help the cause on

Gibson’s stirring WWII tale Hacksaw

the road to the Dolby.

Ridge; and perhaps Paramount’s

At this point, there are plenty of contenders looking to these early

cerebral sci-fi film, Arrival.

Late breakers like the afore-

harbingers to gain a solid foothold on

mentioned Silence, as well as the

the season. With the Globes splitting

inspirational Hidden Figures and the

things across drama and comedy

Peter Berg/Mark Wahlberg team-up

lines, there is plenty of opportunity to

Patriots Day could crash the party

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PET E HAMMOND actress comedy/musical list, jumping to frontrunner status alongside La La Land’s Emma Stone. There’s also Annette Bening, Kate Beckinsale, Lily Collins, Sally Field for her March film Hello, My Name is Doris, a terrific breakthrough performance from Hailee Steinfeld in The Edge of Seventeen, Renee Zellweger back as Bridget Jones and perhaps Greta Gerwig for Maggie’s Plan.

SAG doesn’t discriminate between comedy and drama, so my best guess for the five slots in lead actor are Casey Affleck, Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Andrew Garfield and Ryan Gosling, with Edgerton, McConaughey, Teller, Beatty and Driver in the hunt as well. For lead actress, a surprisingly robust field could go in any direction towards Emma Stone, Natalie Portman, Annette Bening, Meryl Streep, Ruth Negga, Amy Adams, Jessica Chastain, Taraji P. Henson or Isabelle Huppert. SAG, unlike the Globes or the Oscars, has an ensemble category, which doubles as a Best Picture spot. Leading here at this point would be Moonlight, Manchester by the Sea, Fences, La La Land, Hidden Figures, Hell or High Water, Nocturnal

SMALL SCREEN Shows like (clockwise) Stranger Things, Mr. Robot and This Is Us could move the Globes/SAG needle.

Animals and maybe even Patriots Day, if it can catch a late wave.

Both groups hand out a plethora of TV awards as well, but the difference is glaring as the Globes always try to be on the cutting edge of whatever is new and hot, while SAG sags a few seasons behind for reasons unknown. With that in

also. And then there’s Tom Ford’s

Blunt in The Girl on the Train. The

likely nominees culled from Florence

mind, names to look out for in the

Nocturnal Animals, the political

actors will be up against the likes of

Foster Jenkins, The Lobster, Love and

Globes list include Mr. Robot, This Is

thriller Miss Sloane, August indie

Casey Affleck, Denzel Washington,

Friendship, 20 Century Women, Rules

Us, Stranger Things, The Night Of and

entry Hell or High Water and Robert

Joel Edgerton, Tom Hanks, Andrew

Don’t Apply, Captain Fantastic, Sing

virtually anything that has cachet on

Zemeckis’s WWII espionage tale

Garfield, Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris

Street, The Jungle Book and maybe

cable or streaming platforms. Titles

Allied. If Golden Globes voters have a

Pine and Mark Wahlberg, to name

even superhero satire Deadpool.

like The Path and Casual—ignored by

longer memory, perhaps the riveting

a few, from aforementioned films.

March release Eye in the Sky could

And joining Portman on the actress

has a couple of Ryans—Gosling and

On the other hand, SAG has

contend. That one is from Bleecker

side could be Ruth Negga, Jes-

Reynolds—as well as Warren Beatty,

a fixation for Downton Abbey, so

Street, which also has the powerful

sica Chastain, Taraji P. Henson and

a perennial favorite with this group.

expect its last season to find a

Holocaust denier drama Denial; also

maybe Marion Cotillard. If there’s any

There’s Colin Farrell in The Lobster,

home among a predictable list

deserving of consideration.

justice, Rebecca Hall will earn a spot

Don Cheadle in Miles Ahead, Viggo

of nominees for Drama, including

for her remarkable performance in

Mortensen for Captain Fantastic,

Game of Thrones, House of Cards,

categories, Globe voters will consider

Christine, though it’s more likely at

Robert De Niro in The Comedian,

Better Call Saul, The Americans and

Matthew McConaughey in Gold,

the Indie Spirits.

Tom Hiddleston as Hank Williams

maybe even The Good Wife. The two

and, if he’s not relegated to sup-

newbies likeliest to make the grade

Likelier in the performance

Michael Keaton in The Founder, Miles

On the less crowded comedy/

th

The comedy/musical actor race

Emmy—could find love here.

Teller in Bleed for This, Adam Driver in

musical side, for Picture look to

porting, Hugh Grant in Florence Fos-

are Mr. Robot and This Is Us. As for

Paterson, Natalie Portman in Jackie,

Damien Chazelle’s lilting musical La

ter Jenkins. That film will make Meryl

the comedy ledger? Expect Veep to

Isabelle Huppert in Elle and Emily

La Land for domination, with other

Streep a major contender on the

rule the roost, as usual. ★

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“MICHELLE WILLIAMS IS STUNNING.” “MICHELLE WILLIAMS COULD VERY WELL EARN HER FOURTH OSCAR NOMINATION.” ®

“MICHELLE WILLIAMS, RADIATING FEROCITY AND FEELING, HITS A NEW PEAK AS AN ACTRESS.” A PICTURE BY

KENNETH LONERGAN

AmazonStudiosGuilds.com

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FO REI G N SPOTLI G HT

UNBROKEN Isabelle Huppert stars in Paul Verhoeven’s Elle, France’s official entry this year.

THE FOREIGN OFFICE

With frontrunners aplenty at Cannes this year, the Foreign Language race is heating up. BY NA N C Y TA RTAG L I O N E THIS YEAR MARKS THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR CATEGORY, with 85 films vying for the prize. As ever, there is a rich cornucopia of titles submitted from around the world, including a timely first entry from Yemen and the second-ever offering from Saudi Arabia.

Added to those are films from leading auteurs, some of whom have been down this path before. While it’s still early days, and the nine-strong shortlist won’t be unveiled until late December, here’s a look at how the race is shaping up.

Recent years have seen frontrunners emerge almost immediately. Those have included last year’s Son of Saul, which started buzz even before it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and went on to scoop the Grand Jury Prize there. The year before, Ida had strong momentum all the way through in what was a particularly strong field, while Paolo Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty dripped with lavish praise in 2013. Looking at 2012, there are some similarities with this go-around.

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Michael Haneke’s Amour was,

Starship Troopers. Elle is a somewhat

out of the box, a major contender,

controversial drama about a woman

winning the Cannes Palme d’Or, and

who seeks revenge on her rapist,

going on to score a nom for lead

with a twist. It has three European

actress Emmanuelle Riva, as well

Film Awards nominations.

as Director, Original Screenplay and

Another leading candidate, who

Best Picture. That film also starred

could well end up with multiple

Haneke muse Isabelle Huppert,

nominations, is Pablo Larraín. He’s

and she leads one of this year’s top

got the distinction of having two

entries, Elle. The revenge thriller,

movies in contention, with one in

which likewise debuted in Cannes,

Foreign and one in the main races.

is also handled by Sony Pictures

Larraín was previously nominated for

Classics and could land Huppert

his 2012 Chilean satire No, and this

a Best Actress Oscar nom, which

year has a shot again with Neruda

would—some say unbelievably—be

(another Cannes debut, in Directors’

her first time at the rodeo.

Fortnight). The drama, which The

Elle is France’s entry, and it’s the

Orchard has domestically, is a turn

first film directed by Paul Verhoeven

on the biopic as a detective hunts

in the language of Molière. The Dutch

down the Nobel Prize-winning poet.

filmmaker has represented his own

Larraín is also on the awards circuit

country twice before, but that dates

with Jackie, his first English-language

back to the ’70s, before he started

film, which could be destined

working in Hollywood with such

for a Best Picture nod as well as

now-classics as Basic Instinct and

recognition for the work of Natalie

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F

O

R Y O U R C O N S I D E R A T I BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM | OFFICIAL ENTRY - ISRAEL

O

N

“LOVELY, DEEPLY AFFECTING” - New York Magazine

“A MASTERFUL DEBUT” - NOW Toronto

A NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM

A FI LM BY E LITE ZE XE R DECEMBER 15 For additional information please visit our website at awards.netflix.com

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FO REI G N SPOTLI G HT isolated retiree who forms an unlikely friendship with his boisterous new neighbors, the film is a firsttime submission for the director.

It scooped three prizes at the Guldbagge Awards and has two EFA nominations.

Another comedy, Barakah Meets Barakah, started its career in Berlin, where it won the Ecumenical Jury Prize. This is only the second-ever entry from Saudi Arabia, and marks the feature debut of Mahmoud Sabbagh. Haifaa al-Mansour’s 2012 Wadjda opened the doors of the Kingdom when it was entered for Oscar contention, but surprisingly missed the shortlist cut. Barakah is a crowd-pleasing, candid love story set in a society where meeting in public without chaperone is prohibited, and physical contact is forbidden. It’s one of the films going in which does not yet have U.S. distribution (Sony Portman as the former First Lady.

Pictures Classics handled Wadjda).

Another recognizable name in

Also hailing from Scandinavia,

the Foreign Language mix is Pedro

veteran Erik Poppe is back in

Almodóvar, with Julieta. Also an

contention after 2004’s Hawaii,

SPC title, this one veers somewhat

Oslo with The King’s Choice. The film

from the Spanish maestro’s

broke Norwegian box office records

typical work. It, too, has three EFA

and made its North American debut

mentions and boasts a Cannes

with the Crown Prince and Crown

debut. Asghar Farhadi, a winner for

Princess of Norway attending a

2011’s A Separation, is proffering The

glitzy screening in Toronto. It’s

Salesman (Cohen Media Group),

based on the true story of the three

about a couple whose relationship

dramatic days in April 1940 when

begins to turn sour during their

the Germans invaded and the King

performance of Arthur Miller’s

of Norway was presented with an

Death of a Salesman. And Bosnia/

ultimatum: surrender or die.

Herzegovina’s Danis Tanović, a 2002

Sticking with the northern

winner for No Man’s Land, returns to

European entries, Finland’s The

contention with Berlin Grand Jury

Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Mäki

Prize winner Death in Sarajevo.

(MUBI) wowed audiences in Cannes,

First-time feature director

where it scooped the top prize in

Maren Ade picked up a FIPRESCI

the Un Certain Regard section. Juho

Prize with Cannes sensation Toni

Kuosmanen shot the boxing drama/

Erdmann (Sony Pictures Classics).

love story in 16mm black-and-white.

The relationship comedy leads the

Inspired by real events, it tells the

European Film Awards nominations

story of the first Finn ever to fight

and has been roundly praised. It’s a very likely candidate for the shortlist, although should the Academy opt for this one, it would be a drift back to humor after the serious subjects of the past few years (The Great Beauty notwithstanding).

Similarly, Hannes Holm’s A Man

AROUND THE WORLD From top: Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta represents Spain; Asghar Farhadi’s The Salesman for Iran; Maren Ade’s German entry Toni Erdmann; Finland’s The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki from director Juho Kuosmanen.

for boxing’s world featherweight championship. Distracted by thoughts of a new love, he lost the match humiliatingly in the second round by knockout in front of a packed stadium. According to Mäki, it was the best day of his life.

Under The Shadow (Vertical), a

Called Ove (Music Box) from Sweden

British drama shot in Persian, had

has a comedic bent, and a lot of

its premiere back in Sundance this

buzz. The story of an ill-tempered,

year and has kept momentum going;

16

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F O R

Y O U R

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM – OFFICIAL OSCAR® ENTRY – CHILE AND IN ALL CATEGORIES INCLUDING Best Directing - PABLO LARRAÍN Best Cinematography - SERGIO ARMSTRONG Best Actor in a Lead Role - LUIS GNECCO Best Film Editing - HERVÉ SCHNEID Best Actor in a Supporting Role - GAEL GARCÍA BERNAL Best Original Score - FREDERICO JUSID Best Actress in a Supporting Role - MERCEDES MORÁN Best Original Screenplay - GUILLERMO CALDERÓN

FROM

PA B LO L A R R A Í N ,

AC C L A I M E D D I R E C TO R O F

“PART FACT, PART GLORIOUS FANTASY.

‘NO’

&

‘JAC K I E ’

““STUNNINGLY INVENTIVE.

A formally exciting movie that both places Neruda in a specific worldhistorical moment and shows him as a poet of the people — of fawning intellectuals, striking workers, adoring prostitutes.”

A work of such cleverness, beauty and power, that it’s hard to know how to parcel out praise: script, cinematography, art direction and performances all vie for kudos and awards. Represents the director at his stunning best.”

- Manohla Dargis

- Jay Weissberg

OFFICIAL SELECTION

CANNES DIRECTORS’ FORTNIGHT 2016

OFFICIAL SELECTION

OFFICIAL SELECTION

TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL

NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL

2016

2016

OFFICIAL SELECTION

TORONTO INT’L FILM FESTIVAL 2016

OFFICIAL AMPAS SCREENING Saturday, Dec 3 – 3:00pm, Samuel Goldwyn Theater

AMPAS & HFPA MEMBERS WELCOME

NEW YORK

Wednesday, Nov 30 – 6:00pm • Tuesday, Dec 6 - 4:00pm Magno Review 2, 729 7th Ave. (Betw. 48th and 49th Sts.)

LOS ANGELES

Sunday, Nov 27 – 1:00pm • Monday, Dec 5 – 1:00pm Wilshire Screening Room,, 8670 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills

RSVP to publicity@fredellpogodin.com or call 323.456.4258

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PET E HAMMOND

FRONTRUNNERS As the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors’ Guild Awards approach, films like (clockwise) Sully, Manchester by the Sea, Lion and Loving are on voters’ lips.

GLOBES WATCH

With the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards likely to make a big impact, these are the films hoping for an Oscar bump.

BY P E T E H A M M O N D

IT’S STILL EARLY, BUT TWO INFLUENTIAL GROUPS will be announcing their nominations in mid-December, and they could both make a big impact on the nascent Oscar race, which will wait a further month before announcing its own nominations.

The Golden Globes and the Screen Actors’ Guild Awards are both nationally televised awards shows that get lots of ink, and their nominations are bound to make an impression on Academy voters as they’re deciding which screeners to watch over the holidays. With the BFCA Critics’ Choice Awards moving a full month earlier this year to 10

December 11th, the Globes and the

get the phrase “Golden Globe Nomi-

SAG Awards nominations are likely to

nee” onto trade advertising.

have greater impact than ever before.

At press time, for instance, Mar-

For the Globes’ drama race, frontrunners are Manchester by the

tin Scorsese’s much-awaited major

Sea, which debuted at Sundance

contender, Silence, won’t even have

nearly a year ago as 2015 awards

screened in time for BFCA mem-

were handed out; the indie sensa-

bers, and thus looks to be out of

tion Moonlight; Warner Bros. film

the running there, whereas Oscar

Sully; Denzel Washington’s Fences;

and Globe voters will get the time

TWC’s great hope, Lion; the touching

necessary to screen it. A gaggle of

interracial marriage story Loving; Mel

Globe nods could help the cause on

Gibson’s stirring WWII tale Hacksaw

the road to the Dolby.

Ridge; and perhaps Paramount’s

At this point, there are plenty of contenders looking to these early

cerebral sci-fi film, Arrival.

Late breakers like the afore-

harbingers to gain a solid foothold on

mentioned Silence, as well as the

the season. With the Globes splitting

inspirational Hidden Figures and the

things across drama and comedy

Peter Berg/Mark Wahlberg team-up

lines, there is plenty of opportunity to

Patriots Day could crash the party

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7 7:30PM SOHO HOUSE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8 7:30PM THE LANDMARK

9200 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood (AMPAS, HFPA and Press only)

10850 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9 7:00PM WILLIAM MORRIS ENDEAVOR SCREENING ROOM 9601 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11 6:00PM DICK CLARK THEATER

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14 7:30PM AERO THEATER

2900 Olympic Blvd, Santa Monica

1328 Montana Ave, Santa Monica

11/23/16 5:06 PM

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E G D E I G R D I E R H E T H T GG

THE RID GE

Mel Gibson, Andrew Garfield and Bill Mechanic tell MIKE FLEMING how they pulled together to bring to the screen the inspiring true story of Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector during WWII who refused to hold a gun, but saved many lives during one of the darkest chapters of the American campaign in the Pacific.

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WHEN MEL GIBSON AND ANDREW GARFIELD GATHER TO SPEAK on their WWII

film Hacksaw Ridge, each has jetted into LA from Europe, where they are making other movies. Gibson left the set of The Professor and the Madman, a movie he’s starring in with Sean Penn. Garfield was deep into developing the semischizophrenic character he was about to start playing in Under the Silver Lake. But it doesn’t take much time for them to snap back into Desmond Doss mode.

The moment they received a sustained standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, Gibson and Garfield put themselves into the awards season race with Hacksaw Ridge, capping a remarkable 15-year ordeal to bring to the screen the story of the first conscientious objector to win the Medal Of Honor.

That medal was pinned on Doss by President Harry Truman, for courage under fire that included pulling 75 wounded men to safety one night during a siege gone horribly wrong in the Battle of Okinawa in the waning days of WWII. The clock started on the drama when producer David Permut

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brought Terry Benedict, who had befriended Doss while making a documentary about him, to Bill Mechanic’s Pandemonium offices. Benedict’s documentary took Doss and a few of his surviving platoon-mates back to Maeda Escarpment. It was the site of the bloodiest battle in the Pacific, where the army medic’s heroism stunned soldiers who labeled Doss a coward for his unwillingness to pick up a rifle—or even to fight on Saturday, which fell on the Seventh-day Adventists Sabbath day. Benedict, who had been granted feature rights by Doss and his church, brought to his meeting with Mechanic an appearance by Doss on This is Your Life that left the producer pulling out his checkbook to buy the property.

He figured there would be a short path to the screen.

Mel Gibson and Andrew Garfield photographed for Deadline by DAN DOPERALSKI

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because the last thing the humble Doss wanted was to glorify his achievements. It was only in his later years, following the death of his wife, that Doss

PROTEST Above: Hugo Weaving plays Desmond Doss's father, who fights to allow his son to stay in the army in spite of his refusal to pick up a gun. Below, from right: Mel Gibson and Andrew Garfield on set; Gibson with producer Bill Mechanic (center).

to a cargo net, lowering them to safe ground below

relented to the call from his church, which felt the

with a long rope.

time had come for his story to be told.

“At the point where Desmond is injured by a

“He didn’t want to publicize himself, didn’t really

grenade, and they are pulling him out on a stretcher,

want a movie made of his life and it wasn’t until he

what actually happened was that some other soldier

was in his 80s that his friends convinced him that

was wounded, and Desmond rolled off the stretcher,”

his story had to live past him,” Mechanic says. “We

Mechanic says. “He was just blown up by a grenade,

brought on Robert Schenkkan to write it, sold it to

but he treats this other guy, and he is out there for

Walden Media, with an eye toward protecting the

another five hours, sitting there. He gets shot twice,

religious content. Not to dial it up or down, just tell

After all, the biggest problem was that Doss’s hero-

and straps on a rifle butt as a splint. When they don’t

the story as it was.”

ics were so extreme they had to be downplayed in

come get him, he crawls. There were things that left

the movie, simply because audiences wouldn’t have

us thinking, who would believe that?”

believed the full extent. That included the level of

Turns out Doss had 17 pieces of shrapnel in his

Nothing came easy, not even landing Gibson to make his first directing project in a decade. The script

by Schenkkan—the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright

cruelty his commanding officer and fellow enlisted

body, and his arm was shattered. The key to the

behind The Kentucky Cycles who wrote four episodes of

men displayed toward Doss as they tried to drum

story was the fact that, while Doss might have used

the WWII miniseries The Pacific—was strong, but Gib-

him out of the army on a Section Eight discharge

part of a rifle as a splint, he held true to his vow to

son wouldn’t bite. He turned it down, twice. Mechanic,

for mental instability. But it most profoundly played

never raise a weapon to kill the enemy.

who, while a top Fox exec, acquired the foreign rights on

out when Doss proved himself the bravest man in Japan on a day when the medic and his men were

How could such a heroic WWII tale remain untold on the screen for over 70 years?

overrun by the Japanese forces, driven down from

It was not for lack of trying. Hal Wallis cam-

the high ridge, leaving dead and wounded soldiers

paigned for the rights, even bringing Audie Murphy

behind by the score. The Japanese had designs on

with him to persuade Doss. They were sent packing,

Braveheart that got the Best Picture winner financed, immediately thought of the filmmaker.

“I felt that Desmond was, in a way, like William

killing and torturing the injured, but Doss had ideas of his own. Using his faith as his guide, he dodged and evaded the enemy, and dragged his own men

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© 2016 EUROPACORP – FRANCE 2 CINEMA

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Wallace, without the sword,” he says. “One was violent and the other non-violent, but they were both men prepared to die for what they believed in.

I pitched the film to people as a different form on Braveheart, and sent it to Icon. They said they loved it, but it was a no. I sent it again, same thing.”

Gibson suggests that it took time for the script to rattle around his head, before the visuals changed his mind. But he was carrying the shrapnel of a series of self-inflicted public outbursts, the most serious of which came in the back of a cop car in Malibu, when a drunken Gibson spouted antiSemitic remarks that left him persona non grata.

Mechanic thinks that for whatever reason, Gibson was too preoccupied to take his overtures seriously.

“I don’t think he ever really read it closely, because on the third approach, he committed in one day.”

Says Gibson: “I passed on Braveheart. I kind of liked it and thought, maybe…I don’t know. One reason or another. Then it’s like what happened [here]. The wheels start going around and you start visualizing it.”

Braveheart was initially offered to Gibson as an acting role alone. But he was looking to step up after doing the small character piece The Man Without a Face. “I started visualizing it, a lot. I would think about, how cool could this be? You’d have a shot list in your head and visualize what you wanted to see. Two years later, I’d finished a movie and someone said, ‘What do you want to do next?’”

reverberated the same way. “I looked at it again and I just saw it with new eyes.”

By then, Garfield, fresh off The Amazing SpiderMan, was being eyed for the lead. Even though Gibson isn’t a fan of superhero movies, he’d seen the British actor’s work in films like The Social Network, where he played Mark Zuckerberg’s estranged college pal Eduardo Saverin. The empathy that Garfield exudes more than just about any other actor of his age convinced Gibson, and he was in.

But, although Walden Media sparked to the faithbased heroism, the company set the budget very

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AN D R E W GA R FI E LD P H OTOG RAP H E D FOR D E A D L IN E BY DAN D OP E RALS K I

Gibson remembered Braveheart. Hacksaw Ridge

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“ T H E E N T I R E CA S T I S T E R R IF IC .”

– PEOPLE

A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES

F O R

Y O U R

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SE RIE S

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any skill requires that.”

Garfield came to Hacksaw Ridge after com-

BAND OF BROTHERS From left: Desmond Doss's platoon-mates; Doss kisses his beloved Dorothy (Teresa Palmer).

away from him, and you see dirt, but no Mic. He was

pleting an equally difficult shoot on the Martin

gone. The stuntee is like, ‘Holy shit, I just blew up my

Scorsese-directed Silence. He said that film was

boss.’ It was the funniest thing, as Mic got up.”

harder, partly because the shoot was solitary and

It was this technology that made the action

he starved himself to look the part of a Jesuit priest.

achievable at this budget level. “It was supple-

“This was a new thing for me with Mel, and the way

mented by digital effects, but all that stuff was real

he works, and the feeling that he creates on set, and

and stunt-driven,” Mechanic notes.

the feeling he creates within the company,” Garfield

All the financial wizardry still left them short, as

says. “It feels like you’re a traveling theater company,

tight, and ultimately dropped out when the filmmak-

they ended with battle scenes. Mechanic says he

and that’s Mel’s background as well; drama school

ers could not meet the contractual requirement to

and Gibson personally covered the costs needed to

in Sydney. I did mine in London and started in the-

make a PG-13 film. “Braveheart was 50 percent more

get the required shots.

atre and it felt like a company of traveling gypsies.

expensive than this movie, and that was 23 years

Gibson stopped short of playing Doss’s

There was a real joy on the set, amidst the trickiest,

ago,” Mechanic says. “We got the budget down, but

father—a violent drunk who eventually would help

I just didn’t think there was a chance in hell this was

his son in his fight against the army to be sent into

Garfield says the cast bonded like a battalion

anything less than R. Mel doesn’t have it in his being

battle. He said he would have played the part if no

might. “You have to laugh to keep from crying, as

to take that script and not show it on screen. That

one better emerged. But putting Gibson in that

you imagine what those guys went through. There’s

defined who Desmond Doss was. His beliefs aren’t

role might have been a bit too on the nose, given

an absurdity you’re witnessing on a daily basis

real until he proves it on the battlefield. Anyone

the circumstances that kept him from behind

where, if you truly let the reality deeply in, it’s going

could say, ‘I’m not going to pick up a weapon.’ Put

the camera the last decade, even though he has

to destroy you. That is when the psyche cracks and

yourself in a situation when you’re the only guy out

been sober now for longer than that. He found

the PTSD sets in.”

there, and 1000 Japanese soldiers are coming after

Hugo Weaving. “The guy killed me,” Gibson says.

you, that’s when your beliefs are tested. Without

“I thought he was great. He became the obvious

and joyful and loving about the Hacksaw experi-

that violence, to me it’s not a story.”

choice to do that part. You get somebody like

ence; not that those things weren’t present on

Hugo, you use that guy. I can’t do what he can do.”

Marty’s movie. But Silence was much more isolating,

The shoot was arduous. “I don’t know if I was

where on a personal level the primary relationship is

That meant starting from scratch, and piecing together a budget for a $40 million movie only

most harrowing stuff we had to do.”

He continues: “There was something so spirited

made possible by shooting in Australia with nearly

ever frightened, because I had that Desmond

between my character and a god that may or may

the entire cast down under—Garfield and Vince

energy, inhabiting that character,” Garfield says. “I

not be there; a silent god. I was isolated, hungry,

Vaughn were among the few exceptions, and while

don’t know if Desmond had the time to be fright-

lonely and celibate for six months. It was absolutely

Gibson is American, he was born in Australia. It was

ened, whether he turned that into physical action

fucking fascinating. But [on Hacksaw], having the

his first movie back home in 30 years, after starting

or a prayer, but it was thrilling to have the physical

brothers, and the wife, and a great leader in Mel,

his career there with films like Gallipoli and Mad Max.

things happening around us as actors and extras,

and maybe the odd beer on the weekend, made it

and stunt guys were dealing with all these box

ever so slightly easier.”

Even though Cross Creek Pictures came in for a piece, the lack of a big visual effects budget required

bombs and explosions, with mud flying. There were

inventiveness with the requisite explosions, with

times where it got tricky, especially when we were

films singular come in the moment. Garfield recalls

charges that could detonate practically under the

trying to achieve something intimate while mud was

an 11 p.m. text from Gibson to say he was planning

noses of actors playing the soldiers. “We just didn’t

landing in the back of your throat.”

to change a big scene, in which Doss is doused

have any money, and that was the single biggest

Says Gibson: “You’re trying to play a moment,

Many of the visual flourishes that make Gibson’s

in water, scheduled for the following day. ”I was

obstacle,” says Mechanic. “Mic Rodgers, our stunt

and being hit by that stuff, and it’s just awful. I

anxious because you like to have a framework, and

guy and one of the few guys we brought in from

remember in a film I did years ago, the wind is

you’ve already laid that out. But you just totally

outside Australia, had done all Mel’s pictures and he

blowing this filthy sand into my eyes while I’m trying

trust it, because he’s operating from this deep

brought in this technology. He’s up on the battlefield

to emote. You watch it back and think, it worked

guttural instinct, not dissimilar to where Desmond

with our head stuntee, who has this camera, and Mic

out okay, but you are just having a miserable fucking

was operating from within his life. Mel is very, very

is demonstrating the bomb. It goes off about a foot

time trying. You’ve just got to try to relax, because

in touch with his primal nature, and that still, small

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F O R

Y O U R

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

In all categories including

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM and BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY OFFICIAL OSCAR® ENTRY – IRAN

THE

SALESMAN Written and Directed by Asghar Farhadi The Oscar® and Golden Globe® Winning Director of ‘A Separation’

“Farhadi makes dramas of domestic discord that refuse to heighten anything they show you; they are steadfastly observant, unvarnished, specific, and real. Yet when you watch a Farhadi film like ‘A Separation’ or ‘The Past,’ or his new ‘The Salesman,’ you’re seduced, almost by a kind of invisible reverse trickery, into a situation of open-eyed naturalism, except that you also start to realize... you’re caught up in something that can only be called suspense, and it’s galvanizing, but the suspense hinges purely on what’s going on in the characters’ hearts and minds.”

-OWEN GLEIBERMAN

"FARHADI REMAINS A MASTER OF PACE AND TENSION." -ALLAN HUNTER

"LEAVES THE VIEWER TENSE AND BREATHLESS...

THERE’S NOT MUCH DOUBT THAT FARHADI’S WORK HAS REVOLUTIONIZED NEW IRANIAN CINEMA" -DEBORAH YOUNG

"AN EXPERTLY MADE SUSPENSEFUL FILM." -BILGE EBIRI

A M PAS A N D H F PA M E M B E R S P L E AS E J O I N U S SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 4:00PM | TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2:00PM Wilshire Screening Room, 8670 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills RSVP: publicity@fredellpogodin.com or 323 456-4258

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voice inside. He’s a very emotional filmmaker, a very visceral, physical filmmaker.”

Says Gibson of the seminal ‘baptism’ scene: “I just wanted a moment where it was like this kind of transition; this cleansing moment. And it became literally that. He comes off the hill and he’s all covered in blood and mud, and I needed that moment where you just focus in a kind of spiritual or ethereal, lyrical way. It was something I cooked up on the spur of the moment, and we threw it together. You have these moments of clarity that are hard, because they’re not on the schedule and the budget is so tight. But you just go, oh no, I have to fit this in.”

Another scene, in which Doss covers an injured soldier—all except his eyes—in dirt to conceal him from Japanese soldiers, was the same. “You think, that guy’s eye, in the ground, now that would be a cool image. And then you’ve got no choice but to find a way to do it.”

It fell to Mechanic to explain each of these detours to the bond company. But when he ran Fox, Mechanic was also the point person for James Cameron as he mounted Titanic. Coming through Hacksaw Ridge has left him feeling that the market for literate movies is as bad as any “The business is in a very weird place,” he says.

“To me, this is the worst of times. It’s probably the lowest ebb of motion pictures ever, maybe since the late ’60s led to the ’70s films. I keep waiting for the phoenix to rise, or for the whole thing to fucking crumble, and then maybe we can pick back up and get real movies made again. But to me, this is a period of just abject terrible movies. Nobody cares, and there is no alternative. Studios, right now, are manufacturers. Like Detroit. They’re manufacturing cars, looking for this year’s model of the Chevy.

Other than a Dark Knight, which breaks the rules, we’re in a business where almost all the quality is being pushed into tiny little pictures, and I’m not interesting in making little pictures. Mel is not a perfect person, but he has improved on each of his pictures, and Andrew is the finest young actor of his generation. I had this experience on Titanic, and on

M E L G I BSO N P HOTO G RAP H E D FOR D E AD L I N E BY DAN D OP E RALS K I

time he can remember.

Braveheart, and here, also. When you look in the eye of Jim Cameron, and when you look in the eye of Mel Gibson, it makes you feel, okay, we’re putting all our money on this guy.” ★

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11/23/16 9:26 AM

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION - LEBANON’S OFFICIAL SUBMISSION for FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM 89th ACADEMY AWARDS®

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WITH NO FEWER THAN THREE M OV I E S L I N I N G U P FOR RELEASE THIS SEASON, FELICIT Y J O N E S I S H AV I N G A M O M E N T, W R I T E S JOE UTICHI

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P H OTO G R A P H S B Y CHRIS CHAPMAN

11/23/16 9:39 AM

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W

walks into the bar at the Bel Air Hotel, the meerkat-like LA glitterati don’t crane their necks with the expected urgency usually reserved for movie stars whose names grace every other billboard across town, as Jones’s does this week.

She’s come to Hollywood for the launch of Inferno, the third Ron Howard adaptation of Dan Brown’s everexpanding Robert Langdon series starring Tom Hanks, and few can have missed the marketing blitz for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, that has been heating up ever since last year’s Force Awakens release. Then there’s J.A. Bayona’s A Monster Calls, releasing Dec 23 after a festival rollout that has resulted in nothing short of effusive praise for Jones’s turn as a cancer-stricken young mother desperate to ensure her son is going to be OK when she’s gone.

But despite this plethora of work, with its varied appeal to all tastes, there’s something unassuming about Jones as she sits down for a drink to discuss this moment she’s having.

For the stratospheric rise she’s had this past decade, Jones is still approachable; still very much real. It wrong-foots the Bel Air set, but it’s also her secret weapon: she can play a suburban mom, a scrappy rebel warrior and an ER doctor obsessed with historical puzzles, and it never feels inauthentic.

It might be because Jones hasn’t been changed by her sharp ascendance. When I met her 8 years ago, to discuss one of her earliest feature film roles in the Daniel Craig-starring Flashbacks of a Fool, she was the same curious, optimistic actress she is today. The trappings of stardom—premieres, parties and fame—don’t interest her nearly as much as getting under the skin of a wholly realized character, whatever the circumstances.

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P RE V IOUS S P R E A D A ND TH I S PAG E : FE LI C I TY JO N ES P H OTO G RAP H E D FO R D E A D LI N E BY C H RI S C H A P M AN ; R ETOUCH I N G BY T WE A K P RODUCT I ON S .COM ; BAC K DROP BY FA RROW & BA LL

HEN FELICITY JONES

D E A D L I N E .C O M / AWA R D S L I N E

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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

“IT’S THE

BEST SEASON

YET” -TIME.COM

1130 AL Netflix_orange new black.indd 1

11/22/16 4:55 PM

In A Monster Calls you play a young mother in the

overwhelmed by emotion, and it’s really, bloody

their sense of self, and in the details of how their

grips of cancer, trying desperately to be there for

important to feel moved because I think that’s how

toes feel, and having to wear special gloves, and

her son. What struck you about it to begin with?

we become better people.

the technical side that I would have to show in the

Initially it was reading Patrick [Ness]’s book when

For my character, Lizzie, it’s that end moment:

film. I was just lucky to have such openness from

I was on holiday with a few friends, and I was

her being able to actually confront it. The whole time

those people, who took me through every single

absolutely overwhelmed. We were all in sunbathing

she has a teenage spirit. She just doesn’t want to

step of it. It was about charting quite specifically

loungers and I had to go take a swim in the sea

think about it. It’s annoying, she wants to get on and

how someone’s physicality would change, how

because I was uncontrollable.

she wants to stay alive with her son. The moment it

someone’s voice changes, the dryness that you

suddenly shifts is at the end when she has to trust

have round your lips, and how everything becomes

because Siobhan Dowd, who started the book, was

her upbringing of him, and trust everything she’s

heavier and harder.

suffering from cancer at the time. She actually died

given to him, that he will be okay on his own.

The book taps into the reality of the experience,

and Patrick Ness carried the book on for her. That’s

It was very emotional, making it. There’s nothing

At the same time, I didn’t want to lose Lizzie in the illness, because she’s still a person who’s just

why I feel it’s so powerful, because it is rooted in the

fake about it. There’s nothing trying to manipulate

trying to live. I wanted her to have edges. I wanted

absolute authenticity of that experience of being a

the audience. It comes from something quite deep

her to have a bit of punk. She’s still a bit of a rocker.

cancer sufferer with children, and what it’s like to go

and profound.

She would have gone to concerts, and she loves

through that.

music, she loves art, she sees herself as an artist.

Where do you begin trying to figure out a

Financially, she’s had a child, she’s a single par-

the eyes of Conor and it’s his perspective; a child’s

character like this?

ent, and so she’s had to get a job. It was equally

perspective on something psychologically very, very

I met with these women who had gone through it

important to make her a bit angry as well, because

complicated. There’s a wonderful duality in that. It’s

and, luckily, survived. They were just very, very open

she’s really pissed off about what’s happening. All of

just one of the… It doesn’t happen very often just to

about every single aspect. Both emotionally, in how

those things are true to human experience, so she’s

read or go and see a film where you’re completely

it affected their relationships and how it affected

not just some soppy martyr.

It’s very specially crafted, because it’s all through

How essential is it for you to put all those building blocks into place for a character?

Hugely. You know there’s always this idea that women are really good at multitasking? I definitely buck that trend, because I’m hopeless at multitasking and I really don’t like it; I love really singular, really focused tasks. And so, when you’re preparing for a part, that’s the greatest thing about it; this absolute laser focus for however long you’ve got before you start shooting to build the idea of the character.

It’s a bit like being Sherlock Holmes and finding all these clues; what does it mean, why is my character wearing that watch, they’ve done that, they’ve put their hair like that, what does that say about them?

You’re trying to find all these microscopic details FIGHTING THE MONSTER Jones as Lizzie in J.A. Bayona’s A Monster Calls, alongside newcomer Lewis MacDougall as Conor.

that you then bring together, then to try and let go a little bit when you’re on set because you’ve done all that homework before.

Finding what it is that the person does physically, how they move, how they walk, what is the voice, how high or low should it be, what tone—I try to build as much of those specifics as possible. But

IT DOESN’T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN JUST TO READ OR GO & SEE A FILM WHERE YOU’RE COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED BY EMOTION AND IT’S REALLY, BLOODY IMPORTANT TO FEEL MOVED BECAUSE I THINK THAT’S HOW WE BECOME BETTER PEOPLE. 36

it really comes down to a fascination with human beings and why they behave the way they behave.

You’re also very much at the mercy of an editor, so you’re often giving different readings of something, and different tones and looks, and you’re not always doing the same thing in every take. There’s a great sort of letting-go that has to happen so that you trust in the editing process; that the needs of the story will then take over.

That’s got to be moderately terrifying at times, hasn’t it?

It is, yeah. Suddenly your hippy spirit has to come through—that kind of ’70s mentality, where you trust the people that you make the decision to work with in the first place, and trust the story and the need to tell it.

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REBEL REBEL Jones as Jyn Erso in Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Below: Erso with her crew.

I THINK IT’S ALMOST TABOO NOW, NOT TO HAVE NUANCED FEMALE CHARACTERS. I THINK AUDIENCES WANT THEM. WE LIVE IN COMPLICATED TIMES, AND FILM HAS GOT TO REFLECT THAT, AND REFLECT THE NUANCE AND CHANGING IDEAS OF GENDER. Did you get to spend much time with Lewis Mac-

a nice dress. It was a little bit more schizophrenic. It

What are you looking for in directors?

Dougall, who plays Conor, before the shoot?

was a juggle. But I just felt very safe, actually, in that

I’ve heard directing talked about as being a benign

I did. We would go on these group family outings

environment. I felt like I could let my British reserve go

dictatorship, and I think that’s probably the best

with Sigourney [Weaver] and Lewis and I. We

a little bit and find something a bit more vulnerable.

way a director should be. They’re open to collabora-

would go and see Guardians of the Galaxy and eat

tion and feedback from people, but ultimately it’s

popcorn. Then Bayona would be watching us in

Your career has been marked by exciting

got to be that one person’s vision. That’s what I

the corner, making notes and things like that. We

collaborations with directors like James Marsh

think makes a film really stand out. The atmosphere

went to the zoo and we went on a rollercoaster

and Drake Doremus, and you’ve been able to

really changes from set to set, and it’s all about

ride, which was good because it helped prepare us

find a real variety of characters to play. Has

that person. It’s so important, as an actor, to watch

for the actual fear of being on a rollercoaster ride

that been luck or design?

everything a director has made, because it’ll tell

in Blackpool at 5am in the morning when we were

It’s interesting. I think you sometimes have to take a

you a lot about the film you’re about to do. People

actually shooting the theme park scene.

bit of a gamble, in that everything about the project

always reveal themselves in their work.

Bayona was great at keeping the process

may not be perfect when it comes through to you,

informal. He would give me a selfie stick to, as

but you take a punt on a director, ultimately, and

What did you like about Bayona’s previous films?

Lizzie, film the family outing. He was always trying

on the character. Actually, you’re always building

I think there’s a bit of Hitchcock in him. There’s a bit

to find informality, and he’s always trying to break

something. A lot of what you build comes from

of critical distance. He tells emotional, human stories,

that fourth wall, so he plays a lot of music when

those relationships, from those dynamics, from

but he does it with suspense tropes and thriller

you’re on set. It becomes impossible to retain

those rehearsals.

tropes. It’s quite magical to get that combination.

any emotional distance. There were always tears

Sometimes you’d have to do something because

That’s what I thought with The Impossible particu-

throughout the whole experience. I’ve never seen so

you need to pay the rent, and that’s happened. Then

larly. Whatever he turns his attention to, he will do

many people crying from start to finish.

sometimes you’re in a position where you can be a

something interesting with it. He’s not tacky. He’s not

little bit more strategic and you can go, “Actually, what

cheap with emotions. It’s not indulging in soppiness.

Was she a hard character to shake off at the

do I feel about the story?” That’s become increasingly

There’s a bit of fear as the audience as you’re watch-

end of a day?

more important in the sense of, what is the storytell-

ing it, even though you’re dealing with great human

At the time I as doing a lot of promotion for The

ing? What are we saying? That’s what ultimately,

truths and emotions. He deals in that fear of the

Theory of Everything, so I would be quickly on a plane

really, I find really exciting about film, is that when it’s

unknown that we all share. That’s what A Monster

and then on the other side of the world putting on

at it’s best it really can change things in some way.

Calls is tapping into. That’s the monster in all of us.

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AMPAS ONLY

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WEDNESDAY, November 30, 2016, 7:00pm Landmark Theaters, West LA 10850 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064 Q&A with actors

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it didn’t make sense to take everyone out there. All the scenes underground were shot in a studio.

You’d never guess. One day you won’t travel at all.

I don’t know, I feel we kind of maxed out on CGI in the ’90s, and now you’re seeing directors like Christopher Nolan—or Gareth Edwards on Rogue One—rooting it in much more reality and having more practical sets so that you’re not relying too much on CGI. I think it’s much cooler when it feels more real, and you’re not acting with tennis balls, which is much more difficult.

On Rogue One we had these sets with tiny little buttons that would light up when you pressed them, MYSTERY PRIZE Jones with Tom Hanks in Ron Howard's Inferno, the third part of Dan Brown's Robert Langdon saga.

and screens full of graphics, and it really felt like you were driving a spaceship. The level of detail; you’ll be two meters away from where the action is, but there’ll be a little detail there just in case the camera catches it. The scene would stop at a doorway, but there’d be another bit of set behind it, so all the detail had been totally covered in every single way.

So much thought goes into it from every single

We’re ever more aware of the way we are writing women in movies also. The characters you’ve played have generally been wellrounded characters; real people. But have they been hard to find?

It changes. Sometimes you have to bring something to it. You have to open up a dialogue and say, “Why don’t we do this? What about changing that? Does that really make sense?” Directors I’ve worked with have been very open to that. Sometimes it’s just there on the page and you don’t have to; you just kind of show up. For the most part it comes out of collaboration, I think, for all actors. It’s a process, and you build the character with the people around you.

It isn’t a book. It has to grow depending on who’s

I HAD GROWN UP WATCHING STAR WARS WITH MY COUSINS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A VHS PLAYER AT HOME; WE'D GO TO MY COUSINS' HOUSE BECAUSE THEY HAD A VHS PLAYER AND IT WAS LIKE THE HOLY GRAIL. I GREW UP WITH A REAL AFFECTION FOR IT, AND MY COUSINS ARE PARTICULARLY EXCITED ABOUT DECEMBER 16.

cast and go from there, really. It’s been a mixture.

person, and their expertise and devotion. All those little pieces have to come together to create something on screen, and I love that collaboration.

Were you a Star Wars fan before you took that job?

I had grown up watching it with my cousins, actually, because we didn’t have a VHS player at home. We’d go to my cousins’ house and they had a VHS player and it was like the Holy Grail. My brother and I, we’d sit and watch and watch. One of the first fun things we watched was Tremors. We’d have our education in American film, and cult American classics. Star Wars was absolutely a part of that. I grew up with a real affection for it, and my cousins are particularly excited about December 16.

I just always want to play people. I don’t want it to be necessarily that you relate to the character as

the whole of it; you kind of can’t stop watching. It

Ben Mendelsohn told me he expected Rogue

female or male, but that you relate to them as a

reminded me of one of those ‘60s on the run mov-

One would be “top three Star Wars”.

person. That’s the driving force.

ies, it’s got that element to it. And it was great fun to

Oh good—yes, it is. It’s just a fantastic story and it

play with Tom; he plays it so well.

was magical making it. The scale of it, I think, and

But I think it’s almost taboo now, not to have nuanced female characters. I think audiences want

I also loved how international it was. It goes to

them. We live in complicated times, and film has got

all of these different countries and different places,

being thrown around in a spaceship that’s on a really high gimbal and it’s rocking from side to side

to reflect that, and reflect the nuance and changing

and there are lots of different languages. It felt con-

and then you and your cast mates are all hanging

ideas of gender.

temporary, as our world is getting smaller through

on to each other, and there’s a camera right up in

technology. We were in Florence in the summer.

front of your face, and you’re shouting to each other,

There was a time your character in Inferno

It was pretty spectacular. One of those jobs you

“Come on, we got to get to hyperspace.” It’s brilliant.

might have had a romantic attachment to

can’t turn down. It was just really nice being in Italy,

Gareth Edwards can go big and he can go epic,

Tom Hanks’s character, but that was blissfully

because my family—my great-great-grandparents—

but he can also bring it back to the details. He made

not the case. What was it about that film that

are from there, and it’s somewhere that I always

sure that all the stormtroopers were muddy and

drew you in?

come back to. It’s nice to film in somewhere that

scruffy, and that it was all rooted in reality. Then,

I loved that about Inferno; that they were absolute

you actually love being. Usually you’re in a studio for

with Kathy [Kennedy], he’s created this great

equals. They actually connected and bonded.

months on end and you never see any daylight, so

leading female role for me, and stood by her from

They were almost competitive with one another

you really make the most of it.

start to finish.

Did you go to Istanbul also?

Do you hope there’s more for Jyn Erso?

We didn’t, actually. That shot was done on a green

We shall see, but I’m devoted to Jyn Erso and her

screen, because it was just one walking shot and

quests. She’s pretty damn cool, I have to say. ★

intellectually, and there was something quite novel about that.

It’s a good romp. It’s good fun, and you’re completely on the edge of your seat throughout

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FOR YOUR SAG AWARDS CONSIDERATION ®

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BARRY JENKINS is a revelatory

new filmmaking voice. He tells Michael Cieply about his path to Moonlight’s Telluride premiere.

42

Magic in M

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n Moonlight

CHIRON'S SAGA Above: The youngest Chiron, played by Alex Hibbert (with Mahershala Ali, left).

Below: Jharrel Jerome as Kevin and Ashton Sanders as the middle Chiron (left); Trevante Rhodes as the adult Chiron.

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again, this time to film, not quite on a whim, but on an unusually fortunate impulse. “It was a total lark,” Jenkins says. The shift would stretch his classroom career to five-and-a-half years, as he had to start from scratch in the film school.

What happened next goes to the business of existential choices: Jenkins, essentially, failed.

“My movies were not good,” he explains of his first efforts—not good enough in his own view to merit a spot in a backwater program school that had only about 75 students and few of those dazzling industry contacts that come with a cinematic education at the University of Southern California or New York University. “What am I doing here? I’m a kid from the projects. It was a rude awakening,” recalls Jenkins, who had grown up in a Miami ghetto, the son of a crack-addicted mother.

He took a year off; but the hiatus left him feeling uneasy. He was aware of whispers, he says, that he had been admitted partly because he was an under-represented African-American. Now, he was on the brink of blowing that opportunity, deserved or not. “There was a thing you’d hear, that I got in there because I was a black kid, and there weren’t any black kids in the program,” he recalls. “It was one of the few times I felt legitimate pressure, when I was taking that year off.”

So Jenkins bought a subscription to Sight & Sound, the British film monthly. And he started watching foreign movies, working his way straight through the international shelves at a local Blockbuster. His dream, he realized, was to make something markedly different from the work of his Florida State peers, who included Wes Ball, now working on the Maze Runner films for Fox, and Amy Seimetz, who directed Sun Don’t Shine and was a co-creator of The Girlfriend Experience.

On returning to the school, Jenkins found his voice with a 2003 short entitled My Josephine.

Loosely inspired by the Asian and New Wave films he had been watching in what he calls his man named Aadid who works the night shift in

ALENT FLOWS FROM GOD, OR

a laundry that cleans American flags for free in

WHATEVER MYSTERIOUS FORCE

post-9/11 America, and is obsessed with Napoleon’s

PASSES FOR SUCH. But an artistic

Josephine. And, as classmate Adele Romanski, a

career is born of hopes, dreams,

producer of Moonlight, recalled from the stage at a

accidents and existential choices

recent Los Angeles screening, it was widely regarded

that conspire to make something

as the school’s best work. “I put in all the things I

special of the talented. For Barry

feel about being black in the South,” Jenkins recalls

Jenkins, the decidedly special writer-director of Moonlight, a controlling accident was the location of

of a short that marked him as a cinematic artist.

Now, of course, he is riding a wave of acclaim

Florida State University’s small film school—its quar-

for Moonlight, which has been welcomed by both

ters are built into the football stadium. “I think they

critics and viewers since A24 introduced it at the

figured, we’re putting all this money into athletics, so

Telluride Film Festival in early September, and is

we’d better give you an arts program,” recalls Jenkins,

working its way toward Oscar night. Even more than

in a suite at West Hollywood’s London Hotel.

My Josephine, Moonlight is packed with Jenkins’

In the early part of the last decade, Jenkins, now 37, was a football fan, and a somewhat aimless college junior who had already changed majors from educational English to creative writing. He changed

44

feelings about being black in the South; based on Tarell McCraney’s play In Moonlight Black Boys

BA RRY JE N K I NS P H OTOG RAP H E D FO R D E AD L I N E BY C H RI S C H A P M AN

T

“very lonely year off”, it told the story of an Arabic

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Look Blue, the film follows its lead

Melancholy.

character, Chiron, from childhood

The film was financed by Justin

in the Miami project where both

Barber, a filmmaker-producer

Jenkins and McCraney lived with

with whom Jenkins had gone to

drug-addicted mothers, to a self-

college. Barber had $15,000 in

created manhood. It is considered a

the bank; so that became the

strong contender for writing, acting,

budget. James Laxton was the

directing and Best Picture awards,

cinematographer, Nat Sanders the

though Best Actor consideration is

editor. Both filled the same roles

a puzzlement—Chiron is alternately

on Moonlight. Loved by critics, and

played by Alex Hibbert, Ashton

seen by almost no one else, the

Sanders and Trevante Rhodes.

film peeked into the lives of two

With or without Oscars, Moon-

young San Franciscans whose lives

light has already completed Jenkins’

crossed for a day and a night.

personal transformation, from a

Jenkins was on his way—but

talented amateur to a professional

mostly to a career shooting com-

filmmaker of stature. “There were

mercials, and developing scripts

tears and standing ovations, a

that for one reason or another,

reception that is likely to continue

never became his next feature.

as the film makes its way into

It wasn’t until about two years

theaters,” wrote A.O. Scott, co-chief

ago that classmate Romanski, by

film critic of the New York Times, in

then established as the producer of

describing Moonlight’s reception in

small, romantic films like The Myth

Telluride.

of the American Sleepover, pushed

Yet, by Jenkins’ own telling, it

Jenkins toward a much overdue

was never certain—nor even likely—

second feature. With support

that he would close a very wide gap

from Brad Pitt and Dede Gardner

between his film school moment

through their Plan B Entertainment,

and the present rush of an Oscar

that next effort eventually became

season. For most of the intervening

Moonlight.

13 years, he was still sorting through

As he steps through the

accidents, choices, and vaguely

awards season, Jenkins, finally a

conceived hopes that only lately

credentialed artist, is working on

came together.

new projects. In September, for

First, there was a two-year

instance, word surfaced that he

interlude in Los Angeles. Jenkins

was collaborating with Plan B on a

worked for Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo

possible limited television series, to

Films, where he was an assistant

be based on Colson Whitehead’s

to Darnell Martin, who was then

novel The Underground Railroad. The

directing the television film Their

story is both history and fantasy,

Eyes Were Watching God. At the

about an alternate reality in which

time, says Jenkins, he had “no car,

the Underground Railroad, which

no money,” and no particular ambi-

rescued slaves in the 19th Century, is

tions. Martin took care of the car:

assumed to have been a real railway.

he bought Jenkins a Ford Taurus before moving to New York. As for ambition, “it went away. I like to say

AT WORK Jenkins on set with Naomie Harris (above), Janelle Monáe (middle) and crew during Moonlight's production, which started in October 2015.

it was beaten out of me,” Jenkins

A television project, it promises to pull Jenkins away from feature films, just as he is proving himself a master of the form. It is yet

says of his time on Hollywood’s

another choice, driven partly by

bottom rung. He knew what he calls “important

really having done it,” Jenkins says. This time, he

the accidents of entertainment economics, as they

people”—Martin’s star Halle Berry, for instance—but

looked around at San Francisco, in the throes of a

have evolved since Jenkins first began struggling

he saw no path to a career of his own.

tech-induced gentrification, and he thought about

with his early student films 15 years ago. “I don’t

small, intimate films that had fascinated him. Those

know, I don’t know,” Jenkins says, when asked when

there for love”—not of movies, but of a woman, who

were not so much John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood

he might make another movie, whether it would

eventually dumped him. To survive, he worked at

or Poetic Justice—portraits of young black life that

keep his budding repertory company together,

Banana Republic. When people asked what he did

he knew and admired—but even slighter works, like

and whether it would perhaps be larger and less

for a living, he usually answered: “I’m a filmmaker.” If

Richard Linklater’s Before Sunset and Claire Denis’

personal than Moonlight.

they asked what films he had made, he would say:

Friday Night. Then Jenkins began writing what

“None.”

eventually became his first feature, Medicine for

By 2007, Jenkins was in San Francisco. “I moved

“I’m getting older,” he notes. “There are things I need. I want to own a home.” ★

He was turning 27, and the pressure was back. “I realized I had learned to make movies without ever

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new episodes every tuesday listen now at deadline.com

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D THE DIALOGUE

OSCAR CONTENDERS/ ACT R ESS ES

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with a psychopath. She described being with

Naomie

someone who makes you feel like the most beautiful person in the world; the most loved,

HARRIS

★

★

★

★

the most treasured. And this is what psychopaths do: they mirror you to find out what you need, and then they give it to you. Once they have their claws into you, they start to ravage and destroy you; precisely what drugs do.

Paula is ultimately very human. Like the

The Spectre star changes tack with a dark and moving turn in Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight.

BY JO E U T I C H I

rest of the characters in this movie, there is no good and bad, only shades of grey.

That’s also really lovely because, as the characters are allowed to be their flawed, human selves, they reflect us, and the good and bad aspects inside of us. We can’t all be one thing or the other, and we never are. It allows us to embrace our humanity in a different way;

WHEN A WAITER COMES TO CONGRATULATE NAOMIE HARRIS “for all those films” on a bright afternoon at a West Hollywood hotel, it’s fairly clear which ones he means. The highest profile, of course, is her work as a different kind of Moneypenny in the Daniel Craig-era Bond series; there is also the likes of Pirates of the Caribbean, Miami Vice and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom on her filmography. But as Paula in Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, Harris says, she gets fewer well-wishers than she’s used to. The crackaddicted mother to lead character Chiron, Paula is troubled, aggressive and desperate to dull the pain.

because we recognize that we’re contradictions and that that’s OK. I find the movie really non-judgmental and non-dictatorial. I don’t feel like Barry has any agenda—or you don’t feel it in the way he tells the story. I feel like he’s just saying, “Come into this world. This is the story I have to tell you, and you’ll take away from it what you want.” When we go to Q&As and meet people who’ve seen the film, we get wildly different interpretations about what happens after the film ends, which is really interesting.

There’s something romantic and beau-

positive images of women.” I thought, once

tiful about Moonlight, even as Chiron’s

I got over that hurdle, everything would just

Considering how much of a presence

life is fraught with complication.

be getting on with the work.

Paula is, it’s amazing that you shot it all in

It’s very rare you get a script like that and

But it wasn’t like that with Paula,

three days.

you get as deeply affected. It made me

because she’s very, very complex. And also,

We shot out of sequence; so we were going

cry three or four times just reading it, and

for me, because I’m Miss Teetotal. I don’t

back and forth between older Paula, middle

I thought it would make an extraordinary

drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t do anything like

Paula and younger Paula. It was dependent

film. And then I watched Barry Jenkins’ pre-

that. I felt this huge chasm between us. It

on location, and we never intended it to be

vious film, Medicine for Melancholy. It’s one

was like she was on the other side of the

shot in three days. We were going to shoot

of the best movies I’ve ever seen and it’s so

world, and how was I going to reach her?

over three weeks, with me coming back and

beautiful. It’s another movie that just gets

forth from London, but I had visa issues, and

under your skin. I thought, if this filmmaker

So how did you reach her?

we were doing the Spectre press tour at the

can make a film like that for $13,000, what

I only had three days on set, but I had a

same time.

is he going to do with a better budget and

month to prepare, and a lot of that time

an amazing script like this?

was really trying to understand this woman.

of working on an indie movie, because we

You feel an extra responsibility because

But it’s testament to Barry, and the fluidity

YouTube was a big help. That was my

didn’t have these massive lighting setups. You

it’s an amalgamation of Barry’s story, and

resource. There were all these documen-

can center and the focus can be entirely on

also [playwright] Tarell McCraney’s story.

taries about crack addiction in the 1980s.

performance and getting that right.

You’ve got to represent their mothers, and

Even documentaries about crack addiction

they know especially well what living under

in ’80s Miami specifically. It gave me an

have companies like Plan B and A24, who are

those circumstances is like. They know their

incredible insight into the world of the film.

looking for authentic voices in filmmakers,

mothers’ moods and behavior swings. It

What’s also beautiful is that, when you

I also met a crack addict who was

what they’re allowing the filmmaker to do is to

wasn’t the kind of role you could phone in.

kind enough to share her journey with me.

run with their ideas and to have full autonomy

There was no fooling them.

That was helpful in terms of putting all

over their work. I think what often happens,

To be honest, I underestimated how

those puzzle pieces together and making

in bigger budget movies, is you get directed-

difficult the role would be. I didn’t say yes to

it personal, because you can never find a

by-committee. They mess with that voice

it lightly, because I had to be persuaded to

character outside of yourself, I don’t think.

and it gets polluted, and it’s a connection to

play a crack-addicted character like this. I

The thing that really connected with me

the authentic voice that actually moves the

thought the hurdle was simply, “Oh, I don’t

was a woman who described her relation-

audience. That’s what A24 and Plan B allowed

want to play a crack addict, I want to play

ship to drugs as like being in a relationship

Barry to do, and that’s really special. ★

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congressmen who really hate having to go to the many fundraisers, but they see it as a necessary

C H A S TA I N

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★

★

★

part of their job.

In John Lithgow’s character, you see this very moral human being who’s forced to be part of some kind of circus to keep his place in office. I think it’s a system that’s broken.

Did you come out with any clarity about

As Miss Sloane, Jessica Chastain delves into the murky world of corporate lobbying.

BY JO E U T I C H I

how it can be fixed?

I wouldn’t even know how to fix something like that. The good thing is, the movie starts a discussion. It’s not about lecturing anyone or making propaganda. But I hope that, in addition to being entertained by this political thriller and incredible character study, people are also informed in the way that I was when I read the script.

ISS SLOANE IS ALL ABOUT JESSICA CHASTAIN. As the titular lobbyist, Elizabeth Sloane, Chastain throws herself into the world of big-money lobbying, and director John Madden injects us into Sloane’s psyche with an almost uncomfortable closeness. And yet we’re always a step behind this brilliant D.C. plate-spinner, as she works every angle and serves up opinions-to-have for senators and congressmen on behalf of her corporate clients. It’s a showcase role for Chastain, who reunites with Madden after one her earliest feature film roles, The Debt, released six short years ago.

Is that a key driver for you in choosing proj-

You worked with John Madden on The

of the movie where there are these three

You’re producing now, through your

Debt. Had you been looking to work

men in the room, and one of the guys who

company Freckle Films. What are you

together again?

hasn’t met Elizabeth says, “Well, should

looking for?

Yeah. I knew I wanted to do this by page 10.

I shake her hand? I hear she’s not one of

I like characters and stories that challenge the

John’s one of the warmest, most nurturing,

these women who like the kissy-kissy stuff.”

status quo. Lately I’m really interested in history,

M

human beings. He’s an incredible director

But that’s why she dresses the way

ects? It could certainly be applied to films like Zero Dark Thirty and The Debt.

I look at any kind of art as a way of beginning a conversation. That’s what it’s supposed to do. I sometimes go to a movie and eat my popcorn and turn my brain off. I love those movies. But the movies I like to be in, for the most part, are the ones that challenge you. I want to create some kind of reaction in a person. You know that, when you come out of the movie, you’re going to see the world in a different way than you did before.

because I find that in my public school educa-

and we had been trying to find another

she does. It’s why you can hear her heels

tion I didn’t learn about women in history. I want

project to do together. Finally we settled on

clicking along the marble hallways before

to introduce the world to some great stories and

Miss Sloane. There was no decision making.

she enters the room. She intimidates them

incredible heroes.

It was just like, yes, of course.

before she even enters.

I’m also interested in creating platforms for other people. Those voices we don’t normally

Is the character you imagined on the

The movie is almost disorienting in

hear from. I’m very interested in diversity. I don’t

page the same as the one you ended up

placing you right in the middle of this

want to see the same movie over and over again.

playing?

world. Were you surprised by what you

When I thought of someone work-

learned about the world of lobbying?

Are you hopeful about the future in terms

obsessed I just assumed she wouldn’t

Yeah, there’s never a moment where you

of equal representation? The Oscar field

care about makeup. She’d wear the same

go, “Oh, OK, I’m ahead of Elizabeth.” I’ve yet

this year seems stuffed with interesting and

clothes over and over again. And that’s

to meet one person who saw the twists

diverse movies, but my hope is that it’s not

why research is so important, because it

before they came. When we first meet

just a one off.

really can change your stereotypes of what

Elizabeth, she’s saying, “It’s about mak-

That’s a good point. It’s an incredible year this

you think a woman like this would be. If I

ing sure you surprise them and they don’t

year, but I think it doesn’t mean we should be

were Elizabeth Sloane, I wouldn’t be wear-

surprise you.”

congratulating ourselves right out of the gate.

ing makeup. I’d just be focused on getting the job done.

But when I went to D.C. I realized that

I was surprised about the level of money

We often have a tendency to pat ourselves on

involved and by how much lobbyists could

the back and say things like, “Look at this movie

make. I was surprised about how many fun-

I made. It’s so diverse. I’ve got a female director,

how these women present themselves is

draisers congressmen and senators go to.

aren’t I wonderful?” When that stops—when we

their battle cry. It’s their suit of armor. Less

Elizabeth says in the film, it’s not necessarily

stop congratulating ourselves for being decent

than 10% of lobbyists are women. It’s a

about representing the people; it’s about

human beings—then I think we’ll have finally cor-

boy’s club. I love the scene in the beginning

keeping their butts in office. I talked to

rected the problem. ★

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toward dark material because he feels the world very clearly, and he has to find a way to deal with that.

HALL

★

★

★

How much of it is based on actual fact?

Obviously the conversations and everything.

The facts are that she did have a breakdown in Boston. She did, for a time, live with family

★

members; her mother. She was working there. A

The tragic story of Christine Chubbuck gives Rebecca Hall the role of her career.

lot of the characters are composites of people, but everything you see is essentially real. Mostly what isn’t factual is by process of omission.

BY P E T E H A M M O N D These events were about two years before the movie Network, which featured an onair death.

Yeah. Recently there are rumors out there that Paddy Chayefsky was inspired by the Chris-

EBECCA HALL, THE BRITISH ACTRESS born in London who is really half American (her mother comes from Michigan), might not have been born to play Florida TV news reporter Christine Chubbuck, but you would never know it after seeing Antonio Campos’s Christine. Hall inhabits the role and considers it her best work, in a career that has included such varied pieces as Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Town, Frost/Nixon and The Gift. She knew, though, that this story, of a young woman who committed suicide live on air during a broadcast from her Sarasota news station in 1974, would not only be an acting challenge, but the kind of role she hadn’t been asked to play before.

R

tine Chubbuck story, and then the suicide plot happened in Network. And there was a book that says that’s absolutely not true because he wrote it before Christine Chubbuck. Still, the truth is he wrote a draft of it without the suicide and then the draft after.

How did you approach actually capturing the essence of Christine?

Well, I have a fond belief that really the good acting is invisible. It doesn’t draw attention to itself and you don’t see the seams and mechanisms. I think when you have to play a character that’s quite big in many ways, you don’t stand a

I didn’t know anything about this

What were you ultimately trying to

chance of doing that unless you really put in the

story, but after I saw it I had to run to

achieve in playing Christine?

time beforehand and internalize it. I mean, you

Google and find out everything I could

For me, it just felt so significant to human-

have to have such an intimate relationship with

about Christine.

ize this person, because on a really sort

that character and it has to be yours; you have

I didn’t know anything about it either until

of straightforward level, I think it’s easy to

to live with it.

I got the script. It came with one of those

humanize characters in art that are heroic

agent cover letters when they do a five-line

or kind, or even the ones who have terrible

Did you always want to be in this

synopsis of the story. You can imagine

things happen to them, but are good vic-

profession?

what a five-line synopsis of this story is; it’s

tims. I think it’s crucial to try and humanize

I have always wanted to be an actor because I

a little bit on the reductive side. I was sort

the ones that we’d all rather look away

believe in the human experiment. I am fasci-

of enraged by it, on some level, because I

from, or that frighten us, or the ones you

nated by what makes people people, and I’m

hadn’t read the script at this point. I was

don’t understand.

fascinated in humanizing the people that we

like, why make this? What’s the point?

have a hard time wrestling with. I don’t think

There are many different versions of this

You come to really empathize with this

that’s the full picture ever. I’ve always wanted to

film that could be made and there’s defi-

person.

be able to do that with acting, and it’s really rare

nitely the exploitative version.

That was the thing when I read the script.

that you get the chance to as a woman.

I suppose the thing that really struck

I was so struck by the very strong vein of

me was that similarly, in a bit of casual

compassion that runs through the telling

Is there a certain responsibility in playing a

Googling, I realized that if the film

of the story. In our culture, we have a lot of

real life person?

doesn’t get made, then she exists forever

big tragedies. Every tragedy is with a man

There is, but I feel a greater responsibility when

in a vacuum of that act. Of course, it’s

at the center. I can’t think of many univer-

I’ve played real people that have been alive and

the thing that made her famous, but the

sal stories—big tragedies—with a woman

I’ve been able to talk to them. I always end up

significance of her and that time feels

at the center. It’s incredibly female, so why

getting into this conflict of, am I beholden to

like a harbinger for so many things that

is it two men making it? Part of me was

their version of it, or the story that they want

we want to talk about right now, hon-

a little bit like, how did you come to this?

to tell? On this, all the things I would like to find

estly. How we view women in positions of

Then I met Antonio and Craig Shilowich,

out about Christine Chubbuck probably went

authority and what we expect of women

who wrote it; the truth is, Antonio is an

to the grave with her. So much of it has to be

in pain versus men.

incredibly emotional person. He gravitates

instinctive guesswork. ★

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Emily

and exciting to be able to dive headfirst into the reality, which is that women are flawed. We mess

BLUNT

★

★

★

★

up every day, just like men. We can be aggressive and unfaithful and cruel, and it’s OK to present that to an audience.

It must still come down to the fact that most screenwriters are men.

That’s my feeling, and I think because this

Ploughing her own furrow, The Girl on the Train is finding her power.

BY JO E U T I C H I

book was written by a woman, and adapted by a woman, there is just a different sensibility. I think it’s important we all talk about that, and how we can inject this industry with more respect for well-rounded characters for women.

It really does start on the page, because inevitably a male screenwriter will have a different sensibility. I often find myself saying to male

MILY BLUNT PRACTICES WHAT SHE PREACHES. As cinema is under increasing pressure to acknowledge and deliver work that appeals to more than white teenage males, so Blunt is using the profile she’s developed through roles like The Devil Wears Prada, The Young Victoria and Sicario to bring to the screen fully-rounded female characters.

They’re present in everything she’s done lately, whether that’s Rian Johnson’s Looper, the Tom Cruise actioner Edge of Tomorrow, or Universal’s fairy tale The Huntsman: Winter’s War. The Girl on the Train, based on the publishing phenomenon of the same name, is the latest, demanding that Blunt lay bare the flaws of a deeply troubled and unreliable narrator.

E

screenwriters, when I’m developing a script with them, “Just write me as you would write a guy and I’ll do the girl stuff.”

It’s crazy that you have to say that.

But it’s the easiest shorthand to getting to where I want to be. This change is very slow, but I do feel it’s moving. I feel like we’ve got a new wave coming in. And it’s not quite a tsunami, but it’s happening. I feel it starting to churn. I have faith.

I truly believe we’re so inundated and anesthetized by comic book movies and big blockbusters. They’re designed just to assault your senses and be entertaining. And they’re entertaining for sure. I like popcorn as much as I like steak, but I feel like people are yearning for

Did you follow the book phenomenon

around her, and she has to appear danger-

a connection; to feel something. You just want

with The Girl on the Train when it was

ous in some capacity. When you’re around a

people to walk out of the cinema and talk about

first published?

true alcoholic, it’s ugly. It stops being funny.

what they’ve just seen. Not, “Where do you want

I hadn’t read it, but I saw everyone read-

I did have to do a huge amount of

to go for dinner?”

ing it. I suppose I was being a bit contrary; I

research and I found the most helpful thing

didn’t want to read the book that everyone

was to watch documentaries about alco-

You’ve done popcorn films, but they’re films

was reading. Then, [producer] Marc Platt

holism. Louis Theroux did one recently, and

like Edge of Tomorrow, which is much more

called me and said, “You probably should

there was a bit where this guy turns to him

complex and cerebral than most aspire to.

read it, because we’re really interested in

and goes, “Do you hate me, Louis?” I got

I really love doing popcorn movies. I think that

you for it.” It’s easy to see why it became

goose bumps. Just the idea that you loathe

film in particular might be the movie I’m most

such a hit; that tantalizing idea of the

yourself and you think others must loathe

proud of, actually. It was such an impossible feat.

danger being so close to home for people,

you too, and how lonely that must be.

The mileage Doug Liman got out of the repeat-

and the underbelly of domestic life. These

But you also have to remember that this

ing day was insane. It was human, and funny,

characters—these women—are flawed, and

is a thriller and not just a portrait of alco-

and not at all earnest. The stunts were in service

they are relatable. Finally there are women

holism. You want to misdirect with it. The

to the story, and the story was rock solid. That’s

you can identify with to varying degrees.

ambiguity of it is interesting to play with.

why Tom [Cruise] is really smart. He makes sure

And how cool to have your protagonist be a black-out drunk?

his films are injected with a deeper meaning.

You mentioned the complexity of

We’re all so proud of how it turned out.

the women in this movie. Why do we Is there a thin line between getting that

still have to make a point of that?

You’re next doing Mary Poppins. Isn’t that a

right and becoming some awful carica-

Shouldn’t we be there by now, across

little intimidating?

ture of a drunken person?

the board?

I’m aware she’s so iconic and emblematic of

Well, I was nervous, and I think there are

It is such a rarity, and you do still hear, bat-

people’s childhood nostalgia. I’m just trying to

pitfalls; that sort of drunken uncle act, and

ted around a lot about women, that they

allow all of that to be white noise and to do my

lurching about all over the place. I didn’t

be likeable and approachable, because

version of her. I’ve been reading the books a lot,

want it to be comical in any way; it has

that equals bankable. I feel this movie is

and that’s given me a different angle on it in

to be upsetting and embarrassing to be

women’s right to be bad. It was so liberating

some way. We start rehearsals this month. ★

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★ | c r a f t se rv ic e s

Costume Design How three of this year’s top wardrobe contenders tackled very different challenges.

BY P H E L I M O ’ N E I L L

ENCLOTHED Top: Cappi Ireland’s designs for Lion. Bottom: Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in Mary Zophres’ La La Land attire; Natalie Portman in Madeline Fontaine’s Jackie threads.

COSTUME DESIGN, LIKE EDITING

accomplished their most recent,

of course the director has the final say;

Land is just part of the fun. “I’ve a

AND SOUND, is one of the many

remarkable works.

we’re all trying to realize their vision.”

huge collection of magazines; Life,

“invisible arts” of moviemaking: if

For Ireland, whose credits include

For Lion, based on a true story

Vogue and others from the ’30’s

it’s done well, then you don’t notice

Kill Bill, Animal Kingdom and The

and—although only set a decade or

onward. [Writer/director] Damien

it. It is, though, perhaps a little more

Rover, the invisibility of her work is

so ago—a period piece, details are

Chazelle had us watch films that

front and center than the others,

part and parcel of the trade: “When

crucial. For instance, for the scenes

were key; Jacques Demy films The

hiding its many clever tricks in plain

the other school moms ask me what

shot and set in India, a careful eye

Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The

sight. Indeed, often when you meet

I do their reaction is usually, ‘Oh…

had to be kept on the coloring: “You

Young Girls of Rochefort. The use of

a character, it’s their wardrobe that

OK,’ like they’ve never really consid-

look at Indian men from that time

color in those films is extraordinary,”

begins telling the viewer their tale,

ered that it’s something people do,”

and, even compared to now, it’s

she explains. “It all came together for

before they’ve even spoken.

she admits, revealing it’s something

changed so much; there’s very little

a classic look, not specific to any era.”

costume designers take as more of a

color. The women have always worn

compliment than an insult.

colorful clothes but for the men it’s

important for the heightened reality

mostly white shirts,” she explains.

of La La Land, there’s also a practical

Three of the best costume designers of this year’s rich choice of Oscar-worthy movies—Lion’s

“Everything worn in a movie is

Cappi Ireland, Jackie’s Madeline

the result of much careful thinking,

Fontaine and La La Land’s Mary

research and design,” she continues.

include Interstellar and every Coen

there’s plenty of dancing. There’s no

Zophres—all have different takes on

“I work closely with the production

brothers movie from Fargo onwards,

handbook for designing musicals,

their mysterious craft, and how they

designer and camera department, and

the research that went into La La

so Zophres looked carefully at the

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For Mary Zophres, whose credits

While the timeless style is

side to consider for musicals, where

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★ | c r a f t se rv ic e s was really unusual,” she notes.

With Jackie, the French and U.S. locations were essential for gathering the clothes—some period, high fashion items from the likes of Dior and Chanel. “Some of the costumes were coming from Paris for the family and the personalities, rent or bought from vintage places. All the rest have been rented in Los Angeles—but all were made for Natalie,” explains Fontaine.

Even the new fabrics used had to be of particular standard: “They are all coming from houses of ‘couture’. The quality of the fabric makes the difference,” she adds.

UNPICKING THE THREAD With work in vastly different periods, set in vastly different parts of the world, Lion, La La Land and Jackie represent the breadth of challenges costume designers face.

Mary Zophres, on the other hand, prefers things a little closer to her LA home. “Shooting for three weekends in LA at that off-ramp doing a musical number, we shut it down and had that beautiful city stretched out behind, it was special. You know you’re making a movie,” she remembers. It’s not just getting home every night that’s the attraction. “I prefer to shoot just in Hollywood, it’s done less

classics: “You notice things in movies

something that can be at odds with

nothing like it. Even on O Brother,

and less these days but it’s where

like old Gene Kelly musicals; when

creating a cinematic world. “The chal-

Where Art Thou? where we had pre-

movies should be made, have always

they go into dance routines, you

lenge was, as ever, to make it true. So

recorded music playing all the time,

been made,” she states, touching on

can see the lining in the clothes can

many scenes are matching with reality

it casts a spell. If I had my way I’d just

how the industry is changing.

change to something lighter, less

and memories, it doesn’t give too

do musicals from now on.”

heavy,” she reveals.

much space for ‘going off,’” explains

Madeline Fontaine’s (Amélie, Yves Saint Laurent) costuming for Jackie saw her recreating some

Wardrobe is not only hired early,

Even with resumes covering a dazzling variety of styles and eras, there’s

Fontaine. “As usual we did a mix of

but it’s one of the departments that

still dream projects to be had for

bought and transformed and made.”

needs to be on set everyday, which

these major talents. Unsurprisingly,

more often than not means loca-

their dreams involve movies where

iconic outfits of the famous First

new challenges, and the rewards and

tion work. This is very much part of

their work is perhaps drawing a little

Lady, in particular the pink Chanel

satisfaction of meeting them. There’s

the fun for Cappi Ireland, who had

more attention to itself. “I’d love to do

suit that’s instantly associated with

really no such thing as a typical movie

already travelled extensively. Indeed it

a science fiction movie, something

her. The task proved a mix of style,

experience for any of the designers,

was in her post-college Euro-tripping

really futuristic,” reveals Zophres.

reality and technical considerations

they say, and they all have a strong

in London where she saw the film

“Whenever I watch a science fiction

typical of the job.

desire to try out new things. Zophres

that inspired her to take up her job.

movie I keep thinking of how my take

explains: “I’d done two westerns next

“Priscilla, Queen of the Desert; those

would be a little different. I mean, I did

one everybody knows for sure,” she

to each other [True Grit, Cowboys &

costumes just leapt off the screen,”

Interstellar but I’d love to do some-

explains. “We had to first settle with

Aliens] and I knew that row [in the

she remembers. “I don’t know if it

thing a little more out there.”

[director] Pablo Larrain and Ste-

costume warehouse] intimately, so I

was because I was feeling particularly

phane Fontaine, the DP, the right

didn’t want to do another.”

homesick at the time, but seeing

“I’d love to do a fantasy movie, some-

“We made it as a copy of the

color according to the choices of the

With each new project comes

the Australian locations with those

thing so imaginative, pure fantasy,

different cameras for the shooting

being different, and Zophres became

amazing costumes in them definitely

creating a magical world and all the

and the continuity of the footage.

quickly enamoured of the special

started something.”

work it entails in making everything.

Then we made filmed tests of differ-

qualities that only comes with work-

ent colours to get the pink. And then

ing on a musical. “There’s something

meant working alongside some of

love to take them into something so

we made five of it. [It was] impressive

magical about having music on the

Bollywood’s costumiers on some

creative, full of imagination.” They’ve

to see Natalie [Portman] in it for the

set; it changes the whole mood.

impressive crowd scenes. “The scene

made dreams come true for enough

first time on set.”

Having musicians like John Legend

at the train station, with hundreds of

directors, maybe it’s time for Hol-

performing on set, up close, there’s

extras and the modern world erased,

lywood to return the favor. ★

There was also realism to consider,

58

La La Land certainly fits the bill of

For Ireland it’s a similar ambition:

For Lion, the location work in India

For my kids more than anything, I’d

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f o r

y o u r

c o n s i d e r At i o n

sWitZerlAnd’s officiAl suBmission - foreign lAnguAge film Best AnimAted feAture

“nothing short of A mirAcle!”

-T h e h o l ly w o o d R e p o R T e R

A

ClAUde BARRAS

FIlM

s p e c i A l s c r e e n i n g s for A m p A s , h f p A , g u i l d s & p r e s s Q&As with the director Claude Barras after all screenings.

Tues, Nov 29Th - 7:00pm

ThuRs, DeC 1sT - 5:00pm

ThuRs, DeC 1sT - 7:30pm

Tues, DeC 6Th - 7:30pm ArcLight sherman oaks

Wilshire screening Room

10850 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles

9200 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood

10850 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles

15301 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks

8670 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills

Landmark Theatre

soho house

Landmark Theatre

sAT, DeC 10Th - 2:00pm

to rsVp or to request a screener of the film, email mylifeAsAZucchinirsVp@gmail.com or call (310)260-2800

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★ | flash mob DEADLINE PRESENTS AWARDSLINE: SCREENING SERIES AMANDA KNOX, OCTOBER 24, LOS ANGELES Brian McGinn (left) and Rod Blackhurst.

DEADLINE PRESENTS AWARDSLINE : SCREENING SERIES THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK - THE TOURING YEARS, NOVEMBER 7, LOS ANGELES Nigel Sinclair (left), Paul Crowder (middle) and Mark Monroe.

DEADLINE PRESENTS AWARDSLINE: SCREENING SERIES ELLE, NOVEMBER 15, LOS ANGELES Main image: Isabelle Huppert.

THE WITNESS, NOVEMBER 17, LOS ANGELES Bottom right: James D. Solomon.

60

RE X /S H U T T E RSTO CK

FIRE AT SEA, NOVEMBER 21, LOS ANGELES Top right: Gianfranco Rosi.

D E A D L I N E .C O M / AWA R D S L I N E

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F O R Y O U R C O N S I D E R AT I O N

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

O F F I C I A L E N T RY - S W E D E N

THE #1 U.S. FOREIGN LANGUAGE ARTHOUSE RELEASE OF THE YEAR

“MASTERFUL...

A MORBIDLY FUNNY AND MOVING SUCCESS.” -O d i e H end er s o n, R o g erE b e rt .com

“ DA R KLY FUN NY, T R AGIC , A N D ULTI M AT ELY H E A R TWA R M I N G.” - D eva n Co g g a n , E nte r ta i n m e nt We e kly

“T O U CHI N G, F UN N Y AND ENGROSSING.” -T o m Lo ng , T h e D et r o i t Ne w s

EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS NOMINEE Best Comedy Film Best Actor – Rolf Lassgård

SWEDISH ACADEMY AWARDS Audience Award Best Actor – Rolf Lassgård

SCOTTSDALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Audience Award

SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Best Actor – Rolf Lassgård

MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL World Cinema Audience Award

LRECTORCHATARI N A LARSSON TOBI A S ALMBORG BÖRJE LUNDBERG KLAS WI L JERGÅRD SI M ON EDE OF MAKE PRODUCTION TOGRAPHY GÖRAN HALLBERG FSF DESIGN JAN-OLOF ÅGREN COSTUMES CAMILLA OLAI-LINDBLOM UP EVA EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS FREDRIK WIKSTRÖM NICASTRO AND MICHAEL HJORTH PRODUCERS ANNICA BELLANDER RUNE AN ARBAHAR ÅRD HAR DSSGÅRD GÅRD BAHAR BAHAR PARS PARS BAHAR PARS BAHAR PARS FIBAHAR PARS LFIIPARS PLFIIPPARS BERG FILIBERG FILPPARS ILPBERG FIIPBERG LFIIBERG DIPLIFIADBERG PLAENGVOLL IDBERG PENGVOLL IADIBERG ADENGVOLL AIENGVOLL DENGVOLL IADENGVOLL AICHATARI DENGVOLL CHATARI A ENGVOLL CHATARI CHATARI CHATARI NCHATARI ANALARSSON CHATARI NLARSSON ANCHATARI NALARSSON ALARSSON NLARSSON ANLARSSON ANTOBI LARSSON ATOBILARSSON TOBI ASTOBI ATOBI SALMBORG AALMBORG TOBI SASTOBI ALMBORG ASALMBORG TOBI AALMBORG SAALMBORG SABÖRJE ALMBORG SBÖRJE ALMBORG BÖRJE BÖRJE LUNDBERG BÖRJE LUNDBERG BÖRJE LUNDBERG BÖRJE LUNDBERG BÖRJE LUNDBERG LUNDBERG LUNDBERG KLASKLAS LUNDBERG KLAS WIKLAS WIKLAS LJERGÅRD WIKLAS LJERGÅRD WIKLAS LWIJERGÅRD LKLAS JERGÅRD WILJERGÅRD WILJERGÅRD WISILJERGÅRD SIMLJERGÅRD MONSIONSIMSIEDENROTH MONMEDENROTH SIONONMSIEDENROTH EDENROTH ONMSIEDENROTH ONMEDENROTH ONEDENROTH POYAN POYAN EDENROTH POYAN POYAN KARI POYAN KARI POYAN KARI POYAN MKARI MIPOYAN KARI IJOHAN MKARI JOHAN MI KARI MIJOHAN IKARI MJOHAN WIJOHAN IMWIJOHAN IDMERBERG WIJOHAN DI WIERBERG JOHAN DWIERBERG DWIERBERG DERBERG WIDSTEFAN ERBERG WIDSTEFAN ERBERG DSTEFAN ERBERG STEFAN STEFAN GÖDIGÖDI STEFAN STEFAN GÖDI CGÖDI KESTEFAN CGÖDI KECGÖDI KECGÖDI KECKEGÖDI CKECKECKE WITH MNNES HOLM ESANNES LMNES HANNES HOLM HOLM HOLM HOLM HOLM FREDRI FREDRI FREDRI FREDRI KFREDRI KBACKMAN FREDRI BACKMAN KFREDRI KBACKMAN FREDRI KBACKMAN BACKMAN K NORDSVENSK BACKMAN K BACKMAN K BACKMAN GÖRAN GÖRAN GÖRAN GÖRAN GÖRAN HALLBERG HALLBERG GÖRAN GÖRAN HALLBERG HALLBERG GÖRAN HALLBERG HALLBERG HALLBERG HALLBERG JAN-JAN-JANOJANLOFOJANLOFOJANÅGREN LOFOJANÅGREN LOF OLOFJANOÅGREN LOFÅGREN OÅGREN LOFOÅGREN LOFÅGREN CAMI ÅGREN CAMICAMI LCAMI LALCAMI LANOLAI LCAMI LAOLAI LCAMI LAGLOLAI LA-CAMI LOLAI LI-LANLOLAI LIDBLOM N-LAFANTEFI LOLAI LDBLOM -ILNLAOLAI -ILDBLOM NI-OLAI NDBLOM LDBLOM I-NLIDBLOM N-LDBLOM INEVADBLOM EVAVON EVA VON EVAM EVAVON BAHR EVAVON BAHR VON EVAFIBAHR VON EVABAHR VON BAHR LOVE VON BAHR LOVE BAHR LOVE LARSON BAHR LOVE LARSON LOVELOVE LARSON LARSON LOVE LARSON LOVE LARSON LARSON LARSON KAROLI KAROLI KAROLI KAROLI NKAROLI ANKAROLI AHEINKAROLI HEIANMKAROLI NAHEIMBURG AFROM HEINBURG HEIMANMBURG HEIAMNBURG HEIABURG MSVENSKA HEIBURG MBURG MBURG SUPPORT ORDI S K FI L M FI L MUNDERHÅLLNI L K SJON A/S KMORHEDEN RIDRIFREDRI EDRI MORHEDEN KFREDRI KMORHEDEN FREDRI KMORHEDEN MORHEDEN K MORHEDEN K MORHEDEN K MORHEDEN GAUTE GAUTE GAUTE GAUTE STORAAS GAUTE STORAAS GAUTE STORAAS GAUTE STORAAS GAUTE STORAAS STORAAS STORAAS STORAAS FREDRI FREDRI FREDRI FREDRI KFREDRI WIKFREDRI WIKFREDRI STRÖM KWIFREDRI KSTRÖM WIKWIKSTRÖM WISTRÖM KSTRÖM NIWIKNISTRÖM CWIKASTRO STRÖM CNIKASTRO NISTRÖM CNIASTRO CASTRO CNIASTRO NICMIASTRO CNIMIASTRO CCHAEL MICASTRO HAEL MICMIHAEL CHJORTH MIHAEL CHJORTH HAEL MICHAEL HJORTH MICHJORTH HAEL HJORTH CHAEL HJORTH HJORTH HJORTH ANNIANNIANNI CANNI ACANNI ABELLANDER CANNI BELLANDER ACANNI ABELLANDER CABELLANDER ANNI CBELLANDER ACBELLANDER ACBELLANDER RUNE A RUNE BELLANDER RUNE RUNE RUNE NIRUNE NICRUNE KLAS CNIKLAS RUNE NICNIKLAS CWIKLAS CNIWIKLAS KNICSTRÖM WIKLAS KCNISTRÖM WIKLAS KWICSTRÖM KKLAS WISTRÖM KSTRÖM NIWIKNISTRÖM CWIKASTRO STRÖM CNIKASTRO NISTRÖM CNIASTRO CASTRO CNIASTRO NICASTRO CNIASTRO HANNES CHANNES ASTRO HANNES HANNES HANNES HOLM HANNES HOLM HANNES HOLM HANNES HOLM HOLM HOLM HOLM HOLM AMPAS, HFPA and Guild members are invited to the following screening: Monday, December 5 – 2pm Rodeo Screening Room, 150 South Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills RSVP: AMancalledOVE2016@gmail.com

Misery hates company

BDIRECTOR AOFDIRECTOR SDIRECTOR HPRODUCTION EPRODUCTION WPRODUCTION O R L D W I D E B E S T S E L L EMAKEMAKE R MAKEBMAKEMAKEYMAKE FMAKER E D R I K B A CLINEKLINEM NLINELINELINE BASED BASEDONBASED ONBASED BASED ONBASED ONBASED ONBASED ONONBASED ON ON DIRECTOR DIRECTOR OFDIRECTOR OFDIRECTOR OFE DIRECTOR OFD DIRECTOR OFOF OF O OF N TPRODUCTION MAKEMAKE PRODUCTION PRODUCTION PRODUCTION PRODUCTION PRODUCTION LINELINEA LINELINE THETHENOVEL NOVEL THETHE BYNOVEL THEBYNOVEL NOVEL THETHE BYTHE NOVEL BYNOVEL BYNOVEL THEBYBYNOVEL

BY BY PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY UP UP UP UPUP UPUP UP UP ANDAND ANDANDAND ANDANDAND AND PRODUCER DESIGN DESIGN DESIGNDESIGN COSTUMES PRODUCER PRODUCER PRODUCER PRODUCER PRODUCER PRODUCER PRODUCER PRODUCER FSFFSF FSFFSFDESIGN FSFDESIGN FSFDESIGN FSFDESIGN FSFDESIGN COSTUMES COSTUMES COSTUMES COSTUMES COSTUMES COSTUMES COSTUMES COSTUMES A F ILM BY HANNES HOLM ORIGINAL ORIGINAL ORIGINAL ORIGINAL ORIGINAL ORIGINAL ORIGINAL ORIGINAL ORIGINAL EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE MUSIC MUSICMUSIC MUSIC MUSICMUSIC MUSIC MUSICMUSIC PRODUCERS PRODUCERS PRODUCERS PRODUCERS PRODUCERS PRODUCERS PRODUCERS PRODUCERS PRODUCERS OREDITOR ANDAND ANDANDAND ANDANDAND AND PRODUCERS PRODUCERS PRODUCERS PRODUCERS PRODUCERS PRODUCERS PRODUCERS PRODUCERS PRODUCERS ANDAND ANDANDAND ANDANDAND AND DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRDIECTOR RECTOR DIDIRRECTOR DIECTOR RECTOR DIRECTOR IN COIN COIN COIN COIN COININCOCOIN COIN CO WITHWITHWITHWITHWITHWITH WITHWITHWITH PRODUCTION PRODUCTION PRODUCTION PRODUCTION WITH PRODUCTION WITH PRODUCTION PRODUCTION WITH PRODUCTION WITH PRODUCTION WITHWITH WITHWITHWITH SUPPORT SUPPORT SUPPORT FROM SUPPORT FROM SUPPORT FROM SUPPORT SUPPORT FROM SUPPORT FROMSUPPORT FROM FROMFROMFROM ANDAND ANDANDAND ANDANDAND AND

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★ | flash mob

RE X /S H U T T E RSTO CK

AFI FEST NOVEMBER 10-15 LOS ANGELES Top, from left: Rhea Durham and Mark Wahlberg; Dev Patel; Annette Bening and Warren Beatty; Billy Crudup, Megan Ellison, Mike Mills, Greta Gerwig, Lucas Jade Zumann and Chelsea Barnard; Luke Davies; Yolonda Ross.

This line, from left: Isabelle Huppert and Paul Verhoeven; Justin Hurwitz; Natalie Portman.

Bottom, from left: Emma Stone; Mike Mills; Billy Crudup; Pablo Larrain; Lucas Jade Zumann; Jessica Chastain.

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LIKE AN ACTRESS POSSESSED.”

F O R

Y O U R

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

BEST ACTRESS E M I LY B L U N T

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11/22/16 6:10 PM

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