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Out in Theaters: EX MACHINA

by Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged , , , , , , , 5 Comments

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In Alex Garland‘s sci-fi opus, Ex Machina – most commonly seen in the phrase “deus ex machina”, meaning “god from the machine” and frequently used to describe convenient plot contrivances (of which Ex Machina has none) – refers to the process by which a machine transcends its “machininess”. The Turing test has come to describe this as-of-yet unrealized phenomenon more specifically. This experiment tests for a “machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human.” Thus the barrier to entry for any truly credible A.I. is sky-high.

Not only must you exhibit superlative intelligence but it must also be nigh indistinguishable from that of a human; a tricky task indeed and one that drives the audience to question what it is specifically that makes an intelligence human. Halfway through Garland’s film, a character drives a scalpel into his arm fervently hunting for circuitry. When the aesthetic design and electronic capacities are this close to impeccable, who’s to say what is man and what is machine. Read More

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Out in Theaters: WHILE WE’RE YOUNG

by Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged , , , , , , ,

Most men buy a cherry red Corvette when they hit their midlife crisis. They dye their hair back to black (speaking of, how has AC/DC never done a Clairol commercial?) and date 20-year old models (here’s looking at you Anthony Keidis). But not Noah Baumbach. The 46-year old independent filmmaker who hails from Brooklyn is all about taking his halfway point in the old game of life with a modest dose of thoughtful reflection. In his now trilogy of brusque analyses on postmodern youth, he has come to terms with the train of aging rather than running down the tracks from it.

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Weekly Review 76: CLEAR, BREAKFAST, PLANET

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Weekly Review
This week had a lot of hustle and bustle to it with a new apartment and a new puppy in the mix so my time consuming film was somewhat limited. Having already caught Furious 7 at SXSW, I didn’t post any new reviews this week though did catch two solid screenings – While We’re Young and Ex Machina – that I’ll post about later this week. Aside from that, I finished watching The Jinx on HBO – and though it’s caught some flack for its “gotcha” journalism tactics, I found it wholly compelling and enjoyed it immensely – as well as some new It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia over at FXX and finally those accounted for below, including a new doc that’s getting a lot of attention as well as a few classics that I had new Blu-Rays of. So with only three on the docket, let’s Weekly Review.

GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF (2015)

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Ever since South Park ousted Scientology in their 2005 episode “Trapped in the Closet” – the episode contained an animated segment recounting scientology’s great secret doctrine of life”, with the all-caps sentence “THIS IS WHAT SCIENTOLOGISTS ACTUALLY BELIEVE”  plastered over it – the religion took on an almost jocular status. If prolific documentarian Alex Gibney dispels any untruths in Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, it’s that Scientology is in the least bit funny; the horrors behind this religion as cult are gut-wrenchingly tragic to hear unfurled, particularly in the case of “Spanky” Taylor; and to see families torn apart, privatized secret police employed in intelligence gathering missions and vast smear campaigns – one such plotted against Nicole Kidman to turn her children against her – all enacted under the guise of a “self-help system” is a terrible, appalling irony. Gibney gathers a plethora of accounts from ex-Scientologists and rather than focusing on the wacky fundaments of their belief, he hones in on the very real, and very distressing, systematic emotional abuse and manipulation that haunt current and former members. If there were ever a louder cry for help to the IRS on film, I’ve not seen it. #revoketaxstatusnow (B)

THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985)

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John Hughes‘ sophomoric feature has for decades been called one of the best coming of age stories and for good reason. Hughes’ seminal tale of teenage rebellion showed his voice as that of a man mature enough to poignantly reflect on his own high school experience without schmaltz and cloying nostalgia and yet still young enough at heart to really tap into the zeitgeist of ’80s teenagedom. Hailed for essentially giving birth to the Brat Pack – the kings and queens of 80s teen movies – The Breakfast Club was originally supposed to pull a Before Sunset and reunite the gang every ten years but cripplingly poor repartee between Hughes and star Judd Nelson made such a reuniting nigh impossible. Which is a shame because these characters really do seem to have something to say, even in their slightly transcendent trope vocabulary. But alas, The Breakfast Club marked the second and, surprisingly, final time Hughes and Molly Ringwald worked together (as a director-starlet duo) and such a sequel – or series of sequels – was never to be. (B+)

PLANET OF THE APES (1968)

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Charlton Heston‘s ape-rebukin’ overacting. Noticeably bad ADR dubbing. Awesomely clunky (by today’s standards) makeup FX – that still earned John Chambers an Honorary Academy Award. Jerry Goldsmith‘s iconic (and also Oscar nominated) score that so directly and so clearly inspired Michael Giacchino‘s work on Lost (amongst a plethora of others.) A franchise builder that is more a moral play than an action film. Planet of the Apes has it all. It’s an epically odd science fictioner that deals in moral outrage and philosophical treatises on animal rights just as much or more-so than it does in the set pieces and action spectacles of traditional blockbusters. With an astounding visual language made possible by vast, on-location shoots and meticulous monkey makeup, Planet of the Apes really does feel other-wordly, even if we were on ol’ planet Earth all along. (A-)

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Weekly Review 75: ABSENTIA, PULP, LIES, ROAR, RAIDERS, NYMPHETS

by Posted in Weekly Review Tagged , , , , , , ,

Weekly Review
To recap, the rules of Weekly Review have dictated that this is where I review films that I’ve seen for the first time at home (a rule that has been a sliding scale in terms of my following it) but has mostly now been expanded to include older films that I’ve seen in the theater (your Shinings and Seven Samurais) as well as screeners of upcoming releases that I saw at home – because if you’re not seeing it in theaters, you’re not really seeing it at all. A few of this week’s crops slightly challenge the status quo – one, a release of a 1981 film that never really saw a true theatrical release that I caught at a film festival in a packed (and appropriately rambunctious) screening and another classic that I recently talked about on InSession Film. I’ve seen Pulp Fiction a thousand times (exaggerated figure) but still think it’s worth passing along a few words on. Similairly, I saw one of my all time favs, Raiders of the Lost Ark, on the big screen for the first time (go Cinerama!) so that had to get its own few words. And finally, it’s been three weeks since the last addition so I’m pretty much breaking all the rules and regs but that’s the way it goes in the wild, wild west that is Weekly Review..

ABSENTIA (2011)

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Fable horror Absentia twists a classic wive’s tale into new shapes and sizes. Produced with a paltry budget of 70 grand, Mike Flanagan‘s eerie husband absentee horror tells the story of a wife whose spouse has been missing for seven years. With her sister recently back in her life after a stint in recap of the narcotic variety, clues to where he might have gone begin to reveal themselves as she puts the final touches on paperwork declaring him dead in absentia. Impressive for its slight budget with fine performances from Katie Parker, Courtney Bell and Morgan Peter Brown, Absentia still fails to make enough interesting moves along its path to keep you fully interested, regardless of the nifty conclusion it caps off with. In a squeeze, it’s not a wasted Netflix session though your choosing could be more inspired. (C)

PULP FICTION (1994)

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A finer piece of cinema may there never be, Pulp Fiction is a definitive game changer for late-20st century cinema. Hailed as inventive for an insurmountable plethora of reasons – independent cinema’s first real hefty international cume, Tarantino’s novel use of nonlinear storytelling, investment in character, violence and intelligence that made the film accessible and “cool” for all ages ands backgrounds – Pulp Fiction doesn’t let up more than 20 years after its making and its cinematic staying power has but grown exponentially. There may be no greater deconstruction of the gangster on film than Jules and Vincent in their opening moments riffing on culture shock and foot fetishes. (A+)

TRUE LIES (1994)

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At the height of his starring power, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays an American James Bond (nonetheless with a thick Austrian accent) in one of James Cameron‘s more toned down action flicks. Though it may be dialed down by Cameron standards, the action in True Lies is simply bonkers, with the last hour or so of the movie spilling from one city-rending potential disaster to the next. And yet, it all works wonderfully and comes together to showcase one of the finer examples of Cameron’s keen eye for spectacle while serving as a reminder of why Arnie was once such a superstar. I mean, before the Furious 7 crew were driving super cars across Dubai skyscrapers, the guy almost jumped a horse between his own cityscape. (B+)

ROAR (1981)

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When the programmers of SXSW announced that a re-release of 1981’s Roar was the Super Secret Screening that had people waiting hours in line for, the disappointment in the air was palpable. Low expectations or not, Roar was a visceral delight of the highest order – an absolutely batty passion project that employed hundreds of wild big cats to batter, maul and gore over 70 cast and crew members working on the film. The movie itself is a jocular horror to behold – a family comes to Africa to reunite with their father who’s taken up with the lions and tigers and leopards (oh my!) to find feral felines literally everywhere and no daddy in sight – but watching actors fend off these killers cats while delivering their Disney knock-off lines makes for some truly amazing cinema of the most guffaw-able niche variety. Like The Room, Roar is a movie you must watch with friends, slightly buzzed that is guaranteed to make you roar with laughter, shock and utter amazement as to how in the hell anyone allowed this thing to be made. (A-)

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)

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Arguably the best adventure movie of all time, Raiders of the Lost Ark introduced the world to Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford, hot off of Star Wars, makes the man in the hat iconic from his very first frame – he’s sexy, dangerous and loosely moral. Indy is in many ways an approximation of the hallowed relics he seeks – a living antique of Nazi-era misadventures and WWII heroism – and there has never been any Hollywood icon quite like him. From Steven Spielberg‘s lasting directorial work – the boulder, the visual shadow play, the awesomely weird physical comedy – to John Williams‘ signature score – who doesn’t whistle Indy’s theme song when exploring ancient ruins? – to FX work that still holds up to this day – exploding melted head FTW – Raiders of the Lost Ark is my go-to for breezy nostalgia of epic proportions. This thing is so good and so timeless that it belongs in a museum. (A+)

THE NYMPHETS (2015)

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Gary Gardner wastes very little time setting the stage for The Nymphets, a dark odyssey into the exploits of a drunken night out with some underaged vixens. And at only an hour and fifteen minutes, it’s for the best that he does not. Joe (Kip Pardue) meets female friends Brittany (Annabelle  Dexter-Jones) and Allyson (Jordan Lane Price) when a bouncer refuses them entry into a club and decides to take the potentially statutory femme fatales back to his place for some drinks and late night fun. The film is bristling with energy – topped out by Dexter-Jones and Price’s giggly but sexually wiggly performances – and definitely has a teasing nature to it, one that Gardner exploits for its full potential, even if it kind of ends up going nowhere fast. As Joe reveals that he’s willing to go the distance to bed these PYTs, Gardner unveils man’s harrowing aptitude for masochism in his dastardly pursuit of sweet release. A SXSW Midnighter with real bite, The Nymphets is a one-and-done ride to the brink and back, slight though it may ultimately be. (B-)

 

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Talking with J. Davis and Tobin Bell of MANSON FAMILY VACATION

by Posted in Interviews

manson.jpgIn a move that surprised even me, Netflix scooped up their second film of the SXSW festival with off-kilter drama/comedy with an unexpected thriller bent Manson Family Vacation. Starring Jay Duplass and Linas Phillips, Manson Family Vacation tells the story of two brothers – the prodigal son and the black sheep – who reunite after a long stay of absence, one of them having developed a sudden but keen interest in Charles Manson. From our review:

From Lina Phillips’ ticks – his quick-burst nervous laughter after nearly everything he mutters, the awkward, uncomfortable way he holds himself, his unsettling obsession with Charles Manson – we know something’s off. The journey is uncovering what and the platform is J. Davis‘ Manson Family Vacation – a dark family drama that knots itself up in misunderstandings and a trembling desire to be accepted. It’s eerily funny, smartly performed and more twisty than you would expect for an independent film.

I sat down with director J. Davis and co-star Tobin Bell (Saw) to discuss the process of making the film, its difficult classification, historical accuracy, Tobin Bell’s creepiness and, of course, Charlie Manson.

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There is a lot of intelligence to the film, a rare sort of a grace that you navigate, so well done. For people listening, or reading in, can you describe what is ‘Manson Family Vacation’?

J. Davis: Well, it’s about a guy who lives in Los Angeles, and has a kind of comfortable life with his wife and son. And then his estranged brother shows up in town for a surprise visit. And all the brother wants to do is visit sites related to The Family. So he kind of pulls his brother around town, and eventually, out into the desert, where they kind of enter the modern day world of Charles Manson.

So I want to tread a little lightly, especially here at the beginning, because I don’t want to reveal the “big twist”, as it were, in the film. A lot of the time, I feel like, with independent cinema, there isn’t so much of the film predicated on a twist ending. It is, very much, here. How do you combine the elements of a somewhat restrained family drama with a more thriller-esque aspect?

JD: I feel like it was always kind of felt like under the hood it is a thriller.

Tobin Bell: It’s grounded in what you call “the twist” but that is grounded in historical fact. So that, even, makes it… I’m treading lightly also. I like that aspect of it.

JD: I think that the realistic performances, and the drama of the movie, I was hoping, would lead you to believe one thing could happen, and then you begin to think something else.

And I love that. I love how it transforms. I think it adds a lot of depth to it. In terms of logistics, when you were shooting at the locations of these Manson sites – and you’ll probably be able to tell but I’m not very well versed in my Manson history – but were those the actual locations of the death sites?

JD: Some locations are real. I don’t want to get into specifics of it, just because I don’t think it will add to it.

TB: It was definitely in the neighborhood. It won’t add to the experience of the movie.

JD: Yeah. I wanted to have the movie in the real world that we know and these places are around. I used to live down the street from these places.

Wow. Is that something that sort of initiated your professed fascination with the Manson character?

JD: I wouldn’t say it initiated it because I was interested in this stuff since I was a kid. There’s a story in the movie, about finding ‘Helter Skelter’ on the bookshelf, and I kind of pulled it down, as a kid, and looked through these pictures and saw these crime scenes. This family; these young, attractive people who were responsible for all this stuff that had happened. And pictures of Charlie. And my Grandfather, who was the Chief Of Police in the town I grew up in, came in and caught me with it, and took it out of my hands, and put it on the highest shelf. But I managed to, of course, get it down again.

TB: That just made it more attractive, right?

The allure of the unobtainable item.

JD: My interest in it sort of started young and it was this thing that I was forbidden to be interested in. And Jay Duplass and I are friends and we both had a lot in common. But when I started talking about my interest in the Manson Family and that kind of thing, he was kind of horrified. So I decided to write a script, to kind of explore that difference between us. And once I wrote it, while I was writing it, I was thinking of him as the horrified brother. So I asked him to play the horrified brother. He wasn’t doing much acting at that time, but he quickly, within seconds, said yes.

He was just right for it?

JD: Yeah

One of the things that you played with in the film, which is based not only in historical fact but on events that are still going on today, is people’s obsession with Charlie Manson and his ideologies and even his music.

TB: Which means that people, when they come into a theater with Charlie Manson in the title, are naturally going to be predisposed to some kind of attitude about who Charlie Manson is and what his track record is and all that. I think J. Davis has done an amazing job of giving what is an expected experience, because of the Charlie Manson name, a different kind of tone, and a different kind of feeling. I think the film is very successful in that way because you get a meal that you don’t expect to get and I like that aspect of it.

So, J., did you do much research into more current iterations of what Manson following there is today, like we see in the film? Where there are groups of people who maybe still live out in the desert together? Or is that you taking a little creative liberty there?

JD: Yeah. I kind of know, vaguely, that there are, but I didn’t do a ton of research about it. I just kind of wrote what I thought was an interesting story.

So Tobin, to put this lightly, you have a bit of a creepiness to you whenever you’re in a film. “Oh, it’s Tobin Bell! It’s the guy from ‘Saw’! He wants to play a game.” And so, when you appear in this film for the first time and you’re wielding this lead pipe, we think “Uh oh! Trouble’s coming!” And then you turn out to be somewhat intimidating but also somewhat of a gentle soul. Can you talk about what it was, for you, that defined that character?

TB: Well, the lead pipe part was easy. You pick up the pipe and you chase the guy. It’s no different than any other role. I ask myself a series of questions about who Blackbird is, what his background is, how did he meet Charlie? What is his relationship with Charlie, really? How deeply involved with Charlie is he? Or not? So, for me, it was easy, because the script tells me so. It gives me clues and then I fill in backstory like I do with every other character. In this case, I had a lovely girlfriend who obviously was much younger. I wanted to go into it in terms of her relationship with Dennis and all that. Which I think is lovely, and done marvelously. For me, the script gave me every marker that I needed. J. and I did discuss some lines that we changed slightly because there’s an environmental theme, in this story, and we wanted to talk about that thread, a little bit, to strengthen what Conrad is doing in his quest. It’s part of Conrad’s quest, so we wanted to support that a little bit more. So for me, it was very clear, very easy. Hiking around in the desert is a lovely thing, especially with that kind of landscape. It’s great stuff.

JD: And I should say, Tobin, after he read the script, had such incredible notes. They weren’t limited about his character – they were about the whole script. We talked through the entire script. We had notes about the brother’s relationship. It was great in the moment. I knew he’d be perfect because he was thinking of the entire movie and not just his part in it.

Was there any point during production where anyone reached out to Charlie Manson?

JD: You’d have to ask Lennis.

If Charles Manson did see this film, what might you think his reaction might be to it?

JD: I’d hope that he would realize that, although he’s the lynchpin, and his name is in the title, that it’s really about the era. It’s a character and relationship movie, in which Charlie’s name is in the titles because events around him is what these two brothers are struggling with. So hopefully he would think, “Huh, they did a pretty damn good job telling a story about a brother who feels disenfranchised.” And I’m sure that Charlie probably felt that way, himself, during his formative years. It’s that simple. It’s not really about Charlie Manson, although Charlie’s pretty much Ground Zero He just kind of is at the tiller.

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Amy Schumer and Judd Apatow Talk TRAINWRECK

by Posted in Uncategorized Tagged , , , , ,

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2015 is shaping up to be the year of the great rom-com as Judd Apatow‘s Trainwreck is the third great romantic comedy or romantic comedy drama (or romantic dramedy) that I’ve seen this year – the other two being Adult Beginners and Sleeping With Other People. A portion of our SXSW review states:

Take it from the effervescently crass mouth of Amy Schumer, “The title was always Trainwreck. Trainwreck or Cum Dumpster.” Oh Amy, you are such just so…you. From talk radio appearances to gross-out Twitter posts, the Schum has crafted her image on being unapologetically, oh-so-adorably crude and in the context of Trainwreck, it’s miraculous to take in. At last night’s premiere, when an audience member inundated her with compliments, she barked, “Stop trying to fuck me.” She has swiftly become the epitome of 21st century feminism-as-middle finger; the crème de la crème of vagina jokes and reverse slut shaming that will melt the lipstick off housewives and zap the calories off your finger sandwiches with her gloriously nasty one-liners and hysterically sexual non-sequiturs. (Full review here)

Amy and Judd appeared after the SXSW premiere of what is being referred to as a “work in progress” cut of the film – though in my review, I question how much – or rather how little – change we’ll see before the final cut – to talk about where the film came from, what it was like working together, what makes Amy Schumer Amy Schumer and moving the action from LA to NYC.

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How was it, working with Amy on this?

Judd Apatow: I was just a fan. I heard Amy on the Howard Stern show one day. I had been talking a lot about these things, and I was just sitting in my car in the parking lot, because I didn’t want to miss it. I remember thinking, “I think she has stories to tell.” And I called her and said, “Do you want to meet?”, and she wrote back.

Amy Schumer: I said, “I’m super busy.” Yeah, I was like, “Oh my god!” We met in person, to find out what stories we’d like to tell.

What was one of the most fun parts of making this movie for you?

AS: The most fun part? This is super personal, but this is a personal story, for me. Just getting to do it with my sister there, every step of the way. Being able to play with my sister, Kim, and having her there. She helped me to write it. So getting to go back to my trailer every day, and being like, “Do I have a trailer?” This is my first movie, so getting to be with her, from day one to the last day, when we went back, and started drinking tequila, just the two of us. It was so special to do with her.

Judd most of your films take place in L.A. but this is set in NYC. What compelled you to really write a really classic New York City romance?

AS: I was born and raised in New York City and then we went bankrupt and moved to Long Island. I write everything that I’ve ever written in New York. I can’t imagine having a big kitchen. Judd was nice enough to leave his family for a couple of months and shoot in the ninety-degree New York China Town weather. I write everything in New York.

How close is the story true to real life?

AS: I’m fine! The truth is, I submitted my first script to Judd and he was really nice. He was like, “Why don’t you write about what’s really up?” And I took a look at myself. So this is very much me taking a look at what’s going on with me. I wanted to say, “This poor girl!” But yeah, it’s me.

Where do you get your attitude of empowerment from?

AS: I think I was just very innocent for a long time. I was just visiting my brother last week, in Chicago, and he reminded me that I didn’t lose my two front teeth until fifth grade. But I had just had my first period so I was just this jack o’ lantern with tits, walking around! I just looked like Pinocchio, when he was transitioning into a donkey. Or like Pluto. I just didn’t think anything was possible but polygamy for me until I was 30. So I don’t know. I get super sentimental when I see girls on the Ellen show, just like young girls that feel like everything’s okay, and for some reason, I held on to that for longer than most. I just encourage that kind of being non-apologetic and that you’re allowed to be a human being. Yeah, and I was lucky to meet people like Howard Stern and Judd.

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Out in Theaters: GET HARD

by Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged , , , , , , , 2 Comments

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Written and directed by Etan Coen – no, not he of the Coen Bros ilk – Get Hard left me questioning whether a mainstream comedy could deal with – and more importantly make fun of – race relationships and prison yard homosexuality without being intrinsically racist or homophobic. The answer is trickier than you might think. The liberal in me got tense around Get Hard‘s stereotypical depictions of “black people doing black people things” – hanging on stoops, twerkin’ – and “gay people doing gay people things” – the ever-delightful pairing of brunch and BJs. Read More

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SXSW Review: DEATHGASM

by Posted in Festival Reviews Tagged , , , , , , , , 224 Comments

Many have tried to imitate the cinematic fine art that is The Evil Dead and few have been able to ape Sam Raimi‘s splatterhead mesterpiece with as much boundless, bloody guile as Peter Jackson. Yes, the blockbusting king of Middle Earth Peter Jackson. Though most know the frumpy Kiwi from his work on the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, Jackson actually began his career making low-budget, amateur horror flicks using friends and recycled cameras. The more you know. Read More

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SXSW Review: 6 YEARS

by Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged , , , , , 3 Comments

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In the throes of first love, life becomes exasperatingly disoriented. We convince ourselves that there is but one person who can appreciate, understand and care for us and that that person should not be let go lest we never experience such a sensation of belonging again. Future aspirations come to head with plans of fidelity and the person you are and the person you want to become begin to be at odds. With 6 Years, Hannah Fidell is able to poke her camera into the epicenter of a relationship at the structural crossroads of graduating from college as they differentiate the needs of the “me” versus the needs of the “us”.

From go, Mel Clark (Taissa Farmiga) gloats to friends about the idyllic nature of her and boyfriend Dan’s six-year affair. Having been together since high school (and having been neighbors even then), they know each other better than anyone else and they’ve got plans to keep it that way . According to Mel, they’ll be married with a baby at 26. Still with one more year to go before graduation, Mel seems to have her life planned out to a T, unfortunately those plans don’t hold much room for variation.

Enter Dan (Ben Rosenfield), a graduating senior with a hooked-up record label internship on the brink of becoming something more. Even after six years, Dan and Mel still have amazing sex, they still laugh and communicate openly, they still have stupid fights about nothing. Fights that blow up into physical confrontations. Confrontations that land one of the parties in the hospital on more than one occasion.

To see a film about young people that navigates the dangerous waters of domestic disputes is an all too rare thing. The borderline physically abusive nature of their relationship is depicted as delicately as such a topic ought to be, raising questions rather than passing judgment with Fidell unwilling to paint in purely blacks and whites. Rather, there’s a calm nuance to Fidell’s voice that’s often absence from that of her characters. Though she can remain cool and collected, Ben and Mel, like the young adults they are, often make rash decisions.

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Because an intimate character study such as 6 Years depends so heavily on solid performances to sell the drama as the real deal, the effect and impact of the film lies squarely on the shoulders of Farmiga and Rosenfield and each handle the material with a kind of preternatural grace and convincing aplomb. When I asked them if they drew from any prior relationships to help define their roles and relationships in the film, both said no. And yet, they tackle the material with vitriol and dexterity, smoothly navigating the dramatically challenging material  and totally able to sell the more noodle-brained “teenagers in love” numbers.

Fidell keeps the sentimentality in check, able to offer a compelling though distanced look at the crumbling facade of “true love.” There are moments of 6 Years that threaten to derail the authenticity of the product but Fidell proves that she knows better than to dip her toe into the salty waters of through-and-through schmaltz. That doesn’t mean there aren’t moments where things get a little overboard.

Emotionally raw though a dash melodramatic, Hannah Fidell’s 6 Years is a bittersweet look at love and sacrifice at the ripe young age of 21. Fidell plants us at the focal point of their oft imploding relationship with truly intimate camerawork that operates in tandem with the film’s unobtrusive technical aspects – like Julian Wass‘ mellow score and Andrew Droz Palermo‘s low profile cinematography work – to create a convincing, and affecting, narrative. Able to share its time equally between the two leads – both of whom offer excellent performances – 6 Years paints an important and empathetic portrait of young relationships without necessarily taking a side. Like Boyhood and Blue is the Warmest Color before it, 6 Years enters a class of independent film that young people should be made to watch before making any major life decision.

B

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Talking with Taissa Farmiga and Ben Rosenfield of 6 YEARS

by Posted in Interviews Tagged , , , ,

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For all the schmaltzy young love that pollutes our movie screens (*cough* If I Stay, Fault in Our Stars *cough*) there comes the ocassional tale of youth and young love that actually merits a watch. 6 Years is that movie. And now that it’s been picked up by Netflix, you’ll actually probably watch it. How novel! From our review;

Emotionally raw though a dash melodramatic, Hannah Fidell’s 6 Years is a bittersweet look at love and sacrifice at the ripe young age of 21. Fidell plants us at the focal point of their oft imploding relationship with truly intimate camerawork that operates in tandem with the film’s unobtrusive technical aspects – like Julian Wass‘ mellow score and Andrew Droz Palermo‘s low profile cinematography work – to create a convincing, and affecting, narrative. Able to share its time equally between the two leads – both of whom offer excellent performances – 6 Years paints an important and empathetic portrait of young relationships without necessarily taking a side. Like Boyhood and Blue is the Warmest Color before it, 6 Years enters a class of independent film that young people should be made to watch before making any major life decision.

Speaking with 6 Years stars Taissa Farmiga and Ben Rosenfield, we discussed morphing technology, favorite flicks, American Horror Story, dream directors and getting advice from their older generation.

 

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So first of all, congratulations! Your film was just picked up this morning by Netflix!

Taissa Farmiga: Thank you.

Which is kind of crazy, because Netflix is really shifting, in the way that they’re now acquiring exclusive material. They picked up ‘Beasts Of No Nation’ as well [and also Manson Family Vacation.] So, when you guys are thinking about the future of film and what medium that film comes in, does that play a part in how you think about your roles, and what opportunities you might want to take?

Ben Rosenfield: I think it effects it – just in terms of what a movie is going to. It’s a different medium, so it broadens the scope of how things might work, you know what I mean? A film like this, I think, is going to work beautifully on Netflix, and there are other ones where it’s like, it belongs in a movie theater, properly, in that way. Netflix, and the internet, is just creating a wider variety of platforms.

It’s changing everything.

TF: It’s letting more people access it now. Which isn’t, it’s not a negative thing. Again, it’s just thinking, “Where’s the best place?” Some things belong in the movie theater.

So with this, what was it about the director, Hannah Fidell, that basically won you guys over and where you felt comfortable saying, “This is the project I need to be a part of?”

TF: When I was reading the script, I immediately fell in love with the characters – they’re so relatable, and so personal. I just thought, “I would love to play this,” because, also, I’m 20, and I’m figuring life out. I would love to portray that. So the script actually had a bunch of images in it, for visuals, for tonal references…

Oh, cool.

TF: So I got to see a little bit of Hannah’s mind, and what she envisioned the project. It was very helpful. Then I had a Skype with her and Mark Duplass, and I heard them talk about it. They just sounded so smart, and like good people, and I was like, “”I want to make a movie with them.”

They had a vision?

TF: Yes.

BR: Also, all of what Taissa is saying is similar to the experience I had, and then I also watched ‘The Teacher’ before, and I thought it was a really interesting film.

So, Taissa, how has it been for you, navigating the film world, having your older sister showing you the ropes, saying, “You should do this, and this…” I’ve gathered that you have a strong bond but do you ever feel like, “Back off! Let me do my own thing here!”

TF: No, never! I feel so blessed to have my older sister. She’s been through it all; she’s been through the ringer. If I call her up, and go, “[Vera], what do I do? I’m in this circumstance – I’ve got to pick this job, or this job.” She’s just always there for me. She’s helped guide me. I owe her so much. It’s nice to have someone to talk to, and now she’s got someone to talk to. I know how hard it is. So yeah, it’s great! It’s nice to have your own personal wealth of information, right there. I pick her brain all the time.

Taissa, you found your breakout with ‘American Horror Story’, and Ben, I know the last film you worked on was ‘A Most Violent Year’. So can you both talk about working with these exquisite talents? Like Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain as well as Kathy Bates and Jessica Lange, who’s just phenomenal in that show?

TF: Man, it’s just incredible to have not been in this industry for so long and to get to work with these incredible people. I mean, just massively talented people. I love to just sit back and watch how these people work, rather than be like, “Oh, tell me everything!” I’m more of a…

An observational learner.

TF: To see how they operate, and take what I can from that. If they want to throw a couple of tips out there, I gobble them right up.

BR: It’s amazing getting to work with great actors. You learn a tremendous amount from them. It’s like the best. Taissa didn’t go to college. I didn’t go to college. But I think we’re both getting a pretty great education, based on that.

Do you have any funny stories, where one of these actor giants has just taken you aside and tried to guide you one way or another?

TF: I stepped on Jessica Lange’s line once during ‘American Horror Story’. It was totally fine, I was just too over-eager to like show my stuff and because they switched the lines a little bit and I didn’t know what was happening. I go to go, and I see her look over at me, and I shrink.

That terrifying Jessica Lange stare.

TF: I mean, it was nothing, but you know me, of course. “Oh my God, the lion’s looking at me.”

Following up on ‘American Horror Story’, I think the show is one of the best platforms for female performances, not only in television but in movies. That kind of makes me think of a quote from Zoe Saldana, where she said something like, “Genre films – sci-fi, horror, etc. – really have the best opportunities for women to work.” They get better opportunities when they work in these genre niches. Is that an experience that you’ve had?

TF: Well, it’s interesting because, like in the horror genre, females are very empowered. Like The Final Girls, the one that wins; it’s the woman.

Especially in ‘American Horror Story’.

TF: Especially in ‘American Horror Story’. In ‘Final Girls’, as well, it was uplifting a woman, which was nice to play.

BR: I think there’s also a lot of objectification of women going on in horror films, too.

There is.

TF: That’s what’s so nice about ‘Final Girls’. It makes fun of those tropes. Like ‘The Slutty Girl’, ‘The Mean Girl’, ‘The Shy Girl’. It makes fun of that. It’s like, “That’s in the past, guys.” It brings a fresh way of doing it.

My final ‘American Horror Story’ question: I know you’ve been in, you’ve been out, you’ve been in it again, kind of oscillating back and forth, from season to season. So, if you were to follow your trend, you would be in the next season. Is that something that you’ve discussed and talked about?

TF: I’m just so busy with movie stuff lately. And I also just got another pilot, for a show called ‘L. A. Crime’, for ABC, so I’m excited for that because it shoots on the Sunset Strip. If it works out to do ‘American Horror Story’ I would love to do that show. I was there in the beginning and it meant so much to me. If I could poke my head in and say “Hi,” I would love to.

So, unfortunately, I’ve not yet seen ‘6 Years’, I was sick as a dog from food poisoning.

BR: I’m so sorry. That sucks!

That always seems to be what happens when you travel. But can you just kind of give me a bird’s eye perspective of what the film is about, and how you divorce it from previous incarnations of this young, romantic drama film? What sets it apart?

BR: To answer the first part, it’s the story of a young couple who’s been together since high school, and they’re now approaching the end of college, and their paths are starting to diverge.

They’ve been together for six years?

TF: Yeah, their relationship started in this youthful place and as they’re transitioning into adults, and they’re changing, either their relationship is changing with them, or it’s not.

BR: I think what’s different about this film is the way the split happens, the way it manifests itself. It’s told in a unique way. There’s some domestic violence which happens, which you don’t see very often with young people. I think the fact that me and Taissa are actually the ages of the people we’re playing is cool.

Rather than thirty-year-old people playing college students?

TF: That’s what’s so nice about it. It feels so real. Because we’re the real age. We’re also going through these transitions in our lives, so we can relate to these characters really well. It just feels so relatable. It’s personal. It’s intimate.

BR: And we improvised a great deal of the film.

Oh, okay.

BR: Which happens, but again, you don’t see a lot of films with young people improvving.

So did you guys draw on any particular relationship in the past that you’ve experienced in order to play this?

TF: Not specifically. Obviously, I drew on just past experiences, with people that I’ve connected to and dealt with in my life. But nothing specific.

A couple of quick shot questions that you can just do quick answers to. If there’s any director that’s working today and said, “I need you in my next film,” who’s the one you just couldn’t turn down?

BR: P. T. Anderson.

TF: Oh, that’s a good one. I’d love to work with Danny Boyle. I almost got to. I got to audition with him. He directed my hand in the audition room. To be able to do that, for a real movie.

BR: Also, Todd Rohall. I want to work with Todd Rohall. He’s a genius.

And another quick one: what was your favorite film of last year, and what really speaks to you in these kinds of movies?

BR: I guess I’ll say ‘Force Majeure’. I loved that movie. Last year was good so I’m just naming the first thing that came into my head. I loved it because it’s very, very sad and it’s very, very funny. I love art that has both sides. It’s so well done.

TF: You know what I actually loved, and you can’t bitch because you were in this? I loved ‘The Most Violent Year’. I love Oscar. I thought it was a great cast. Obviously, part of me wanted to see [Ben] in it to talk about it. I loved it – it was a little bit of a slow burn, which is not usually my taste, but I really loved it. Jessica Chastain was so subtle in it.

She’s so good! And, finally, where are you guys off to next? What’s the next big projects, and things you’re circling right now?

TF: I’ve got a couple of projects here that are about to come out, and hopefully they’ll sell. But I’m about to go shoot a pilot in L.A.

‘L. A. Crime’, that you were talking about?

TF: Yeah. So that’s cool.

Anything else on the docket for films? Going back to the TV world for a little bit?

TF: I shot a Western last year. I got to work with Warren Beatty, as well. I’m hoping those are about to come out soon. I want to get those out into the world.

BR: I’m in a play right now, so I have to leave the festival and go finish that up. In another Manhattan Class company. And then this summer, I’m in Woody Allen’s new film. And then I might go to England, and record some music. Not filming anything in particular though.

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