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| Mel & Jodie Interview - PREMIERE | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 2 2011, 06:27 PM (182 Views) | |
| frenchy_33 | Mar 2 2011, 06:27 PM Post #1 |
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From the current French issue of Première WHAT MADE YOU RETURN AS A DIRECTOR? Jodie: For a long time I couldn't find any project good enough to make me want to spend months away from my children. Another director was working on The Beaver when my agent sent the script. When I read it I immediately answered that if the director suddenly broke his leg, they absolutely had to make me have it. Then, I kept asking how the project was going. Until the day where the other director forfeited. WHAT PARTICULARLY MOVED YOU IN THIS STORY? Jodie: I noticed that, every time I end up in the editing room, I realize the movie talks about me one way or another. I am every characters in the movies I make, and The Beaver is no exception. Walter, Meredith (Walter's wife, played by Foster), their son (played by Anton Yelchin)... I recognize myself in each of them, even if I didn't experience all the situations they find themselves into. But their questionning and fears are the same as those that keep me awake at night. AT FIRST, THE ONLY THING WE SEE IS MEL GIBSON WITH THIS PUPPET STUCK TO HIS HAND, BUT DEEP DOWN, THE BEAVER IS A REAL PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA. HOW TO RECONCILE THE TWO? Jodie: I accentuate the realism of each situation, that's what interests me. The movie appears to be a conceptual comedy, obviously. This man has a puppet on his hand that talks with a cockney accent, and the characters react to that like anybody would. The comedy is implied, I don't need to cultivate it. Aside from that starting point, we don't pull the funny card at all, we explore the situation this family's into on a emotional level. MEL, WAS THE "PUPPET" ASPECT HARD TO MANAGE? Mel: Playing this role implicates a lot of technical difficulties, indeed. I have this thing on my hand that I need to make come to life and with whom I need to coexist. It's a bit as if I had to play two characters at the same time. Sometimes you lose yourself between the two of them. I'VE HEARD THAT YOU HAD CRAMPS AT THE BEGINNING... Mel: It may sounds silly but, making the puppet talk, animating it, becomes exhausting really quickly. You need to know when to stop, get a massage, and get back to it. The most amazing thing is, once you put it on, you surprise yourself saying stuff you wouldn't normally say. It's quite exhilarating, even for someone like me who's known to say everything that crosses my mind... That beaver is dangerous, it allows me to say anything and everything, especially when the camera's not rolling... DID YOU BRING IT HOME AT NIGHT TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH HIM? Yes, I would bring it home to train. We became really close (laughs) "HORS DE CONTROLE" MARKED YOUR RETURN IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA, EIGHT YEARS AFTER "SIGNES". WHAT MADE YOU COME BACK, AS AN ACTOR? Mel: I took a long break because I simply was fed up with the job. But I admit that returning to comedy is quite revitalizing. Of course, when you decide to come back after several years, you make different choices, you look for something new. You also realize how changed you are, physically. You don't really notice when you look at yourself in the mirror every morning, but I can tell you that seeing yourself on the screen after eight years is a big shock. I suddenly realized I had become an old thing... YOU ARE BOTH DIRECTORS. HOW DOES THE COLLABORATION WORK ON THE SET? Jodie: The good thing when you work with Mel, besides the fact that he knows how to play the character, is that you don't need to remind him to respect people's boundaries. He understands the cutting of the scenes, the importance of certain sequences... You don't have to guide him. JODIE, YOU'VE KNOWN MEL SINCE MAVERICK (1994). HAS YOUR FRIENDSHIP ALLOWED YOU TO SEE SOMETHING INSIDE OF HIM THAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO CALL HIM FOR THIS PART? Jodie: There are a lot of things I like about Mel. Among them is his dark side. Mel: (laughs) I was expecting something like "since we've known each other for so long, I'm comfortable working with him." Jodie: Dark things are going on in his mind, which, to me, is needed to play this man who contemplates suicide before managing to come back to life with the help of this puppet. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, A MOVIE STARRING YOU TWO WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED A BLOCKBUSTER. BUT HERE, THE BEAVER GOT SET UP AS AN INDIE, WITH A BUDGET THAT WOULD HAVE BARELY COVERED YOUR SALARIES AT THE TIME... Mel: You need to wake up and accept that the world has changed. A lot of people are shaking with fear in Hollywood because of this. Personally, I think it's really exciting because it means that all the foundations have been shaken, and now we need to find new ways to make things happen. I love the way this movie is being made, as an independent, because everything goes very fast. And Jodie, let me tell you, she's not kidding around. She doesn't skip a beat. You really need to screw up a take to be allowed a second one! Jodie: I like this way of working because it gives the movie a certain energy. I loved working with David Fincher on Panic Room but, after the 70th take, even a really good actor cannot manage to stay spontaneous. WE WON'T PART WAYS BEFORE MENTIONNING THE TITLE OF THE FILM... Jodie: It's a good title, isn't it? We're really ready to do anything for attention (laughs). When I tell people my next movie is called The Beaver, they generally have this funny look on their face. But it's a good thing because the ambiguity suits the tone of the movie, it never goes where you expect it. At first, you think "what's up with this guy talking through a puppet?" and then you leave the theater with a broken heart. At least I hope so. |
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| Artful_Dodger | Mar 2 2011, 06:53 PM Post #2 |
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I believe her. I'm going to be crying. |
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| clarice | Mar 2 2011, 06:57 PM Post #3 |
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Thank you so much for this, it was really interesting. And Ive gotta say, as much as I despise Mel generally, I like these two when they're together. I can't wait to see the movie!
I suppose the ending isn't all flowers and balloons then
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| leslieUK | Mar 2 2011, 08:31 PM Post #4 |
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Cheers
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| Deleted User | Mar 2 2011, 09:54 PM Post #5 |
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Deleted User
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I second that clarice! The ending....spoiler button? |
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| Andreas | Mar 2 2011, 10:36 PM Post #6 |
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Administrator
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Thank you!!!
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4:46 PM Jul 11
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From the current French issue of Première





4:46 PM Jul 11