John C Reilly has made a career out of playing the everyman, both the good and the bad. With his cherubic face and burly build, he can be cuddly, forlorn, or menacing with equal aplomb, a talent he displays as a con man in CRIMINAL. When we talked on August 25, 2004, it was obvious that he… Read More »
Mira Nair Goes to VANITY FAIR
To speak with Mira Nair is to enjoy the workings of a remarkable mind, one full of humor, intelligence, and a passionate enthusiasm for the art of storytelling. It’s that last that shines through her adapation of Thackery’s “Vanity Fair”, a rollicking tale of a society tottering between two paradigms. While the conversation rarely strayed from… Read More »
Taylor Hackford Presents RAY
You can’t talk to Taylor Hackford about RAY and not understand why this was a project that he pursued doggedly for over a decade. Given Jamie Foxx’s electrifying performance as Ray Charles, it was worth the wait. Hackford saw the story not just of one man beating the odds personally and professionally, but also as metaphor… Read More »
Bill Condon Studies KINSEY
A word of warning. Like KINSEY, the film he wrote and directed, Bill Condon is direct when discussing the research that his title character carried out on human sexuality. Also like the film, it’s done with erudition, insight, and spiced with a pointed wit. When we spoke on October 28, 2004, the converstation naturally turned to… Read More »
Charles Shyer Rethinks ALFIE
It takes a lot of moxie to make re-make a classic, and it takes a certain flair to do it successfully. Charles Shyer demonstrated both as the director and co-writer (with Elaine Pope) of the iconic 60s classic about a charismatic cad. Rethinking the story to reflect a 21st century sensibility and casting Jude Law… Read More »
Mike Wranovics is UP FOR GRABS
There are two stories involved in Mike Wranovics smart and wry debut film, UP FOR GRABS. The first is, of course, the one involving the battle royale over Barry Bonds’ 73rd home run ball, claimed by two people who were nothing if not tenacious in their willingness to hang on to that piece of sports… Read More »
CRASH With Ryan Phillppe and Paul Haggis
CRASH represents a sea change in careers moves for many of the people involved, not the least director and co-writer Paul Haggis, a veteran of television sitcoms. The provocative story of anger, fear, and race relations in contemporary Los Angeles also provides Ryan Phillippe with one of his best roles in years, maybe the best… Read More »
Wes Craven’s RED EYE
Wes Craven grew up in a family where watching movies was considered a sin. It’s one of the many things I wanted to ask him about when we chatted on August 8, 2005. I was also curious about the subtle but unmistakable feminist bent of his latest film, RED EYE, not to mention why co-star Brian Cox looked… Read More »
Andrew Niccol Reveals the LORD OF WAR
Andrew Niccol’s dry wit is on display to perfection in LORD OF WAR, which he both wrote and directed. It was also on display during our chat on August 26, 2005 where he sported combat boots and a stylish ensemble that wouldn’t be out of place on Rodeo Drive. From a succinct consideration of the media’s… Read More »
Stephen Gaghan Visits SYRIANA
Stephen Gaghan has a broad worldview, one that is reflected in his Oscar(tm)-winning screenplay for TRAFFIC and now, even more superbly, in SYRIANA, which is also his directorial debut. This multi-faceted story of intrigue and deception surrounding the rights to an oil field in an unnamed Persian Gulf country is gripping, surprising, and scathingly intelligent.… Read More »
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