When I talked with Emma Stone in July 11, 2011, the issue of Vanity Fair with her on the cover had just hit newstands. It seemed wrong not to acknowledge this milestone in a career that is relatively new, but has already shown so much versatility. Bouyant but grounded, Stone spoke with engaging conviction about… Read More »
Ewan McGregor & Mike Mills are BEGINNERS
BEGINNERS is based on writer/director Mike Mills’ experience of having his father come out as gay when he became a widower after forty years of marriage. The film is fictionalized, the father is Hal, played by Christopher Plummer, the son is Oliver, played by McGregor, as far as the details go, but is emotionally true… Read More »
For Tom McCarthy, it’s WIN WIN
Tom McCarthy returned to his hometown of Provinctown, N.J., for WIN WIN, his third film as a writer/director. The story of a lawyer on the verge of a financial meltdown who makes a rash and unethical choice also gave him the opportunity to revist his favorite high school sport: wrestling. A working actor with a… Read More »
Nev and Ariel Schulman & Henry Joost Catch A CATFISH
When a painting arrived for photographer and filmmaker Nev Schulman at his office, he couldn’t have imagined the journey it would take him on along with brother Ariel and business partner Henry Joost. The painting was a rendering of a photograph of Nev’s that had appeared in the newspaper. The artist was eight-year-old Abby, and… Read More »
Ruba Nadda is on CAIRO TIME
For Ruba Nadda, CAIRO TIME was another chance to explore what is universal in all women, no matter what their ethnic or cultural background. The unexpected, and unlooked for, romance between a married American tourist and the Cairo native who was her husband’s trusted employee, unfolds, as the title suggests, at a pace that is… Read More »
Todd Solondz Explains LIFE DURING WARTIME
Todd Solondz was just finishing up his oatmeal when we were introduced on July 21, 2010. With a such a wholesome and solid breakfast under his belt, he was more than ready to talk about LIFE DURING WARTIME, a film that uses the idiom of wholesomeness and savagely juxtaposes it with lives rife with anguish,… Read More »
Jay Duplass Creates CYRUS
Filmmaker Jay Duplass channeled the close relationship he shares with brother, co-writer and co-director, Mark, into the sweet but insular relationship the 21-year-old title character of their film CYRUS shares with his mother. As part of the Mumblecore movement, their particular brand of indy filmmaking, their goal is to capture the an emotional immediacy and… Read More »
Jennifer Lawrence & Debra Granik Conquer WINTER’S BONE
Jennifer Lawrence gives an assured and raw performance as Ree Dolly, a girl taking on her rural Ozark community in director and co-writer Debra Granik’s WINTER’S BONE. It’s an impressive follow-up to her award-winning turn in Oscar Arriaga’s BURNING PLAIN. When I spoke with the actor and her director on April 30th, 2010, it was inevitable… Read More »
George A. Romero Insures the SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD
When I talked with horror icon George A. Romero on May 13, 2010, it was hard to know where to begin, considering his first feature, 1968’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, earned a place on the Library of Congress’ film register in 1999. I decided to lead with the metaphorical aspect of his latest film, SURVIVAL OF THE… Read More »