Interview: Goran Visnjic of “The Journey Home”

Posted on October 2, 2015 at 8:17 am

Goran Visnjic stars in the family movie adventure The Journey Home, with Dakota Goyo as an Canadian boy who is determined to bring a polar bear cub back to its mother. The scenery is spectacular and the story is heartwarming and exciting. I spoke to Visnjic about making the film.

Can a polar bear cub be trained?

No. No. Pure and simple no. We had a polar bear cub that came with his trainers from China, I believe, and he was used for some shots from afar and he just couldn’t work with people. This little bear was a grizzly bear that these film trainers had in Canada. And he was pretty much very nice to Dakota and me. We were able to spend time around him. It’s just like he was okay with these guys with his trainers and with us. It was quite a pleasure to experience being around him. Honestly, you don’t work too much with the bear because the bear had more rights on the film set than kids and the lead actor. He can’t work for a long time because he gets really distracted by different things and he doesn’t understand what he’s doing. He just knows he’s doing something. So those were short bits and pieces. We did it so fast that it was amazing. I remember it was very often one or two takes and he would be off of the set. So that was really nice to see that somehow this bear was clicking really nicely with Dakota and I.

The scenery was gorgeous. Where did you film?

We were in Manitoba mostly and then we went up to Rankin Inlet for basically chasing the ice. The ice started melting much earlier than we anticipated so we started losing the ice cover. We had to literally take a little plane to go in search of ice. We went all the way up north to Rankin Inlet and another little town that is completely isolated. The only way to get there is in summer time with a boat and airplane and in winter time over the ice. There is no train to go there. That was a bit of adventure, filming there for about ten days on the sea ice. So this was literally going across the cracks and the ice jumping across the ocean. And below its was like a freezing water. The nature is just stunning, the sea ice and the color of the sky. And I have never been in my life in the so far north that we didn’t have any night. It was just like daylight during the whole time, so it messes up with your body a little. You know you don’t need as much sleep so you feel like you have much more energy. It’s just a really weird sensation.

What did you do to stay warm?

I’m a skier. I love skiing so I actually years ago took care of my equipment and I’m completely ready. If somebody calls me and invite me to go skiing I can be in my car ready with my gear under five minutes. Everything is ready to go. So I have some really cool hi-tech, my wife calls it my Spiderman shoes. It’s like a bionic kind of like a little underwear thing, body armor or whatever you call it, and it’s extremely warm and it’s breathable. So that was my secret weapon for all the scenes and of course the special boots — you’re able to walk on sea ice the whole day and your feet stay warm.

Your character in the movie is holding on to a big secret. And with all that is going on all the action and the cuteness of the bear and the gorgeousness of the scenery you have to really anchor that role. How do you do that?

It was it was a bit tricky. My old friend from Croatia said once to me, “My favorite actors with me are kids and the animals because if I do something wrong nobody is going to notice me. You know they’re always just looking at the kids and the animals.” So I was a little bit like that, you know, I was really trying the best that I could but I also kind of knew in the end that if I do something amiss or whatever nobody is going to care they’ll watch the bear and the kid.

What should families talk about after they see this movie?

It’s about friendship and it’s about trust, about trusting your kids and talking to them and believing in them. Sometimes when you think they are doing something wrong maybe you should think twice and see it from different angle and try to help them instead of just telling them not to do things. So it’s basically about relationships. You know it’s about trust between people but mostly between the parent and the kid. I learned a lot.

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Interview: Raffey Cassidy of “Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism”

Posted on August 19, 2015 at 7:25 pm

Raffey Cassidy gives a performance of endless charm in “Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism,” following her breakthrough appearance in “Tomorrowland,” where she stole the film from the grown-up stars including George Clooney. I was thrilled to get a chance to interview her and can’t wait to see what she does next.

You wore some really crazy outfits in this movie. Which one was the most fun? Which one took the longest to get into?

The Hardwick House Orphanage look was probably the outfit I most enjoyed wearing. It was the costume where molly was really herself and the one I felt most comfortable in. It was also the outfit that took the longest to get into due to the amount of layers the outfit had. I did have fun ‘glamming up’ and wearing the fabulously glittery costumes for the fashion shoot scenes.

If you could hypnotize someone, who would you pick and what would you have them do?

I would hypnotize my parents because I could get them to let me stay up really late and get them to say ‘yes’ to all the things they normally say ‘no’ toJ I might also have a go at hypnotizing my teachers – but that could get me into lots of trouble I think!

Did you have to work hard to learn to sing badly?

Well I would like to say that I had to work hard to sing badly but unfortunately it came as pretty easily – sort of a natural talent. If I ever got stuck I could always get plenty of tips off my dad!

What was it like to work with the dog who played Petula?

It was so fun having the chance to work with a dog. There were actually two, George and Lola. They were very co-operative and smart. It was very interesting seeing the trainer working with them, able to communicate with an animal.

You have worked with some great actors. Did George Clooney play any of his famous pranks on you?

He did keep reminding my set tutor that it was time for school, which he thought was really funny (and so did I – sort of) but otherwise I got away lightly. I did witness a lot of pranks so being on set with him was always a lot of fun.

Did Leslie Manville, Emily Watson, or Celia Imrie give you any advice about acting?

It was more a case of watching and learning from them. I saw how professional they were and how they were still able to keep the set so relaxed and enjoy what they were doing. It was very cool to have the chance to be able to work with such amazing actresses and learn off them – so many in the same film.

What is the most important lesson Molly learns in the film?

Molly learns that family and friends are the most important thing that you could possibly have. She thinks that the grass is greener on the other side but she learns that actually it’s not at all. I think that that was a very important lesson for Molly. She also learns to have hope and that things usually can get better, even if you feel at the time that they won’t.

What did you and the other kids do for fun when you weren’t filming?

I had so much fun working with all the other children, we all really got along. After a long day of filming with the other children we would all go for a nice meal, it was great and fun we could all talk about the day that we had had. On set me and Jake, who played Roger, would mess around doing different accents – I do this a lot at home so it was nice to have someone to mess around with when I was filming.

Would you like to make another Molly movie?

I would absolutely love to make another Molly Moon and be part of all of the different adventures that she embarks on. I know the books and they are packed with lots of exciting Molly Moon adventures

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Interview: Lillete Dubey of “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”

Posted on July 23, 2015 at 3:36 pm

Lillete Dubey stars with Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, and Richard Gere in The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, available now on DVD, Blu-Ray, and streaming video. Dubey plays the formidable Mrs. Kapoor, the disapproving mother of the eternally optimistic proprietor of the hotel in the title. Dubey is one of India’s most distinguished directors and actors and it was a very great pleasure to talk to her about the movie.

In the first film, your character was mostly there to disapprove. In this one, she has to respond to romantic overtures from an American played by Richard Gere. Was that a surprise?

Well, yes it was. In the first one she was quite a tough little biddy. And I joked when I heard that there is a second one that I hoped there is going to be more dimension and maybe hopefully a little romance for Mrs. Kapoor. So I was so pleased that he sort of took me up on that. Everybody is having a romance so I felt really left out. All the older people in the film are all having this lovely autumn romance or winter romance or whatever and I was the only one who was feeling very left out. If you see more of a character you want to see a little more dimension. I felt in the first one it was a nice little part but it was really to do with the son and her relationship with him and how it took that part of his story forward. She didn’t have much to do with the rest of the cast. She didn’t interact too much with them. So I just thought it would be fun to have something else to do as Mrs. Kapoor.

It’s one of my favorite parts of the film. Had you met Richard Gere before?

No, no. You know I had run theater company, I also directed and occasionally act also on my own shows, so I was mentally casting when I was reading the script and I said, “Who would I pick if I had my choice?” When I put on my director’s cap, not so much who would be nice as a romantic character but who would work really well in this role and I thought of two or three American names who could be a charming man who could break the ice which Mrs. Kapoor had surrounded herself with. and had to have a certain sort of personality. When John Madden called, he said, “I think you will be quite happy, he’s adorable in a very pristine English way, I think you’ll be quite pleased with the lad, it’s Richard Gere.” And Richard always said, “Are there any more scenes with us together?” because it was a very cute little part of the story and he felt there should’ve been more. It’s nice because it was the older romance and a lot of bits could be sub-textual and unsaid which was nice because I think at that age we don’t need to say a lot and it was all there. I wish we had more scenes. At the premiere, people were already asking if there was going to be a third one, so maybe we will.

Is there a difference in technique or process between the British, American, and Indian actors?

Oh yes, Indians are very emotional and carried away with feelings so the whole style is very strong; it’s a very strong style. What you see in “Monsoon Wedding” iss extreme Indian acting. I don’t have a problem with it because that’s the way Indians are as a race. So it is a cultural context in which they are a little bit like Italians, they are volatile, they are riding high all the time and feelings come out on the surface and everything is out there and it’s a little loud so their acting reflects that. It always reflects the ethos and the culture from which you’ve come. And the English are very pristine and dry and so their style of acting very much reflects that. It’s quieter, very internalized, very restrained, very contained and they are looking forward to lots of internal truth rather than external. And Americans… I mean there is Richard and there was David Strathairn, David of course had a quieter style of acting. It’s not like it is Indian acting at all but it’s a little more spontaneous, it’s not that pulled back, you let yourself go a little bit. I’m not saying you go over the top or you are melodramatic but you are certainly, you let go a lot more. You can see it, you can see the styles in the movie. So I was sort of trying to be between the tones by my own sort of rhythm. You just have to keep feeling the rhythm of both the movie as a whole and that scene as it is being played out with your co-actor.

That’s what’s nice about working in international film because I was talking with Judy and Maggie. Of course they have their own league but they also come from the theatre like me, and they got into film late. I got into films in my early 40’s so it was very late and I have done about 40 films. I’ve always hugely admired them as actresses really and it was such a thrill to work with them. I want to grow up to be Judi Dench.

The best thing about the movie I think, Nell, is that these guys really exemplify the film for me. They have such a zest for life, they are all still working, they are all still looking forward to this might happen professionally or otherwise. I think why it appeals to people, young old, it’s the sense of optimism that it has about life, that you could just turn a corner and anything is possible I mean yes, it could be negative also but if you are up for it, and up for life many things are possible, if you just open yourself to the possibilities and I think that’s a very appealing quality about the film.

What else are you working on?

A series called “Indian Summers.” It’s channel 4’s biggest hit in the last 20 years drama series, and it’s actually a PBS Masterpiece and Channel 4 co-production. It’s already on in Australia and New Zealand and we’re shooting season 2. It’s beautifully shot in India and it will be on “Masterpiece” in the US.

Here is more from Ms. Dubey.

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Comic-Con 2015: Interview with Bella Heathcote and Douglas Booth on “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”

Posted on July 14, 2015 at 2:16 pm

Bella Heathcote (“Dark Shadows”) and Douglas Booth (“Romeo and Juliet”) play Jane and Mr. Bingley in the latest of innumerable movie and television adaptations of Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice. While I have not seen them all, I feel confident in saying that this will be the first that has the five Bennett girls fighting zombies with swords and martial arts, based on the best-seller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith. I was lucky enough to get to interview Heathcote and Booth at Comic-Con.

Copyright Nell Minow 2015 All rights reserved

In the original book, Jane is so sweet natured she finds it almost impossible to think badly of anyone. In the film, Heathcote said, “The thing about Jane in the book is she also feels responsible for her sisters. There are other aspects of Jane in the book that also hold true to this film. Because of sense of responsibility she has to be a great fighter. She wants to protect her family. But she is still sweet and she is still a woman who wants to love someone and be loved. Those relationships are important to her, perhaps even more so because its’ such heightened stakes.”

The entire cast had fight training before filming. But “Bingley isn’t the best zombie killer,” admitted Booth. “He often finds himself being saved by the wonderful Bennett sisters or his very dear friend, Mr. Darcy. The film definitely focuses on the talents of the Bennett sisters. They are known throughout the land as an awesome pack of death machines.” He did learn some important zombie-fighting tactics, especially “always travel in packs.” “And anything can be a weapon,” Heathcote added firmly. “A hairpin, a boot, anything can be used to kill a zombie. My most satisfying kill was with a boot heel.” “A spiky heel straight through the eyeball,” said Booth, with an admiring glance.

Booth had read the book and was very happy to join the cast. “I’ve done straight costume dramas before and it is thrilling and exciting and different and sexy to see something like this.” All of his friends were texting him, “Can I be an extra?” “Can I be a zombie?” “But wait — how do you kill them? There’s no guns!” “The props department had a fun time creating a whole bunch of killing instruments and it is fascinating to see all the ways they had of defending themselves. It wasn’t like a zombie movie where everyone’s being chased from A to B. It’s about how this love story can endure; how would the upper classes protect themselves?”

The zombies in the film go through stages. When they are first bitten, they act normally and try to cover the bite so no one finds out and tries to attack them. “They can get into society, and that breeds a sense of paranoia in society.”

“It’s everything I loved about the original and then there’s thrill thrown in,” said Heathcote. “I first thought, ‘How could this possibly work as a concept?’ But it does!”

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Interview: Patrick Brice on the Very R-Rated Comedy “The Overnight”

Posted on June 25, 2015 at 3:01 pm

Writer/director Patrick Brice talked to me about his funny and provocative new film, “The Overnight,” about a couple new to Los Angeles (Adam Scott and Taylor Schilling) who are invited to dinner at the lavish home of an impossibly hip and creative couple (Jason Schwartzman and Judith Godrèche). Once the children go to sleep, the evening gets pretty wild.

I like the way this movie takes on the difficulty and complications and challenge of forming friendships when you have to factor in the interests and chemistry of four different people.

I think it takes twice as much effort and that’s kind of what the film hopes to explore. That difficulty is one of the driving factors that keeps the couple from leaving from leaving the house no matter how weird things are getting. You know, there is still this idea that “Well, maybe things will be okay,” and “Well maybe this is our chance to make friends and we need to make this work for us.” A lot of the film came out of me observing and understanding what a lot of young friends of mine are going through right now, having to reconcile a social life with being a parent at the same time.

Where did you find that amazing house?

That house came after a long long search. We had looked at probably 15 houses before that. And finally we ended on that one. It is a Spanish styled house up in the Hollywood Hills. It’s actually right above Lake Hollywood. Originally, the film was going to be kind of more pointed satire of my neighborhood, Silver Lake. But it’s not a real Silver Lake type house. It is much more of a traditional Los Angeles house. And so I’m happy with where it ended up because it feels kind of surreal. It feels a little more gaudy and not really of any particular time. It feels like they kind of go to Mars.

When the gate opened up, it was like going into the Emerald City.

I definitely wanted things to feel more surreal as the night went on. Having a location like that gives you a lot to play with. And you know, keeping all the spaces within it dynamic was definitely a big goal for me and for Theresa Guleserian, the production designer.

You’ve worked with the Duplass brothers, who were producers on this film. What did you learn from them?

One of their biggest considerations is trying to make the most out of a smaller budget. And that can be something you think of during production, but one thing I learnt right on this movie was that it is okay if this is something you can think of during the writing process. And it doesn’t have to be something that hinders your creativity, or keeps you from telling a story just as big as you want it to be. It can actually be kind of an interesting challenge and at the end of the day a refinement. So not being afraid of not having enough money to make the movie is a huge thing. There’s a trickledown effect with those guys in terms of their kindness and generosity and creativity and doing it for the love of movies. And I’m just so lucky to have been able to work with those guys. I think one of the biggest things we tracked on besides the strength to build this is, the sense of humor. We think the same stuff is funny and we like the same blend of sadness and pathos and humor. We don’t think all those things are mutually exclusive from each other.

One of the stars, Adam Scott, and his wife were also producers. How did that happen?

Copyright The Orchard 2015

Once Mark and I were happy with where I was with the script, we started taking it out to actors. Judith Godrèche was the first person we showed it to. She jumped on board and quite quickly and then the Scotts were the next folks that we took it to. I had met Naomi once she had come and helped us. She gave a critique on my previous film “Creep.” We had a talk back session on the screening and she was there. I knew she was wanting to produce a feature at some point. Most of her background has been in television production. And then Adam, I have just always been a big fan of stuff. Mark and I were having discussions and thinking about Adam as a possibility for the character of Alex and then, remembering that Naomi was interested in being a hands-on day to day producer, we thought, “Why not bring it to the two of them at the same time?” And I feel so lucky that they both said yes. They both read the script separately apparently and working with them was just a dream.

Adam is just someone who in the pocket and in the zone so often that you almost forget that he is acting. Or you forget that there is a chance that he could get a scene wrong emotionally, because he never does. He’s always been able to carry his own weight and he able really help out the other performers. I think he is a really good improviser, and I think a big part of that is knowing how to kind of save a scene emotionally or just keep things moving and he has a real knack for that.

Your style reminds me a bit of the very intimate, improvisational style pioneered by John Cassavetes. Are you a fan?

Thank you so much. Yes, I was thinking a lot about Cassavetes when I wrote it. I love the tension that can come from a kind of forced intimacy living with characters in real time. That was something that he was able to do so well. He was able to make a dance out of that with his actors. So I approached, with what as essentially on the page a broad comedy but I wanted to approach it with both the actors in terms of moment to moment, emotional growth in terms of how we shot it. Having something handheld and using only available lighting kept us nimble in terms of making it. I feel very validated by good response to this film so far and am excited to continue playing with this tone.

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