Mark Romanek

Mark Romanek is a polite soft spoken man from Chicago and is probably a name many of you won’t recognise. At the moment he only has three films to his name: ‘Static’ with Keith Gordan; ‘One Hour Photo’ starring a dark and twisted Robin Williams; and recent release ‘Never Let Me Go’ with young actors Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield. However, many readers might be familiar with Romanek’s music video history. He has got to work with some of the greatest artists of a generation including Iggy Pop (Beside You), Madonna (Rain) and Jonny Cash (Hurt) to name just a few;  of course his most famous music video is ‘Scream’ with Michael and Janet Jackson, which the Guinness Book of World Records has as the most expensive music video ever made. Strangely Romanek is not happy with this achievement and constantly protests that he doesn’t like ‘…being known as the guy who makes all the big budget things…’, and that in fact the ‘Scream’ video has been incorrectly labelled by Guinness and it is in fact not the most expensive music video of all time, ‘Michael Jackson’s ‘’Black and White’’ was $10 million (while ‘Scream’ was $7 million) and there  is a Guns n Roses video as well for the same amount. I am waiting for one of these interviews to get back to the Guinness people so they can correct it.’ No, Romanek brought up on avant  garde and independent film makers such as John Cassavetes, is much more proud of his less expensive projects ‘I did a music video for Beck of about $200,000 and it is one of the best things I have ever done.’

After about ten years in the music industry that were ‘a lot of fun’ Romanek had developed enough of a reputation to get on the radar of the studios and get into making films which as a self confessed ‘film brat’ was his true calling. He may only have a few films under his belt, but it is clear from the way that he talks about them that he holds a soft spot for each one. His first major production was ‘One Hour Photo’, which was released in 2002 and starred Robin Williams as mini-lab photo technician who becomes obsessed with the Yorkin family whose pictures he prints for over ten years.  The film got overall positive reviews and demonstrated a darker side to Williams that the audience had not seen much of before. Of course Romanek, who comes across as tirelessly modest, takes no credit for William’s transformation in the film ‘[Williams] felt a really deep connection with the character and understood him intimately’.

Romanek’s new release certainly has a lot to live up to and has been gaining a steady amount of buzz around it since its first premiere back in the summer of 2010. Adapting an emotional story like Kazuro Ishiguro’s ‘Never Let Me Go’ for the silver screen is a risky move since many people will have strong opinions about what is left in and what is taken out (just look at all the arguments on those Harry Potter film forums), but Romanek doesn’t seem intimidated by any of this. ‘Alex Garland did a great job with the adaptation…I wept at the end of the script like I did at the end of the book, so he successfully transferred the emotional mechanism of it.’ Romanek certainly has a lot to be confident about because not only did he have a great screenwriter involved (Garland has wrote the novel ‘The Beach’ and also the screenplay for films like ‘Sunshine’ and ’28 Days Later’), but Ishiguro himself was on board to help out ‘[Ishiguro] visited the set once or twice and always thought he would just be in the way, but it was a tremendous moral boost…’ The author even gave the film the ultimate praise by having tears in his eyes when he saw the final product. For Romanek this was a huge relief as ‘it would have been horrible if he had hated it.’

As well as a strong team working on the script, Romanek was fortunate enough to get an equally strong cast in front of the camera. Andrew Garfield, who has quickly come to the public eye thanks to being in ‘The Social Network’ and also being cast as the new Spiderman, was Romanek’s first choice to play Tommy, ‘I wanted Andrew because I saw his performance in ‘Boy A’ ,which was astonishing, but not widely seen, which is a shame’. They also had Keira Knightley‘s agent approach them for the part of Ruth and that just left the part of Kathy to be filled.

‘We were having trouble finding a Kathy because we just couldn’t get the right person and at the time we knew about Carey, but she couldn’t get a film financed with her as the lead. But then the head of the studio at the time saw the world premiere of ‘An Education’ at Sundance and sent a text to all of us saying ‘’Hire the genius Mulligan’’’

Carey Mulligan was then cast as Kathy and ended up giving one of the strongest performances of the film.

All these factors make Romanek sure that his film will be well received here in Britain ‘…we have screened the film and it seemed like British audiences were deeply moved by it, even though British people don’t like to admit when they are moved by something.‘ In fact at the time of the interview, Romanek was more nervous about the speech he had to give when the film opened the London Film Festival than how the film will be received ‘I have to get up and speak in front of 2,000 people, my friends and family are there. I have my little spiel but it is still terrifying. Public speaking is the scariest thing-people are more afraid of it than death, which means they would rather die than give their own eulogy.’

 

 

Violante Placido

Violante Placido comes into the room looking as stylish, confident and beautiful as you would expect as any Hollywood A-lister. The style and beauty comes from her Italian heritage, but the confidence is somewhat surprising since she has few films to her name. But then you must remember her acting pedigree for she is the daughter of actor-director Michele Placido and actress Simonetta Stefanelli and the confidence makes sense; she ahs been around the film world all her life. She is here to discuss her new film ‘The American’, in which she plays the prostitute love interest of George Clooney. Speaking to her now she does not seem too bothered about acting with, and being naked in front of, one of the world’s sexiest men or that this will be her biggest film to date.

Yes it is a big film, but I wouldn’t really say this is Hollywood, as the only real major Hollywood aspect of the film is George Clooney. Really this is an independent movie and also working with this kind of set was much more of a cosy atmosphere so I didn’t get this feeling of a bit Hollywood production.  Anton is not one for big projects.

Were you a fan of Anton’s work before you did the film?

Yes, I loved the movie Control, and music is another great passion I have so I share that with him. All his background with film, music and photography added a lot of interest for me in his work and in meeting him.

How was it to work with him as a director?

He is very subtle and very visual. In this movie he worked with the same team as Control so I felt he was very confident in every visual aspect of the movie and acting wise we worked in a very profound way, getting into the deep aspect of the soul of the character rather than just simply having the stereotype of a prostitute, it was more what this girl is really feeling and how she is relating to her life and to the possibility of a change.

Clooney is a director as well; did he help out during the takes?

Well I did feel very protected honestly. They already created a wonderful, trustful atmosphere and George is a very nice person. He is very warm and puts everyone at ease. I felt safe and was able to relax and do my best.

Why did you think your character decided to trust the American?

I think that initially what drives these two characters close is the fact that they are so isolated and neither of them can trust anybody. In this way they are similar and their solitudes meet and something happens in that intimate scene and Clara feels something different going through her. Normally when she works [she is a prostitute] she will put herself completely aside, but instead this time the alchemy is so strong that she realizes she is feeling something, so she eventually decides to explore that relationship with this man who just appears all of a sudden in this small town.

Did you feel any pressure on yourself because of all the expectation that has come from taking this role?

At the beginning yes. When I am casting I always look for something that challenges me as an actress. If it actually happens I do get a lot of pressure, which eventually I try to transform and use in my acting.

How did you feel about doing the nude scenes? Many American actresses feel very uncomfortable about doing it, but was it different coming from Europe?

It was not my first experience. When I had my first experience it was a little bit tough for me. It really all depends on who you work with and what the character means to you. Although… in a way you are always naked while acting, using your emotions and parts of yourself to transmit something to the audience. The character sort of helps you go through that and detach yourself as a person from the role. Once you accept to play a prostitute you must also except that the body will be involved and you can’t judge if you accept it.

The film feels incredibly tense, what it the same atmosphere whilst filming or was it lighter hearted?

Well George made jokes here and there, he was the light part of the movie in between takes.

What were the most enjoyable moments during filming?

We listened to music from George’s iPod or we made stones jump in the river when we were shooting there. It was all very playful and childish which was fun to be a part of.

The film was both set and shot in Italy, were they places you had been to before?

It all happened in a region I am very connected to and am very familiar with it since I have friend who live out there. But I did discover new places that I didn’t know about, so now I really know Abruzzo and I could probably be a tour guide at this point. I do really love the area as it has nature all over it and this makes it very mystical, but is still sort of harsh and isolated. Up in those mountains you can get some beautiful sunrises and the light changes continually, but you can still feel very small and alone with nothing around you.

Would you think of retiring there?

I don’t know how it will feel when I am old. It might be that when I am old I will want to be a lively place or possibly I will be so elevated that I want to be close to something bigger, God possibly, that I do live in Abruzzo. I can tell you that places like that certainly make you feel closer to something special and give you a lot of good energy.

How did the locals find it having the crew around all the time?

They enjoyed it a lot, and it probably brought a smile to them. That region was the one that had the earthquake that happened just 6 months before we shot; that was another aspect of working there. When we went onto set we would often pass by lots of tents where people were living without homes-it certainly brought you back to reality. But at the same time at least there was something alive going on, something that was putting the story and image of that region into a movie that will stay and people will watch.

Were many locals used in the film as extras?

Yeah, in the procession there was about half of the town. It was really crazy since they were so excited and George was playing jokes on them and they were laughing about everything. They would ask you for pictures and autographs in between takes. So in a really tense scene, when we stopped to change camera, all of a sudden all they wanted was autographs and pictures and then after a while they went back into the roll.

Would you consider this to be your best role so far or is that another one you were more proud of?

I am very happy to have been in this movie and I think I have discovered more subtleness in trying to conceive something, so this has been very interesting. But I try to explore myself and give more with each new experience I have. Also this was not such a big role so I am happy with the work I did in those few scenes.

Are there any plans for films coming up soon?

I am about to start a new project, which I am not allowed to talk about too much, but it is another American movie, so it is very exciting. It is going to be completely different again so I am very happy. [Though scrawling of chat forums across the web I have found out that the film she is referring to is the Ghost Rider 2]

Do you think a lot of opportunities will have arisen out of this film?

I knew that The American could offer me the possibility and [Ghost Rider 2] came soon after the movie was released. The directors told me they wanted to see me because of the American; they saw the movie and really enjoyed it. I am quite excited right now.

Do you think you will be moving over to LA like a lot of stars seem to?

I don’t know, now it is possible and so easy to get into movies from other countries. I have an agency in America now, but you can cast from Italy to them, I did it that way for both movies. Eventually I might if I really want to push it and be there during certain periods, but then I could also have an international career by staying in Europe.

Are you attached to Italy then?

Yes I am quite attached, but I am still a very curious person and I like to travel. I am very happy to have had this opportunity to confront myself and also experience different cultures with different directors because I am, when possible, very open to new experiences. Still I would like to keep working in my country.

How are do you family feel about your success? Have they been very supportive?

Yes they have been very supportive.

Did you imagine yourself doing anything other than acting or singing? Your father is a director and your mother is an actress so I’m sure that might have persuaded a little?

Actually when I was very young I wanted to sing and act, but when I grew up a little bit more I suddenly had a real refusal; I didn’t want to be an actress and I was going horse riding all the time and wanted to go all the way to the Olympics. I just wanted to do something else. It took me sometime to actually understand and decide to try this career; it didn’t come so easily because I was coming from an acting family.

When you did decide that you wanted to act did those family connections help?

My parents never pushed me to become an actress and I always tried to go on my own. I think in a job like this it is such a personal choice since you are exposing and challenging yourself. People can help you to a point, but you really need to find your own determination. Often though the connections you have if you come from an acting family are just natural. At the beginning when I started my parents helped look for parts for me, which was a great advantage, but after that I took a year out and went to Los Angeles. I needed to know if it was me deciding to do this so I learnt to play the guitar and took some small acting jobs and stuff like that.

So is playing the guitar a hobby?

It is a hobby, but I love it. When I am shooting in hotels I always bring the guitar with me. I use it to write songs for the band and I also sometimes record with it.

What is the culture in Italy like for celebrities? Over here it is very much that paparazzi are at your door and in your face all the time, is it the same for you?

You do get a lot of that in Italy, but in the end it is hardly ever the great actors and actresses who are in the newspapers. It is always tv people and footballer players. It can be in between, sometimes actors can be in a period of their life when all of a sudden they get a lot of attention, but usually you can avoid it. If you want to, then in some way you can avoid it and if you look for it then you are going to have it.

So how do you feel about when celebrities, like Lindsey Lohan for example, complain about having the media following them all the time

[At the is point the interview was stopped by Violante’s PA who said that the question was not exactly appropriate]

 

Never Let Me Go

The film is based on the highly acclaimed novel ‘Never Let Me Go’ by Kuzuo Ishiguro and is set in the english countryside, at a boarding school called  Hailsham. The children at the school are called ‘special’ and kept on a very strict routine. They are given all the food they need, clothes to wear and friends to play with, but they are forbidden to leave the grounds. This all strangely changes when they reach 18 and have given their ‘3rd donation’. This baffling ritual, as well as the feel that the kids are being bred for something, shows the film has more to it than originally meets the eye. The film has gotten great reviews from critics at many film festivals, including the one in Toronto.

The three central characters are Tommy, Ruth and Kathy who are played by Andrew Garfield, Kiera Knightley and Carey Mulligan. It is exciting to see the love triangle that will form between them and also to witness the rising of two new stars. Both Mulligan and Garfield have shown their acting talents in previous films and I can’t wait to see them sink their teeth into these ones. Is also great to see Knightley  doing what I think really shows off her talent by taking part in a gritty drama, such as she did in ‘Atonement’ and ‘The Hole’.  I am greatly anticipating the release of this film in January 2011.

Here is an extra feature; an interview with Keira Knightley on her character Ruth and her dynamic within the film.