Talking Jake, the movie

Talking Jake, the movie

I caught up with Doug Dillaman, the writer / director / producer of new self-funded feature JAKE and the film's lead actress / producer Anoushka Klaus to discuss the making of the movie. (They've worked on this as well as producer Alastair Tye Sampson) 
The film releases in Auckland on June 27th for a limited run at the Academy cinemas.
More details are at http://www.jakethemovie.com/

What’s Jake about?

Doug: Jake is about a man (Jacob) who discovers he’s been replaced in the role of his life by an actor (who takes up the nickname “Jake”). It’s about identity, and what it means to be you, and what would happen if someone else took your place and no one noticed. It’s about fighting to get your life back. And it’s about 88 minutes long.

     How long had the idea been gestating?

Doug: I came up with the idea in mid-2007. Hybrid Motion Pictures (our DIY filmmaking collective) formed in 2008 and pretty quickly the idea of it being our first feature became our goal. The first draft was complete in early 2009 and we shot winter/spring 2009.

     What were the challenges of getting a shoot together?

Anoushka: Being a self-funded feature film I suppose the most pertinent (and yes, it is very obvious) challenge was having no money. It meant everything was a negotiation and we were at the mercy of people’s goodwill and schedules. The silver lining that came from it though was that we were strict about sticking to our shooting schedule so there was very, very little overtime done during the shoot. We felt it was important to not take advantage of the time given to us and to look after people well when they were on set - so they were fed like royalty.

We did make the rookie mistake of thinking we producers could take turns being the First AD and Continuity while we were shooting, which in hindsight was an absolutely ridiculous idea and we very quickly rectified our mistake by bringing on a First AD within a couple of days.  It’s definitely not a mistake I’ll make again anytime soon.

     What was the most surprising element of shooting this film?

Doug: Seeing actors perform a scene and bring reality and emotion to it that I didn’t anticipate in the writing. For instance, the role of the actor who plays “Jake” (Leighton Cardno) was thin on the page – I imagined him as a cypher with a slightly plastic quality. But Leighton brought an intense focus to his preparation and a consistently surprising but deeply real take to it. There are scenes where his character’s emotional arc is 180 degrees from what I’d imagined when I wrote – and so much richer for it.

     What was the best part of doing this?

Doug: Hard to say because they’re such different pleasures. Rolling camera for your first shot and realising you’re fulfilling a dream you’ve had for 14 years? Wrapping several months later having gone through an unimaginably intense experience? Seeing the first cut of a complicated scene that moves across four different time frames and being awed at how simple our editor Peter Evans made it look? Having some of our young assists move on into industry roles as a result of working on the film? The big hugs when we finally, finally, finally finished the film last year? The first time I heard the audience at our cast and crew screening laugh at a joke that I’d forgotten was funny because I’d heard it so many times? Having critics come out of the screening and say, hey, that’s actually a good film? They’re all pretty great things. Don’t make me choose.

In terms of a great moment, I would say there’s a scene with Jacob (Jason Fitch) that I won’t spoil but involved an uninterrupted 10-minute take in a bedroom at a bach (jump-cut in the final movie) that I will never forget. It was at the end of a hard day and it was a pure stripped-down moment of filmmaking – just me, Jason, two camera people and our sound recordist in the room – and it was intense and powerful and raw and it was the sort of buzzy moment filmmakers live for.

Anoushka: There are many but personally I think the best is yet to come...I cannot wait to see the film in a cinema where it is being viewed by the public for the first time! It’s going to be a very proud and cathartic experience I think.

But so far...I would say my favourite moment was watching our trailer for the first time. James Brookman has done such an amazing job of really capturing the tone, tension and humour of the film while really clearly articulating the premise.  Seeing that trailer for the first time really hit home what we’d achieved.  It completely blew me away.

Now every time I show someone the trailer and see their eyes light up unexpectedly...it’s a thrill!

Talk to us about your casting process

Doug: As a filmmaking team, Hybrid had a couple of actors on board – most notably Anoushka, who became our lead actress, which worked out wonderfully. But obviously there were heaps of other roles to fill, and that’s her story to tell …

Anoushka: It was really important to me to bring in professional actors so I approached the agents in Auckland with a breakdown of what we were doing and we held auditions over a couple of weekends in the beginning of 2009.  We were still not sure at the time whether Jacob and Jake would be played by the same actor or two different actors; we’d toyed with the idea of lookalikes but when we saw Leighton and Jason’s auditions we knew straight away we needed to use both of them.  Once we’d made that decision it all came down to the story and the other actors selling the concept of Leighton’s “Jake” being able to replace Jason’s “Jacob”.   

All cast (and crew) agreed to work for a percentage of any profits so we really hope we can get some good audiences in to see the film!

     Give us a secret from the set

Doug: What happens on set stays on set.

Okay, how’s this: I dance when I’m trying to pretend I’m not nervous. 

This has taken 6 years to get to this stage, how has that process been?

Doug: Tough, but it’s part and parcel of self-funding (although I don’t think any of us realized just how long it would take!). We’re doing this on the smell of an oily rag, which means relying on favours, taking breaks to do paid work, and the old quick-cheap-good rule (which is, you’re never going to get more than two of those, and we’d already chosen cheap). At the end of the day, we have a film with a flash grade by Alana Cotton at Images & Sound and a great sound mix by Jason Fox at Envy, it’s been finished with love by our other producer Alastair Tye Samson, and it looks and sounds as great as it ever could. And I’d rather have that on the shelf in 20 years than something that was done sooner and finished to a lower standard.

What are the challenges of film-making these days?

Doug: As challenging as films are to make, it’s easier than it used to be. I think the biggest challenge is at the end - getting people to watch it! You’re competing against not just new $250 million blockbusters and festival favourites but the entire history of cinema and more - 100-hour long video games, box-set TV, cat videos on YouTube, etc, etc. Feature films are losing their dominance as the pre-eminent moving image form. These things happen, of course, and I’m being nostalgic, but it just means if you’re going to make a feature you need to try harder to make something that stands up against all those other options and justifies the investment of 90 or more minutes of a person’s life. (The flip-side, of course, is that it’s also easier than ever to get your work out to the world. Always pros and cons!)

Was there ever a moment when you were tempted to give it up?

Doug: No. There were times when we had to take a step back and take a breath though. This isn’t always a bad thing. We rushed our first cut to meet a festival deadline – it was 104 minutes long and had a really long, unnecessary subplot. Now that we’ve removed it no one would ever miss it (apart from some actors who did great work in it – sorry!).

That’s really the one piece of advice I’d give to any DIY filmmakers – take your time before locking the cut, because things get a lot harder if you try to make changes after you’ve done that. You’re not making a piece of Hollywood product to meet a stockholder-pleasing deadline – so take the time to make the film you’ll be happy with for the rest of your life.

You’re holding Q&As with the screenings – what’s the one question you don’t want to be asked?

Doug: “What does it look like when you dance on set when you’re nervous?”

Anoushka: “What’s it like to kiss so many guys?”

Do you think we’re at a stage now where crowdsourcing / kickstarter/ self-funding is going to be the way to go with films and their subsequent releases?

Doug: I hope not. I have a lot of issues with crowdsourcing – the biggest one of course being its abuse by people who could get their fund filmed by conventional means but instead go to fans and beg for money, then keep all the profit when they sell it. It feels like a way to get poor people to pay for stuff rich people or arts organisations used to pay for, and that irks me. There’s also a danger that the only things that will get funded are things that look like things you already know, instead of offbeat projects. That said, genuinely interesting films that I’ve enjoyed, like Blue Ruin, funded themselves that way, and I’d crowd fund the next Shane Carruth film in a heartbeat should he choose that option, so I shouldn’t be too judgmental. But it’s just another layer of filmmaking-related work that’s not filmmaking and I think it’s too easily and too often looked at by filmmakers and funding bodies alike as some kind of magic golden ticket.

Self-funding (which is what we did) is kind of a different beast, and I would encourage it for anyone who a) wants to make a film of modest means independent of external entities and b) can afford to lose all the money they put into it. We may have not made the most sensible film from a market perspective, but I couldn’t be prouder of it, and I’m not sure the things I love most about Jake would have survived a traditional development process.

Finally, as ever with these things, what’s next?

Anoushka: I am really tired of seeing women on screen (particularly in American films) that are just there to react to the decisions/situations of male characters or just provide a bit of eye candy, so I’ve been writing. I’ve always been a bit shy with sharing my work in the past (and the story of Jacob not living boldly always hit a nerve for me) so after the release of Jake is finished, I will be focusing on completing a set of short films and a feature that I’ve been writing.

Doug: Also, Alastair has directed the last several Hybrid 48 Hours films with stunning results (check out last year’s PARALYSIS - http://vimeo.com/67100022 - for a taste of what he’s capable of) and has been developing his debut feature, a horror film.

Personally, I probably won’t be writing/directing my next film anytime soon, as I’m currently writing my novel while doing the MA in Creative Writing at Victoria University in Wellington. I got passionate about telling a story about weapons testing in New Zealand and New Caledonia during World War II and decided that it’d be quicker and easier to pull off in book form. But I’ve always got a list of script ideas in my notebook that I’m working on … but first we have to bring Jake into the world and get people to see it!

JAKE trailer from Alastair Tye Samson on Vimeo.

Grace of Monaco: Movie Review

Grace of Monaco: Movie Review

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth, Paz Vega, Milo Ventimiglia, Frank Langella
Director: Olivier Dahan

It begins with the words: "This is a fictional accountant inspired by real events" and ends with Nicole Kidman smiling enigmatically as Grace Kelly - everything else in between is somewhat of a muddled blur.

Roundly derided at the Cannes Film festival this year, Grace of Monaco is the story of one moment in Grace Kelly's life, where her personal choices and professional standing clashed, causing a crisis of identity and marriage - as well as threatening the future of Monaco.

When Hitchcock comes to Grace to offer her a role in Marnie, she's torn between taking the part and leaving her unhappy life behind in Monaco and the constitutional crisis facing the powers that be during a stand off between Prince Rainier III (A spiv-like Tim Roth) and French president Charles de Gaulle.

As the pressure ramps up on both sides, Grace finds herself in an interminable position.

In among the dazzling diamonds on show in Grace of Monaco, there is only wood on show from the humans.

To say Grace of Monaco is poorly acted is more of a reflection on a script that lacks anything, and delivery from most of its principal cast that would be scorned if it were an amateur performance. For the majority of the film, it feels like the actors are merely intoning their lines rather than breathing any form of life into them as the kitchen sink melodrama ramps up.

In amongst all of this is Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly, for whom the camera inexplicably delivers soft focus every time it's on her. Dahan chooses to spend a lot of time in sharp close up of Kidman's eyes as Grace, a directorial flourish that begins to grate after its first few overuses. While Kidman tries her best with a script that's bereft of life, she's reduced to a series of poses and pouting moments that make Kelly look like a child stinging from criticism. The worst scene sees Kelly being trained by Derek Jacobi's Count with a series of cards that have emotions like "Regret" on them - it's a shame none of them had "Acting" written on them.

Inevitably, comparisons will be made with last year's Diana biopic, given that similar themes are explored - a contretemps of a loveless marriage and expectation of duty swirl around both of these women. Except Grace of Monaco should at least have some sparkle - and while the costumes bring the bling, the lifeless dull script and actors unfortunately under the direction of Dahan do not. None of them convince in their respective roles and feel so aloof and removed from proceedings, you even wonder why anyone of them signed up in the first place.

Regally bad, Grace of Monaco for once lives upto the hype that's surrounded it following its debut at Cannes. It's just a shame that the hype stinks to high heaven in this lump of coal, which for all the efforts of those involved, cannot be polished to anything near the standard of a diamond.

Rating:

The Pa Boys: DVD Review

The Pa Boys: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Vendetta

From the producer of such Kiwi cinematic luminaries as Eagle vs Shark and Boy comes this new feature. Set in contemporary Wellington, it's the story of a reggae band, The Pa Boys, who are made up of two mates, and a new flattie, Tau. Deciding to go on a pub tour "down north", the boys face the inevitable tensions of life on the road.

But for Danny (Fran Kora) it's a bigger issue - the appearance of the spiritually centred and in-touch-with-his-ancestors Tau (Matariki Whatarau) causes wider concerns, with his feeling of displacement coming to the fore.

And these worries and insecurities threaten to derail the band's easy musical rapport....

The Pa Boys has a relaxed and gently soulful vibe to it that's hard to deny - if you're expecting another Mt Zion style film, then you'll be in for a shock because Grace's put together a flick which addresses spiritual concerns and accepting your roots ahead of any major musical influence.

While Danny has a growing sense of resentment and alienation, the opposite can be said of Tau in this simply told story and the gentle push and pull helps propel it along. Occasionally, the movie drifts a little as its focus wanders and it can in the odd moment or two, feel like a Maori history lesson as Tau waxes lyrical about how the North island was fished up, but along with the strong use of the scenery and spiritually reflective tone of the movie, The Pa Boys is a measured movie which will strike a chord with some more than others.

The music scenes give an eclectic glimpse into the pub touring circuit and encapsulate the small town vibes and attitudes towards bands heading their way; and the music benefits from having an actual singer on duties.

The ensemble cast are solid with Danny (Kora) giving enough of a feeling of alienation and loss.

All in all, The Pa Boys is a solid debut from Grace; with a little more editing and potentially a little more story, it could have soared a little higher.

Rating:

Cheap Thrills: DVD Review

Cheap Thrills: DVD Review

Rating: R18
Released by Madman Home Ent

In Evan Katz's grubby Cheap Thrills, it's Compliance's Pat Healy who's forced to debase himself for money to make ends meet. When Healy's Craig awakes one day, it's all a spiral to hell as debt catches up with him - a young baby, a nice wife and a good home all placed in jeopardy by the fact he can't pay the bills. 

An eviction notice and a downsizing later and Craig's in a bar, nursing a beer and some sorrows. Then he bumps into Vince, an old school friend not seen for 5 years and it starts to escalate into a simmering pot boiler of have-nots. 

When the duo meet Colin and Violet, (Sara Paxton and David Koechner) who have cash to splash on a series of silly dares, everything goes to hell in a handcart as social mores and moral depths are plumbed to see how far they'd go for cash. $50 to be the first to down a shot, $500 to hit a bouncer first - all seem like simple moments of what would you do mentality, but that's only the beginning. As the two old school friends begin to face off each other in a desperate game for one upmanship and money in the pocket.

Katz has a way of keeping the thrills going in the film as it spirals towards its inevitable nasty end - sure, you can see what's coming as Vince and Craig debase themselves for cash - and there's a degree of wondering what would you do for that amount of money if it came down to it. 

But the taut direction as the resentments boil over and the level of tension rises means you're never short of an engagement with this grubby lo-fi film. As a morality tale, it's a fascinating one - a tale of haves and have-nots facing off in an epic social battle. Healy makes his descent believable and a shock at the end packs a real punch - Katz is an expert at making you flip between sympathy and horror for Craig and you may be shocked at how you swing as the film plays out. 

Cheap Thrills may be lo-fi cinema in some ways, vulgar and depraved, but it's a sure sign that an indie can kick some punch and may make you question exactly how far you'd go if circumstance conspired against you. And to be honest, you may not like the answer to that....

Rating:

ZB Review - Xmen: Days of Future Past, Godzilla, Philomena and August Osage County

ZB Review - Xmen: Days of Future Past, Godzilla, Philomena and August Osage County

This week on Jack Tame, it was of monsters and humans.

We discussed X: Men: Days of Future Past, Godzilla, Philomena and August Osage County

Take a listen below:

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/listen-on-demand/audio/355470433-darren-bevan--godzilla-and-x-men

Which Way Is The Front Line From Here? DVD Review

Which Way Is The Front Line From Here? DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Madman Home Ent

Which Way Is The Front Line From Here? is an HBO doco looking at the tragically short life ofTim Hetherington, who many will know as being one half of the Oscar nominated doco,Restrepo. 

It sets out its stall early on with a shot of Tim saying that the "role of witnessing comes with strong responsibility" - and it's clear that Sebastian Junger's piece is a honest, heartfelt, but never mawkish tribute to his former colleague. Tim was a tall, grinning, white guy who clearly stood head and shoulders above his subjects, but who was never above them in respect and grace. 

This fascinating piece intersperses past footage of Tim, with some of his shots and contributions from those who knew him. As an insight into what goes through an embedded journo's psyche, it's fascinating; as a look at what makes a human, it's unmissable. Powerful footage from war zones sweeps in with comments from all sides - and there's a strong poignancy to the final words from Sebastian Junger and the last sequences which show Tim's untimely demise. 

As Sebastian reveals, a Vietnam vet told him: "The core truth about war is you’re guaranteed to lose your brothers – and now you know everything you need to know about war" after hearing the news of Tim's death. 

Those moments feel almost intrusive, tragic and utterly soul destroying as they're set to a shot of the sun in a clear blue sky - this is an incredibly moving piece which encapsulates the reason some rush into horrors while others run away.

Rating:

Mr Pip: Blu Ray Review

Mr Pip: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Ent

Based on Lloyd Jones' seminal novel, the film adaptation of Mr Pip arrives on the screen withGreat Expectations heaped upon it.

Set against the backdrop of civil war in Bougainville as power struggle for the copper mines manifests itself, it's the story of young Mathilda (Xzannjah) who lives on the island. When all the whites abandon the island to ensure their safety, one stays behind.

That is the enigmatic Mr Watts (Hugh Laurie) who decides to take on the tutelage of the children by reading to them Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. For Mathilda, it's a revelation, a chance to find sanctuary in the world of Pip and her own imagination. But Watts' plan to fire up the children's imaginations brings him into conflict with some of the parents.

However, they find they all have to put their differences aside when the civil war comes abruptly and violently into their village.

Mr Pip is a surprisingly powerful piece given its rather small scale intimate feel.

Laurie, replete in crumpled white suit, brings a low-key nuanced presence and haunting subtle sadness to the last remaining white man on the island, trying to inspire the children and distract them from the horrors knocking at their very doorstep. There's a distracted melancholy to his performance which is only lifted when he brings some comic overtones to the acting out of Dickens' world.

First time actress Xzannjah also has a wide-eyed innocence to Mathilda, whose solace in her imaginary world with Pip is a stark contrast to the world around her. Thanks to bright, visually bold colourful costuming of Pip's world, the difference couldn't be more pointed or striking as the maudlin tone plays out. The first half of the film feels almost light, choppy and jaunty as the kids and the village adjust to Watts' ways and the community starts to fracture (and ultimately heal itself) amid the world around it.

And mark my words, Mr Pip packs a power that is hard to deny - and even harder not to be moved or horrified with as the realities and atrocities of civil war come painfully to Mathilda and Mr Watts' world. It's mournful to say the least and the wailing and gnashing which follows one incident is haunting, evocative and heart-in-mouth horrifying - despite somehow managing to be moving.

But it's the ending of Mr Pip which impresses - there's a dignified power, emotional punch and rich resonance offered by the dénouement which will move you more than you'd expect. Amid the harrowing and horrific, director Andrew Adamson has crafted something which has a quiet dignity and a way of creeping up on you, gnawing at your soul long after you've turned it off

Rating:


Extras: Interviews with director and Hugh Laurie