Irish equivalent of Magnolia?
From //www.news.scotsman.com...
Beauty in the eye of the beholder
JAMES MOTTRAM
WITH the likes of Sam Mendes and Stephen Daldry blazing trails from London's West End across to Hollywood, it's a brave acolyte who follows suit. But, defying the inevitable comparisons, that's exactly what Irish-born John Crowley has done with his stunning debut Intermission, a film that deserves all the success heaped on his peers' American Beauty and Billy Elliot.
While its dark nature may prevent it from achieving the mainstream glory of either, when it made its world premiere in August at the Edinburgh Film Festival, Intermission more than justified the daunting advance word that it was an Irish equivalent to Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia and Robert Altman's Short Cuts.
No wonder 33-year-old Crowley is being heralded by industry insiders as the most exciting prospect to emerge since Mendes, his former mentor at the Donmar Warehouse theatre.
This year he has already steered On An Average Day, starring Woody Harrelson and Kyle MacLachlan, to success in the West End, and last week, his production of Martin McDonagh's play The Pillowman opened at London's National, featuring Jim Broadbent in his first stage work for years.
But it's Intermission - which won four prizes at the Irish Film Awards last month, including Best Director for Crowley - that will really set his career alight.
Based on a dense and devious script by playwright Mark O'Rowe, and featuring an ensemble cast that includes Colin Farrell, Shirley Henderson and Colm Meany, it follows a series of overlapping tales set in Dublin.
The film's title refers to a hiatus in the relationship of shelf-stacker John (Cillian Murphy) and his girlfriend Deirdre (Kelly Macdonald), just one of several dysfunctional unions we get to observe first-hand.
But the film is no dreary social commentary. Bursting with frantic energy, wry humour and a multitude of voices, it might be best described as a romantic comedy-thriller, but even this fails to capture its sparkling originality.
Despite such a diamond-cut screenplay and cast, Crowley found crossing the chasm from theatre a leap almost too great to make. Funding collapsed for the film at crucial moments.
"People were reading the script, and no one would question the talent behind the film, but were unsure of the grimness, the violence and the package as a whole," he says when we meet.
"What kind of film would it be? It's not like Trainspotting - it's not about drugs. It's not Roddy Doyle, or happy-go-lucky Irishmen. They couldn't get around how you would put it in the marketplace."
In particular, claims that the script - notably with Farrell's thuggish character Lehiff - was offensive to women dogged the financing.
"I don't think its misogynist," counters softly-spoken, youthful-looking Crowley. "I think there are characters in it who are, but in a weird way it's quite conservative.
"There's a black-and-white moral universe, but the thing that creates the chaos in it is love. If you fall in love, everything will unravel around you."
It was only after he directed his two American stars in On An Average Day that the money finally fell into place. But such a wait had, at least, given Crowley the opportunity to study Mendes' path closely. "Watching Sam did help me focus my mind - in that I didn't want to go to LA and make an American film like he did."
Brought over to the Donmar some seven years ago to direct a production of Jean Genet's The Maids, after Mendes had seen one of his productions in Dublin, Crowley watched his stablemate falter at the starting gate several times.
"I knew him for maybe four or five years before he did American Beauty, and I watched him go through various projects to the point where he'd almost make them, and then pull out.
"It got to the point where the word was going around that he was the thoroughbred who wouldn't jump the fence. He was attached to two or three that were literally about to get made - but he was right to wait. He wanted to leapfrog over the bad English film phase; he didn't want to make English television.
"But for me, it was different - I was able to go back to Ireland, and find a guerrilla approach to making my film."
Raised in Cork, Crowley began directing plays as a student at the town's university - but freely admits he has always been "in denial" about his love of cinema.
Influenced initially by his film buff elder brother who worked as a set designer in theatre, and later the "very cinematic theatre" work of Canadian Robert Lepage, Crowley notably infused his Donmar version of Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock (which later transferred to Broadway) with a similar vibe, basing the sepia-set design on the Little Italy flashback from The Godfather Part II.
Now waiting for O'Rowe to finish a second script for him to direct - "there was one extraordinary moment in it that sent a chill down my spine", is all he will say about it - Crowley admits he thrives on the pressure working on a film brings.
"You don't have the luxury on a film set you have when rehearsing for theatre. Sam Mendes said the same to me - 'You have to know everything on a film set. You can't bullshit.' And he's right."
It's set for a March 19th, 2004 release date according to IMDb. It appears to have already been screened at Telluride and Toronto back in August, so I'm surprised I haven't heard anything more about it yet. Still, I'm looking forward to it now, marking my calendar.
Wish this was showing near me, maybe it will eventually. Anyone see it?
Quote from: Find Your MagaliIrish equivalent of Magnolia?
Roger Ebert Said in his review that I read today that it reminded him of Tarantino's Writing
Trailer here. (http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/intermission.html)
does anyone know if this was shot digitally -- reagardless it looks like shit.
It's shot on 16, but yeah... didn't even finish the trailer... snore
Quote from: RegularKarateIt's shot on 16, but yeah... didn't even finish the trailer... snore
There's
Wonderland, though, which was shot on 16 and blown up, and it looked right and actually really beautiful... for the story.
Quote from: RegularKarateIt's shot on 16, but yeah... didn't even finish the trailer... snore
wasnt a fan of all those lilttle snap zooms. the film as whole just didnt look good -- didnt finish trailer either.
Quote from: RegularKarateIt's shot on 16, but yeah... didn't even finish the trailer... snore
Quote from: godardianThere's Wonderland, though, which was shot on 16 and blown up, and it looked right and actually really beautiful... for the story.
I'm just saying the trailer was boring.
Shooting on 16 can look good.
Leaving Las Vegas was a 16mm blow-up too and it looked good.
I kinda liked the trailer. Doesn't look like anything earthshattering, though. I'm seeing it next week.
It seems OK. The only thing I hated about the trailor was that Irish rendition of Bobby Fuller Four's 'I Fought the Law.'
Quote from: Chest RockwellIt seems OK. The only thing I hated about the trailor was that Irish rendition of Bobby Fuller Four's 'I Fought the Law.'
what are you talking about? that version is so funny!
If you pause the trailer at the end it says the "I Fought the Law" cover is by Colin Farrell.
"I fought the Lawr and the Lawr won"
Ireland's Son of Altman: John Crowley Takes No Shortcuts with "Intermission" Source: indieWIRE
John Crowley's "Intermission" is a hyperkinetic ride through Dublin's underside. Just imagine Robert Altman directing on speed. The dozens of characters in Mark O'Rowe's cleverly antic screenplay fall in love and hate, cause bus accidents, commit robberies, make fun of a young woman's moustache, commit adultery, punch each other out time and again, and drink each other under the table.
Starring top thespians such as Cillian Murphy, Colin Farrell, Colm Meaney, Shirley Henderson, and Kelly Macdonald, there is not a weak moment on screen. Well, possibly the closing moments are a bit too sweet, but the viscous, highly startling opening more than makes up for it.
Crowley, a highly respected theater director on the Emerald Isle, flew into New York recently to chat up "Intermission," and indieWIRE was more than happy to listen to this helmer gab on and on. IFC Films released the film on Friday.
indieWIRE: Do you believe the casting of Colin Farrell will give "Intermission" added box-office clout?
John Crowley: Here?
iW: Yes.
Crowley: Not hugely. I mean it certainly doesn't hurt, right? But it's not a Colin Farrell movie, and it's not being billed as a Colin Farrell movie. It's an ensemble drama in which he's very, very good, and he shows a completely different color to anything he's ever shown from his palette this far. It's very interesting to watch that in terms of the rest of his work. I'm not so sure that this is necessarily the kind of movie for your mainstream Colin Farrell-type fan. It's maybe more a serious filmgoers... [Crowley reconsiders.] No, not for serious filmgoers, but for people who love films.
iW: "Intermission" is being compared to "Magnolia" by some critics. What's the relevance of that film to you?
Crowley: Well, you wouldn't have had Paul Thomas Anderson if you didn't have Robert Altman, in terms of the kind of story that he conceives. Altman would be a huge influence on me. I mean I love his movies, and Paul Thomas Anderson would be a huge influence on Mark O'Rowe, the writer. So there is sort of a common territory there.
Mark tells me that he wrote the script with a poster of "Magnolia" over his desk. "Magnolia" hadn't been released yet in Ireland. Then he went to see it and was disappointed. It must be in some sense because he was writing what he thought was the Dublin "Magnolia," and when he went to see the real "Magnolia," it didn't live up to what he felt he had just written.
But certainly, when I was preparing for this film, I watched "Magnolia" many times, just like I watched "Short Cuts" and "Nashville" as examples of films which juggle multiple plot lines and how you do that. How you try and ensure that the plot doesn't go off to boil.
iW: Talk about your choice of cinematographer.
Crowley: I was very keen to have a foreign eye on Dublin because of the fact if you're shooting a movie out on the desert, there's a reason to use expensive stock and fabulous lenses. There's a reason to really go for the sort of John Ford epic quality. But if you're shooting in supermarkets in the middle of Dublin, these are not very glamorous locations. So I wanted to be able to use the sort of grubbiness of the background in a way that would enhance the filmmaking which is to say, using a slightly documentary-influenced handheld style which owes a lot to the filmmaking that was done in the '70s, again going back to stuff like Altman. Or even something like "The French Connection." The qualities I wanted I saw in a film called "The Last Resort" which Ryszard Lenczewski, a Polish cinematographer, had shot. It was shot in a small, grim town in England. But he had really shot it beautifully, and it was quite poetic. It was all shot on Super 16 which I wanted to shoot this film on, having been very influenced by Mike Figgis and his "Leaving Las Vegas," which was almost like a guerrilla-filmmaking tactic: Not having enough money. Getting smaller cameras. Cheaper stock, and going and shooting it and using available light. That notion appealed to me very much as being something that would benefit the heart of this script.
"Intermission" wasn't a film that I thought if you threw $30 million at it, you'd make a hugely better film. Do you know sometimes actually less money is really better? It's better for you to think more simply in terms of an aesthetic.
So Ryszard Lenczewski brought a huge amount of experience of making documentaries and shooting films for really very little money. He had all that great technique of the other great cinematographers from Poland, like all of Kieslowski's cinematographers who had been trained at the Lutz film school. I don't know what's in the water there, but they certainly relish the challenge of having to shoot something with like one light bulb in a dark corner.
And Ryszard works fast. He was always ready first. Usually the lighting takes forever on a set. Not with him. I was rehearsing for much longer with the actors than he was with the lighting. So he was always ready to go, and he would capture the energy of what I was doing with the actors, which was wonderful. Also "Intermission" doesn't look like any other Irish film because of the stock that he chose. His sensibility was different. He's foreign. He carries a whole amount of history and aesthetics and artistic, cultural sensibility with him that you wouldn't get from an Irish cinematographer, no disrespect to them.
The script, by the way, was quite influenced by American models, and Ireland is sort of on an axis between America and Europe, wanting to balance itself on the other side. So I did clearly want my key collaborators, the cinematographer and my editor, to be European. My editor is Italian. I wanted that sort of a sensibility to balance that because you know American films made in America are great. But sometimes when Irish filmmakers try to ape America or English filmmakers try to ape America and make American-influenced films over there, they fall flat on their faces. They just don't work. I didn't want this to feel American in that way. So that's what influenced me.
iW: How did you regroup yourself while making "Intermission"? John Sayles runs each day after a day's shooting. A certain French director brings exercise machines with him wherever he films. After a day's shooting, are you wired up or depleted?
Crowley: I wasn't so depleted. I mean I was, you know, by the time we got to make the film... You know the film collapsed in March, and it looked like it was gone for good. All the actors whom we had set up carefully like a house of cards, they're all very busy actors, went away doing different things. It looked like "Intermission" had gone forever.
I went and took on a play that I was offered on the West End, which I was directing with Woody Harrelson and Kyle MacLachlan. It was a two-hander called "On an Average Day," written by a young New York writer [John Kolvenbach]. Well, two weeks into rehearsal for that in July, the producers phoned me and said, "Listen! The good news is we've secured the rest of the money for 'Intermission.' The bad news is you're going to have to be shooting three weeks after you open the play." Principal photography began three weeks to the day after my opening night in London. So, you know, normally you would have two-month prep. We had done a few bits of pieces of prep, but it was a bit like jumping off a cliff and just trusting you'd land safely. That's what it was like.
I did have a sleepless night. I thought, "Should I back out of this film? Can I do this film? Can I do it in three weeks? Am I about to make a terrible mistake?" But actually I had spent over a year and a half storyboarding the film, thinking about it, really wanting to make it, and I thought you know I'm never going to get this chance again. Just go for it.
So to answer your question, was I tired at the end of the day? I don't think so because some manic sort of energy carried me through it. I would normally unwind an evening with a glass of red wine, and I didn't even have as much as that during the filming. I was very sort of abstemious and looked after myself, but I'm not a fitness fanatic. I do yoga once in a while, and that's about it.
But I'll tell you it was the joy of making the film that actually carried me through it. I don't know... hopefully, I'll go on and make other films. Many other films. I don't know if they'll ever feel as special as making this one because of the sheer kick I got out of making it. It felt so good to be making it at long last. I waited so long to do it, it was very, very special and very precious.
iW: Although I don't see it, are you worried about any harsh reactions to the women getting shook up a bit in "Intermission"?
Crowley: No, not remotely. I actually think it's quite moral in the sense that it's almost like a fairy tale. The character who goes around smacking women gets shot at the end. It's as straightforward as that. I don't think that the film glamorizes violence in way. I think that one's emotions are always very clear towards the person who's just done that at any point. So no, I'm certainly not bracing myself. I'd be very surprised if people think the film is misogynistic. I mean it seems to me that the strongest characters in the film are the women.
though the movie doesnt look very good, i'll see it for kelly macdonald.
so i went and saw this movie earlier today and i think it's pretty good, though it felt like something was missing. I really like Cillian Murphy, Colin Farrell, and Colm Meaney, but the entire cast was good. One of the things i didnt like was the camera work. the director would zoom in and out, which was weird. but all in all, the movie was pretty good.
Saw the film a good while ago i still think it is an alright movie
The heist climax wasn't very original and that snap zoom in -zoom out is starting to annoy me since every cheap production uses it now ,
But its differance from anything else coming out of ireland is what did it for me
Off topic, but you've got a great nickname/ avatar combo.
Thank you Withnail
"Once again that oaf has DESTROYED my thread!!!!!"
I keep forgetting I've seen this movie now. It's all right. The cast is good. Colin Farrell rocks. So do all the women in the story. The cinematography is really annoying at times, and the ending was way too cute. A mild thumbs down from me.