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Brendan Fraser

SF Radio 9.11: Going Deep with THE WHALE

January 22, 2023 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Directed by Darren Aronofsky, THE WHALE tells the story of Charlie (Brendan Fraser), an obese recluse who lives his life as an online teacher from the safety of his apartment. With the end of his life approaching, Charlie reaches out to his estranged daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink) in the hopes of reconciling before it’s too late. This week, Robert Bellissimo (Robert Bellissimo at the Movies) and Dave Voigt (In The Seats) join us to dive into THE WHALE and talk about amazing people and looking for one true thing.

You can stream on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify, iHeart Radio or Amazon Podcasts! Or, you can downoad the ep on Apple Podcasts!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

9.11-The-WhaleDownload

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Podcast Tagged With: A24, Brendan Fraser, Darren Aronofsky, Hong Chau, Oscars, Sadie Sink, The Whale, Ty Simpkins

SF Radio 9.10: Top Movie Moments for 2022 + Peeling Away the GLASS ONION

January 14, 2023 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

It’s 2023! As we step into a new year, that means looking back on the year that was. But rather than give the same old list of the ‘year’s best films’, we like to look at the moments that mattered to us. This week, Kevin McLenithan returns with his Top 3 Movie Moments of 2022 and we talk about justice and trickery in Rian Johnson’s GLASS ONION.

You can stream on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify, iHeart Radio or Amazon Podcasts! Or, you can downoad the ep on Apple Podcasts!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

9.10-Glass-OnionDownload

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Podcast Tagged With: Brendan Fraser, Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Glass Onion, Janelle Monae, Kate Hudson, Rian Johnson, RRR, The Fabelmans, The Whale

People are Amazing: 1on1 with Brendan Fraser and Samuel Hunter (THE WHALE)

December 21, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

The Whale has shown us a whole new side of Brendan Fraser.

Best known for films like The Mummy or Encino Man early in his career, Fraser acknowledges that his decision to take on the role of Charlie may be unexpected to his fans. But when he was offered the character, he not only enthusiastically accepted but he was humbled by the opportunity.

“I’ve had so many diverse opportunities and movies I’ve made,” Fraser recalls. “I’ve gotten stretched in lots of different directions. Clearly, on paper, this is an actor’s role that distinguishes itself from so much that I’ve done or have seen done. To have the authenticity of it protected by Darren Aronofsky and Samuel D. Hunter’s award-winning play (then screenplay), I can’t think of any actor worth this weight in my peer group that wouldn’t want to pay attention to being a part of that. I still pinch myself that I was lucky enough to be the guy to get the job.”

Written by Samuel D. Hunter and directed by Darren Aronofsky, The Whale tells the story of Charlie (Fraser), an online writing instructor who struggles with obesity. Weighing 600 lbs, Charlie feels embarrassed by his appearance and hides away from the world in his apartment. However, when heart problems threaten his life, Charlie refuses medical attention other than the care of his friend Liz (Hong Chau). Knowing that his life is coming to an end, Charlie reaches out to his estranged daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink) in the hopes of finding some connection to her. At the same time, Charlie receives visits from a Thomas (Ty Simpkins), a door-to-door evangelist from New Life Church who begs Charlie to repent of his sin so that his soul might be saved before the end.

Although covered by prosthetics and makeup, Fraser delivers such an authentic and honest performance that one cannot help but be changed by the experience. And, for Fraser himself, the time spent with Charlie left a mark on his soul as well.

“It takes an incredibly strong person, [and] not just physically, to inhabit a human body that it has that corporal composition,” he begins. “Yes, it was a laborious process to have all that application and live in it throughout the day. It was appropriately cumbersome, but that all was what Charlie had on board. And to take it off at the end of the day, it gave me a sense of–I don’t know if it’s like Survivor’s Guilt Lite or something. I could walk away from that after an hour and, interestingly, although all the appliances were off, I still had this vertigo. Like when you step from a boat onto a dock, that sort of modulating sense. So, I felt that I was living that man’s existence for however many hours a day we did this. I think it gave me an appreciation viscerally for those who live with obesity in this way. And the story itself struck all the notes in my heart and empathy about what it feels like to be overlooked or mocked or shut away and forgotten about and the ramifications of how that affects your personal life. Clearly, Charlie is a man who yes, has a no small measure of regret. But he still does have hope that he can reconnect with his daughter, while he is running out of time, to let her know that he loves her.” 

After the frenzy of support that he’s experienced online over the past few months for his performance, Fraser remains amazed at the response to his return to the big screen. Even though The Whale is a very different type of film for him, he also understands that he is a different person than he was in his youth.

“It’s kind of cool because everybody has kids of their own now and they were kids back then,” he explains. “It warms my heart for sure. I appreciate it. It’s eye-opening for me to be straight up, honest. I’m a different guy now and that was then. I feel different. I look different. I’ve got a kid who’s got special needs, who’s going to be 20 soon. My other son’s going to be a senior in high school. My other kid is going to get a driver’s license and… I feel like I’ve grown up some too. So, putting that gravity of our lives that we have to work to play a part that’s not as mass produced or easily digestible in its pop culture fare is everything I was looking for in this. Who knows what the future’s going to [bring]?… I’m grateful for the support.”

Given the sensitive nature of the character of Charlie, it was important for everyone involved to make sure that they present his journey in a sensitive manner. Although the story stemmed from his own journey, Hunter and Aronofsky worked together with the Obesity Action Coalition so that the film did not reinforce any dangerous stereotypes or stigmas.

“I actually don’t know [when they first got involved]. It was really from the beginning when we first started,” says Hunter. “I developed a script with Darren over many, many years. When we finally were sort of like, ‘Okay, I think we might be doing this’, we brought them on very early on. We did a special screening for them a long time ago… like a very early cut of the film. This comes from a very personal place for me. I, in part, wrote this because I grew up gay in North Idaho and I went to a very religious school that taught that people like me shouldn’t exist. Eventually, I started self-medicating with food and I continued for a really long time. Of course, that’s not everybody’s story who’s big. There’s plenty of people out there who are big and happy and healthy. That wasn’t my story and that’s not the story I decided to tell. So, I think it was just very, very important to us early on that we brought in the OAC as a partner to make sure that we brought a level of authenticity to this beyond my lived experience.”

“Their concerns are legitimate,” Fraser responds, “that we wouldn’t be making a film that would compromise them, [or] that would make them feel as if they were now seeing on the big screen the manifestation of the story of their lives that they’ve had to live that put them in such a state that they can’t feel like they can get away from their challenges. It was a process of meeting with individuals who had lived with obesity, had had bariatric procedures, or were going to. They gave me their stories, their testimonials, in the most candid way that it was moving. I was moving to learn. And I’m no demographic psychologist or anything, but I noticed from person to person who I spoke to, and it was at least between 8-10 zoom calls that winter, that their journey began with someone early in their life who was quite cruel to them, verbally made them feel horrible about who they were. Sadly, I noticed it was often a man. It was often their father, from just among the eight or 10 people that I spoke to. What that just let me know is it’s true. Years and years ago in Bangkok, I was at a temple [with a] massive golden Buddha and a plaque out front said, ‘painful indeed is vindictive speech’. That stayed with me. I mean, words have meaning. To break the cycle, I felt duty bound to tell this story, not in a Hollywood way that put actors in costumes and suits and makeup that defy gravity to be a one note joke because, with their support, we needed to take a risk to do this. Art is about taking a risk. We’re not going to please everyone. I don’t anticipate it, but I do feel confident that… some hearts and minds could be changed. Not everyone, but some. And I’m okay with that.”

What’s more, after connecting with Fraser, Hunter knew immediately that he had the humility and grace required to bring Charlie to life onscreen.

“It’s been a really long process,” recalls Hunter. “It’s been a decade… It’s been a really long journey, but I’m really glad it took 10 years because it took 10 years to figure out how to make it the right way. At the core of that was who is Charlie and I feel so personally connected to [him] and this story. It was hard for me to write [because] it came from a very vulnerable place and I was terrified about who we were going to give it to. But from the moment that Brendan read the screenplay in a little theatre in the East Village, about a week before COVID hit, I felt completely safe in his arms and continue to feel so, so safe.”

WHL_DAY027_041321_0287403.arw

“Sadie Sink was there too… I had a front row seat,” Fraser adds. “That performance could have been compromised by the trope of the angsty teenager who walked in the door. But she showed up utterly pressing in her talent… And on top of that, her character shows up with a lot of questions and will not be ignored. That’s a testament as [Sam’s] writing.”

With this in mind, The Whale is more than a screenplay for Hunter. It’s a window into the experiences of his youth. As a result, one can understand why, despite his enthusiasm, Hunter might be anxious to hand it over to another person to bring it to life onscreen. Even so, after his conversations with Aronofsky, he became increasingly comfortable trusting the director with his screenplay.

“I was excited about the whole thing. I feel like when he called me and he said, ‘Let’s meet and let’s talk about making The Whale into a screenplay’… I still am an off-Broadway kid and this is a very different world for me. So, I was really anxious about it because I just didn’t know what to expect. I think I bought Final Draft to write this screenplay and I guess I came into it thinking like, ‘Oh, I guess he’s going to want to do that thing of like opening it up’. I was really nervous about that because I was like, ‘What is that?’ I don’t know if the story wants that and I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do it with integrity. But very early on, Darren [said] let’s keep it in the room and that was the moment for me where I was like, ‘Okay. He gets it. We both want to make the same thing’.”

“I was on set the entire time,” Hunter continues. “I’m working with everybody very closely, but I wasn’t part of the editing process. And so, I walked into a theater [to see the first cut] with sweaty palms. I’m like, okay, what’s this going to be? But like five minutes in I was like, ‘Oh, he did it. It’s exactly what I hoped it would be’. I knew that Brendan’s performance was there. I saw it every day. It was a thing to behold. It was a marvel, but you just don’t know what’s going to happen in the editing room. And, once I saw it for the first time, I think I walked out of the screening room and I waited to call my husband and he was really nervous about it too. So, he was like, ‘Why are you not calling?’ And I just kind of walked down the block because I just needed a moment. And then finally I called him and I just burst into tears.

“I feel ya. I couldn’t get outta my chair,” echoes Fraser. “Just thinking, I need to gather myself here and thinking this could change some hearts and minds. I mean, that’s an altruistic notion, but I thought people are going to have to reorient the patterns of thinking that they brought into before seeing this film. They’ll be thinking twice about it after they leave it. It had such an impression on me. It just made me feel like this could do a lot of good. And movies are distractions. They’re entertainment. I get it but this just fed my soul.”

Fraser may be on to something. Part of the power of Charlie’s journey throughout the film is his undeniable optimism about the human spirit. Despite all the trauma that he’s endured and the brokenness within him, he clings to the belief that ‘people are amazing.’ Asked if they agree with Charlie’s optimism, Fraser and Hunter both trust that there is hope for humanity.

Says Fraser, “I believe it. I believe Charlie believes that because he’s an optimist and essentially, he has a secret superpower, which is to see the good in others and to bring that out in them, even when they don’t know that about themselves. I mean, as an educator, it’s his job. But the tragedy is that he’s overlooked that in his own family. The regrets he has for the relationship that could have been with his ex-wife, with his daughter. That’s the journey that we must go on.”

“I think we live in such deeply cynical times, and I’ve never been a cynical person and I’ve never been a cynical writer,” Hunter points out. “This way, maybe even more so than any of my other [projects],… as a writer, and I think Darren is a filmmaker too, we’re just kind of opening a door and inviting you inside. We’re not going to grab you and drag you in with the tricks like plot gymnastics or visual effects, or none of the [other] things that normally drag an audience through the door. So, as such, I think I’m just opening the door and inviting you inside. The trick is, if you’re going to meet that with a furrowed brow, then we’re kind of at an impasse, you and I. But if you have just a little bit of faith and walk through that door, I’m hoping that we can have a rewarding experience together. I’m a humanist through and through. I do believe that, that people are amazing and I actually think that that’s the harder choice to make. Cynicism is easy. Believing in nothing is really easy. Having faith in people is hard. And I think that’s ultimately what this story is about is hard one faith in other people.”

Similarly, in the midst of its quest for hope, The Whale also highlights the power of ‘one true thing’. As a teacher, Charlie insists that the best thing that his students can do to contribute to mankind is to write something honest. This sentiment resonates with Hunter as well who argues that his film is an invitation of others to share their stories with the world as well.

“Weirdly, I think in 2022, more so than when I wrote the play, the idea of truth and honesty is becoming like really important,” Hunter concludes. “I think that we live in really cynical times. We live in a time where people are incredibly guarded. They don’t want to open up. They don’t want to be honest with each other. They stick to their sides or their patterns. And I think that this movie is just, in a very simple way, asking for people to walk in the door.”

“Just see it,” Fraser emphasizes. “And ask yourself that question too, because at the heart of it all is authenticity. From the creation of Charlie himself to what he says and what he feels and the hope that you attach that his journey will be complete and the breathlessness you have up until the last moment of this film, it’s powerful stuff.”

To hear full audio of our conversation with Brendan Fraser & Samuel Hunter*, click here.

The Whale is available in theatres on Wednesday, December 21, 2022.

*A special thanks to our friends at The Movie Podcast for helping us with our audio issues!

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Interviews Tagged With: Brendan Fraser, Darren Aronofsky, LGBTQ, Oscars, Sadie Sink, Samuel D. Hunter, The Whale

The Whale: Sinking Ships and Saving Souls

December 21, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Directed by Darren Aronofsky, The Whale tells the story of Charlie (Brendan Fraser), an online writing instructor who struggles with obesity. Weighing 600 lbs, Charlie feels embarrassed by his appearance and hides away from the world in his apartment. However, when heart problems threaten his life, Charlie refuses medical attention other than the care of his friend Liz (Hong Chau). Knowing that his life is coming to an end, Charlie reaches out to his estranged daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink) in the hopes of finding some connection to her. At the same time, Charlie receives visits from a Thomas (Ty Simpkins), a door-to-door evangelist from New Life Church who begs Charlie to repent of his sin so that his soul might be saved before the end.

Having leaned into obscure metaphors with his previous films like mother! and Noah, The Whale takes a far more grounded approach for Aronofsky. Set entirely within the confining space of Charlie’s tiny apartment, Aronofsky uses no flashy camera tricks or special effects. Instead, chooses to focus on the film’s stellar performances and its solid script as opposed to any grand, sweeping stylistic devices. In doing so, Aronofsky shows remarkable restraint and prevents his Whale from ever getting lost at sea.

Although the film features strong work from Sink, Chau and Simpkins, one cannot deny that the true star of the film is Fraser himself. Although he is buried under 600 pounds of makeup, Fraser bares his soul in virtually every moment of the film. From laughing with optimism to screaming in agony, Fraser‘s performance has already received accolades and deserves every single one of them. Despite being covered in makeup and prosthesis, his charm, humility and grace bleed onto the screen in one of the more remarkable performances in the past few years. (However, it’s also worth noting that one should not discount the stellar work provided by Hong Chau. As Charlie‘s caregiver, Chau brings a fire and fury often expresses Charlie’s deepest hurts for him. Together, the two have incredible chemistry and somehow manage to serve as each other’s conscience.)

Based on the play written by Samuel D. Hunter (who also wrote the screenplay), The Whale is a piece that delves into the psychology of hurt while pleading for forgiveness and peace. Living in his home, Charlie is a man who is imprisoned by his pain and suffering. In fact, even if he were willing, why would he ever want to go outside anyway? This is a world that is constantly raining and filled and sun never shines. 

In Whale, Aronofsky clings to the metaphors within Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. As Charlie reflects on the famed tale of obsession, one cannot help but appreciate the various ways in which the story seems to come to life within the film. Although the film is called The Whale, Charlie seems to embody each of the characters in different ways. From the sexuality of Ahab to the obsession of Ishmael, different moments within the script appear to shed light on different facets of Charlie’s personality that connect deeply with the story. (In fact, the constant rain further emphasizes Moby Dick by portraying this ‘whale’ as drowning in his sinking ship with the water rising around him.) What’s more, as he clings to an essay Melville’s narrative written by an unnamed author, Charlie recites its brief words with such a passion that they almost take on the role of ritual. To him, these are the last words that he wants to hear as they reveal the author’s soul, inspiring him to believe that honesty still exists within the world. 

And one cannot deny that this is a film looking for honesty. 

.

With each passing scene, Charlie cries out with increasing frustration for the world to speak with authenticity. Whether it’s his daughter attempting to speak truthfully through her writing or the heart, his students’ writing or Thomas’ beliefs, Charlie’s demand is that everyone must look into their soul and speak what they believe is true. To him, honesty is the highest virtue and to say ‘one true thing’ is better than any written flourish.

Interestingly, this passion for honesty also drives the film’s conversations surrounding faith. Throughout his career, Aronofsky has always shown a profound interest within Biblical allegory and that conversation continues within The Whale. Having been devastated by his experience with the church, Charlie refuses to buy Thomas’ message of hope for the afterlife. Charlie knows the Scriptures and has a faith. However, while New Life Church preaches the pervasive sinfulness of man and fear of the End Times, he is far more optimistic. To him, people are inherently good, despite their brokenness. It’s this belief that gives him greater hope than anything that New Life Church seems to be able to provide and challenges him to see the good in every situation. For Charlie, his home will not be one of judgment so one need not fear being honest about who they are.

Beautiful and moving, The Whale Is one of those pieces that could potentially transform the way one sees the world. Instead of dousing the film in metaphor, Aronofsky makes a plea for hope, love and, above all else, grace.

The Whale is available in theatres on Wednesday, December 21st, 2022.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Brendan Fraser, Darren Aronofsky, Hong Chau, Sadie Sink, The Whale, TIFF, TIFF22, Ty Simpkins

TIFF ’22: The Whale

September 15, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Directed by Darren Aronofsky, The Whale tells the story of Charlie (Brendan Fraser), an online writing instructor who struggles with obesity. Weighing 600 lbs, Charlie feels embarrassed by his appearance and hides away from the world in his apartment. However, when heart problems threaten his life, Charlie refuses medical attention other than the care of his friend Liz (Hong Chau). Knowing that his life is coming to an end, Charlie reaches out to his estranged daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink) in the hopes of finding some connection to her. At the same time, Charlie receives visits from a Thomas (Ty Simpkins), a door-to-door evangelist from New Life Church who begs Charlie to repent of his sin so that his soul might be saved before the end.

Having leaned into obscure metaphors with his previous films like mother! and Noah, The Whale takes a far more grounded approach for Aronofsky. Although the film features strong work from Sink, Chau and Simpkins, one cannot deny that the true star of the film is Fraser himself as he bares his soul in virtually every moment of the film. Despite being covered in makeup and prosthesis, his charm, humility and grace bleed onto the screen in one of the more remarkable performances in the past few years. 

Based on the play written by Samuel D. Hunter (who also wrote the screenplay), The Whale is a piece the delves into the psychology of hurt while pleading for forgiveness and peace. With each passing scene, Charlie cries out with increasing frustration for the world to speak with authenticity. To him, honesty is the highest virtue and to say ‘one true thing’ is better than any written flourish.

Beautiful and moving, The Whale Is one of those pieces that could potentially transform the way one sees the world. Instead of dousing the film in metaphor, Aronofsky makes a plea for hope, love and, above all else, grace.

The Whale is now playing at TIFF ’22. For screening information, click here.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Brendan Fraser, Darren Aronofsky, Herman Melville, Moby Dick, The Whale

Directing the Eye of the Storm: 1on1 with Rob Cohen (THE HURRICANE HEIST)

March 6, 2018 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Having directed such films as The Fast and the Furious and XXX, Rob Cohen certainly knows how to build intensity within an action movie. With his latest film, The Hurricane Heist, Cohen continues to push his ability to create elaborate set pieces in an effort to take his audience on a wild thrill ride. When asked how he became associated with the film, Cohen explains that, initially, his journey began with an entirely different type of project.

“I had been working on a project about Joe Louis with a husband and wife producing team. I just finally said that I shouldn’t direct this,” he recalls. “We’re in the here and now and there are many, many talented black men and women directors. Even with my background of Motown, winning the NAACP image award and all the other stuff I’ve done, it’s a different time now. So, [I said they should go get] Ryan Coogler or somebody who might be more emotionally connected to the material than I am by birth. They said they were sad, still wanted to do something with me and said [that] they had this script… that was kind of like a bank robbery that was set to go down during a hurricane.”

“I [thought] that was a very interesting concept because plain old disaster movies aren’t going to work and heist movies can work but they have to be really, really good to stand on their own. They have to be Ocean’s Eleven. Short of that, they become subplots in the Fast and the Furious sequels. So, I read the script and it was not good. It was very old-fashioned. The minute the meteorologist got involved he became Bruce Willis or Rambo, you know… It was ludicrous. I liked the idea but it needed a total redo.”

With a title like The Hurricane Heist, one immediately expects that the film will feature incredible special effects and intense action sequences. However, rather than rely entirely on CGI for the film’s action scenes, Cohen demanded a more grounded approach that features practical effects and even asking the actors to participate as much as possible.

“I wanted the actors to do all their own stunts,” he explains. “We [had to] rig them up and design them so that [the stunts] are safe, believable, possible and real. So, we developed and imported from various places these 100 mile/hour fans and we dumped millions of gallons of water over the course of the shoot. As Toby Kebbell said to me, ‘You’re the greatest director because, when an actor comes on your set, we don’t need to act. We just have to survive.’ Every stunt is the actor and you can tell because we don’t cut away. When Ryan Kwanten jumps from a tow truck to an 18-wheeler at 50 miles/hour and almost misses it, trust me. He almost missed it… Toby did all the stuff where they’re running on top of the 18-wheelers as they’re barreling down the freeway at 60 miles/hour. That’s them. You can’t fake it.”

Given the difficulty of these conditions, Cohen believes that it takes a certain type of actor to take the lead in an action film. Having worked with actors ranging from Brendan Fraser (The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor) to Jamie Foxx (Stealth) to Jennifer Lopez (The Boy Next Door), Cohen says that a lead actor needs to have the courage and commitment to throw themselves into their role.

“I look for a brave actor,” he begins. “Brendan [Fraser] went home on the Mummy black and blue many nights. I would put Jamie [Foxx] in a gimble jet cockpit that would pull 3 ½ G’s and spin him and, once he got out of the cockpit, he’d go to the corner of the stage and throw up. But, when you look at their faces, you know they’re getting G-forces put on them and you feel you’re in this kind of supersonic jet. It’s all about designing it so that you can make it so real and so immediate for the audience… I always have this conversation with [my actors] when they say yes, they want to do it where I say ‘Not so fast. First you gotta understand what’s going to happen.’ Like most actors, they [say] ‘sure, I can handle anything.’ The first time, Toby felt the 100 mile/hour wind in his face and rain that stung like needles, he was going ‘You were not joking!’… These things take a great deal of courage and you need an actor with that level of courage or you can’t make the optimal action film.”

While taxing on the actors and crew, Cohen also contests that the sacrifice is worth the effort in the end. While the action genre often does not receive the same critical praise as other Oscar film bait, Cohen also thinks that, with its penchant for visuals over dialogue, these movies remain the most authentic form of filmmaking.

“It’s a very tiring but exhausting process to make a complicated action sequence,” he says. “That is why I always say to people that The King’s Speech is not the highest form of filmmaking. It’s basically a filmed play… in a room, [where] some very talented actors speak lines and make you fascinated by the people. But, when you really step back, is it a film? Well, yeah, it’s a film… but you could’ve put the play on in 1910 and it would’ve not been that different. Whereas, as a form, only cinema and nothing else can give it to you in that kinetic way and an action film director has to know a whole lot more than Noah Baumbach and those type of films. So, it’s fine for critics to put down action films but they’re actually the most pure cinema we have. They’re full of action, not talking. But that’s my personal theory.”

In light of this, Cohen has no regrets about his passion for telling action-oriented stories. While there may be those who criticize his work for lacking depth, he argues that his primary interest lies in entertaining the audience, as opposed to more introspective material.

Says Cohen, “I came into this business to entertain. I didn’t come in to study my navel and show everybody how depressing the universe is. I came here to give everyone an antidote to that and I’m unapologetic about it, which is why a lot of critics don’t like me. I’m not interested in two lesbians trying to have a baby or I’m not interested in the angst of some teenage girl in Sacramento. I’m interested in an audience coming in, grabbing them by the hand from Frame One and taking them through a rip-roaring thrill ride that never gets boring and never even lets you go to the bathroom. That’s what I [want to] accomplish… “

“I just love the idea that you go in for those hours… and you are taken to another world, into a story, into characters, and you’re seeing things [with] your eyes, and hearing things with your ears that are really transporting you to another plain of existence. The fact that your boss is an [idiot]. The fact that we have this moron president. All the things that make you depressed. All these things are gone for a little respite where you can have fun and, when you leave, you feel like ‘Well, okay. I’ve got my adrenaline. I’m ready to face life again. I’m a fighter and I’m excited.’ That’s the type of action I try to engender. That form, blockbuster or action film (however you describe it), that form is what I love creating and I love when audiences respond to it.”

With decades of experience directing action films, Cohen has also noticed a distinct change in the genre. However, rather than emphasizing technological shifts, he feels that the primary shift in action films is that they have moved their storytelling from being more grounded in reality to fantasy worlds.

“The action film blockbuster used to be somewhat based in reality in the past whether it was The Great Escape or The Magnificent Seven… or any of the big action adventures and today, so many of the blockbusters like Marvel… [are] in an unreal world,” he reflects. “Kevin Feige has been just ingenious about creating a movement which is the most successful of any that’s been seen. It’s all in a fantasy world. We owe that to George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Even a film like Indiana Jones, you’re talking about spirits and the Ark of the Covenant and giant booby-trapped caves. Things that were not like the old days. [Steven] started to transform [action films] from here on earth to flying saucers and extra-terrestrials. It transitioned to where we are in the Joss Wheden/Kevin Feige world where it’s wide open. It’s not based on gravity or reality in any way. It’s based on the essence and metaphors of superheroes and the amazing visual effects that can be built around people with special powers. That’s very, very different than where the blockbuster started.”

Of course, perhaps Cohen’s greatest legacy lies in his role in creating the Fast and the Furious series. After 19 years and 8 films, what began as a little ‘street-racing movie’ has blown up into a multi-billion dollar franchise. When asked if he had any idea that the franchise would become what it is today, Cohen does not mince words.

“No, and anyone connected to the franchise (and anyone connected to the franchise when it was pure) who says they thought that would happen is a revisionist historian,” he states emphatically. “I thought there would be two movies. I left the first one very indeterminate… and I left it there because I fully expected to pick up the story where the next one would have been if it was one 3 ½ hour movie. Then, of course, life intervenes and it didn’t go that way. I made a stand and I didn’t win. They went off with the producer and made what they’ve made. It’s beautiful that it has this long life. What I love most is that, in online polls, etc, people feel that the first one is the best. So, I’m glad for my children’s college educations that it’s still running and I’m proud that I created something that the audience felt so attached to that they wanted more of it for two decades”

 

http://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/1on1-with-Rob-Cohen-director-THE-HURRICANE-HEIST.mp3

To hear more from Rob regarding Hurricane Heist, including how he sets up an action scene and which actors he would like to work with in the future, stream our interview with him below.

 

The Hurricane Heist blows into theatres on March 9th, 2018.

Filed Under: Film, Interviews, Reviews Tagged With: Action, Brendan Fraser, film, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Grace, Oscar, Rob Cohen, Stealth, The Fast and the Furious, The Hurricane Heist, toby kebbell, XXX

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