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| Tobias Tobbell |
The Squeerelist - Your heroine and her nemesis compile quite a few textbook disorders from agoraphobia to psychopathy or hoarding… What inspired you to display such conditions?
Tobias Tobbell - The disorders explored in the film evolved for
different reasons. The agoraphobia developed out of the nature of the story
itself. As I worked on the character’s history – being a naturally introverted
person forced to go on show around the world as a model – it seemed Pippa would
be almost keen to say goodbye to the world the moment she had the chance
(driven further by her scarring after a career based on looks). I’ve been
curious about obsessive-complusive behavior since studying pyschology, and it
felt like a natural progression to have a person as anxious as Pippa to focus
this into something specific, her need for order in her tiny world. The
sociopathic element, Kayleigh, I suppose is a little more typical of screwed up
‘bad guys’ in film – though I was also finding ways to connect the two
characters so that fell into place fairly easily.
How much of
yourself can we find in your characters and/or stories?
That depends on the story, but I certainly and consciously
try to move away from anything to do with me or my life. I write escapism
stories for the most part. However, I’d probably describe myself as fairly shy
(particularly when I started the Confine script nearly 10 years ago), though
this is a long way from agoraphobia I can empathise pretty easily.
Movies
shamefully lack women in the lead even though the trend tends to evolve.
Your movie, Confine, features 2 female main characters. You
wrote the screenplay over 8 years. Did you have women in mind from the
start or was it a later revelation?
The two main characters were both female from the very
beginning, although I wasn’t as conscious of how unusual it was to write with 2
female leads at the time. The plays I wrote before tended to feature an equal
balance of sexes. I think I’m a little better at writing female characters so
that’s how it started off with the film scripts. It’s certainly not an
exclusive thing, but there’s such a wealth of incredible actresses out there
and they’re just not being given as many meaty leading roles as actors are.
Added to that the strange misrepresentation of female vs male leads and I’m now
making more of a point of it (if it seems appropriate for the story).
Your next
project will also focus on strong female protagonists. Can you tell us more about it?
The next project, a sci-fi thriller called The Last Planet,
has just six characters. Three girls and three guys. It’s another very isolated
world but for very different reasons. It’s set mostly on a small research
station on another planet. It essentially revolves around a heist but told from
the point of view of the characters trying to prevent it. The setting is an
icey environment, similar to The Thing, though we’re mostly inside the small,
rig-like interior. I love submarine films like Crimson Tide, Das Boot, Red
October, so I’ll be looking to create that close, tense atmosphere they’re
great for.
Why do you care
so much about strong leading women?
I come from a family with some very strong, motivated
women. Plus, through school, university and my professional life I regularly
encounter as many exciting, damaged, fascinating, inspiring and/or headstrong
girls as I do guys. It seems crazy to me that films just don’t seem to
represent woman in the world the same way I’ve experienced through-out my life.
Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of really interesting female characters in
film, but take anyone’s top 50 films and I’d be surprised if even 10 of those
feature female leads. Maybe I feel a bit embarrassed that my favourite medium
still isn’t as open-minded as I’d like it to be and I’ve chosen this issue to
focus on?
What kind of
director are you: do you give your actors free rein to improvisation?
Or are you more anal when it comes to what’s on the screenplay?
I’d like to say the former. The pragmatic side of my brain
tells me there probably isn’t really the time for improvisation on set. Until
I’m more confident in myself I’d worry that if we didn’t at least shoot
everything in the script (before improvisations) we may run into problems in
the edit. On the other hand dialogue is the weakest area of my writing, and
given my background in theatre, I should try to allow more time for
improvisation on set. I feel the same about the cinematography. I’m the kind of
director to go in fully storyboarded. But as I grow in experience and
confidence I’d like to experiment more on set.
Eben Bolter
(Director of Photography) and you did an impressive job with Confine’s cinematography. You said
beauty was a must in the making of your movie. From your perspective, what’s the share
of content (a good plot) and form (good cinematography) that makes a good
movie?
Bottom line it has to be the story that comes first. I’m
very driven by production design and cinematography, but if I find that I’m
having to chose to focus on performances/story or the visuals, in the end it’ll
have to be the story that take precedent. I just hope we’re working on a script
so strong it kind of takes care of itself. Theoretically the script is complete
long before I start working on production so they shouldn’t have to clash too
much.
Would you like
to share any valuable tips or advice with aspiring filmmakers?
I’m learning so much everyday (in the lead up to the
release of Confine) I kind of have loads of tips I’d love to share. Here’re a
few : experiment on zero budget shorts (find a camera, edit yourself) –
learn your craft before taking other people’s money to make your films. When
you’re ready, make sure the script is really bloody good, find as many industry
professionals to feedback and take it on, try not to be defensive about it too (I
still get defensive, but usually wake up the next morning taking the feedback
more seriously). Finally, and this is a really big one if you’re making a
feature film, think about your audience and think about how you’re going to
reach them – both on a story level, and on a marketing level. There are
hundreds of films made every year and there’s no guarantee yours will be picked
up. If you pitch your film to a distributor along with behind the scenes
videos, smart virals shot on set, pre-recorded cast interviews or ‘shout-outs’
for all sorts of TV channels etc, clever marketing ploys that don’t cost
anything extra, and you show that you understand your target audience, you’ll
really stand a much better chance of getting your film out there.
Find out more about Confine at http://www.confinemovie.com/
) by Almod
by Polanski, and 
by Haneke. The result is something totally different from those films, but Confine has a certain flair that reminded me of a sort of combination of the three. Take Almod
looks like a B movie, doesn't it? Lanie Kerrigan is a successful TV reporter who leads a life she defines as perfect: good job, famous baseball player as a fiancé, great body... When she interviews a street prophet (Tony Shaloub) who tells her she is going to die in a week, she starts wondering if her happiness is just an illusion. Even though the movie features a respectable cast with Angelina Jolie in the lead, the characters are somewhat dull. The plot is pretty basic and leads to a predictable but good moral. Jolie scores the worst haircut of her acting career and her performance is slightly out of tune. I guess you can't always be on top of your game. This movie is probably not the grand following Jolie was expecting hardly 3 years after winning the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for 
. Despite those bad moves, the 40-million-dollar budget paid for a decent editing and nice cinematography. The sense of humor is all right and the rock-flirting-with-punk soundtrack makes the picture a bit spicier. I can still enjoy this film even if it's not a must-see. 
may not end up in my Top 10 Comedies but I spent an enjoyable moment watching it. You should definitely give it a try and share your opinion with me!
tells Ennis and Jack's secret relationship over almost 2 decades. This masterpiece is a love manifesto avoiding clichés. Its focus is the struggle to live with yourself when society doesn't accept who you are and dictates who you should or shouldn't love. The fight against self-hatred and prejudice are also central topics of the storyline. Ang Lee majestically directs one of the most beautiful love stories ever told on the silver screen. He succeeds where others have failed: he delivers a dynamic movie out of a plot that could have been slow. Lee certainly is an actor's director. The cast he's chosen to prove this point radiates with truth. The late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in the leading roles praise tolerance with their magnificent interpretation. You can also enjoy the performance of a plethora of good supporting actors: Michelle Williams, Kate Mara, Anne Hathaway, Anna Faris... The 
is soothing and echoes in the splendid hills of Wyoming. The sound of the resonator guitar transports you to those quiet great outdoors. I can only hope the blatant moral of this picture will stick to your shoes forever. Brokeback Mountain
marks a high point in The Coen brothers' career. They created an icon of the 90s with The Dude. He became a god-like figure for many. A guy adored by a generation thanks to his unique philosophy and style. I don't think The Dude could have been interpreted by a better actor than Jeff Bridges. He rocks the laidback attitude with a disconcerting comfort. Not to mention that his hair is so sleek, I'm hypnotized by it. The Bridges/Goodman/Buscemi trio is hilarious and the additional characters portrayed by talented actors like Julianne Moore, or Philip Seymour Hoffman are the cherries on top of this psychedelic cake. 
is an ironic title for a movie fueled with violence, abuse, and misery. The frantic angles and camera movements used by Clark perfectly depict this atmosphere. The somewhat cheerful R'n'B soundtrack sweetens the painful road trip of our 'heroes' and contrasts with the pitiful path they've chosen. I follow those basket cases taking desperate measures with a certain sorrow but never do I root for them as they've burried themselves in this mess of a situation. This film is an efficient tale on how drugs can make you reach a point of no return and how everything from there is a downhill race to a filthy abyss. Another Day in Paradise seems so real, it makes me feel uneasy and almost sick. I would not recommend it if you don't feel alright because it will mess you up. Vincent Kartheiser in the lead role faultlessly pierces the screen with such a seedy and sore character. The sordid sexuality of our teenagers is only matched by the destructive relationship between James Woods (Mel) and Melanie Griffith (Sid). Woods as the manifest unstable and alcoholic crime king delivers an irreproachable interpretation. 
follows the disintegration of an Australian crime family. Josh (James Frecheville) moves in with his grandma after his mother dies from a heroin overdose. He soon becomes trapped in a vicious spiral rooted in his family's business. The story is set in Melbourne and is inspired by the infamous Pettingill family. Cold-blooded murders, hypocrisy, drugs and more... This movie gives me everything I need to feed my sick curiosity. From the flawless cast, I'd like to specifically mention Jacki Weaver who is sublime and ferociously sweet as The Godmother. Weaver collected another Academy Award nomination for this role. James Frecheville, the introverted pawn of the story, is a true revelation. Proof is that he went on to act side by side with Robin Wright and Naomi Watts in 
is an entertaining movie. But it's a rom com so you obviously know from the start what will happen. There is no twist or surprise but I find it quite entertaining. It is not the plot of the decade but the cast meets my expectations. Hollywood blockbusters have nothing on this French production. It keeps its promise. I think it's a challenge to get an arthouse rom com if you also want to rock the box office. As an indie-enthusiast, I'd rather pick the underground love story nobody knows over the popular sparkly one. But 
smells like the Everglades and releases an intriguing scent wherever it infiltrates. 
takes you out on a yacht, or makes you visit the gators (this film seriously makes me think of a typical Florida tourism brochure). The end will blow you away for sure. The cast is eclectic and brilliant (Kevin Bacon is an incredible dirty cop and the 2 main female leads are gorgeous and dangerously manipulative). The sex scenes are audacious and necessary to the plot. The film mixes humor (you can't escape it with Bill Murray in the cast) and seriousness which makes it a perfect combo. 
is no testing ground for Parker. With this movie, the director deals with post-war mental and physical
trauma as well as the struggle to fit in as a high schooler. On one hand, the
combination of the Peter Gabriel-made soundtrack and the flying camera
shots really convinced me. On the other, I thought it beats around the bush for quite a while. Nicolas Cage's monologues are a bit sketchy even though his overall performance is good. Matthew Modine makes a convincing quiet and deranged bird-lover. As I'm no war-movie enthusiast, I appreciate the fact that Birdy only shows a few war scenes. The plot
is largely based on childhood flashbacks. 
and 
among others) and starring Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, and Bruce Willis in a sick threesome is terrific! I approve the whole package from the old special effects to the amusing sarcasm. The plot deals with the merciless quest to eternal youth, the end of an actress' reign, plastic surgery tyranny and standradized beauty. In other words, current topics that never grow old. Despite its timeless theme, the storyline is very original. Long-time rivals (Streep and Hawn) have always tried to outdo each other until Madeline (Streep) finds out about an immortality treatment... I like how self-mockery steers the screenplay and how the two main actresses take great delight in underscoring the ridicule of their characters' obsession. No need to tell you that the cast is flawless. Hawn plays her obsessive part so well she scares the crap out of me. Streep rocks it all, as always. And even though she is my grandma's doppelganger (which makes it both awkward and fascinating to watch her movies), she makes me laugh until I choke. 
is one frantic comedy that can always cheer you up!
is a useless teen flick displaying cliché after cliché on California girls, Great Britain, and high school. The only reason you would watch it is if you have a thing for young girls in uniform. Otherwise, move along! I had no idea what it was about when I hit the play button. I knew Juno Temple was in the cast so I thought it was a token of quality. When I read 'Juno Temple', I automatically think 'indie, witty, instant classic'... Wild Child is one of the first movies she acted in, hence the bad role. But we all gotta start somewhere, right? I guess I should have found the poster first, I wouldn't have watched this. This movie is a typical teenage story where the shallow hero becomes selfless and her nemesis loses a blank battle. It's obviously aimed at pleasing the majority of teenagers but even as far as I can remember I've always hated those movies. If you want a good teen movie, you might as well try the classic 
(OK, both posters are similar but believe me, Mean Girls is a blast! And you can enjoy one of the last movies where Lindsay Lohan still looked like Lindsay Lohan). I find Wild Child boring. I expected everything on screen to happen. There is no surprise or twist in the plot. It's not terrible per se, it's just meaningless.