Episode 9 Film 2013

This programme contains strong language.

Hello and welcome to the brand new series of Film 2013.

We're live, and if you want to get in touch the details are on the

screen now. Coming up on tonight's show.

Taking giant leaps with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in

Gravity. I've got you. I've got you Driven to distraction - low-budget

horror In Fear. . Why are they doing this to us? Is someone there?

And movies, money and mayhem in documentary Seduced and Abandoned.

You're making a documentary about trying to get financing? That's

right. Plus Antonia Quirke meets Steve

Coogan and I'm joined in the studio by Danny Leigh, as ever, and guest

Robbie Colliln. Hello. Hello. This is a delight.

First up is Alfonso Cuaron's blockbuster Gravity which finds

George Clooney and Sandra Bullock cast adrift in space. Beautiful,

don't you think? What? The sunrise. Terrific. The

story is a human story. It's about adversity and how humans react to

it. You can go one of two ways and you're presented two characters who

have very different viewpoints on life and savour life or don't savour

life and they're put in these very adverse situation after a very

tragic mishap, and you just see what happens when tragedy strikes.

Astronaut is all structured - off structure. Must detach. You must

detach. If you don't, that arm is going to carry you too far. Listen

to my voice. You need to focus. Only seconds we'll be able to drag you.

You need to detach. I can't see you anymore. Do it now. Ahh! Outer space

is nothing but a metaphor of inner space. You have a character who is

drifting into the void, but that could be a character in London, you

know? It's a character who lives in her own bubble. It's a character

that is the victim of colonial urges and because of that is drifting

further and further away from human communication and interaction, so

that is something that is very relatable.

Please copy. When you encounter tragedy or

adversity, humans just instinctively go in and want to be lost and be

away from human beings when in fact the thing that's probably going to

save you is in fact the very opposite. I've got you. I've got

you. We work on this film for

four-and-a-half years, and we could not start shooting until a couple of

years ago because of the technology we have to invent. Explorer, do you

copy? The actual set was the weirdest

place. It didn't look like a movie set. It was just - the Director of

Photography referred to it as Sandra Bullock performing inside an iPod,

you know? It was just an actor surrounded by LED lights and robots

and strange rigs. Houston, this is mission specialist Ryan Stone. I am

off structure and drifting. Do you copy? I was thinking, this is what

solitary confinement for a prisoner feels like. I can complain all I

want to make it feel like I suffered, but it was actually

perfect because had I been on a set where everything was curby and

comfortable and warm and they brought you tea and waited for you

and you weren't in pain, it just wouldn't have felt appropriate, so

all the challenges of making this film were perfectly placed so, you

know, you're a part of something amazing.

So for the last three days all I've received is texts from friends

going, look, just be honest. It can't be that good, can it? Is it

that good? It's better, isn't it? The thing is, it's funny, sometimes

you tell the truth about a movie and it just sounds like PR but the

problem about this is it really is extraordinary and sensational. For

my money it's the best movie to come out of Hollywood than my brain can

remember. It is a fantastic technical achievement. It's such a

fantastical movie. You see a lot of films and you're constantly being

told you're going to be on the edge of your seat with your jaw hanging

over. You never are within half an hour you're thing if you can make to

it the supermarket to get kitchen role. This really is. It's intense.

In cinema terms it's whole new box of tricks. You can experience this

on a new visceral level. If you think back to James Cameron's

Aliens, you have that fantastic space odyssey, but there is all of

this stuff with motherhood and things going on with Ripley, but in

a similar vain, Sandra Bullock's character in this film, a scientist

who has been sent up to work on the Hubble telescope, never been in

space before but she's also a recently bereaved mother, lost her

daughter in a senseless accident, so for her, she can retreat to space.

Silence is comforting to her. But she realises over the course of the

film you can't retreat into yourself. That force of gravity that

draws you in is something that you have to team up with other human

beings to survive. All of that's going on if you want to unpack it

but if you just want to see George Clooney and Sandra Bullock flailing

around in space... To watch it - sorry. I was going say you can't

help but be affected. I had to leave and have a small cry. I am not

embarrassed to say that. But it took you back to the best films you have

ever seen. The beauty of this is for all the spectacular innovation and

they are spectacular and innovative, there is actually beneath them a

very human story going on. To talk about James Cameron again, my rob

with him is you talk about a film like Avatar, that felt to me like a

new-aged cult in a software demonstration. You could never get

over the fact that this was James with his pointy stick telling you

how much money had been spent. This is a human story with beautiful

performances. The film belongs to Sandra Bullock in many ways. George

Clooney clearly planned for the film by watching Toy Story over and over

again and maybe an espresso advert but they're perfect for this film.

Having these incredibly beautiful movie stars in this film brings home

to you how cold space is even even movie stars seem tiny and

vulnerable. This film is so successful not just because of the

technology that makes things jump out at you but it's also to do with

the technique with the camera. There is no horizon. There is no spirit

level your eyes can snap to. No, no. You feel like you're there. The

camera is kind of flailing around at some point then the camro holds and

the objects are flying around. Because of that flexibility the

setting affords them, you effectively become the camera.

You're flying through the set along with the camera. It's the perfect

movie for 3D because everything is floating and drifting. This is what

it was made for, to be honest. Can we talk about her? We touched on

her, but she is - there is a scene - I can only describe - she's in the

foetal position. I was in the screening room and we all gasped.

She's mind-blowing, am I wrong? No, no. You're absolutely right. This is

for me the role of her career. It's obviously up against some pretty

stiff competition like Ms Congeniality. Don't knock it - bombs

and a tiara! The bereaved mother aspect of the story - there is that

incredible shot of her in the foetal position later on - I don't want to

explain why but there is this kind of birth allegory where a Pernice

comes out of a thing and it's very much in a kind of rebirth sense, and

she embraces that side of the character and all the detail is

there and all the - even the little cliched phrased - someone does say,

"I have a bad feeling about this mission." Someone else says, I have

you've got to be kidding me." And they're right. For all the cliches,

it's also a very unusual film. We think we know space and one of the

reasons we think that as movie goers is because of Alien and all the

films that ripped that off, but here there is no alien. It's just bad

luck. The whole film is based around the idea of there is nothing after

us. Sometimes we just get in the way. That is an incredible thing to

base a block muster movie around. You look at the special effects and

the 3D without coming out feeling like you have seen the future of

cinema but also you have seen the past and history of cinema. 18 sta,

the Loomier brothers, all of these thrill seekers fleeing in terror

because they thought the train was coming out of the screen, they

thought this is what cinema was supposed to be like. Cinema is

supposed to be. This it's supposed to be spectacular, physical.

To totally sum up, though, I just want to say down the barrel of the

lens, go see this in the cinema. Oh, yeah, on the big screen. In the

front. Run to the front. With amazing sound.

Next is is In Fear, a new British horror film from feature debut

director Jeremy Lovering. It's our two-week anniversary. We can't have

a two-week anniversary. For a special treat, I booked us a hotel.

It's kind of a throw-back to the '70s film psychological thrillers,

so the story is incredibly story. Map says we're supposed to go that

way. It's saying that way. Two people who hardly know each other,

known each other for two weeks - they go on a journey, and bad things

happen. How can we be back at this bit again? We're not lost. We're in

a maze. I love what Jeremy's done. It's dealing with the fear we all

have of the unknown, and when you're out of your comfort zone and you're

lost and also you're completely unaware of what's going on around

you or what's causing the things to happen around you, I think that's a

fear we can all relate to. I wanted to make it without giving

the actors a script. They had no idea what the story was. They didn't

know what their characters were going to end up doing or whether

they'd live or die. And that instant response was something I was always

after because it was very real and very fresh. Jeremy came to me very

early on and said, you do need one force in there to make sure you stay

on line otherwise people will be getting out of the car and running

away and you'll never see them again. For that reason, I had a

little bit more information on the plot, but not that much more

compared to them. We did three-and-a-half weeks of night

shoots in Cornwall in December. It was gruelling. The weather wasn't

kind, but perfect for the movie. Because they were improvising,

because they were making up how their characters were evolving and

feeling, the choices were very real. If they had -- they had no downtime

at all. They were constantly tense because they had no idea when I was

going to spring a trap on them or trick.

They're mine. No, they're not. No, they're my clothes. There were a lot

of questions posed in it where I want people to go, what would I do

in that situation? SCREAMING

It's so bare and it's so raw when you're in a fearful situation, and

you see - you can see humanity at its most exposed. What? We killed

someone. Why are they doing this to us? You know, it's very simple -

you're glad you're alive when you're watching a horror film, and that

thrill of seeing it and the adrenaline reminds you of your love

of life. Just keep going. I'm going to just say this out

Laudrup. I saw this in the screening. There weren't many of us,

and I was so terrified, I thought I was either going to be sick or I

sort of had to do that humming to yourself, it's going to be fine. I

thought it was absolutely compelling and terrifying. I didn't find it

terrifying. I found it very stressful. Stressful is terrifying.

It's a film by a TV director, Jeremy Lovering, a very good TV director by

all accounts, and this is his first feature film and my goodness, if

he's not going to use every single trick in the book to make sure

you're watching a -- you know you're watching a feature film. It's all of

those techniquey aspects to horror, leaving those big spaces in the plot

where you know something is going to jump out. It was scary. Beyond the

technique there wasn't much going on. We have all seen these films

where people get lost and make bad decisions. That's all it is. No. For

me, there was nothing else under the bonnet. Oh, you're cruel. I think

there is trembly close-ups because actually this is a film about the

characters. It's an anti-slasher movie. It's not one of these films

where you have these interchangeable kind of kids who are wheeled on then

bumped off and taken away. You get to know these characters. I think

that's slightly unusual for a horror movie because they're these two

recognisable Indy kids - they're off to a festival to see Mumford and Son

- might be reason to have them killed.

LAUGHTER The film is less about what's going

on outside the car than inside the car. It reminds me of Dual a little

bit. You're seeing two characters kind of falling apart under the

pressure, God knows we've all done. I think that's the real strength of

the movie. I think the reason we don't get excited about what's

outside the car is ultimately it isn't that exciting. You mentioned

Jewel, a really good comparison. I would say other films about city

folk going to the countryside and not seng it exceptionally well, like

Eden Lake and the Wicker Man, with that, the Residents of Summer Isle,

they're incredibly colourful people and you come away being terrorised

of something terribly distinct to that particular film but in this,

you have this nebulous sense - If you're using the Wickerman as your

benchmark that is a little bit cruel. They tap into expertly what

is a universal fear of seemingly idyllic lanes, charming country

hotels, the country pub - the American Werewolf in London, we know

going into country pubs nothing good comes of them. That's a generally

universal fear - probably not for the landlords of country pubs, but

there is a reason for that - we all do - I get clammy at the sight of a

chicken shop and a cashpoint. Bad things await. The film turns the

screws very well. And beautifully acted. They did it very well. It was

interestingly put together this film. There was a story line and

improvised. You can tell it's improvised because when people get

scared, they just say their lines twice, "What's in there? What's in

there? Look out, look out!" In Fear is released in cinemas on

November 15th. Steve Coogan has written, produced and stars in

Philomena. Antonia went along to chat with him. They said you had

abandoned him as a baby. I did not abandon my child.

Congratulations on Philomena and on particularly your performance which

I think many people are going to see this movie and think this is the

best straight acting they've seen you do. Would you agree with them?

Yes. LAUGHTER

I know this woman. She had a baby when she was a teenager and she's

kept it secret for 50 years. What you're talking about would be what

they call a human interest story. I don't do those. Why not? Do you

think I should do a human interest story? It was a passion project. I

am passionate about it. I wanted to make a film that was about something

serious, not just about something ephemeral, disposable, nonsensical

garbage which a lot of films are, and I wanted to do a film with some

substance, but I didn't want it to be over worthy or self-important. I

wanted it to be easy to watch. I wanted to ask you, would it be

possible for you not to use my real name, like Anne Boleyn? We're going

to have to use your real name. It's very interesting for glib, smug

intellectuals to wag their finger at the failure of organised religion. I

am probably one of those people, but what's important about the film is

no-one has a monopoly on wisdom and no-one has all the answers. Why

would God bestow upon us a sexual desire he then wants us to resist?

Thing is, I didn't even know I had a clitoris. I am going to launch

myself off this mountain. This is possibly the late Tony Martin...

Made some of your best work with Michael Wintbottom, with Cock and

Bull Story and The Trip and recently with The Look of Love. That's great.

Undulate. More snake-like movements. What have you learned from working

with him? He encouraged me to throw away the safety net and not be too

controlling about things and not being worried about it not being

funny, therefore, you discover more interesting, nuanced things. We just

need one film, Steve, and that'll prepare you. I have done ten. We

need the right film. We may be small, but our hearts are large -

met forically speaking. You've made over 35 movies, been extremely

prolific, extremely busy, and looking back at your career,

particularly at that point when you were making those high visibility

cameos like in The Guys or Tropic Thunder, did you enjoy that period

of your career? Going to America - to be honest, I sort of did this

experiment are I went to America and tried doing - because I was advised

to do it - a lot of these big Hollywood movies where I played part

number five, and yes, it's very unjoyable and I had great fun in

Tropic Thunder, spending three months in Hawaii just doing very

little, having fun, very talented big American movie stars. Let's go

and make the greatest war movie ever! Yeah! Yeah. But it didn't

really go anywhere. However much fun that is, I kind of

like a little more autonomy. I had to - like to be more in control of

what I'm doing. Why don't you and me go and get ourselves a nice double

espresso. Was it always in your mind to be the Hollywood leading man? Not

really, no, because I don't think I am very good at being characters who

are honest and have great integrity. Jeez, are you kidding me?

I'm never going to save the President. You know what I mean? You

think you'll always sort of be slightly curdled? Exactly. I just

think that's what I do well, and I think you have to play to your

strengths. Who said that? What's it like in there? Scary, stressful,

lots of shouting, a bit like being married again.

If I was just doing Allen, I would feel a bit saddled with him, but I

actually enjoy it. It makes me laugh when I watch it back. I kind of want

my cake and eat it, return to Allen every now and again and go off and

do these other things I find interesting and hopefully other

people do too. Allen! Come on. We're better than that. You have had an

absolutely brilliant three years. Do you feel it's really coming together

for you now? I am really happy career wise where I am at the moment

because what it's showing me is if you trust your instincts rather than

overthink what you ought to do, try to be honest. I've tried to just

pursue what I wanted to do with artistic integrity, things I believe

in. Once I started doing that, things started going rather well for

me, so I'm rather pleased. I met him. Where? At the White House. Do

you remember anything he said? Hello. Hello? Might have been

Next, Director James Toback and Alec Baldwin team up for Seduced And

Abandoned, a documentary about the world of cinema, and watch out for

some very strong language. Hi. What are you doing in town? We're

making a film. You're making a documentary about

trying to get financing? That's right, never enough money. We need

between 15 and, say, $18 million. Too much. 45 million. Your name will

be on the intreen as the producer of my next film. Are you ready to put

up 15 million? What? I have Alex in this next film. Alec Baldwin? He's a

TV actor. It's a political romantic adventure... Supposed to be comedy.

No, no. Great films with great directors,

that's the pinnacle. When Scorsese called me and told me - I can't tell

you what it meant for me. I can get the backing for pictures, but it has

to be their pictures What do you have to do to make movies you have

in your heart? If I make a movie, all I think of is what's the profit?

I finished two godfather films, won a tonne of Oscars and I threw them

out the window, my mother went you shouldn't do that. Film is the most

important. You have to fight very, very, very hard to do what you want

because it always comes down to the money. I must tell you, I'm

optimistic. Well, here's the weird thing - that

makes it look much better than it is. There are sections of it that I

found charming, especially when they're talking to all of these

people, but when they're trying to sell their film it was tricky. What

do you think? I am not sure you could describe Seduced and Abandoned

as a good film. I think it's a highly entertainable film. He sets

out to Cann effects to make the worst sounding film on earth having

what they repeatedly call exploratory sex in wartime Iraq. I

think it ends up proving exactly the opposite case because the author

wants $5 million to make Alec Alec Baldwin's... Shouldn't have been

able to find that much money... It shows there is still a lot of fat in

the movie industry. Can I say, I think you're watching this film

wrong. You're watching it as a documentary, and in fairness it has

been presented as a documentary, but I think there's lot of mischief at

work here. I don't believe for a second James Toback wants to make a

film in which Alec Baldwin and Campbell have explor more reatory

sex because no-one would want to watch it. But what they're trying to

do is if he takes that terrible idea on the road, how much will people

try to avoid funding it or how much money will they throw at it? But

that's fake - it's nonsense. Why didn't he spend more than five

minutes coming up with the concept or where did he actually try to

raise money... The whole point of the film is to out-fake the fakery

of that whole side of the business, and the set-up at Cannes which is

really an astute move because that is where you have this corrupt side

of the business crashing up against the most beautiful cinematic art

form of the year. I think there is mischief going on because if James

Toback wasn't going through this movie convinced - James Toback is a

man - I have been in a small room with him. He's a man convinced of

his own greatness and if he wasn't, he wouldn't keep bringing in Francis

Ford Coppola and, Martin scoresy, say,sy and letting them speak

incredibly -- about their own experience, wouldn't keep cutting

back to Alec Alec Baldwin... Don't - don't... That's all the fake and

nonsense. Let's not review films on whether or not the director is a

nice Pernice. Down that road lies madness. Let's be clear, when

they're interviewing people it's fascinating. I can watch hours and

hours of these directors. It smells a bit smug. They have gone to

Cannes. They're like, hey, watch these guys. Smug - it's a

documentary about drumming up cash to make a film. Then it's not real.

Is it a comedy or a documentary? Both. It's a weird kind of hybrid.

What I really enjoyed about it is trying to puzzle out what parts of

the film are totally legitimate and what parts are less. There is a

wonderful part about Ryan Gosling in which he reminisces about interviews

gone back. I read an interview with jail scram where he said he spent

two hours interviewing Ryan Gosling in separate sessions. In the first

session he says he didn't get what the film was all about, thought they

were being totally straight with him. The second time he got it. We

have run out of time. What you're saying is it's more crafted... And

mischievous than Danny - I think it's much less. You see. I don't

need to ask you this - film of the week? Gravity. Gravity. But not all

wleex have a Gravity. Exactly, not all years will have a Gravity

perhaps. That's all from us. We'll be back at

the same time next week when we'll be reviewing Ridley Scott's The

Counsellor, Jude Law in Dom Hemingway, and Palme D'or winner

Blue Is The Warmest Colour. To play out tonight, here's a look ahead to

some of the films opening in the coming weeks and months. From all of

us, thanks so much for watching. Good night.

Stop. Mary Poppins is not for sale. I I won't have her turned into one

of your silly cartoons. Am I right! I have walked the long

walk to freedom. The other kids, they think I'm

weird. I want to be normal. If I concentrate hard enough, I can make

things move. Chins up. Smiles on. From now on, your job is to be a

distraction so people forget. I'd take 20 years just to have another

three days with you. It will not end here. With every victory, this evil

will grow. Hey!