Interview
The
celebrity interview is not as glamorous most people think. A lot of my
friends think it's a romantic and exciting experience and I suppose in
many ways it is but in the long run for both sides it's just a job.
Both sides have heard (or asked) the same types of questions before, usually
quite often. Both sides are (usually) cordial, and yet not completely
true to their own personalities. Both sides are trying to skirt the
line between what is appropriate and inappropriate to say. And in
general a publicist is somewhere in the vicinity to make sure that nothing
too incendiary flares up.
Celebrity
interviews are almost nothing like they are portrayed in Steve Buscemi's
movie Interview. (At least, not any interviews that I have done
maybe I'm doing something wrong...)
Which is
not to say that Interview is a bad film. In fact it is a very
good one. But it takes some major liberties on the process.
This can be
(and is in this case) a fair move. It serves the story and adds a
level of intrigue, hostility and sexual tension to the whole thing which
doesn't really exist. However, as someone who has been through the
process, I feel obligated to point out that this isn't the way these things
work.
Steve
Buscemi plays Pierre Peders, a political correspondent who is being punished
by his editor, who suspects (apparently accurately) he has been fudging some
sources and demotes Peders to lifestyle features.
The first
of these "punishments" is an one-on-one interview with Katya (no last name
needed, thanks...). Katya is the beautiful star of a popular series
called City Girls, as well as doing a bunch of cheesy movies.
The
interview is a disaster from the start. Peders is obviously
contemptuous of her work and hasn't bothered to write questions or even read
the artist bio. He is also extremely rude, which the actress picks up
on and gives back as good as she gives. They quickly give up and split
from the restaurant, however, nearby he is in a taxi accident which is
tangentially caused by her. (It's a bit of a stretch, but I guess she
is the type of person who stops traffic.)
Because he
is hurt, she takes him up to her loft, where they start to talk, drink and
carry on a cat-and-mouse game of innuendos, flirtation, rudeness and
confession. As the night gets later and later they both are admitting
things they never imagined they would.
While there are several
supporting roles in the early going, this is essentially a two-person film.
The acting is as you might imagine, pretty incredible. It's a given
that as an actor, Buscemi is always good, even when he is taking cheesy
sell-out roles. The real surprise is that Miller is his equal, keeping
up with him and even trumping him periodically.
Interview
also has a tragic backstory which is at least as
interesting as its plotline. It is a remake of a Dutch film by
filmmaker Theo van Gogh (a descendent of famous artist Vincent). Interview was
to be the first of van Gogh's planned American remakes of his films.
Stars Buscemi and Miller had signed on to the project when the director was
murdered in 2004 by a Muslim extremist who felt that one of Van Gogh's other
films was sacrilegious. Buscemi stepped in to take over the
directorial reins. However the credit at the very end of the action
For Theo lends a pall of tragedy to the whole affair.
Jay S. Jacobs
Copyright ©2007 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved.
Posted: August 3, 2007.
