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WWTW Interview: ‘The Brothers Bloom’s’ Rian Johnson – Part 2

cftoto — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:36:52 +0000

Writer/director Rian Johnson of “Brick” fame attended one of the best film school’s in the country – the USC School of Cinematic arts.

George Lucas, Robert Zemeckis and John Wells (“ER“) all got their start at USC. Yet Johnson still credits the movies he shot in his formative years as his truest training.

“At film school you get to see good movies and hopefully make movies and meet people, but you really only learn how to make films by making them,” Johnson says, adding he wished he had snazzy software packages like Final Cut Pro as a teen.

The young writer/director isn’t in the same league as his school’s famous grads quite yet, but he didn’t have to work the film festival circuit to secure a deal for his latest film, “The Brothers Bloom,” which opened the Starz Denver Film Festival last week.

For “Brick,” Johnson attended the famed Sundance Film Festival to find a distributor. This time around, the festival circuit became a place where he could relax and watch audiences assess his movies.

“Now, it’s much more fun. It’s about getting the movie in front of audiences and seeing how it bounces off them,” he says. “Every audience has its own personality.”

As for “Bloom,” he admits the con man caper isn’t for everyone.

“You’re either on board and think its funny, or it’s absolutely annoying and you want to run out of the theater,” he says with a laugh.

No matter, since he has a soft spot for polarizing features, and ones which reflect his mindset. He didn’t have the kind of brotherly bond the lead characters share in “Bloom,” but the film does mirror the vibe he gets when he reunites with his own family.

“It’s controlled chaos,” he says. “Barely controlled chaos.”

PART ONE OF WWTW’s CHAT WITH RIAN JOHNSON

(Photo: The cast of “The Brothers Bloom” – Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz and Mark Ruffalo.)

WWTW Interview: ‘The Brothers Bloom’s’ Rian Johnson

cftoto — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:14:34 +0000

Director Rian Johnson spent his childhood making movies, using his neighborhood buddies as his cast and crew.

He’d bounce from comedy to western to action picture. The young film fanatic couldn’t settle on just one film genre.

His mashup sensibilities eventually earned him raves for his feature debut, 2005’s “Brick.” Johnson set his film noir homage in the not-so-adult world of high school.

Now, he’s at it again, cross-pollinating the con man flick with a romantic comedy in “The Brothers Bloom,” which opened the 31st annual Starz Denver Film Festival Nov. 13.

“Maybe I’m just continuing to do this,” he said of his genre-hopping film which opens in limited release next month.

“Bloom,” which stars Oscar winners Rachel Weisz and Adrien Brody, follows a pair of con artists (Brody and Mark Ruffalo) trying to swindle an eccentric millionaire (Weisz) out of her fortune.

It took Johnson six years to get “Brick” made, but Weisz’s early affection for “Bloom’s” script made making the follow up far easier to complete. She fought for and won the role, and the other cast members soon followed.

Having a well regarded film under his belt should have made shooting “Bloom” a far more comfortable experience for Johnson.

Not exactly.

“I was terrified,” the affable writer/director says. His “Brick” experience helped, but he worked primarily with young actors on the movie.

“Psychologically, I bonded with them,” he says.

For “Bloom,” Johnson had to direct two Oscar winners across four Eastern European countries. Once filming began, Johnson’s nerves settled. It was just like directing his childhood pals all over again, he found.

“Once I started working, all the apprehension went away,” he says.

Part 2: Johnson reflects on film school, film festivals and making movies that mirror his colorfully chaotic family gatherings.

(Photo: Rian Johnson, writer/director of “The Brothers Bloom”)