Saturday, May 3, 2008

'Redbelt' premiere

Last Friday the TriBeCa Film Festival premiered David Mamet's latest film, Redbelt. The film is set in the world of Brazilian jujitsu and is about a practitioner named Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who finds himself in situations where he is forced by others to question his very strong morals. Redbelt is at turns both brutal and poignant and above all else is certainly moving. It is a stunning film the beauty of which would be appreciated by any sort of moviegoer. For Good Prattle's first foray into event coverage I attended the premiere last Friday and spoke to the film's star, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and his co-stars Randy Couture, Ricky Jay, John Machado, Ray Mancini and Rebecca Pidgeon, as well as premiere guests and actors Gaius Charles, William Moseley and Aimee Teegarden. Throughout the night I got to hear others about the film; the director; and the world of Brazilian jujitsu... and everybody had something interesting to say.

Chiwetel Ejiofor
Hi! My name is Keely. Nice to meet you.
Hi. Chiwetel Ejiofor. Nice to meet you.
Could you talk a little bit about the film and your central role?
Well, I play a guy called Michael Terry who's a Brazilian jujitsu practitioner in L.A. He runs this academy. He is a very ethical, very morally driven man, and he gets embroiled with slightly more nefarious types and these Hollywood people who come into his life and complicate his ethics and morality on basically every level.
Right. So how did you get involved with the film?
Well, I was sent the script by David Mamet, he'd seen some of my work and I'd spoken with him briefly on the phone, and I was a huge fan of his for years so I was just very excited to be part of the film, to sign on.
So you hadn't met him before working on Redbelt.
No, we'd met very briefly just at a dinner thing beforehand, but never really spoken before the movie.
Did you know much about the world of Brazilian jujitsu beforehand?
No, nothing at all, so it was a baptism in a fire for me. It was exciting to get involved and to learn as much as I can in a relatively short space of time. But it was really, really exciting.
You mentioned you're a fan of David Mamet's work. Of what in particular?
I suppose it's all the great pieces of work; there are so many that I like, from Glengarry Glen Ross to his screenplay for The Untouchables; I recently saw his play November, which I really liked. And all his books on directing. I remember first being introduced to him by The Duck Variations and The Water Engine, his early, early plays.
What was it like working with him?
Terrific! I mean, he's a very easy director to work with, and obviously as you'd expect he's incredibly knowledgeable about filmmaking and about writing and about character and development. So he's somebody you're able to speak to expansively, sort of trying to understand all the parts of the acting and directing process. So it's a very easy process to work with him and to collaborate with him on creating a character.

You're a theatre actor as well; have you ever acted in a play that he's written?
I did a play that I kind of put on when I was a teenager, The Duck Variations, which I did in school. That's the only other time I've ever done any of his work. So the rest of it, I've just read and watched! But that was my only prior experience.

It was great meeting you!
Thank you.
Randy Couture
Hi. Randy Couture? I'm Keely. Could you discuss your role in the film?
I play Dylan Flynn. He's a former fighter turned color commentator, and it was a fun character, a good character. He's the character Chiwetel's guy is constantly trying to talk to, to get to blow the whistle on the whole thing.

Oh, so you're not necessarily one of the bad guys or one of the good guys?
No, not necessarily. He's kind of portrayed like, "If it gets to me, I will do the right thing and set it straight."

Were you familiar with the world of jujitsu before beginning work on this film?
Oh, absolutely. I've been training in jujitsu for over ten years and fighting in mixed martial arts for over ten years as well. I've competed at many levels in the sport, so I think that brings a kind of authenticity in some of the characters he chooses.

Yeah, it really seems like he's tried to cast it so nearly all of the actors have experience with the sport.
Absolutely.

How was working with David Mamet?
It was fantastic. From the castings on down, it was a great experience. For someone who's not schooled in film and writing and all that stuff, it's a great experience for me.

Had you met him or worked with him before?
No, this was the first time.
And were you familiar with his work already?
I actually wasn't terribly familiar with him as a writer or a director or filmmaker, but his movies—there are a lot of him now—I've actually gone back to learn more about him.
Thank you so much for talking!
Thank you!

Ricky Jay
Hi, I'm Keely. Nice to meet you!
Ricky Jay. Hi!
Could you talk a little bit about your role in the movie?
I play Marty Brown; he's the fight promoter. Because, you know, there's a long tradition of fight promoters as the most honorable men in the world. I lie. So it's a great sleazy role, and there's almost nothing more enjoyable than playing a true sleazeball. So I had a good time.
How did you get involved with the film?
I slept with the producer.

[laughs]
Who happens to be my wife.
CHRISANN VERGES [the producer who happens to be his wife]: Cut! Cut! He has a long history with Mr. Mamet. They've done… how many films?
I think this is our seventh film together. Plus he directed my two one-man stage shows, so… I slept with him too!

[laughs] How did you meet him? Aside from sleeping with him...
20 years ago, through mutual friends. We've been buddies for a long time.

So how does working with him differ from working with other directors?
Well, it really does both professionally and in terms of friendship, but professionally because I think we know what to expect with each other. I think I've never worked with a director who required or gave less specific direction, because there's just an understanding. I think if I did something wrong I would both want and expect direction from David, but there's much less than you would imagine. As meticulous as he is about the delivery of lines, I think that most of the forethought goes into the casting. And once he's cast the part and feels comfortable with it, there's very little beyond that. And at the end of the day it's fun.

Were you very familiar with the world of jujitsu before beginning work on this film?
Actually, I was. I'm a fan of mixed martial arts and boxing so I was pretty familiar with it. But it was great to have a chance to work out with these great fighters, and to work with some new actors. I really think Chiwetel Ejiofor is a remarkable actor. So thanks so much!

Great to meet you! Good talking to you.
Good talking to you!
John Machado
Hi!
John Machado, nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you. Could you talk a little bit about your role in the film?
I play Ricardo Silva, who is the Brazilian champion in the movie and brother of Alice Braga's character, and I'm the business guy in this movie. I fight for the money. So that's part of the drama in there about what you're willing to do for money that the main character goes through. The story's about a fighter who runs a martial art school, but he does it for love, for passion. But he goes through a lot of pressure, a lot of deception, a lot of—it's a Mamet plot—a lot of twists. And he's brought to this world of professional fighting, fighting for the money.

How does your character relate to Chiwatel Ejiofor's main character in the film?
Well, I'm the big fighter. I'm the champion, and he's married to my sister, so he goes through all these hardships… there's a lot of pressure, like "Hey, my brother's making a lot of money, they've got the big champions, they're famous fighters…" So we have all this conflict for the main character. You'll see. And they're going to have to face off sometime! It's good.
So do you primarily practice jujitsu as opposed to acting?
Well, jujitsu, I have schools, I have a business, but I act as well. I've been involved since the beginning on this project, and I've taken some of Mamet's acting classes to understand more about his style. And then I got the part of Ricardo Silva. I hope you like it!
Nice to meet you; thanks for talking!
Nice to meet you!

Ray Mancini
Hi, I'm Keely. Nice to meet you!
Ray Mancini. It's a pleasure. Nice to meet you.

Could you tell me a little about your role in the film?
I play the role of George, who's a weapons expert; he's worked in SpecialOps, and his character and Chiwetel's have a history, we have this exchange, "Hey! You, you!" I pick him out of a crowd and I go, "Hey, what're you doing here?" So you realize we have a history together. It's a lovely little scene, I think it's a nice little scene. And being part of a David Mamet film is wonderful; having a small part in a David Mamet film is better than starring in anybody else's film.
Yeah, and that scene you described seems to have his signature style of dialogue.
Yeah, exactly! Exactly, you know? I think it's a nice little scene, and I feel glad to be a part of the movie.

How did you get involved with the project?
I got to meet David through a mutual friend, and I'd been training jujitsu with Renato Magno, and I turned David onto him. David's a real physical guy, he wanted to know about jujitsu, I introduced them, and six years later, they're still doin' it, and—

Oh, so you introduced them!
Yes, yes. And so David said, "I'm going to do a Brazilian Jujitsu movie and I want you part of it."
Are you planning on working with him again?
Oh, yeah! We're actually talking about another project we're doing together, and—you know, being friends with Dave is wonderful because I'd been a fan of his for years before I met him. I don't get Shakespeare. I've tried it, I don't get it. But David Mamet is my Shakespeare. And Sam Henry Kass. Those guys are my Shakespeare. They write the way I talk. Dave's dialogue is wonderful.
Thank you so much for talking. Nice to meet you!
Nice to meet you!

Rebecca Pidgeon
Rebecca Pidgeon! Hi, nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you!
Could you talk a little bit about your role in the film?
I play Tim Allen's wife, and we're these rich powerful people in the movie who kind of lure Chiwetel's character into this rather tempting world, and he questions his principles. But I also wrote the songs for the film.

This is your husband's movie. Were you an active force in its creation?
Well, in terms of the music, yes. I had been writing songs for an upcoming album and David was inspired by that for the movie and he asked me to write more, and then he wanted it to be included in the movie, and it is.

So he drew a lot of inspiration from your music as well?
I think he did, yes. He says he did. It's very kind of him to say so! But this is his. Obviously, it's his script and his story. And it's such an inspiration to him, jujitsu fighters, the sadness and the beautiful stories from that world. And it's really an homage to Kurosawa; he calls it a martial arts samurai film. And Kurosawa is one his favorite directors.

Yes. And given that this is your husband's film, you've seen it develop from the beginning. Did this help you better understand the movie when you became involved with it?
Yes, I think so. You know, when he asked me to write music I don't think I'd actually read the script. He said, "Oh, I'm going to write a movie based on this jujitsu world," because he was so inspired by his teacher Renato Magno, and when he told me to write the music, I said, "What's the movie about? What are the songs about?" and he said, "One of the themes is betrayal." So that's what I went with. And he said that the music should be very, very sad.

So do you have any upcoming projects?
Well, my record is coming up, which these songs are a part of, called Behind The Velvet Curtain. And that's coming out right around the opening of Redbelt, so I hope to be promoting that and performing around that.

Very convenient timing!
Exactly!

Thank you so much for talking!
Thanks. Nice to meet you.

Gaius Charles
Hi!
Hi, nice to meet you. Gaius Charles.
Nice to meet you. Is this the first film you are attending at the film festival?
Yeah. You know, actually we just got in from Austin probably yesterday, so we just figured we'd swing on by and catch a film out here.
Are you seeing others as well?
Well… actually… no.

[laughs]
This is a very short trip. We're actually only out here for about a day and a half. But we heard this film is supposed to be really good.

Are you a fan of David Mamet's work?
This is actually the first thing I've seen of his. So I hope I am! I hope I will be, yeah!
What is your role on Friday Night Lights?
I play a character called Brian "Smash" Williams. He's a young running-back at Dillon High School—it's a show about high school football—and he's beginning to… go to college, and go through the whole process up and down, and you see him get a scholarship, and lose the scholarship, and now we're going to see him transition from high school into college.

So are you here because of the sports connection?
Exactly. Exactly, yeah.

Do you know a lot about Brazilian jujitsu?
Um… I don't. But again, I hope to know a lot more after I see the film! It was a pleasure talking.
Great to meet you!
Great to meet you too.

William Moseley
Hi, I'm Keely. How are you?
Hi, nice to meet you. William Moseley. How're you doing?

Is this the first film you're attending at the TriBeCa Film Festival this year?
This is. This is the first film I've been to at the TriBeCa Film Festival. I'm really, really excited for it; I really like David Mamet as a director, and I think this film's going to be really interesting.
What of his other works do you like in particular?
Well, I really liked Ronin. And Heist. Both of those are—Heist is an excellent, excellent thriller with Gene Hackman, who is a wonderful actor, and that film was really, really good.

You're in Prince Caspian, which is coming out soon, but you've also been looking into other roles as well.
Yeah.
Would you say you're looking to play a role like the ones David Mamet writes?
Yeah. I would love that. It would just be an honor to work with David Mamet… but you've got to see how it goes. You've just got to do the work and keep your fingers crossed and hope that things are aligned, you know.

Are you attending other films here?
I am, actually. My friend has got a film here tonight which he's written and directed—two of my friends actually, Hunter Hill and Perry Moore, who've got Lake City, which is going to be an amazing film and I'm really excited to see it.

Are you liking New York?
I love New York. It's my favorite city in the whole world, and I say that honestly. It's my absolute favorite, especially when the weather's nice. Everyone's outside in shorts and tee-shirts.

Have you been to Brooklyn?
Um… yes I have. I went to a vintage store in Brooklyn, I can't remember what it was called, but it was really cool. I actually got—ah, I might have forgotten the blazer, but I got this white, kind of beige Ralph Lauren vintage blazer for like $20. It was insane.

…Was the place Beacon's Closet, by any chance?
Yeah! Something Closet! Beacon's Closet, that's exactly it, yeah! I was going to say Out of the Closet, but then I remembered that's a shop in L.A. And then—that's so funny!
Did you go to the one in Park Slope or the one in Williamsburg?
Um… I'm not sure. It was like two stops up on the subway. Maybe Williamsburg. I don't know. It was kind of small. I don't think it was the one in Williamsburg. I think it was the other one.

Oh, in Park Slope.
Yeah. Beautiful area as well. It's really nice.

Yeah, it's a great neighborhood. Well, thank you so much for talking! It was great to meet you.
Thank you very much!

Aimee Teegarden
Hi!
Hey! Aimee Teegarden. How are you doing?

I'm good; how are you?
Good!
Have you been seeing other films at the film festival?
This is the first time I've ever been to the TriBeCa Film Festival.
First time ever?
Yes, first time ever! I'm from L.A., so it's really exciting to be out here and getting to go to the film festival.
Do you like New York?
I love New York! The shopping is amazing; the food is great; the people—I like the people. I know some people say New York is a little rough around the edges, but it comes with the territory, I guess.

Depends on how you approach us.
Yes! Definitely.
So are you a fan of Mamet's other work?
I haven't seen any of it, actually, so I'm really excited for tonight's film. I've heard good things.
How did you end up coming to this particular premiere?
Well, I'm on the TV show Friday Night Lights, which is a football show, so that's how I came to attend today. They signed me up for it. Sports-related, I guess. I don't know, it should be fun, so I'm excited. Are you going tonight?
I am! Are you seeing any other shows at the film festival?
No, just tonight. I have to fly back tomorrow morning… bummer. Another five hours back to California. [laughs]
Well, thank you so much for talking!
Thank you. Have a great evening!
Redbelt, now in theatres, is a fantastic film; I encourage all of you to find out more about it by visiting its website.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

…Was the place Beacon's Closet, by any chance?
WM: Yeah! Something Closet! Beacon's Closet, that's exactly it, yeah!

lol, this cracked me up at first.

We are listed at: Girl Wide Web | Blogged | LinkLeads | Bloggy Awards