As a long-time admirer and follower of Alexander Payne‘s extraordinary career, I can’t help but feel a sense of anticipation tinged with nostalgia. The man behind “Election,” “Sideways,” and “The Holdovers” continues to captivate audiences with his unique blend of humor, drama, and an unparalleled understanding of the human condition.
2-time Academy Award winner Alexander Payne (“The Holdovers”) hinted at the forthcoming sequel to his cherished black comedy “Election” during a chat in Sarajevo. He also spoke about his ambition to explore different genres, revealing additional details of an upcoming Western production while expressing his aspirations for creating a compelling car chase movie as well.
At the Sarajevo Film Festival, where Payne is being honored with a lifetime achievement award, he provided some insights about the upcoming sequel to his 1999 film based on Tom Perrotta’s novel. In this movie, Reese Witherspoon portrays the ambitious and ruthless character, Tracy Flick.
It’s said that Paramount is working on a sequel for their streaming platform, Paramount+, titled “Tracy Flick Can’t Win.” This new project is inspired by Perrotta’s recently published novel (2022). Reese Witherspoon will reprise her iconic character, and Jason Reitman, known for his work, has been chosen to direct.
According to Payne, during their recent discussions, the idea of a potential sequel for ‘Election’ is under consideration by him and Jim Taylor. He posed this question on Sunday: “If there were to be a follow-up to ‘Election,’ what might it entail?”
The Academy Award-winning individual shared insights into a future Western project he’s working on alongside “The Holdovers” writer David Hemingson. He mentioned Anthony Mann, known for “Winchester ’73”, as a source of inspiration, without revealing specific details about the movie’s storyline.
He expressed his preference for creating a genuine and authentic atmosphere for a Western, incorporating landscapes significantly to establish a strong sense of location in his films. He also found it intriguing to emphasize the profound and symbolic interaction between characters and their surroundings.
At the packed Sarajevo’s Bosnian Culture Center, the Nebraska-born individual voiced his ambition to create an impressive car chase scene akin to “Bullitt,” the memorable 1968 action-thriller directed by Peter Yates and starring Steve McQueen.
“He went on to say that he had recently seen an amazing 1971 film, filmed in Athens, featuring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Omar Sharif. The director was Henri Verneuil, titled ‘The Burglars,’ or ‘Le casse.’ It had a stunning car chase scene. Additionally, he praised the movie ‘Vanishing Point,’ which he found to be a masterpiece. He expressed his desire to create a car chase sequence, and also mentioned his interest in making a detective film.”
Payne’s eight feature films have garnered a total of 24 Oscar nominations, with four nods for Best Picture and three for Best Director. He has received two Oscars in the category of Adapted Screenplay, and this year’s “The Holdovers” took home the award for Supporting Actress. His filmography also consists of “Citizen Ruth” from 1996, “Election” from 1999, “About Schmidt” from 2002, “The Descendants” from 2011, “Nebraska” from 2013, and most recently, “Downsizing” in 2017.
Last Saturday evening, Payne was honored with the Heart of Sarajevo Award (Honorary), and he showcased a special screening of his 2004 Oscar-winning adapted screenplay “Sideways.” This marks his return to the Bosnian festival, exactly 20 years since the film’s initial screening there.
Speaking about his collaboration with actor Paul Giamatti in the movie “The Holdovers,” the director mentioned that he aims for partnerships like those between Ingmar Bergman and Max von Sydow or Federico Fellini and Giulietta Masina, which are known for their enduring success, as models for the relationships he strives to foster as a filmmaker.
“He stated that they shared a strong connection, they intuitively grasped, as a team, the kind of movie they were creating. What I’ve yearned for is that bond with an actor or actress, but so far, I haven’t experienced it. This is because every script I’ve worked on has been unique, distinct from the others. I’ve often admired directors who have consistent collaborations with a specific actor.”
“He went on to say, ‘I’ve had a bit of trouble with Giamatti,’ which caused the audience to chuckle in disbelief. ‘Quite a lot,’ he admitted. After collaborating with him 20 years ago on ‘Sideways’, which was screened in Sarajevo in 2005, we both yearned to work together again. Unfortunately, I don’t produce films as often as I’d like, so the opportunities for me to offer him a role haven’t been plentiful.'”
One potential rephrase: “A lost chance was the 2017 sci-fi comedy ‘Downsizing,’ directed by [Director’s name], where humans shrink to save the planet, initially intended for Giamatti as the main character. However, it proved challenging to secure funding with him in the lead due to the movie’s high production costs. The role eventually went to Matt Damon, but despite this, the film underperformed at the box office.”
The director maintained that deliberately having modest budgets for his movies served as a means to discourage interference from his investors.
“He stated, ‘I prefer minimal budgets as they offer greater creative freedom.’ Expensive films, regardless of location, often make those with the purse strings apprehensive, leading them to try and exert control or influence. Even if one is resilient and can resist such influences, they can still permeate subtly.”
“He mentioned that during filmmaking, it’s best to avoid interruptions, especially those focused on financial matters. To achieve this, he advocates for maintaining low production costs. In my case, and similar to Stanley Kubrick, I prefer working with limited budgets to ensure fewer people question my decisions.”
Inquired as to how he maintains his successful career over the years, Payne explained that he approaches his work through emotion and intuition, essentially feeling his way in the dark, one step at a time.
He advised, “Sit and write consistently. That’s all you need to do,” he stated. “I recently completed ‘The Holdovers’ and I’m now traveling. When people ask me if I have a new project, my response is, ‘New project? I haven’t even sat down to write a script.’ It requires investing around 5000 hours or so. Without the chair, there’s no movie.”
The Sarajevo Film Festival runs Aug. 16 – 23.
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2024-08-18 16:47