Interview: Sir Kenneth Branagh on "Belfast"

by Nathaniel R

Kenneth Branagh on the festival circuit early in the season (Middleburg Film Festival to be exact). Photo by Shannon Finney

I had the opportunity to sit down with Sir Kenneth Branagh at the Middleburg Film Festival way back in October and saved that conversation, not quite intentionally, until now. Consider it a last minute gift to you all as near the end of Oscar season. Belfast is up for seven Oscars, three of which are for Branagh himself (Original Screenplay, Director, Picture) but when we spoke he was at the beginning of this awards journey. The famous actor/director was a delight in person, unconcerned with the clock, and very conversational, interested in talking about the movies in general and not just his own!  Outside of this official interview we discussed the movies we'd seen at the festival and he even asked for my take on a film that was getting harsh press at the time. He is an avid moviegoer in real life, which is a good personality trait you must agree.  Naturally we had to talk about the big moviegoing scene in Belfast.

[This interview has been edited for length and clarity]

NATHANIEL: One of the intriguing things you've said is that you wouldn't have done Belfast without the blessing of your siblings. But what if they'd said no? Would you have really tossed your script? 

KENNETH BRANAGH: It would have gone in the bottom drawer, yes. Over the years there's a few in there like that...

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Interview: Martha Plimpton on Her Role in ‘Mass’

By Abe Friedtanzer

We’re back with another spotlight on one of the strongest films of 2021, Mass, which managed to earn exactly one nomination from BAFTA today, for Ann Dowd in the supporting actress category. Nathaniel spoke with Dowd recently and I had the chance to talk to writer-director Fran Kranz, and today we have Martha Plimpton, the fantastic stage and screen actress who plays Gail… 

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Interview: Sean Baker and Simon Rex on 'Red Rocket'

by Nathaniel R

What film character will you remember best from the past year? One of our contenders for that crown is, for better and worse, Mikey Saber, the motor-mouthed adult film actor in Red Rocket. Better, because he's wonderfully written by Sean Baker and brilliantly played by Simon Rex. Worse because he's a walking disaster and narcissistic predator. Though the indie grossed a solid $1 million in limited release, it would surely have been a bigger success if its raucous mix of sex/cringe/character comedy could have played to more crowded theaters in non-pandemic times. Still, a Cannes competition premiere, 3 Gotham Award nominations, and a Los Angeles Film Critics Association win for Best Actor makes Red Rocket's brief run a major success. The film and Simon Rex's devilishly funny star turn are both bound to pick up more admirers soon on home viewing.

We had the privilege of sitting down briefly with writer/director Sean Baker and star Simon Rex prior to the release to talk about the film. [This interview has been edited for length and clarity...]

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Interview: Ann Dowd on 'Mass' and 'The Handmaid's Tale' and staying humble when the offers come.

by Nathaniel R

As Ann Dowd and I sat down to talk about Mass, we talked briefly about some work she'd been doing with acting students (not as much as she'd like) and reminisced briefly about the time she guest blogged for The Film Experience seven years ago. In one piece she wrote for the site she doled out advice for young actors about "attending to your life" as she puts it and seeking help if it's needed rather than purposefully 'Suffering for Art'. I reminded her of her own words:

You need an understanding of suffering and pain but you do not need to spend your life doing that to make the work good! 

This advice seems especially relevant today given the heavy themes of her current drama Mass which is about two married couples meeting for the first time years after a tragic school shooting has permanently altered their lives. [This interview has been edited for length and clarity]...

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Interview: The Director of 'Lunana' on making the Oscar finals, working with yaks, and meeting Ang Lee

by Nathaniel R

Making movies is never "easy" but some movies achieve the impossible. Pawo Chonyning Dorji's debut feature, the Bhutanese Oscar finalist Lunana A Yak in the Classroom, is one of the latter kind. Its very existence is a miracle, and that's before you even get to the lottery-ticket like good fortune of competing for the Oscar. While Bhutan has a growing local film and television industry, heavily influenced by the films of Bollywood, the pictures are mostly low budget and don't travel outside of the small landlocked country. They definitely don't travel anywhere near the mountainous village where Lunana A Yak in the Classroom takes place, since there is no electricity let alone a movie theater. The charming soulful movie is about a restless young teacher named Ugyen (first time actor Sherab Dorji) who dreams of moving to Australia to pursue a music career. He very reluctantly accepts a final teaching gig to complete his government contract but that assignment is in the most remote part of all Bhutan.

Setting a story there is one thing, filming there without electricity with cast and crew of first timers -- some of whom had never even seen a movie -- is another.  We had the pleasure of talking to the director about his miracle Oscar contender and why he made it and our interview follows after the jump...

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