The Morning Read: Matthew Libatique will join Aronofsky for 'Wolverine 2'
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On an entirely-related note, I was at the AFI Fest closing night screening of "Black Swan" last night, and at the after-party at the Roosevelt, I ran into Matty Libatique, the cinematographer of "Black Swan," "Iron Man," "The Fountain," and the upcoming "Cowboys and Aliens". We've met a few times now, and he's one of my favorite guys in the business. He's so inventive, and so expressive, and such a key collaborator on the films he's shot. There is one moment in "Black Swan" that I can't describe without ruining the film for you, but it's a combination of performance and photography and an effect and the score, and it just tears me up. Both times I've seen it, I hold my breath watching it.
When I realized he was standing next to me at the bar, I said hello and we talked about that shot and the film in general for a moment. We also talked about the gorgeous Western fantasy work he's done for "Cowboys and Aliens," and the pleasures of shooting a face as great as Harrison Ford's. I love that he can shoot big commercial fare like "Iron Man" and "Cowboys And Aliens" and really give the films a rich, vibrant sheen that makes movie stars look legitimately superhuman, but he can also shoot films like "Black Swan" or "Requiem For A Dream," pure emulsion emotion. As he turned to another friend in line, he confirmed that he'll be joining Darren Aronofsky for "Wolverine 2," so there's one more reason for me to look forward to that movie. We spoke a little more about "Cowboys" and an early action set piece in the movie, and then parted ways.
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