So what look were you striving for in this movie?
I was striving for a gritty 70s like revenge movie combined with a deeper crime drama of today. I wanted to emphasize the line between right or wrong, or the potential lack of a line.
Lack of a line?
Yes, I wanted to have each action of these characters carry some weight. None of the places they go, or the people they meet, or should I say attack, will be frivolous, even down the minor henchmen. It's not like these guys are experienced at doing this. Only one of them are. These are men from different worlds all coming together to take down a criminal empire.
With three rising stars in Pine, Fassbender and Renner, how does trying to get a good performance out of them compare to getting a performance out of older actors in the film like Wilkinson, Dafoe, and Hamm?
It is all the same. It comes down to inspiring your actor. Whether it is giving them a speech or something drastic like putting a gun to their head (laughs), whatever works for the movie you have to do. I remember when I did America Beauty and some of the first scenes I shot did not work for the film. So I shot it again. First two days of shooting, we shot again. I know it’s disappointing but I look for perfect, not just good or great. I wouldn’t say they were wasted though. We, as a cast and crew learned from our mistakes and learned how to make it perfect. Even the best directors, like Spielberg, Fincher, and Nolan are still always on a learning curve.
fantastic. Beautiful.
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