>>brief encounters Indie poster boy Steve Buscemi on filmmaking, celebrity culture, and putting out fires By Harlan Jacobson

There are endless things to say about Buscemi, closing in on 50 later this year— from his early days as a stand-up come- dian in the East Village in the Eighties to his work both in front of and behind the camera on The Sopranos to his still unre- alized dream project, an adaptation of William Burroughs’s Queer—and it’s a lit- tle odd interviewing him about Interview. In the real world, Buscemi is hard to reach, doesn’t do much publicity, wouldn’t meet in person—in short, the whole process of setting up the interview took on many of the trappings of how art and media have been derailed by celebrity culture, which of course is at the heart of Interview. Get him on the phone, or see him at Sundance responding to audience questions, how- ever, and he’s a straight shooter, earnest and open. The face of the new indepen- dent and quasi-independent American cinema for nearly 20 years, he remembers where he came from when the gates finally swing open.

Before his murder Van Gogh was planning to remake Interview in English.Why did you step in? I didn’t know his work at all. Bruce Weiss, the producer, called me about the project, explaining that Theo wanted to remake Working Class Act three of his own films in the States, and that they were trying to honor that using steve buscemi’s career is an american spin-off of the American directors. At first I was just sea change in acting wrought by Alec Guinness 50 years ago. curious to see the films . . . and I chose Interview. It was my favorite of the three. Buscemi’s sourpuss “full-on human rat mode,” as Variety put it What was it about the film that resonated recently, ratchets down mythic-sized characters to everyday guys with you? working their humdrum psychopathic cons in plain sight. His char- I liked all the comments that it made about celebrity and media and the rela- acters are the alchemy of turning tragedy into dark comedy. tionship between this journalist and the Buscemi stars in two new films, both of which premiered at Sun- starlet, and all. But I more liked how it dance this past January: Interview, which he also directed, and, 11 was like watching a couple going through a breakup even though they were just years after starring in Living in Oblivion, Tom DiCillo’s Delirious. meeting for the first time. Both films are about media corruption, with Buscemi playing The film is almost about the power of acting journalists at opposite ends of the food chain. In Interview, a to disarm you. She takes him up on his challenge and remake of the Dutch film made by Theo Van Gogh, who was mur- outsmarts him. She’s a lot more than he dered in 2004 by a Muslim fanatic, he’s a serious journalist who’s bargained for. He really underestimates been sent as punishment to interview a celebrity-fluff actress her, prejudges her, and she plays her hand very well. You learn more about (Sienna Miller) and agonizes about being inside the room. In him in the film than you do about her. Delirious he plays an oily paparazzo who’s outside and wants in. You think she’s revealing a lot, or that

24 FILM COMMENT July-August 2007

PORTRAIT BY ROBIN HOLLAND; INTERVIEW PHOTOS BY JOJO WHILDEN © CINEMAVAULT, COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES CLASSICS does thesamething.Rober to createthatguywithhim.Tom DiCillo ity hegivestoactors.Hereally allowedme r right beforeIdirected lucky toworkwith himin takes andgetallthecoverageatonce. camera, soyouhavetodothesereallylong the close-upsfi esting thingwasthatTheolikedtoshoot thr Cer J byfunded both and abroad—Jim Hollywood You’ve worked withdirectorswho’ve been in themovie. much fasterthanIdo.Also,wasacting add alocation.Butingeneralheworked He diditinlikefourorfivenights.We did . . And Theo . took youIt ninedays to dothis. be gettingineachother wide, butyoureallycan’t dothatorthey’ll ting aclose-up,onemedium,and Yeah. AtfirstIthoughtonewouldbeget- thethree-cameraDid achallenge? pose method camera cr mostly handheld.We alsousedhisDutch later filmswiththethree-cameramethod, also shootitinthewayTheoshothis true tothespiritofrelationship,and the originalstepbystep.Iwantedtostay long pr interview, unlesshewasdoingareally really wouldn’t happenhereonthefirst journalist wentdirectlytoherhouse.That didn’t havethesceneinrestaurant; We decidedtoopenitup.Theoriginal from theoriginal? Why didyou make thechangesyou made alot,buthe’she’s not. uncovering Soup working withandwhy? doyou like ofindiecinema.Who at theheart working withAlexandreRockwellon ar esponsibility Interview Interview musch, ee incloseandpulloutwider tainly e [92], Ireallylearnedalotabout ofi ew and h on,Trnio You’ve Tarantino. been the Coens, le ofher (x3) veryone youmentioned.And , abouthowmuchresponsibil- rst. Theactorsarerarelyoff- dp . Ididn’ Thomas Kist. Trees Lounge ’ s way Kansas City t Altman—Iwas t wanttocopy . Soyouget . Theinter- In the [96], [96] What ofwork didyour kind daddo? Long Island,fromthetimeIwaseight. Born inBrooklynandgrewupmainly You were inBrooklyn? born Because it’ Why to you? isthat important home can’t make itoutintheworld andcomes inwhichCasey Affleck plays who akid [05], thing tha of At theheart never forgottenthat. Oh, absolutely. Hewasreally shocked Was your dadproud? Company 55inLittleItaly job. AndIdidthatforfouryears. Engine ing inthecity, andIdecidedtotakethe number onthelist.Bythattime Iwasliv ment. Ittookthemfouryearsto gettomy available. FormeitwastheFireDepart- to takewhatevercivil-ser When weeachturned18weremade impressed uponmybrothersandme. four boys.Acivil-ser for aboutfiveyears,butmainlysheraised She wasahostessatHowardJohnson’s D He wasasanitationworkerfor30years. tr It’s crawl over thebackofworkingman. tha rected himselfandsaid,“On be successfulonhisterms.Andthenhecor- if thefilmmadeanickel,buthewanteditto all inthistogether. Hetoldmehedidn’t care on set.Hemadeeveryonefeellikewewere and Ijustlovedtheatmospherehecreated will sometimessabotagethat? make aconnection.Whatisitinusthat people arehavingahardtime,lookingto I know st endsupona hisdog, hisgirl, loses hisjob, guy country-and-westernBrooklyn song: ue of id y o ol inabar t therichsomehow always manage to our momw . A . It’ T ll share areal milieu. working-class r t c ees L s whereI’mcomfortable.These s wher ourses thr And it’s true of . ounge Animal FactoryAnimal ork? e Icomefr , ough y which issor vice jobwasr . our our otherfi vice testwas om. Itiswhat L [00] issome- onesome J terms.” I’ve t oflik eally lms: e a im - the film.You don’tthe film.You doalotofpress. past month right orsobears onpoint about vie I’d madeonlyonefilm, timeIleft, when Isaidwasleaving.Atthe back onit,Icanseethatitwasprettyrisky. seemed liketherightthingtodo.Looking a reallyriskythingtodo.Inmyeyes,it enormously. when 9/11o H tent filmcareer. [ mynonexis- jump-start banking onthatto [86], whichhadn’t beenreleasedyet.Iwas hearing yourself talk. of gets bizarre.And alsoyoujustgettired yourself withinthesameinter things, andwonderingifyou’re repeating real. You yourselfsaying thesame find after awhiletheexperiencejust getssur It’s whenyou’re doing severalinarow, only interviewI’mdoingtoday, soit’s okay. mote anindependentfi views thatarerequiredthesedaystopro- that’s forsure.It’s alsothenumberofinter- It’ It’s you interviewing alittleodd about them thatdayandthenextfourorfivedays. and foundmycompany. Iworkedwith and Iwalkedaroundforacoupleofhours into thesite.Iwenttherewithmyoldgear, they hadlostfiveguys.Thenhedroveme fi just togetinformation,andranintoafire- Y D deaths wassosur made itreal.Theothernumbersofcivilian was like100firefighters.Andthat’s what The fi that’s whatmadeitveryrealforme. and guysthatIknewworkedwith, numbers offirefightersstartedcomingin, wrap myheadaroundit.Butwhenthe ghter friendofmine,andhetoldmethat eah, Iwentthenextdaytomyfi a id y s notmyfavoriteaspectofthisbusiness, ving w w , ou godo ac rst numberofcasualtiesthatcamein tually . July-August 2007 or k ccurred,it musthave affectedyou ccurred,it ed asafireman for four years, wn t The wholeminuetofthe . . laughs o y r eal tomeIcouldn’ our enginec I ] Inhiseyes,itwas lm .Thisisthe FILM COMMENT Parting Glances view. Itjust ompany? rehouse, Inter- 25 - t