If you’re not listening to Film Society of Lincoln Center’s The Close-Up podcast you need to rectify that immediately. The institution routinely has had most of the world’s greatest filmmakers come through their doors at one point or another and they often host terrifically insightful and entertaining conversations with directors, writers, producers and actors of all stripes. Recently, FSLC re-released a 2005 conversation with Woody Allen on the eve of the release of the drama “Match Point” starring Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
As you might expect, it’s a witty and entertaining live Q&A with Allen and delivers lots of insights into his creative process. Allen discusses how he finds his ideas, how he works with actors, not to mention praising his actors at the time, Johansson and Rhys Myers (“He’s so full of turbulence. He goes to get the newspaper and its a tragedy”). Here’s some brief highlights:
Dispels the notion that he doesn’t talk to his actors
“Actors are always saying in interviews that I don’t talk to them and I’m not a great social person in general. And I’m awkward socially and I don’t enjoy it,” Allen said and he explained that especially in the audition process, he rarely says much because he knows he wants to hire them. “…when I interview actors for a job I keep it to almost surreal minimum. They come in, I say… ‘I just wanted to meet you, don’t sit down’ and I think they’re happy. They’re glad to have such a brief encounter.”
“I know they can act, I’ve seen films of them, and if they just appear in person as they do on film — they haven’t gained 300 pounds or something—then I hire them,” he adds.
On set, he says that “I don’t say anything to them because they are wonderful actors and actresses to begin with and I don’t want to get all over them and kill them. These are enormously gifted people so I don’t have anything to add to anything.”
READ MORE: The 10 Best-Shot Films Of Woody Allen
Writing at home versus making films in the “real world.”
Allen says writing at home is fantastic, but making a film out of the script can be painful. “I write in my bedroom. Everything is great in the bedroom,” he said to unintentional laughter. “The ideas are fabulous and every movie appears like it’s going to be the next ‘Citizen Kane‘ and everything is magical and works perfectly. And then when you have to make it into a movie, it becomes more difficult. When you get out into the real world you have to get the right actors and everything you thought was so great when you were writing is not so great and you make a lot of mistakes… It’s a far cry from the loveliness of being in your own home, in your own bedroom, on your own schedule of writing.”
Allen actually liked ‘Match Point’
“I don’t usually speak fondly of my own films. I don’t do it out of modesty or conviction that many of them have come out well. But this one came out well and Jonathan Rys Meyers and Scarlett Johansson make a very hot team together.”
Check out the full conversation for much, much more.