10:14AM, Sep 24, 2009
Joe Wright came to prominence with his first movie, a spirited adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, which also put Keira Knightley on the road to super-stardom. After the success of his last movie, Atonement, Wright decided to tackle his first US movie.
The Soloist is based on the true story of Los Angeles Times reporter Steve Lopez, and his unusual, touching relationship with Nathaniel Ayers. Living rough on the streets, the schizophrenic Ayers is also a musical prodigy, a one-time Juilliard student forced to leave when his illness consumed him.
Shooting with real homeless people near LA's skid row, Wright engaged the Lamp Community, an initiative that helps those on the streets, to bring an authenticity to his tale of adversity and triumph.
Rob Daniel caught up with Wright to his new movie.
Sky Movies: Why did you choose this as your first US project?
Joe Wright: It chose me really. Careers are what happen where you’re busy developing other projects, and I was in the process of editing Atonement when I was sent this script.
I was fascinated by the combination of classical musical and insanity, but was a bit wary about making a film in LA. I’d never wanted to make a film in Hollywood, I like making films in Britain about the British experience for British audiences.
But, I went over there and met Steve Lopez and Nathaniel Ayers (played by Robert Downey, Jr. and Jamie Foxx in the movie), and then the people on skid row, in particular the members of the Lamp Community, and I just fell in love with them.
So, I made it to spend time with them, it wasn’t really a kind of career move.
SM: And why did you go with Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr.?
JW: Talent. Jamie was an obvious choice, and he was very keen to do the role. He flew himself to London to meet me, and his background in classical music, he is classically trained, made him a natural choice.
Robert has always been an actor I’ve admired greatly, and I wanted to learn from him. So it seemed to be the perfect opportunity.
SM: What did you learn from him?
JW: I can’t really put it into words. He made me relax a lot and freed me up in my direction of actors. He’s fairly unpredictable so you just have to go with him really.
SM: What did working so heavily with the Lamp Community give you as a director, and also your cast?
JW: It kept our feet on the ground, and served as a reminder of why we were making the film. It gave the movie an authenticity. If I was worrying about how to portray a situation they knew exactly how they lived their lives and I would ask them to show us.
I think the process is an important as the product, because we spend our lives making these films so you might as well enjoy it, and to work with them was a vastly enjoyable experience. And their input is the reason this movie happened, they’re the reason I wanted to make the film.
SM: Do you think you’ll continue with this sort of social issues movie?
JW: It's funny, I don’t see it as being a social issues movie because I've got no agenda really. I see it as being a love story really, a platonic love story between two men. And an expression of my love for the people I met on skid row.
SM: Hollywood tackling mental illness can sometimes be met with cynicism. Did that affect how you approached the film?
JW: I tried to be very un-cynical about it, and I tried to respond to the way the story was guiding me.
I was also aware that I had to be careful about the ending really, what I was saying. I believe in asking more questions than I answer, to leave the audience with questions, and not to suggest there is any simple cure for the situation.
SM: What I liked about the film was that Nathaniel is a sympathetic character, but that his illness can make him terrifying.
JW: Mental illness is the scariest thing of all for me. I confront my fears through my work, and I think I had to be honest.
SM: I read an interview where you said audiences are dwindling for adult drama such as this. Do you think a UK audience will be more receptive to the film?
JW: Um, I think an American audience is receptive to it, and that audiences generally go through cycles. Audiences at the moment are spending a lot of money wanting to see big blockbusters, but there is still an audience for adult dramas and, really, I think there always will be.
Rob Daniel
The Soloist is released on Friday 25th September in cinemas nationwide.
