By Andrew Cristi
For many writers and directors (and even actors, for that matter,) they usually are identified by a specific genre. But, in the case of versatile director Paul Weitz, whose experienced his blockbuster comedy “American Pie” going on to become an unstoppable franchise, his hard-hitting drama “Being Flynn” attracting the likes of greats such as Robert De Niro and Julianne Moore, and his screenplay for the touching dramedy “About A Boy” getting nominated for an Academy Award, it appears as though he has definitely defied any chances of pigeonholing.
A true artist, Weitz is a complete filmmaker by way of the fact that he does everything from write, to produce, to direct- which is becoming increasingly rare in show business. With many films under his belt that are completely his own, such as “Grandma,” “In Good Company,” “American Dreams,” and “Cirque Du Freak,” the multi-talented movie magician has proven to be one of show businesses strongest and most capable auteurs, while his brand, complete with the Emmy winning “Mozart In The Jungle,” and TV adaption of “About A Boy,” validates him as an unstoppable industry power-player and a force to be reckoned with.
But, while the writer/director’s past credits have already established him as a titan in Tinsel Town, his most recent endeavor; the beautiful “Bel Canto,” manages to still exceed all expectations as it provides both a fantastic romance, as well as a gripping drama. Inspired by the Peruvian hostage crisis of 1996, the captivating story is epic, and really, very much a classic opera in its own right. Giving a spectacular performance, frequent Weitz collaborator Julianne Moore impresses in a role unlike anything she has ever done before, and quickly shows why her being directed by the brilliant filmmaker has generated such incredible results.
But, the most innovative casting choices here consists of the extremely diverse cast- most of whom go through the movie speaking in their native tongue and proving that excellence is not defined by one language. Utterly dedicated to authenticity, the part Mexican Weitz has created a boundary-breaking world of colorful and complex characters that showcase the beauty of visibility and representation on screen. In a time where “Crazy Rich Asians” just taught audiences that Asian visibility in media is important and bankable, the “Bel Canto” director increases that lesson with talented Ryo Kase and the incredible Ken Watanabe, extremely proud that the “studly” romantic leads of the film are Japanese- which is definitely a rarity in cinema. With award season upon us, it’s shocking that after a year that offered some of the most diverse films filled with actors of all races playing powerful parts, that the white actors continue to get the most attention, and it would be more than refreshing to see Weitz’ new masterpiece and his strong talent get recognized.
A mesmerizing fairy tale, “Bel Canto” never disappoints, and with an adaptation of the Lee Ann Moriarty novel “What Alice Forgot” on the way, it seems as though Weitz’ empire and star have any chances of dimming. Wingman sat down with the director to talk about his magnetic new film, his impressive career, and to ask him if there could ever possibly be an “American Pie” TV show in our future. Read on to see his answer!
WINGMAN: So, tell fans a little bit about “Bel Canto.” It’s pretty unique from other films!
PAUL WEITZ: I think it is completely unique. It was a terrifying movie to make because it’s about the things I find most important; such as how silly it is that we are going to die some day, and how silly it is to look at ourselves essentially as not similar from other people. It’s about romance, and art, and defining what it is to be human. It’s a very strange film because there are thrilling parts in it. I hate having guns in movies, but this is a movie where a girl is being held hostage and that gives it a different aspect to it, as well as the fact that it’s a romance. There’s a romance between Julianne Moore and Ken Watanabe, and there’s also a romance between a young Japanese actor named Ryo Kase and an actress from Guatemala named Maria Mercedes Coroy. Her native language is Kaqchikel, and she has done one film and it was almost completely in her native language. This movie has a completely international cast- and I didn’t do the big thing of everyone magically speaking English. It’s got Opera in it, which has a completely different language in it that I am just learning, and it’s got one toe in the reality of the situation that promptly inspired the novel. There was a hostage situation in Peru where a group of people had a party at the Japanese embassy which was taken over, and they were trying to get the release of some of their comrades. They wound up living there for months and on some level started to identify with their captors, and vice versa. It has one toe in that and another toe in a completely surreal story. It’s a really unique fable which is something like an Opera in its structure.
WINGMAN: What is also unique about this film is how diverse it is- and how authentic in its diversity. You did a great job of not white-washing this project and making sure there was accurate representation- even on the dialogue portion.
WEITZ: Yeah, again, we were lucky that there were a lot of really wonderful actors that wanted to play that part of Carmen, but something wasn’t working for me, partly because the character in the novel wants to learn to write and speak in Spanish- which implies that it’s not her first language. The reason that Maria knows Spanish is because she was the member of her family that would go to the market and interact with people when they were selling stuff and spoke Spanish. I am part Mexican myself, my grandmother was a Mexican actress named Lupita Tovar, and she was credited as being in the first talking picture in Mexico called “Santa.” On her side of my family there were people who more indigenous, and then there was some Irish blood [chuckles.] So, Tenoch Huerta, who plays Comandante Benjamin, looks very much like my great-grandfather based on the photos I have seen of him from my grandmother’s wedding. It’s pretty unusual I think, certainly for me as a director, that the two romantic leads are Japanese actors and their speaking Japanese. I knew Ken Watanabe had a great sense of humor and that he was a sexy dude, and I really like the fact that the studly guys of the movie are Asian. I tried to encourage people to speak in their own languages as much as possible. There are a lot of languages in the movie, and I really like the idea that it ended up having to be largely visual filmmaking supplemented with opera and music.
WINGMAN: Were you familiar with the novel already when you went into the film?
WEITZ: I was brought the novel by the producers. Anthony Weintraub wrote the script, and I went to college with him. I really enjoy reading- it’s what I do for relaxation, and I tend not to read to think of things that can be adapted to film because it takes the fun out of it at some level. But, I thought the novel, while being a beautiful novel, was also a beautiful story and operated in kind of a fable. To be honest, a lot of my earlier films were focused on mentorship, and what it is to realize one’s own flaws while trying to teach someone else. And then I started doing stuff about mortality and what perspective mortality puts life into. And that’s where the operatic aspects of it comes in to play because operas often times are talking about the most important things, they’re not afraid it and they don’t feel like they have to dip into irony. Although there are a lot of operas that wonderful and ironic but this is like a classic opera tale. Aside from hanging out with all of the international actors, I got to hang out with Renee Fleming who is very funny among other things. I used something she said about the opera “Rusalka,” which is that it is like the “Little Mermaid,” but it’s opera, so everyone dies in the end. I thought that was really interesting and that it applied to this movie, so I said that we needed this line in the movie and she liked it and thought it gave it some humor. It’s really true and it’s something otherworldly about opera that I’m interested in.
WINGMAN: You really assembled some very talented people here; especially Julianne Moore and Ken Watanabe.
WEITZ: Ken was pretty much the only person that I thought of. I worked with him on a very strange movie called “Cirque du Freak,” and I worked with Julianne [Moore] on a movie called “Being Flynn,” where she plays Robert De Niro’s wife, and the mother of a character who goes through a lot in this film. They are both really charming, and I thought they would have great chemistry with each other. And since everyone is going to be stuck in the same place for the movie [laughs,] I need actors that would be cool to hang out. Basically, if you weren’t in a scene, then you were in the background of a scene or you were a hostage. It was a really interesting group of people. A lot of us were living together right near where we were filming and could all help each other with the different languages, which was nice.
WINGMAN: You have also directed some great modern classics. “About A Boy” went on to become a television series. “American Pie” would be great as a series as well! Jason Biggs and Alyson Hannigan would be fantastic!
WEITZ: [Laughs] Wiser heads than mine are probably pondering that. It’s a funny idea for sure. My fourteen year-old daughter just told me she watched it for the first time at a friend’s house.
WINGMAN: You’ve also done a little acting. Would you like to do more of that? You did a little acting in “Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy.”
WEITZ: Sometimes people will ask me to act and that was the first that I did a small part on and it was really fun. I was playing an assistant director on it which I think was an inside joke for the casting director who was on “American Pie.” More recently I did a film with Jeff Baena who did “The Little Hours,” did you see that crazy film? It’s a complete hoot, and I played a peasant. He always asks me to do a small part in his stuff. It’s really good for me to remember what actors do because they could be waiting and waiting and waiting and then they have to go on and be this other person for ten minutes [laughs again,] at like 3 AM or something. So it’s good for me to remember what I am asking to do.
WINGMAN: You also have a whole bunch of projects in the works. What can fans look for?
WEITZ: Right now I am writing an adaptation of a Lee Ann Moriarty novel called “What Alice Forgot.” And there are a couple other things that I am working on, as well.
WINGMAN: You’ve worked with some great people; Dennis Quaid, Lily Tomlin, Topher Grace, and you’ve done some great films. Who else would you love to work with, and what else are you looking to do?
WEITZ: Basically I am learning to learn and to not be a fake. In terms of actors I would like to work with, I think what I would like to do is find those roles, like with Lily Tomlin- I met her on “Admission,” and after hanging out with her I thought “Wow, this person is incredibly smart and poignant and I think there is something that one could express.” So I wrote this movie “Grandma,” for her that I am really proud of. I think there is a reason that people are stars and the reason is that they are really fantastic actors. Sometimes they become detached from the roles that made them stars. For me, what I am really interested in, I don’t mind people that are crazy, I think that is totally fine. Crazy and mean isn’t the type of people that I want to work with. In terms of people that I would like to find something more meaningful to work on with; Harvey Keitel I got to work with briefly. Oh God, there are so many good actors. I also think there are some great actors that don’t get to do that role that would make them famous. On “American Pie,” no one had really done anything yet. Chris Klein had shot “Election,” but it hadn’t come out yet. So, that was really a clean slate for everyone. Seann William Scott was working at Home Depot at the time, and it was his first professional acting job. I loved him then and I still do, he’s a wonderful actor and I would love to work with him again.
Scott starring in another hit by Weitz? Sounds like a blockbuster fans everywhere would want to see. In the meantime, check out the director’s new masterpiece; “Bel Canto.”
Mike McCarthy