My interview with 'Transcendence' director, Wally Pfister

‘Transcendence’ Director says, “It’s more than artificial intelligence”

By Kartik Chainani

 Most well known as an Oscar-winning cinematographer for his work on Inception, as well as his nominations for The Dark Knight, The Prestige, and Batman Begins, Wally Pfister makes his directorial debut with the new science-fiction film Transcendence (April 18^th, 2014). The film features a star-studded cast including Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman, Rebecca Hall (Iron Man 3), and Paul Bettany (Iron Man 1, 2, 3). Long time director/producer Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Trilogy) also joins the team, stepping on as producer. Incidentally, Nolan has directed most of the films for which Pfister’s cinematography is so critically acclaimed. Having worked so well together in the past, it will be interesting to see if Nolan’s directing techniques have rubbed off on Pfister.

The movie follows brilliant artificial intelligence scientist Will Caster, who is determined to create technology that can collect massive amounts of intelligence. When a group of anti-technology radicals poisons Caster, he becomes terminally ill. As a result, he and his wife use his new technology to upload his brain into the super computer.

I got a chance to interview Wally Pfister this morning and discuss the film Transcendence in detail, as well as his experience directing for the first time:

How did your experience as a cinematographer help in your directorial debut?

“I think what you’ll find in life is that everything that you do kind of contributes to what you’ll do later on. Everything I’ve done as a cinematographer, all of that experience came in to play when I was directing this movie. One of the greatest things I got out of my work was just a little less intimidation stepping on set as a director.”

What do you think is the most important thing about directing that you’ve picked up from working with Christopher Nolan?

“One of the great things about Chris Nolan is his discipline on set. To observe somebody who really considers every minute of your time to be precious, I’ve just learned how important your time on set really is. Having spent 14 years around Chris, where he doesn’t waste a second of his time and has a great appreciation for the fact that it’s somebody else’s money, and it’s a responsibility. He takes on that responsibility, and that’s one of the greatest things I’ve learned from Chris.

Audiences have seen artificial intelligence as a theme in film many times, so what sets Transcendence apart from the rest of these films?

“I think partially what sets it apart is that it’s not strictly about artificial intelligence. Part of what they’re working on early in the film delves into that, but I think I can say without any spoilers (laughs) that it’s actually about human consciousness. I think that also sets off the emotional journey that Johnny (Depp) goes on.”

With the open-ending of this movie, what is it you hope that viewers will eternalize?

“There are a lot of things I would like people to be thinking about when the movie concludes. I think probably the biggest thing is that, if we are going to be so reliant on technology, it’s good to know whose hands its in (laughs). It’s also kind of a wink to the notion that it’s not always so bad to turn these devices off every now and then and, you know, embrace nature.”

What was it like to have your first chance at directing to be working with top-billed actors like Johnny Depp and Morgan Freeman?

“Oh, its mind-blowing (laughs). I feel incredibly fortunate to be lucky enough in my first outing as a director to have the likes of these incredible actors. And honestly, this isn’t just bullsh*t (laughs), they were all a joy to work with. Obviously I’ve known Morgan and Jillian for ten years, we’ve done three Batman pictures together, so I was already comfortable working with them. But Johnny is just a joy to work with, he’s a really smart guy. Having this kind of talent to back me up on my first effort feels really phenomenal, I feel very privileged.”

Warner Bros. Pictures’ new film Transcendence releases this Friday, April 18^th.

Jason Bateman's 'Bad Words' Review

‘Bad Words’ Review

by Kartik Chainani

            Arrested Development and Horrible Bosses star Jason Bateman makes his directorial debut in the new Focus Features film, Bad Words. In the film, Bateman also stars as main character Guy Trilby, a 40-year old proofreader with a major chip on his shoulder. Being so well known for his many roles as “the nice guy”, Bad Words is a refreshing change of pace for Bateman, as we get a chance to watch his acting skill flourish when playing a world-class jerk.

            The story follows a middle-aged man (Bateman) who finds a loophole in the Golden Quill National Spelling Bee, a contest for middle-school students, which allows him to be a contestant.  Despite being such a hateful human being and having dropped out of middle-school himself, Guy is actually quite brilliant when it comes to the English language, and has a strong, strange desire to beat all the children competing. 

Angering all the contestants and infuriating their parents, Guy is clearly completely unwanted at the competition. Unexplainably, young contestant Chaitanya Chopra (Rohan Chand) immediately seems to take a liking to Guy, and desperately tries to be his friend. Hateful and profane Guy, however, pushes him away at every turn. Chand’s character couldn’t be more lovable. A stereotypical spelling bee nerd, Chaitanya has no friends and spends most of his time buried in his books. However, his enthusiasm and warmth are things that even Guy can’t resist.

           

Bateman’s character, Guy Trilby is the kind of guy you never want to run into, as his clear hatred for the world seems to be taken out on anyone in his way. While being an overall pessimist who seems to have no filter on his potty mouth, you can’t help but crack up at just about everything he has to say in this movie.

            Admittedly, some scenes and camera work throughout the film feels a little awkward at times, and gives off a bit of an indie-vibe. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as it just breaks out of the norm a bit, as Bateman finds his footing as a director.

            This being Bateman’s first chance at directing a feature-film, he seems to have started off strong. While it may be a different experience when he’s directing himself, the chemistry and feel given by the rest of the characters, particularly Chaitanya and love interest, Jenny Widgeon (Kathryn Hahn), offers hope that Bateman will make a success of his next project, The Family Fang (2014).

Overall, Bad Words may not be the funniest movie you’ll see this year, but it is, without a doubt, worth checking out. The nasty humor and tone of the movie present sure-fire laughs, and the dynamic between Bateman and Chand has an underlying warmth to it. As Bad Words is only currently released in select theaters, if it’s near a theater near you, it’s well worth your time.