The Press Box - 'The Big Picture': Making Kick-Ass Liam Neeson Movies With Director Jaume Collet-Serra (Ep. 415)

Episode Date: January 12, 2018

Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey sits down with director Jaume Collet-Serra to discuss teaming up with movie star Liam Neeson for a fourth time in his new movie, ‘The Commuter’; the difficulties of shooting a movie in a confined space; and why he keeps coming back to genre films. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

all over the casting, the script, what I do, how I edit. They let me do pretty much whatever I want, and I like that. I'm Sean Fennessey, editor-in-chief of the ringer, and this is the big picture. As Hollywood experiences radical shifts and the box office becomes more and more unpredictable, certain kinds of movies have started to disappear. But one type, the high-concept mid-budget thriller, has a loyal protector, director Jama Colette Serra. Colette Serra has made several films in recent years that are stylish and smart,

but don't skimp on the action. 2011's unknown, 2014's nonstop, and 2015's run all night have one common denominator other than its director, and that's an ass-kicking Liam Neeson. The director in Neeson have teamed up for a fourth time in The Commuter, a movie that, like nonstop, takes place mostly on a moving vehicle, this time a train. Neeson's character must solve a mystery, find a person on that train with precious information, or else. Colette Sarah's movies are inventive and unusually fun, so I was really excited to talk with him about why he continues to reunite with Neeson, the difficulties of shooting a movie in a confined space and why he keeps coming back to genre movies.

So without further ado, here's Jauma Colette Serra. Very pleased to be joined by Jaama Kuala Tera. Jama, thank you for joining me today. Thank you, no problem. So, Jaama, this is your fourth film with Liam Neeson, and it's your second with him that is largely confined to a moving vehicle. After non-stop, what was appealing to you about the commuter and about re-approaching a movie like this?

You know, we enjoyed the experience, and... That helps. not only because I have anything in public transportation or anything, but, you know, it actually ended up betting because, you know, the airplane has small windows, it really the environment airplane, you know, is much more dramatic. At the same time, it dehumanized the interaction. You know, when something goes, well, that is very alert,

and it just causes a very unusual situation. And with the train, we were options, have scenes and craft them in a way that a lot of the people didn't know that anything was happening or going wrong. And Liam and try to manipulate people who get information as he would as a fellow passenger, not from any position in power. And that was also very interesting for me because I would see a different side of Liam. So he's not forced to, you know, kind of come to people with a gun and demand information, but use his charm. Yeah, you make him more of an Ercule Perrault in this movie, right? Yeah, I mean, he's not designed.

I mean, he's not like, you know, he's an insurance salesman, so, yes, he was an ex-crop or whatever, but familiarity with figures out is nothing that any other person in the audience cannot figure out with him. So I like to, probably, the corporation is there. Liam has obviously transformed himself in the eyes of the public as this action star

over the last decade. What is it about him that appeals specifically to you to make him the centerpiece of so many of your films? point of view. And, you know, I follow, I see what he sees, and that Liam has that for some reason. I mean, the audience really connects with him. And he can be with him, I've never, it's very natural to him. He's not himself there. The choreography, and he does it all himself. All of the fights are because they can feel that he has like a win in all fronts. You know, I mean, action, that's fantastic. I think people tend to forget that he's a wonderful human being. That helps. I think people tend to forget that. that he's 65 years old, too. I mean, he's still, you know, he's very virile and strong,

but he's an older guy. He's an older guy, and we have to even accept, you know, and that's why in this movie, I mean, I wanted him to verbalize, you know, like, his age, you know? He's like, oh, 45, but 170, you never really say a number, you know? You know, the character never says a number, and I think that, you know, I think that one of the scariest parts is that at some point you get to a certain age,

and depending on your profession, you're going to be, better people, cheaper people, or whatever, that are behind that are going to take your place. And sports industry, impressions maybe later, but sooner or later it happens to all of us. You do an extraordinary thing to build that character. The opening credit sequence of the movie is one of the best I've seen in a long time, and it shows us really who this person is and what the stakes are going to be in his life. How did you decide to cut the opening credits the way that you did to show him and his family? I needed to not only tell the audience something, but I needed them to experience it, you know.

So when you have a character who's a commuter and maybe not a lot of people, you know, like I know people in LA, they use cars, people in a lot of the world, they don't have this type of commute. So, yes, you can understand it logically, but I wanted them to feel like what it's like to spend, you know, years taking the same train at the same time. And eventually, that's his superpower. That's, you know, the fact that he has that routine, which seems

very innocent and boring, is the reason why he speak to be able to figure out who doesn't belong in the train. So, I needed to show that. And it's a very unusual montage, because normally when you show one or short repetition, you show the same seen under different conditions of weather and light and wardrobe. But this was like,

not only that, but different moments of different days that cut together, they would almost tell a full story. And, you know, it worked. It was specialized and for a while it was very risky as we didn't know if an audience tell us, you know, they were crazy clear that we had something. And not only shows that, but he shows the relationship between his kid and how his kid has a hard time with the books and how he's helping him breathe and then his relationship with the other passengers. all of the, you know, and it's just a bunch of boring support. And, you know, and I felt that that was the only way to open the movie. And we did it, and it's paying off big time.

Yeah, I think it was absolutely brilliant. I really appreciated it. Tell me a little bit more about why you like to work in these confined spaces. Is it like a puzzle for you to approach a movie like this? Yeah, I think mostly restrictions are good for a story. I like very clean and these much freedom, points of views and things, and, you know, I think that the whole thing would get lost, the story that I'm trying to tell, you know,

and ultimately every movie, there's some things, but there are, is the guy, you know, the everyday, the harder. You pull off some neat tricks. Was it harder or easier than nonstop or the shallows in any way? What was the approach like for this one? Well, shadows was the hardest just because of the water. I mean, that water off it, which was, I am in nonstop one carriage out of six.

Oh, wow. So I had to change this heat, configuration and change all the passengers and shoot completely out of order. So I would shoot. So there was a big planning for sitting. Yeah, that sounds complex. You know, you got your start in music videos and you made some horror films at the beginning of your career.

And you stuck largely with what we call genre movies. What is it that keeps you in that space that keeps you working in these kinds of movies? I liked it because. But it's mostly like the same. People like, you know, I'm involved in these ones. you know, I'm very loyal to the script, you know, I'm a director to have some... That's interesting.

You know, your films have all done good business and are well-liked and just telling people that I'd be speaking with you, I was kind of rattling off your filmography, and you could see people kind of get more and more excited the more movie titles that they hear. But you've been consistent in this kind of mid-budget. Do you aspire to making a bigger film or something that is on a bigger playing field?

Yeah, my next film is going to be big, you know? And I think that, you know, I will... I mean, that's, if you go to a bigger film, you have a bigger sandbox. Is there any part of you that worries that you'll become known as a guy who does these kinds of movies, and then those are the only kinds of scripts that will come across your desk? No, because making movies, I'm happy. So, you know, for me, making the movie is very difficult. I respect anybody that makes it.

Is there anything in your life that you're hoping to reflect on screen at some point that maybe we don't know about? Hey, guys, we're going to take a quick break to hear from our sponsors. Today's episode of The Big Picture is brought to you by Sundance Now. Brought to you by AMC Networks, Sundance Now is a premium streaming video service that gives you access to the best in award-winning films, documentaries, and series. Like Liar, a new psychological thriller from the Golden Globe-nominated creators of The Missing. Starring Downton Abbey's Joanne Frogate and Unreal's Yoan Gruffat, Lyre explores the devastating cost of deceit on a couple and their friends and family

and asks, are there really two sides to every story? Liar is currently available on Sundance Now. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial by going to sundance-now.com and using the promo code, big picture. Okay, and now back to my interview with Jauma Colette Serra. There's a couple of great fight scenes in the movie, and what makes for a great fight scene for you?

It should be earned, you know, like a physical issue, they should have a little, you know, they can get the fighting a lot, but a lot of people in the audience, maybe they like more something long just for a group of the audience, you know, so you have to be very conscious. Before you start making a film, do you show other films to the casting crew to kind of indicate like the kind of thing you want, or are you just purely explaining to them what you want?

What was the one time you did it? I did it when I was in war in Germany, so we would screen a film like once a week and, you know, more in, you know, people and they would have a different opinion about what you're an experience as a film and man. Create scene and have concrete rules about, like, you know, this is how the camera should move have a very strong point of view from a character perspective. Jama, I end every episode of the show by asking filmmakers, what's the last great thing that they've seen? So what is the last great thing that you have seen?

What did you like about it? And as you know, it's obvious. Jauma, congrats on the commuter, and thank you so much for doing this today. Today's episode of The Big Picture is brought to you by Sundance Now. Brought to you by AMC Networks. Sundance Now is a premium streaming video service that gives you access to the best in award-winning films, documentaries, and series. Like Liar, a new psychological thriller from the Golden Globe nominated creators of The Missing.

Starring Downton Abbey's Joanne Frogate and Unreal's Yoan Gruffet, Lyre explores the devastating cost of deceit on a couple and their friends and family and asks, are there really two sides to every story? Liar is currently available on Sundance Now. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial by going to SundanceNow.com and using the promo code Big Picture.