Boxoffice - October 2015

I would get to know them and then I would sketch
out an idea with enough info that they could fill in
the blanks.
This isn’t the first time you’ve worked with
nonprofessional actors. What advice would
you give to other directors who would like to
try it but may feel intimidated?
My first three films were with nonprofessional
actors, and the last two I’ve had more famous actors.
Casting is everything, but that’s the same with pros.
You have to find people with great faces. It’s about
utilizing the great things they have and expanding
on those.
Michael Shannon and Andrew Garfield are
excellent in this. When you have two strong
actors working at the top of their game, does
it create a friendly competition that makes
them both even better?
Yes, it was amazing to watch. You have this Faustian
story—you know, a deal with the devil—kind
of like Training Day or Wall Street, and we worked
with a different kind of acting style that was a little
more loose and improvisational. All I could do was
allow them space, and it produced great sparks. In a
way, they were one-upping each other to get an even
better performance, but at the same time they had a
great respect for one another. It just worked perfectly.
Did you ever have to tone down one of them
and say, “I know this is an intense moment
for you, but it should be more intense for the
other guy”?
Sure, you are always fine-tuning things as you go
along, but they all have respect for each other. I always
let them do three to four takes and do what they want,
and only then do I come in with some notes.
One of the strongest scenes in the film is
the one in which we get insight into Michael
Shannon’s character—why he is doing what
he’s doing. Up until that point he’s seen only
as a villain. How important to you was that
scene? Did you allow Michael to improvise?
I knew I wanted that speech there and I knew
its dramatic purpose. Michael’s character is a strong
antagonist in the film, and he’s sort of the villain,
but not really. For me the main antagonist is the
system that created Michael. He’s a man who knows
his father was destroyed by the system, and he’s not
going to let that happen to him. When we shot the
scene it was basically as scripted, but he improvised a
few lines and worked in the research he’d done in an
amazing way. That’s why I consider him one of the
five best actors in the world today. n
OCTOBER 2015 BoxOffice ® Pro 25