Filmmaker and Academy Award nominee Noah Baumbach’s charming and quirky dramatic comedy, Frances Ha, is a modern comic fable that examines the human condition and explores New York, friendship, ambition, failure and redemption.  Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the screenplay with Baumbach and starred earlier in Baumbach’s Greenberg, plays the title role.  Opening May 17^th, the film was shot on location in New York City and features a terrific cast of up-and-coming actors that include Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, Michael Zegen and Patrick Heusinger.

In an exclusive interview, Baumbach talked about how the finished film compared to his original vision, what fuels his creative collaboration with Gerwig, writing a story populated by intelligent, funny and relatable characters, what his casting choices brought to the film, why he is drawn to Gotham, the challenges of filming in NYC, why he decided to shoot in black and white, and how he used music to elevate and expand the movie.  He also discussed his upcoming projects including reteaming with Gerwig on a new film set in New York City, an animated feature in development at DreamWorks, directing the Ben Stiller drama While We’re Young, and adapting The Emperor’s Children for Ron Howard and Brian Grazer.  Hit the jump for the interview.

Indie actress Greta Gerwig gives an engaging performance in the funny and charming dramatic comedy, Frances Ha, which she co-wrote with director, Noah Baumbach.  Gerwig plays an apprentice dancer in New York who aspires to become a regular member of her modern dance company.  Living her life with joy, optimism and self-delusion, she throws herself headlong into her dreams even as she struggles with friendship, love, ambition, and frequent setbacks.  Opening in theaters on May 17^th, the film is shot in black and white and also features Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, Michael Zegen and Patrick Heusinger.

I recently landed an exclusive interview with Gerwig who talked to me about writing and starring in her second film with Baumbach, their effortless creative collaboration, what inspired her quirky character, how they auditioned all the roles to find a perfect cast of New York’s best actors, the immersive directing process, and the excitement of shooting on location on the streets of New York.  She also revealed what she has coming up next: a film with director Mia Hansen-Love about the 90’s French club music scene, plans to re-team with Baumbach on a new film in New York, and their DreamWorks Animation project.

Opening this Friday is Midnight’s Children, an epic film from Oscar-nominated director Deepa Mehta, based on the Booker Prize-winning novel by Salman Rushdie.  At the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, as India declares independence from Great Britain, two newborn babies are switched by a nurse in a Bombay hospital.  Saleem Sinai (Satya Bhabha), the illegitimate son of a poor woman, and Shiva (Siddharth), the offspring of a wealthy couple, are fated to live the destiny meant for each other and their lives become inextricably linked to India’s identity.

At the recent press day, Mehta talked about creating a film that’s sweeping in scope yet intimate in tone, which films and filmmakers influenced her approach, how she assembled the diverse ensemble cast of American, Bollywood and Indian theater actors,  the unique color palette she chose to convey the story’s passion and magic and conjure up rich and unforgettable images, the challenges she encountered bringing the book to life on screen, the production delay in Sri Lanka caused by Iran, how she convinced Rushdie to narrate the film, and why she found their collaboration one of the greatest experiences of her life. Hit the jump to read on.

Producer/actor Danny Abeckaser plays Dino Lapron, the best friend of real-life mob hitman Richard Kuklinski, in The Iceman, Israeli director Ariel Vromen’s fascinating portrait of the notorious contract killer of the 70’s and 80’s.  Abeckaser, who grew up in Brooklyn, got the acting bug at an early age, went on to become a New York nightclub promoter in the mid-90’s before returning to his first love playing small roles in friends’ movies, and then making his mark in Holy Rollers which he produced and acted in.

At the recent press day for The Iceman which opens this Friday, Abeckaser talked to us about the challenges of getting the film made, how he prepared for his role, why he liked how his character brought out the human side of Kuklinski, what it was like working with Michael Shannon and Winona Ryder, why he thinks audiences are attracted to mob movies, what he looks for in a role, and his experience rubbing elbows with a real mobster.  He also discussed his role in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, his plans to shoot his own movie, The Life, directed by Fabrizio Conti, and how he’s hoping for a new Snickers commercial with Joe Pesci.

Celebrated author Salman Rushdie’s epic novel, Midnight’s Children, comes alive on film in Deepa Mehta’s vibrant and sprawling adaptation of the magical tale of two boys switched at birth whose lives mirror India’s post-colonial identity crises.  Written and narrated by Rushdie and shot on location in Sri Lanka, the film opens this Friday and features a large ensemble cast that includes Satya Bhabha, Shahana Goswami, Seema Biswas, Shabana Azmi, Shriya Saran, Siddharth and Rahul Bose.

At the recent press day, Rushdie talked about the experience of seeing his novel brought to life on the big screen, his rewarding collaboration with Mehta, why the filmmakers decided to retain creative control over the project and the financial challenges that posed, how Mehta convinced him to do the voiceover narration, finding the right actors to complete the large ensemble cast, the significance of the Booker Award, other successful adaptations of books to film, and how Midnight’s Children was born out of his love for India.  He also discussed plans to adapt his latest work, Joseph Anton: A Memoir, to film and explained why he’s always been a movie fan.

Ray Liotta plays real-life mobster Roy Demeo in Ariel Vromen’s crime drama, The Iceman, based on the story of notorious contract killer Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon) whose career prospects expand when Demeo offers him the opportunity to earn a living as a mob enforcer.  The role marks the second time in 30 years that Liotta has played a real-life mobster since his acclaimed performance in Martin Scorsese’s gangster classic, Goodfellas. 

At the film’s recent press day, Liotta talked about getting back into that world again, why he likes playing pretend, how he researched his larger than life character, what it was like working opposite Michael Shannon, how he’s met real life mobsters, why he was reluctant to play Frank Sinatra in The Rat Pack, and why he tries to avoid typecasting and chooses roles that are diverse and challenging.  He also revealed his upcoming projects including playing himself in The Muppets…Again!, a hitman in the crime thriller Pawn, a preacher in The Identical, and a guy cheating on his wife in Sin City:  A Dame to Kill For.  Hit the jump to read more:

Robert Davi turns in a killer performance in Ariel Vromen’s crime thriller, The Iceman, portraying Leo Marks, a character inspired by Anthony Gaggi, the captain of the Gambino crime family.  Opening in theaters on May 3^rd, The Iceman chronicles the life of notorious hitman Richard Kuklinski and stars Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Chris Evans and Ray Liotta.  In powerful roles that range from a James Bond villain to an FBI profiler, Davi has made a career out of playing tough guys both on the big screen and on television, and he’s worked with some of the most respected actors in Hollywood.

At a highly entertaining roundtable interview, Davi discussed his character, the appeal of the genre, getting his start in the business with Frank Sinatra in Contract on Cherry Street, the enduring ties between show business and organized crime, rubbing elbows with made men at Café Roma, and winding up on the cover of the LA Times Magazine in a feature article entitled “The Mob Goes to Hollywood.”  He also talked about launching his professional singing career, headlining The Venetian in Las Vegas, his new album Davi Sings Sinatra:  On the Road to Romance, and the script he recently finished writing.  Hit the jump to read more.

Director/co-writer Ariel Vromen’s The Iceman chronicles the life of notorious contract killer Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon) who earned the nickname for freezing the bodies of his victims to throw authorities off his trail.  A man of many contradictions, Kuklinski was by various accounts a loving husband, a devoted father, and a ruthless hitman who concealed his work from his family.  Opening on May 3^rd, the film also stars Winona Ryder, Chris Evans, David Schwimmer, Ray Liotta and Robert Davi.

At the recent press day, Vromen talked about why he thought Kuklinski’s story would make a fascinating film, how he convinced Shannon to shoot a test scene that helped secure the financing, why the ying yang dynamic between Shannon and Ryder worked so well, what led to some of the surprising casting choices for the supporting roles and how he balanced those with veterans of the genre, and why he was inspired by American mob movies while growing up in Israel.  He also discussed his next project, Narco, a drug-centric action thriller set in the world of narco-trafficking submarines.  Hit the jump to read the interview.

Ramin Bahrani paints an unusually dark portrait of life in the Iowa heartland set against the backdrop of today’s fiercely competitive world of high-tech agribusiness in his new film, At Any Price.  Opening in theaters on April 26^th, the drama melds timeless themes of fathers and sons, ambition and rebellion, morality and survival, with a sharply de-romanticized view of modern farming.  The film stars Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron, Kim Dickens, Heather Graham and Maika Monroe and marks Bahrani’s first film with a larger budget and cast of professional actors.

During the interview, Bahrani and Quaid described the film as a modern day version of Death of a Salesman and Quaid’s character as a Willy Loman for our times who’s chasing the American dream and corrupting himself in the process.  Quaid discussed what attracted him to the complex role, how he prepared, and why he chose not to judge his character.  Bahrani revealed how he feels the film reflects the world we live in today and provides a stark commentary on the state of the American dream, the economic pressures we now face, and how far some people will go to protect their way of life.  He also discussed his next project which focuses on the Florida housing crisis.  Hit the jump to read more:

Heather Graham takes on an unforgettable role in Ramin Bahrani’s drama, At Any Price, as Meredith Crown, the town beauty who never managed to get out of town.  Set in the American heartland amidst the competitive world of modern agriculture, the film chronicles the complexity and corruption of the American Dream and what happens when ambitious Iowa farmer Henry Whipple (Dennis Quaid) and his rebellious son Dean (Zac Efron) face an unexpected crisis that threatens the family’s entire livelihood.

At the film’s recent press day, Graham talked about preparing for the role, her thoughts on the moral ambiguity of the characters, the directing process with Bahrani, working with Efron and why she admired his relationship with his fans, what she learned about GMOs and how it may have turned her into a vegetarian, and why she enjoyed shooting on location in Indiana.  She also discussed reuniting with the guys on The Hangover Part III,  her new screenplay, Half Magic, which she hopes to direct, and her upcoming role on Season 7 of Showtime’s Californication playing a woman from Hank’s past who comes back to haunt him.  Hit the jump to read more:

Producer/director Joseph Kosinski’s visionary sci-fi epic, Oblivion, was inspired by his graphic novel written in 2005 which became the pitch for the film.  Set in the year 2077, the story centers on Jack Harper (Tom Cruise), a security repairman stationed on an evacuated, post-apocalyptic Earth who is part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying alien threat.  When Jack rescues a beautiful stranger (Olga Kurylenko) from a downed space craft, her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he thought he knew.  Opening this Friday, the film also stars Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough and Melissa Leo.

At the recent press day at Universal Studios, Kosinski discussed how the finished film compared to what he had originally envisioned, why he likes movies that ask big questions but don’t necessarily answer all of them, the challenges of creating a sci-fi world that’s never been seen before, getting M83’s Anthony Gonzalez to compose the cool score, what the actors brought to their roles, how his background in mechanical engineering and industrial design influenced the film’s groundbreaking visual design, collaborating with DP Claudio Miranda on the high definition front projection, and why he chose not to do 3D.  Hit the jump for the interview.

Academy Award-winner Morgan Freeman joins Tom Cruise in Oblivion, a visionary, action-packed sci-fi thriller directed by Joseph Kosinski opening in theaters this Friday.  Freeman plays Beech, the morally ambiguous leader of a mysterious band of survivors that continue to inhabit Earth six decades after an alien invasion irradiates the planet.  Beech suspects Jack (Cruise), a daredevil pilot serving as the last drone repairman stationed on the planet, may hold the key to saving the remaining people of Earth.

At the film’s recent press day, Freeman revealed that the main reason he wanted to be a part of the project was to work with Cruise and that he felt sci-fi was the perfect genre for them to be involved in together.  He was also drawn to the film’s awesome technology, the love theme that’s central to the story, and the fact that he got to fire a dual .50-caliber machine gun which he’s never done before.  Freeman also discussed what it’s like working with older directors like Clint Eastwood and Rob Reiner compared to younger ones like Kosinski and Christopher Nolan and how he disagrees with Humphrey Bogart and feels he owes the public a little bit more than just a good performance.  Hit the jump to read more. 

Olga Kurylenko plays a crash-landing traveler who crosses time and space in search of true love in Joseph Kosinski’s new sci-fi thriller, Oblivion.  The action-adventure saga is set in the year 2077 after a massive war has left Earth in ruins and uninhabitable.  The Ukrainian actress and former Bond girl who made a scorching impression in Quantum of Solace was game for the tough role of Julia and turns in a compelling performance opposite Tom Cruise.  Opening in theaters on April 19^th, the film also stars Andrea Riseborough, Morgan Freeman, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Melissa Leo.

At the recent press day, Kurylenko discussed what attracted her to the mysterious role, how Cruise and she collaborated with Kosinski on their characters, why she found Cruise to be a generous acting partner, how she got used to flying in the Bubbleship, how her Bond experience helped with the action sequences, what it’s like to have worked with two of Hollywood’s biggest action actors, what Cruise and Daniel Craig share in common, how making Terrence Malick’s To the Wonder compared to Oblivion, and more.  Hit the jump to read the interview.

In Danny Boyle’s hypnotic thriller Trance, Vincent Cassel plays Franck, a ruthless art thief determined to locate a stolen Goya painting who turns to a seductive hypnotherapist (Rosario Dawson) for help when violent coercion fails.  Nothing is ever quite what it seems in this stylish thrill ride filled with hallucinations, dream sequences, and unreliable narrators.  In fact, Cassel considers Franck the most normal of all the film’s characters.  Not only is he the closest to the audience and the easiest to follow, but he’s also a gangster that falls in love, so he can’t be totally bad.

At the recent press day, the Cesar award-winning French actor talked about his character, the appeal of working with a director like Boyle, why he’s skeptical of hypnotherapy, what it was like shooting his torture scene with James McAvoy, how an international cast made the film’s plot more intriguing, and why he likes the idea of a strong female lead that’s smart and beautiful.  He also discussed his upcoming film, A Samba Drama, set during Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.  Hit the jump to read more:

In 1942, with little to rely on except tremendous courage, a strong bond of love, faith and personal ingenuity, the Stermer family was forced to hide from the Nazis in cold, damp underground caves in the Ukraine where they lived for over 500 days in near total darkness.  Seventy years later, through a combination of dramatic reenactments and interviews with the survivors, veteran documentary filmmaker and television producer Janet Tobias has brought to life their harrowing experience in her fascinating documentary, No Place on Earth, opening in theaters on April 5th.

In an exclusive interview, Tobias talked to me about what convinced her to make this inspiring film about Holocaust survival, the financing and logistical challenges she encountered, how her prior experience informed her approach, what her actors and creative team contributed, what impressed her most about the surviving family members, and why she felt a sense of obligation to preserve living history and pass their stories forward for future generations.  She also revealed her upcoming projects:  a documentary on the World Memory Championships, a drama about oil and greed in 1920’s Oklahoma, and a 3D IMAX film on human eco-systems. Hit the jump to read the interview.