Having made films in the English language as an actor, Guillaume Canet is yet to make a film in the States as a director, but now remakes a film he once starred in, to bring us Blood Ties. We had the great pleasure in speaking to Canet, who discussed why he chose this particular story, why he has turned down big Hollywood scripts in the past years, and what it was like directing his partner, Marion Cotillard.
Blood Ties is of course a remake of Les Liens du Sang, which you starred in. When working on that film, were you already planning your own version in your mind?
No, to be honest, it was the first time in my life I was reading a script as an actor and that I had this weird feeling when I was reading it, I really wanted to direct it. Which was weird for me. But never during the shoot did I think about it. It was a while later that I had several opportunities to shoot a movie in the States because my previous film Tell No One worked well over there. So I was offered several scripts to direct but I was never comfortable directing a movie I hadn’t written. I wanted to be involved in the writing process, I didn’t want to be in a big studio movie without having any control. That’s the reason why I declined all of those offers, but then one day I realised that if I wanted to make a movie in English, I should come with my own material, and I thought about this story, which was a true story. So I went back to the book and realised I could make another movie from this story. So I decided to adapt it in New York because I’ve always been a huge fan of movies from the 70s in New York.
Do you think you’d be more open now to offers from Hollywood now than you were before?
The problem that I have, is that it depends on the project. I’m really obsessed about detail, and if I have a movie in my mind, I really want to be able to direct it exactly the way I picture it. The problem when you direct a movie for a studio, is that you have a lot of producers behind your back telling you what to do and how to do it. But it’s not all negative for the directors doing them, it takes a lot of talent to do it.
In all of your directing projects, you’ve been involved in the writing process. Can you ever see yourself taking on somebody else’s script?
It’s complicated for me to imagine directing something I haven’t written.While I’m writing I see the movie. I see how I will shoot them. It’s a big part of the emotion that brings me to making a movie, while I’m writing I feel what I want to say, and that’s how I find the excitement of directing. But maybe one day I will read something I hadn’t written and feel comfortable directing it.
You’ve mentioned your love for 70s set American movies – with the haircuts, the Motown etc – it must have been so fun creating this world and turning up on set everyday to see people in costume?
[Laughs] Yeah I love that, I’m a huge fan of that period and the music. I enjoy writing a script and listening to music from that period of time and being in the streets with all the old cars… It’s very exciting to do that, and very fun to see the actors wearing those clothes. We tried our best to be a credible as we could be.
The music is one of my favourite aspects to this movie – you even play Sam Cooke’s I’ll Come Running Back To You, which is just incredible – were you heavily in the selection process?
Yeah always, with all movies I make. I write with music, I have my iPod on shuffle and just listen all the time, it’s a huge part of my writing and directing. When I listen to music it’s what brings me the emotion, the rhythm, and most of the time the music can inspire the scene. Then once I’ve written the scene with the music, I can’t get rid of it. I play it on set for the actors and technicians to listen to it so they know exactly what I’m trying to do. Then the music is in the film, so most of the time the soundtrack after finishing the script.
As for the casting, you originally played the role that Billy Crudup takes on – were you ever assisting him, or did you think it was best to leave him to his own devices to discover his own approach for the character?
It could have made me difficult with Billy, but it was completely the contrary. Billy is a fantastic actor and when we started talking about the role, he understood it perfectly. I always spoke to him the way I would direct another actor with any other role. For sure the fact I knew the character so well and knew what we feeling and going through, it helped me a lot when directing him. But Billy understood right away who he was and I didn’t have to give him so many details or information about the role, he had it.
Billy is great, and so is Clive Owen too – who plays a very interesting character. Roles like that are often elusive and brooding, he’s appears to be very blissful – why did you decide to craft him in that way? It actually makes him seem more sinister.
Yeah that’s exactly what I wanted, because most of the time you meet a bad guy he can be very charismatic and very charming too and that’s what I thought was interesting, to take this role and make him nice and charming at the beginning, and then you realise who he really is and how bad he can be, and that makes the movie. That’s the conflict that Billy is going through with Frank, he has a brother who can be charming and funny, but then he turns into a monster, and that’s what I felt was so interesting.
It’s an incredible cast, as not only do you have Billy and Clive, but James Caan, Zoe Saldana, Mila Kunis and Matthias Schoenaerts too. It must your job that much easier when working with that much talent?
It’s fantastic to have actors like this. They were all so passionate and trusting with me. So it was fantastic for me to work with them, who believed in me. They made my job really easy, for sure.
It’s not the first time you’ve done it – but how it is directing Marion Cotillard as well, are you able to go home in the evenings after a day’s work and turn off, and be a couple again? Or can that be quite tough during a shoot?
It’s very difficult for her actually [laughs]. She has a tiring day on set and then she comes back home and the director is going on about it, complaining, and being anxious about what he’s done and what he’s going to do. So for her it’s more difficult. But for me it’s great, because I have my partner who is always aware of what I’m doing. It’s nice for both of us on set to work together on set, because when you know someone so well and trust someone, it makes it much easier. For her she knows she can trust me, and she’s willing to give everything and know that I’m going to respectful with her. So it’s nice to work with someone like Marion, especially because I think she’s one of the most fantastic actresses in the world and she’s capable of playing anybody and going in to any role or any character, she is very talented and it’s always a gift to have her on set.
So finally, what’s next up for you? More directing?
Yeah I have a movie that I’ve just finished writing. I wrote it for myself as an actor. Then I’m starting a new script right now to direct next year, and I think it will be similar to my first movie, Anything You Say. It’s a black, twisted comedy and I’m working on that in September.
Blood Ties is in cinemas and available across digital platforms from today.
