JonathanLB
Carbonite Member
I suppose my art doesn't always mirror my reality, haha. It's rather ironic that my feature film debut is this intelligent, cute romantic comedy with a happy ending. In fact, my last relationship was a disaster and the girl was a nightmare, turned out horribly like a trainwreck, something you only read about but don't think really happens. And I've never met any girls so far who impressed me much or who I liked, and on top of that, I don't like romantic comedies much either. Don't get me wrong, I like any movie, any genre, that is good, I'm very open minded but it's not my genre. I watch few romantic comedies, but of course having been a critic for years I've seen plenty nonetheless and know the formula and the conventions and all of that. But more than that, I know what I like and what a great comedy should be, and it ain't Must Love Dogs or PS I Love You or The Notebook. Those are exploitative garbage films that are made not for art or for any other good reason except to milk money from female audiences. It's the difference between a great action film like True Lies that everyone can appreciate and a piece of trash action movie that only 14-year-old boys will like. You can do action great, and have it be really fun and wonderful, or you can do it poorly. You can make a great romantic comedy like Groundhog Day or Mrs. Doubtfire that we all enjoy, or you can make something like When in Rome that has no point that only a very few girls will enjoy, but nobody else.
So for me, the point was that I had a great story, and never thought about it like, "Gee I'm going to make a romantic comedy, THOSE will sell!" Actually quite the opposite... every book I read said don't make a romantic comedy, you can't sell a romantic comedy without major stars, you shouldn't make it. Make a horror movie. Make an action film. But do not make a romantic comedy unless you have A-listers. Ultimately, though, I loved my story and I didn't care about the odds, I just thought if I make a great film we'll find a way to get it out there. And so far, so good, we don't have A-list star power but we have a few names, and we have a great movie that we're all proud of, and one that I think anyone can enjoy. I really like it and I find it satisfying and fun, but not sappy, corny, or contrived like so many romantic comedies. If anything, I think because I mostly dislike the genre that I was the perfect person to develop a project in that genre, because I'm more critical and discerning than a genre fan who loves it all and may just not know what the difference is between a bad romantic comedy and a good one, haha.
Anyway that was off track. The point is, even when I'm depressed about girls and relationships, that's a separate matter for me compared to the art, I guess. Or maybe it isn't, I mean my couple has a rocky relationship and it goes wrong, then they have to fix it and get back together, but it's a happy ending, so who knows, maybe I like to create in film what I cannot in real life
Who is to say right? But I have to laugh at myself a bit because to make your debut film in a genre you don't really like is kind of amusing. That has always been my personality, though. I love action movies and love summer blockbusters, but I've never had any desire to direct those types of movies. I see myself more like a Woody Allen or Quentin Tarantino than a Michael Bay or a Steven Spielberg. I'd rather make smaller movies that, because of having lower budgets, are not required to appeal to everyone in the universe. Also I tend to look at film as I would look at any market, from a business perspective and art perspective in this case, that I'm perfectly happy with the blow-'em-up action movies we're getting. I don't agree that Hollywood makes crap, not at all, I think Hollywood has a monopoly on big-budget action films and summer blockbusters and they excel at making great ones every year. I don't see that we need more of them, frankly, we have enough. But I don't think there is enough intelligent comedy, I don't think there are enough intelligent dramas that focus on issues I care about anyway, and I think we could use a lot more philosophical but audience pleasing films. Movies with a message, but not ones that beat you over the head with it and not more liberal propaganda from Michael Moore. There is a niche, an opening where films can made that are smart and satisfying, but entertaining and mainstream as well. That is not being exploited as well as action blockbusters, which is already full in my opinion.
So for me, the point was that I had a great story, and never thought about it like, "Gee I'm going to make a romantic comedy, THOSE will sell!" Actually quite the opposite... every book I read said don't make a romantic comedy, you can't sell a romantic comedy without major stars, you shouldn't make it. Make a horror movie. Make an action film. But do not make a romantic comedy unless you have A-listers. Ultimately, though, I loved my story and I didn't care about the odds, I just thought if I make a great film we'll find a way to get it out there. And so far, so good, we don't have A-list star power but we have a few names, and we have a great movie that we're all proud of, and one that I think anyone can enjoy. I really like it and I find it satisfying and fun, but not sappy, corny, or contrived like so many romantic comedies. If anything, I think because I mostly dislike the genre that I was the perfect person to develop a project in that genre, because I'm more critical and discerning than a genre fan who loves it all and may just not know what the difference is between a bad romantic comedy and a good one, haha.
Anyway that was off track. The point is, even when I'm depressed about girls and relationships, that's a separate matter for me compared to the art, I guess. Or maybe it isn't, I mean my couple has a rocky relationship and it goes wrong, then they have to fix it and get back together, but it's a happy ending, so who knows, maybe I like to create in film what I cannot in real life
Who is to say right? But I have to laugh at myself a bit because to make your debut film in a genre you don't really like is kind of amusing. That has always been my personality, though. I love action movies and love summer blockbusters, but I've never had any desire to direct those types of movies. I see myself more like a Woody Allen or Quentin Tarantino than a Michael Bay or a Steven Spielberg. I'd rather make smaller movies that, because of having lower budgets, are not required to appeal to everyone in the universe. Also I tend to look at film as I would look at any market, from a business perspective and art perspective in this case, that I'm perfectly happy with the blow-'em-up action movies we're getting. I don't agree that Hollywood makes crap, not at all, I think Hollywood has a monopoly on big-budget action films and summer blockbusters and they excel at making great ones every year. I don't see that we need more of them, frankly, we have enough. But I don't think there is enough intelligent comedy, I don't think there are enough intelligent dramas that focus on issues I care about anyway, and I think we could use a lot more philosophical but audience pleasing films. Movies with a message, but not ones that beat you over the head with it and not more liberal propaganda from Michael Moore. There is a niche, an opening where films can made that are smart and satisfying, but entertaining and mainstream as well. That is not being exploited as well as action blockbusters, which is already full in my opinion.