The director of Criminal on Kevin Costner, memory transfers and more.
Den Of Geek: I read that the memory transfer idea was what grabbed you about all this.
What was it about that concept?
And youre like, What?
And they are bringing back very specific memories from the past.
I do the same thing when I am thinking of getting into a new relationship.
We dont think about it, but we are who we are because of our memories.
We understand everything that is being conversed to us because of our memories.
Its a muscle memory.
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So that concept, I thought, Thats very interesting.
But then I thought when I read the script, How interesting.
Heres a man who doesnt have that hippocampus like the frontal lobe memory.
So he never felt anything.
Now what happened if he is receiving a memory?
Hes going to get emotional memories, because this is what humans really carry.
Your last few films have been more or less psychological thrillers.
This one gets more into the science fiction realm.
Is that a genre that you have always had an interest in?
I love science fiction.
Some of my favorite movies are science fiction, likeBlade RunnerorAliens.
Eventually, you are going into the hippocampus and you basically project a scanning pattern.
Now, our brain has like little paint tubes.
And each tube has a little emotion.
Here is a serotonin.
Here is a testosterone.
And those tubes, its like a printer.
A printer gets a message of how to create an image.
Thats a great analogy.
Thats how our brain works.
Because we have an image right now of how we feel.
So really, thats how I treated it.
So I said, OK.
Lets imprint those memories and then lets see how they will bring him to act as Jericho.
When you come onto a film, is the research part of it fun for you?
On this, did you feel like you wanted to read everything you could about these kind of experiments?
In fact, I love it.
I went to law school.
I hated being a lawyer.
But knowing how to research.
I learned every brick.
I shot the movie in Shreveport.
And I had to create Shreveport to look like New Jersey.
And Im from Tel Aviv.
Im like, What the fuck?
I wanted to talk about working with Kevin because this is a very different role for him.
He does not play a monster usually.
So what were your discussions with him like about the role?
Did you have to kind of persuade him to think about it?
It was a process.
I think my opening line to Kevin was, Listen.
I love the challenge.
Now, what is my challenge with Michael Shannon?
That was a challenge.
So I said, Now lets reverse it, Kevin.
Whats the challenge for me and you?
No, because those are all Americana.
And everybody knows they are safe with you in those roles.
How can we take you and break that?
He looked at me and he said, You think you’re able to do that?
I was like, Thats what Im here for.
You had Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, and Gary Oldman in this movie the three stars ofJFK.
Did anyone stop and realize that or say anything about that at all?
There were a lot of jokes going on between them.
But I always choose respect.
I give space to the artists intention and needs.
So I know my vision.
I know what I want.
I love that film.
It was really such a great court drama.
And it was a great story.
And I loved the ending where you dont know what to believe anymore.
I think Gary is super attracted to political stuff.
I think Tommy is interested in the medical world a lot.
And that attracted him to even learn a little bit about it.
Is it interesting to work with someone like him who has all that directorial experience as well?
And do you look to him for insight at any time?
Or does he offer it?
All of the above.
Sometimes its naturally come together.
I dont come to the set and say, Guys, everybody shut up.
Like Kubrick when he madeThe Shining, he had a year to shoot the film.
When Alejandro madeThe Revenant, he had 9 12 months to shoot the movie.
Because its everything you wanted and not one frame less.
Thats the hardest thing in movies keeping the tone right.
This is the biggest movie youve made to date for sure.
And youre playing in a bigger sandbox with a bigger scope and all that.
So how was that personally for you as a challenge to meet?
It was great but it was very tiring.
Because at the end of the day, sometimes I had to work seven days a week.
I had to do two shifts because I had to do the second unit.
Again, its a budgetary thing how much you’re free to do certain things.
Its a learning process and its fun.
Can you imagine coming to your job and theyre like, Oh, heres your helicopters.
You are like, OK. Great.
Whats next for you?
There are two projects that I am running in between.
The other one is a reimagining of the Don Siegel/Clint Eastwoo movie,Escape from Alcatraz.
I thought the script was so amazing and I said, Ive got to do it.
Criminalis out in theaters this Friday (April 15).
