Yes. It’s a commitment before you even start.
I wonder if people realize that this might be part of the reason they are hesitant, because it’s almost like an addiction for them.
The funny thing is that the intermission is kind of the bait that makes people go, “I’m ready to deal with three and a half hours because there’s this great intermission in the middle. What will that feel like? It’s like they’re going on a new journey that they’ve never experienced before,” When in reality they’ll go out, go to the bathroom, buy some M&Ms, and have a quick conversation about the first half.
But I think we’re in the middle of a pendulum swing when it comes to the industry and cinema. I know the struggles that exist even in releasing a film, so when I watch something and say, “Oh, it wasn’t really for me,” I still walk away and say, “Gosh, I have this appreciation for the fact that you even did it.”
Because you know very well how dangerous things are.
How can anyone make any movie these days? This is collapsing, this is collapsing, you can’t get this actor, the money is collapsing. I’ll suddenly be offered something and they’ll say, “No, no, we’ve always really wanted you. We start next week.” I say, “Well, obviously Paul Bettany just dropped out.” But you just do it. You can get on board.
It’s funny, because for years, people would say to me, “LA Confidential was the last movie of its kind and Memento was the first movie of its kind,” this new style of Chris Nolan’s filmmaking. To be part of these two worlds that were only three years apart was really amazing. Now, once again, to be in the middle of this fast-paced generation with a three-and-a-half hour movie that everyone is talking about, I’m curious to see what that will look like in a few years.
