|
David Duchovny moves to the big screen in Andy Wilson’s stylishy violent gangster thriller Playing God Though it may come as a blow to fans who trawl X-Files chat rooms on the Internet, David Duchovny is not God. But he does sort of play one on the big screen. The wildly popular TV star has temporarily closed the X-Files to portray a doctor in Playing God, a highly stylized gangster thriller that also stars Academy Award-winning actor Timothy Hutton and relative newcomer Angelina folie. The film, scheduled for release sometime next year, marks the U.S. feature directorial debut of British director/writer Andy Wilson, best known for Cracker. Duchovny stars as Dr. Eugene Sanders, a drug-addicted, mob-controlled surgeon who loses his license and tries to redeem himself with the help of Raymond Blossom (Hutton) and his gangster girlfriend (Jolie).Wilson says the film's disturbing storyline and unique style of cinematography should go over big with Duchovny s legions of X-Files fans. "David's got a very particular sort of following, which is slightly unusual, and we didn't want to disappoint them," Wilson says, taking a brief break from his hectic two-month shooting schedule in Los Angeles. "I think the audience will find [the character] a surprising sort of anti-hero for the '90s." The movie, however, gives little hint that it was made in the '90s—the era of computer-generated imaging and cutting-edge special effects. In fact, Playing God is a sort of throwback to the late '60s and early '70s, sporting a look and feel reminiscent of films like Point Blank, Performance, Bullitt and the original Peckinpah version of The Getaway. "There are no tornadoes or giant animals, just people and cars and cities. It's being shot like a big action thriller of the '70s and it's been grueling," Wilson says. "We're doing a lot of running about. There are loads of car chases and lots of violence. This is a genuine gangster film." It's also a Disney film. "I hope they like it," Wilson says, referring to the Magic Kingdom's execs.If Michael Eisner and his Mouse Pack like talent, they should like Playing God. "The [cast is] brilliant; very tired but still brilliant," Wilson says. "They've gone through hell for me. There are difficult scenes and very busy days." Sources on the set corroborate Wilson's description of the long days. "We're all exhausted," says one, adding that Duchovny was looking forward to a couple of days off after wrapping the film and before heading back to the X-Files set. For Angelina Jolie, who can be seen this month in Foxfire as a tough and topless teenager, the grueling days on the Playing God set were worth it—if simply for the clothes she got to wear. "The clothes are great," enthuses the actress, who happens to be Jon Voight's daughter. "We are dressed fabulously." And alwaysfor the occasion, whether it be a basketball game at the Forum, nightclubbing, a business meeting or drag racing. "The clothes and the locations were beautiful because of the kind of lifestyle we lead," she says of her and Hutton's characters. "It was a great experience to play a role where you have the kind of money and time to just go mad. The flip side is the violence and the possessiveness that happens with those kind of people." Jolie's Playing God co-star Hutton — whose career has now spanned two decades, from teen angst in Taps and Robert Red-ford's Ordinary People to thirty-something turmoil in the recent Beautiful Girls—plays a charming, bright businessman who lives comfortably in an evil world. "Both guys are great," Jolie said about working with Duchovny and Hutton. "They're very different from each other, but they're both working really hard to make this a good film. Tim and I have a lot of intense scenes together and I'm learning a lot from him. I really enjoy coming to work every day." For that enthusiasm, the credit largely goes to director Wilson, who the cast and crew say has taken risks to make the film unique and challenging.I really wanted to come to Hollywood and make a full-throttle American thriller," says Wilson, who previously directed two music videos stateside. "I didn't want to come over here and do what other British directors do —make a European art film." Cinescape
íàçàä |
