In the age of Zooms, where virtual interviews with Hollywood stars have become more and more ritualistic, having 15 minutes to talk, alone, with David Fincher is practically a luxury.
And the director of Deadly Sins, Fight Club, Panic Room, Lost or several episodes of House of Cards wants to talk about cinema, it seems.
"The Fincher team let us know that he looks forward to having an in-depth and thoughtful conversation about The Killer, issues related to his filmmaking, and cinema in general, so he's excited about the conversation they're going to have," the folks at Netflix told us, where the Michael Fassbender thriller premiered a few days ago.
Fincher doesn't mince words in his answers, and he will admit without blushing that he knows absolutely nothing about Argentine cinema. "No, I don't know enough for us to talk about it," he says.
"Since I was 7 years old, I couldn't imagine doing anything other than directing movies," David Fincher told Clarín. Photo: Netflix
-What led you to become a filmmaker? When and how did you decide?
"It always seemed to me that it would be the best job I could have. I mean, in a way it encompassed everything I loved to do as a kid, drawing, painting, modeling, building, playing photography. So, I haven't really been able to imagine doing anything else, since I was about seven years old. So I've been kind of doomed...
"I'm curious. Do you have a contract with Netflix? Your last works were for this streaming platform.
-Yes. We have a general agreement there to make movies and TV series.
-And what has been the biggest benefit of working with Netflix?
"Well, they share a lot of my lack of attention when it comes to presentation and archiving," he smiles. And also, I think they're in a unique position to take risks with the size of the films that I have. If I'm making a $300 million movie, everybody's very anxious. But if you're making a movie in the $50 million to $75 million range, these aren't risk-averse people. They understand that, they have to risk little.
In September, in Venice, where he accompanied "The Assassin" in competition for the Golden Lion in the middle of the performers' strike. Photo: EFE
Is there any chance that "Mindhunter" will have a third season? Because it was left unfinished...
"Yes, that's true, but probably not. But again, I never say never because it's stupid too. But we've talked about it, we've talked about what it would take, how many more episodes to close it out. And certainly, we keep track of everyone who was involved, not only because they're valuable to us, but also because they're doing very interesting and good work.
"Mindhunter," by David Fincher, about the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit.
-Then?
- And no, we haven't. I mean, no plans, lol.
Gary Oldman listens to David Fincher's directions during the filming of "Mank," which he directed from a script by his father, Jack.
A guy who proposes what he wants to Netflix, and Netflix accepts it. That's how he came to shoot Mank, centered on Joseph Mankiewicz, based on a screenplay written by his father, Jack Fincher. That's when they gave the thumbs down to a third season of Mindhunter, one of the best thriller series of this century.
David Fincher planned to shoot Mank more than twenty years ago. After finishing the release of The Game, with Michael Douglas and Sean Penn, released in 1997, he wanted Kevin Spacey (later star of House of Cards) and Jodie Foster to play Mankiewicz and Marion Davies, the actress who was romantically involved with William Randolph Hearst for 30 years.
In the end, Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried were nominated for Oscars for leading actor and supporting actress. And Jack Fincher, David's father, died in 2003 without being able to see the project come to fruition.
Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman in "Mank." Originally, and 20 years ago, Fincher wanted Kevin Spacey and Jodie Foster.
-And what is your dream project, which you haven't materialized yet?
"Maybe I'm too old for that, but I don't really think in terms other than what I'm curious about. But we have Mank, which was characterized as a dream project. For me, Mank was a script I always wanted to see in a movie. But I don't think I would lend myself to playing Squid Game to be able to do it, with someone shooting at me with machine guns.
If I had to run to get the money, I probably wouldn't make the movie. But I really appreciate the fact that what I thought was quaint and perhaps, strangely anachronistic. It was interesting to me that the powers that be at Netflix were like, "We could see this, we could see ourselves making this movie." And I think that's what keeps me going.
The best thing about working for Netflix? "Well, they share a lot of my lack of attention when it comes to filing and filing," he says with a smile.
Is that common in Hollywood?
And in Hollywood, you don't understand much about that. A lot of people in Hollywood are people who find a polite way to tell you that they're not interested in what you're proposing. So it's always interesting to me when someone says mine sounds kind of intriguing. How much would it cost and how would you do it?
In my experience, they approach the process of deciding to make a film in a very similar way. It's kind of like saying to yourself, "There are still things you can do." One of the things with Mindhunter is that it was expensive. It was very expensive considering what it was. I mean, reconstructing the period cost a lot. Those vehicles cost a lot. We took fifteen days to shoot an hour instead of eight or nine.
Brad Pitt as Mills, the rookie detective from "Deadly Sins," one of his biggest hits.
When people who give you nine or ten million dollars an episode to make a show, they say, "Listen to me, unless you're willing to make some concessions that make this broader, we're going to find funding, but we need an audience, we can't really keep spending that kind of money." That's incredibly reasonable to me. And then there are those who tell you, "I chose my niece or we won't be able to make this movie with you." That's the kind of thing that makes it difficult for me.
In Argentina, directors considered to be authors write their scripts. Fincher didn't write any of his feature films: he only co-wrote three shorts, which he also didn't direct, and 20 years ago.
Fincher doesn't write the scripts for his films, nor does he write the screenplay for "The Killer." Here's why.
-You are a filmmaker who has created an auteur work, but based on scripts written by other librettists, that surprises me. Why don't you write your scripts?
"I value my time. And I really don't like to spend it... Writing is hard work. It's hard and lonely work. And I'm not intrigued. There are really good writers. I'm lucky to know more than two handfuls of them. And so I prefer my idea to be directing, making films with the best material I can find.
It's a bit like asking this to writers, or writers-turned-directors. Do you want to direct it or do you want someone who may have more experience in it? But, you know, each with their own thing, I feel like I'll never be able to do it. Never. I can't imagine spending 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year or 50 weeks a year, working alone.
A killer... normal. "I like the idea of a guy flying economy class because that's how you stay invisible, and you use Amazon. I thought it was a little more fun, and maybe even modern."
-Speaking of "The Killer", did you try to see how it can be improved and not fall into the clichés of an action film about an obsessive killer?
-Um, I don't know if we really avoid falling into those clichés. I think we use those clichés to get people to understand them. I mean, honestly, the movie is a series of scenes and in a way what was interesting to me was the idea that we already know in the core what the playing field will be like where we will develop the plot. But we're not reinventing the genre or trying to turn the character upside down.
So, we do things "to make it look like": if we're supposed to believe in the world of James Bond, there's a private jet wherever this guy needs to go. And they're beating an Aston Martin from one film to another. I like the idea of a guy flying economy class because that's how you stay invisible, and you stay in the Marriott Suites and you use Amazon. I thought it was a little more fun, and maybe even modern.
The choice of Michael Fassbender. "Who are the actors with whom I would like to make a kind of silent film? He's at the top of that list."
Why did you choose Michael Fassbender to star in "The Killer"? What did you want to explore with it?
"Well, it's really good. It's amazing. He's like an incredible, empathetic, thoughtful avatar to the audience, but he's also an amazing avatar in his life. You know, technically and physically. He's incredibly skilled. And not only because in addition to being an actor, he is a racing driver. Also, there's a lot of driving in this movie. He drives a lot in this movie.
He doesn't have a lot of lines of dialogue, but I thought he has a wonderful face. It allows the audience a very direct type of communication with their eyes. And, I'm just thinking about it, but who are the actors that I'd like to do a kind of silent film with? He's at the top of that list.
"House of Cards" was Neyflix's first hit series, and Fincjer produced and directed several episodes. How was your relationship with Kevin Spacey?
-Speaking of actors you worked with, how long has it been since you last saw or talked or wrote emails or whatsapps with Kevin Spacey?
I haven't spoken to Kevin Spacey since the end of the second season of House of Cards and I have no plans to.
-What projects are you developing?
-I'm currently developing a lot of things. But it would probably take me an hour to explain each one, because there are several conceptual states. And besides, at this specific time it doesn't really make sense to talk about things that may never come to fruition. I always get mad at these things when a reporter from Variety or The Hollywood Reporter decides to announce to the world what your intentions are for the next two years of your life, and you usually don't.
At 61, Fincher has already been nominated for three Oscars. He never won it. Photo: EFE
What was your position on the strike in Hollywood and what do you think the results will be in the future?
"Hey, I'm super happy that the strike is over. I know a lot of people have lost their life savings, post-Covid, and then we thought we were only going to have two-and-a-half years of unemployment and it turned out to be three-and-a-half. So I'm really happy that people are back at work.
-Going back to the beginning, my last question arises from what the magazine Cahiers du cinema asked at the time. Why are you a filmmaker?
-Because I don't really have any other marketable skills. Unfortunately. I should have gone to college. I should add, I don't know, something to fall back on. I should have gotten a business degree, but I didn't. And now? Well, I'll stick with this.