Sophie Lellouche
Sophie Lellouche makes her directorial debut with Paris-Manhattan, a movie that will be opening the UK Jewish Film Festival later this week.
We caught up with her to chat about the movie, where the idea for the story came from and what lies ahead.
- Your new movie is Paris-Manhattan so can you tell me a little bit about the movie?
It is about a young woman called Alice and she is very fond of Woody Allen pictures and she gets very attached to a poster of the director.
From the age of fifteen years old Woody Allen has been her teacher in life and she tries to improve herself thanks to his philosophy of life.
- You have also penned the script as well as being in the director's chair so where did the idea for the story come from?
Well the story is partly based on myself as when I was twenty years old I didn’t have a lot of friends and I was a very lonely person.
Every time I went to see Woody Allen movies I got the feeling that it would be great to have him as a friend. I thought it would be great if I could speak with him about my problems and my experiences of life.
One day I thought ‘maybe it could be the part of a script, someone who is really friends with Woody Allen but in her mind’.
- The lead character Alice is a huge fan of Woody Allen so when did you become a fan of his work? And what is it about his movies that have inspired you so much?
He inspired me a lot about the poetry and magic that can exist in a movie because in his movies anything can happen.
In movies such as Alice, Play It Again Sam or Midnight In Paris time doesn’t exist, and you see that a lot in many of Woody Allen’s movies - anything is possible.
I love this idea that you can speak with Humphrey Bogart and he can be your friend and explain to you how to seduce women - anything can happen.
- You made a short back in 1999 but it has taken thirteen years for you to make the leap to feature films so why has it taken so long?
It has taken thirteen years old because after getting married and having my children I gave up the idea of making movies.
I was so scared, and so unconfident that I used my children as an excuse to give up but now I know it was only fear.
My children are now older and they have gone to school and I found that I had more time to myself and what I really wanted to do was to make movies
- Alice Taglioni takes on the central role of Alice in the movie so during the casting process what were you looking for in your leading lady?
I really wanted this actress because she has this huge energy as well as being beautiful. She is someone who really gets and understands the rhythm of the comedy.
She and Patrick Bruel are both musicians and so they get this rhythm - I wanted actors who really got this tempo.
So I got lucky because I really wanted Alice Taglioni and Patrick Bruel and they accepted.
- And so how did you find working with her? And what sort of ideas did she bring to the table when developing this character?
They brought a lot of things because both of them were very involved in the movie - this was my first movie but it was not their first movie.
We had a lot of readings of the script before we started shooting but we didn’t do a lot of rehearsal. But during the readings they noted some things that didn’t work and they were very attentive.
- Patrick Bruel is on the cast list along with Michel Aumont so can you tell me a little bit about the casting process?
I talked about who I thought would be good for the roles with my casting producer - when I was asked who I wanted for the role of Victor I said ‘Patrick Bruel’ and they approved my choice.
So they called the manager of Patrick Bruel and then we sent the script over to the manager and the manager read it and approved.
After Patrick Bruel had read the script I met him to talk about the script and the role and after that he said that he was on board the movie.
So we always send the script to the manger first and if they like it you can meet with the actor.
- How have you found the response to the movie so far?
I think the movie has been met well, it was not a big success but for a first movie it did ok. People either really love the movie or they didn’t like it at all - it is not a movie that has a middle ground.
Those that do like it really like the mood that is set in the film and the lightness and the humour.
There is a poetry and something that is not quite real about this movie and they seem to enjoy that. Audiences seem to like that the characters are spiritual and nice.
- Paris-Manhattan will be opening the UK Jewish Film Festival this week so how excited are you at being at the UK festival?
I am very happy to come on the 1st November and I am very honoured to be the opening movie of the festival.
- Finally what's next for you?
I am writing a new script and it will be a comedy and it is an adaptation of a book. So I am working on that as well as still doing some promotion for Paris-Manhattan.
The UK Jewish Film Festival runs 1-18 November.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw