Hee - Haw
By Ellen A. Kim, Hollywood.Com
WEST HOLLYWOOD -- The irony of it all: A screenwriter decides to direct his next movie without a traditional script, relying instead on the improvisation of his actors.
It's a daunting task, but one that Harmony Korine wanted to tackle. The end result is julien donkey - boy," which follows the struggles of Julien [Ewen Bremner], a schizophrenic attendant in a school for the blind, and his dysfunctional family, including a pregnant sister [Chloë Sevigny], athletic brother [Evan Neumann], domineering father [German director Werner Herzog] and grandmother [the director's grandmother, Joyce Korine].
Korine shot his film in 25 days, with handheld digital video cameras. And he used such locations as his grandmother's house and a New Jersey Baptist church, kept the sites as spontaneous as the script.
"Because I really wanted the chance to play a big part, I made this cardboard box with different locations on a little pinwheel. I would just spin it, and wherever it landed, I would decide to shoot that day just to keep everybody on their toes," the 25 - year - old Korine said.
But even more intimidating than the filming style was the lack of words on paper. Korine first gained widespread attention at the age of 19, as the writer of the controversial film Kids. He followed that effort with Gummo,which he wrote and directed. With julien, Korine set out to explore a new method of storytelling: Set up the characters, shape and manipulate as a director, but give the actors very little scripted dialogue.
"I had a complete script; it just wasn't a traditional script, it wasn't a narrative script," the director said. "It was more .... an assortment of scenes kind of written randomly, kind of like synopses of scenes describing what could happen, what should happen, what might happen."
It was a surprising turn even for Sevigny, who has appeared in Korine's other films. "It was pretty bold for him, especially since his dialogue is so strong and everybody loves it so much and it's one of his great talents as a writer," she said. "And when he just sort of said, 'Well I'm not going to write any of it,' that was sort of shocking."
But Sevigny readily signed on, and Korine found his Julien in Scottish actor Ewen Bremner, whose previous credits include Trainspotting and Naked. Playing such a difficult role required thorough preparation on Bremner's part. "I tried to cover every base and absorb as much as possible from every source," Bremner said. "So I was working in a psychiatric hospital for six weeks, which was amazingly important to the development of the character. But probably even more important than that, I spent time as much time as possible with the man who the character is based on [Korine's uncle, Eddie, a long - term patient in a psychiatric hospital]".
The cast also went on a weekend retreat together, discussing their characters' approaches and adjusting to a family atmosphere. Even off the set, the actors continued to live inside their roles.
"It was important that I be ready at the drop of a hat," Bremner said. "Because Harmony decides a lot of the time what the hell he wants to shoot whenever the hell he felt like it. So it wasn't on the schedule most of the time .... So I really had to try to keep as liquid as possible, keep on the ball as much as possible. I really couldn't get too 'cold;' I had to really keep my motor running with the character and really be up to speed with him."
After promoting the film, this "dysfunctional family" parts ways. Sevigny has wrapped three projects; A Map of the World with Sigourney Weaver and Julianne Moore; Boys Don't Cry; and next year's American Psycho. Bremner is "looking for a job," and Korine is mulling over his next project. Will he reunite his cast?
"I'll probably use my grandma again."
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