French fun and games in Laurent Tirard's period charmer, RETURN OF THE HERO

A French frolic worth seeking out (it made its DVD debut last week and is also now available via digital/streaming), RETURN OF THE HERO proves one of those exceedingly rare costume comedies that should have you smiling, chuckling and occasionally outright guffawing at the antics of the clever (or not so) characters on screen.

This is, unfortunately, the kind of movie that gets lost in the shuffle precisely because it has nothing to offer -- no important theme, no great art, nor maybe any redeeming social value -- other than first-class entertainment. That last, of course, never in great supply, should be reason enough to see it.

As written and directed by Laurent Tirard (of the Nicholas movies) -- a writer and filmmaker, shown at right, that our critical establishment, as well as perhaps its French equivalent, prefers not to take seriously and therefore deliberately overlooks the work of -- the movie knows exactly what it is and where it is going and thus arrives there in its breezy 89 minutes with nary a hitch.

Return of the Hero is anchored by the terrific performances of its two leads: Jean Dujardin (above, left, and below, right) and Mélanie Laurent (above, right and below, left), both at the top of their very fine form.

M. Dujardin is in his element, playing a handsome, pompous would-be military officer (only his uniform, we suspect, is real, and most probably belongs to somebody else), while Ms Laurent, more often seen in serious roles, here gives her penchant for subtle comedy its rein and matches her co-star, gibe for delightful gibe.

When at film's beginning, "Captain" Neuville (Dujardin) proposes to Pauline, the younger daughter (Noémie Merlant, above, front right) of the wealthy Beaugrand family, Laurent -- as the older, wiser sis -- smells trouble and goes on high alert.

What happens in the course of this smart little movie is not quite the expected, as one surprise topples over the next, in the course of which love and justice are both somehow served, though not in the manner we might have expected.

The supporting cast is as good as are the leads, with Christian Bujeau and Evelyne Buyle (above, left and right respectively) playing the foolish, funny Beaugrand parents, and an actor new to me, Christophe Montenez (below, right), especially fine as the endearing young man in love with the wrongly besotted Pauline.

By the finale of the film, our two main characters have grown and changed, and you may feel, as did TrustMovies, that writer/director Tirard has made a smart, snide and subtle comment about the worth of the society of the time (early 19th Century France) via the direction his "hero" and "heroine" choose to take.

All in all, a highly enjoyable little lark, Return of the Hero never received even a limited theatrical release here in the USA, so we must be grateful to Icarus Home Video and Distrib Films US for the opportunity to finally see it -- available now on DVD and/or streaming, for purchase or rental.

VODebut for Pascal Elbé's queasy but energetic con-man bio-pic, THANK YOU FOR CALLING

TrustMovies doesn't think he'd ever heard of a man named Gilbert Chikli, prior to viewing the 2015 film, THANK YOU FOR CALLING (Je compte sur vous), which turns out to be all about this very sleazy real-life fellow. Written (with some help from Noé Debré and Isaac Sharry) and directed by Pascal Elbé and starring Vincent Elbaz as this con-man extraordinaire, the movie moves along lickety-split and is great fun to view as we watch in wonderment at the great gift for conning people that our anti-hero possesses.

M. Elbé, shown at left, has both paced his film very well and given it enough visual flair to keep up gratefully watching, even as the stuff that M. Chikli gets up to on-screen is growing ever more queasy-making. For some (my spouse, for instance), this will make it difficult to identify with or care about the Chikli character because you will feel much more concern for the some of the people he's bilking along the way. However, so incredibly strong a performance is being given here by Vincent Elbaz (shown below and above) that this is quite likely to dissolve any objections into thin air.

I have seen M. Elbaz in a number of other films, and have always found him perfectly acceptable, and sometimes very good. But this has got to be the juiciest role he's yet undertaken, and he is simply extraordinary in it. He appears a "born" con man who can't for a moment stop living to scam, and he's so good at it that we can only gasp and then barely keep up with his shenanigans. His performance seems absolutely improvised, too, and the skill with which Elbaz convinces us that he's "thinking fast on his feet" proves sheer amazement.

Elbaz puts to use every ounce of his charisma and sex appeal, both to hold viewers' interest and to keep in line all the many characters who circle around him -- his wife (played by Julie Gayet, below), brother (Ludovik Day, above, right), son and his other "marks" Yes, he constantly deceives even those people whom he should most love and cherish. I suppose that he does love and cherish them, but only in his own bizarre manner.

From the movie's wonderfully witty opening scene -- which shows us Chilki as a young boy who must somehow handle a visit from the local police -- to the penultimate one in a French police station that will leave you equally amazed and amused, the filmmaker and his leading actor join forces to bring this sleazebag's story to crazy but vital life. Clearly, his narcissistic and creepily entitled mother (played with ugly gusto by Nicole Calfan) was a major force in the life of both the boy and the man he became.

Elbaz convinces us from almost the start that he indeed lives for the scam and knows no other way to behave. How "truthful" the film is to what actually happened, I cannot say, but clearly, Chikli got away with so much so often that his real life very nearly defied believability. His "reel life," then, would seem to follow suit. Even the French police inspector (wonderfully played by Zabou Breitman, above, left) who stays on his trail seems to harbor a certain grudging respect for this man.

From Under the Milky Way, running just 94 minutes, in French with English subtitles, the film hit VOD this past week. For fans of Elbé, Elbaz, and real-life con-men stories, I'd call this one a "must." To learn more information on how to view this one, click here.

See Isabelle Huppert in all her glory (and more!) in Catherine Breillat's ABUSE OF WEAKNESS

When is not Isabelle Huppert a wonder to watch perform? Nowhere that I can recall. Now, in the new film by Catherine Breillat entitled ABUSE OF WEAK-NESS, Ms Hupert is everything we've come to expect -- and even more. Here she is, as usual, moment-to-moment real and speci-fic and spellbinding. This time, there's an overlay to it all. She is playing a stroke victim who only in degrees wins back the use of her body, and even then, not completely. I'd call Huppert a revelation, except that she always is. Here, she is simply more so.

Ms Breillat, for her part, is a past master at offering up challenging, often politically incorrect movies. With her latest she seems to be pulling back a bit by giving us an easier-to-digest woman-in-trouble tale. But probably not. If the film's title seems, to this American, at least, a play on the popular phrase "abuse of power," it turns out that Abus de faiblesse (the film's French title) doubles as an article of French law (L 122-8 in the Consumer Code,  223-15-2 in the Criminal Code) in which, if one person abuses another who is weak, sick, ignorant or what have you, s/he can be prosecuted. (We could certainly have used something like this in the USA, regarding those crap sub-prime loans from Countrywide and other mortgage lenders that helped bring down our economy, while cheating folk out of their abodes.)

The players here are Maud Shainberg (Ms Huppert, above), a film director somewhat on the cold side and clearly used to having her own way (based on Breillat, perhaps?), and Vilko Piran (an actor who goes by the odd moniker of Kool Shen, below), who, when we and Maud first see him, is chatting away on a TV talk show, telling tales of his time as a con man who cheated the rich out of millions and the poor out of whatever he could get. "This guy is perfect for the lead in my new film," says Maud, and soon they are meeting, and he is charming the director out of lots and lots of Euros.

But who is taking advantage of whom? Both it would seem, though no matter how charming and sexy our Vilko might be (and he's plenty), Maud lets him nowhere near her bed. Yet he is attentive and uber-helpful to this woman, who actually needs all the help she can get. She still has trouble walking and standing and keeping her balance, so Vilko is there for her, tying her shoes and taking her out to eat -- despite what her friends and family have to say about it all. To top it all off, Maud has not yet filmed even a single scene using this guy.

The two leads could hardly be better, often keeping us as off-balance as is Maud herself. And then the film is finished, and we are left wondering if we have simply been watching a case study in how one very smart and successful women gives over completely to a con man who has "abused her weakness," as it were.

Maybe. But thanks to these very fine performances, there just might be more. Even so, this story, as Breillat films it and Huppert and Shen act it, is for me enough. Simply watching Huppert struggle to use her limbs properly or ask the speech therapist how she can come to "laugh" again is worth the price of admission.

From Strand Releasing and running 105 minutes, Abuse of Weakness, opens this Friday, August 15, in New York City at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center. In Los Angeles, look for it at Laemmle's Royal, opening Aguust 22. Elsewhere? Hope so. In any case, as the distributor is Strand, we can eventually expect a DVD and perhaps streaming to various digital venues.

Stream the Michael Hoffman/Coen Bros' GAMBIT and discover the comedic abilities of Colin Firth

TrustMovies has run warm and cool to the films of Michael Hoffman -- liking some (Restoration and Some Girls) and disliking others (The Last Station). But I find no excuse for the reception -- a bare theatrical run that provoked a pretty terrible critical drubbing -- to this remake, GAMBIT, which turns out to be quite a charming little lark about art and connivance. While the original was nothing to write home about, the new version gives a very fine actor, Colin Firth the chance to prove himself an excellent comedian in that rarely-seen-anymore deadpan British style.

The screenplay (from Joel and Ethan Coen) is smart and genuinely interesting as it explores everything from fine art and the art of scamming to the current job market and a highly unusual new security system. Cameron Diaz (above), a game and more-versatile-than-you-think actress, is charming and funny as the Texas lady who must be included in the con, while those fine British actors Alan Rickman (above) and Tom Courtenay (below, right) are used wisely, too.

It's Firth, however, who shines brightest. His singular ability to bring absolute, unwavering, British stiff-upper-lip-hood to each and every scene -- including one hilarious and hugely extended set piece in which he parades around in his underwear, still managing to keep that lip and all else intact -- is enormously funny in a way Ive seen no other actor manage it in a long while. (That scene, by the way, includes the only fart joke in a film that's actually works in a manner that subverts its own crassness.) Firth is a small miracle here, and you really must catch his act.

The much-vaunted "chemistry" that critics felt did not exist between the two stars does not exist for good reason. Instead, Firth and Diaz feint and parry, all the while trying to determine what the other really wants. The spark that indeed exists is kept from bursting into anything stronger so that we and they can enjoy the ever-changing "game."  When, at last, we realize how it is to be for these two characters, the moment is beautifully rendered by both actors. Can British reserve and American openness ever truly bond?  If not right now, maybe someday.

As director, Mr Hoffman serves the Coens' smart screenplay well, while giving the actors their rein to deliver what they do best. Everyone wins, especially us viewers. You can catch Gambit now via Netflix streaming and elsewhere, as well as on DVD.

Blu-ray/DVDebut: Heisting con artists at work in Jonathan Sobol's slick THE ART OF THE STEAL

Say what you will (for instance, "What? Another heist movie!"), but there is something undeniably breezy and entertaining about a well-done film concerning con artists involved in that really big heist. When the film in question is handled with as much style and flair as is THE ART OF THE STEAL, written and directed by Jonathan Sobol, it's pretty difficult not to just lean back, relax and go with it. This is particu-larly true when the movie offers little violence (I think there may be a slap in the face and a punch or two exchanged); instead, there is clever, sometimes dizzying plotting and the kind of rat-a-tat pace that rarely allows you to parse the details.

My spouse did wonder aloud, early on in the proceedings, why the forger had to be stationed so very far away from where the deal was going down. (He's getting smarter, that spouse.) Otherwise Mr. Sobol -- pictured at right, double dimples and all -- has put together quite the nifty little entertainment, well-cast, with some folk we don't see all that often and certainly not together in the same movie (Kurt Russell, shown below, for one; Terence Stamp, shown further below, right, with Jason Jones; and Kenneth Welsh). Matt Dillon, in the penultimate photo, below, is also one of the stars. We see him a bit more often these days, and my goodness but he's aging wonderfully well!

The plot, such as it is, proves one of those surprises that come back to bite you (and one of the characters) on the ass, and you'll be murmuring, "Of course! I should have seen that...." But the beauty of the film is that you didn't. And then you do. And what fun it has been to be fooled.

This kind of foolery was done even better in the French film Ca$h, to which I think The Art of the Steal owes some perhaps unintentional credit. (If you have not seen Ca$h, you really should, and you can stream it here via Netflix).

Along the way, in what proves to be the most memorable moments in the film, we get a beautifully rendered re-enactment of what the movie explains was the famous heist of the Mona Lisa. Note the actors portraying the leads in this little five-minute film-within-a-film, as well as the lovely artistry that has gone into the recreation of this "event." (There's a fun segment on the Blu-ray's Bonus Extras showing how this was achieved.)

The Art of the Steal -- from Radius/TWC and running 90 minutes -- breaks no new ground but should certainly provide a nice evening's viewing. The Blu-ray and DVD hit the streets this Tuesday, May 6, and the film, I expect, will eventualy find itself on Netflix streaming, thanks to the recent deal between NF and TWC. (That's Jay Baruchel -- above right, with Mr. Russell -- who brings his usual goofy, funny charm to the movie.)

Con artists on parade: Eric Besnard's CA$H proves gorgeous, glossy, star-studded fun

Five years old already but holding up rather well, CA$H, a French mainstream bauble from 2008 ostensibly about a flock of con artists trying to outwit each other, went straight to DVD the following year here in the USA. This is undoubtedly because its star, the Oscar-winning Jean Dujardin, had not yet been seen in any film here in the States other than OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (which garnered neither much press nor box-office). That satirical series actually gifted TrustMovies with one of his main desires over the past few years: to see M. Dujardin play what one might call just an "ordinary" leading man, after seeing him do very good work in more-or-less "stunt" roles such as the OSS guy or that near-silent movie performer in The Artist.

TM actually interviewed Dujardin (above) in 2010, upon the release here of his second OSS movie (OSS 117: Lost in Rio). Even then I was champing at the bit to see how the actor might handle a more "normal" role. He's actually made a number of these kinds of films, but we've yet to see them over here (His tiny role in Little White Lies, though pivotal, was close to non-existent -- one of the big problems with this movie.) Now, with CA$H, available via Netflix streaming, we can do just this: see Dujardin play an almost stereotypical con artist/hero. Are we surprised that he comes through with flying colors?  I shouldn't think so.

Instead of being required to play an affectation up the wazoo, as in the OSS films, or giving a performance that constantly comments on itself, as in The Artist (doing these as well as does Dujardin is no mean feat, by the way), the actor is asked only by his writer/director, Eric Besnard (shown at left), to be glamorous, easy-going and sexy -- all of which seem to come as naturally to Dujardin as they do, say, to a certain Mr. Clooney on our side of the pond. In fact, his light-heartedness and light-footedness in this role are one of the reason the movie works as well as it so often does.

To even begin to talk about the plot -- which offers surprise after surprise along the way, some of which you might guess, leading up to the final one (which I suspect you will not) -- is useless and wrong-headed, as this can only result in coming too close to a spoiler or two. Let's just say that the movie begins with a smart "con," using that marvelous actor Clovis Cornillac (above), and then simply keeps the "conning" coming.

I mentioned the word glossy in my headline. This movie practically defines the term. The locations should have travelers salivating; the sets, costumes and decor are all aces, right down the line; and the pacing is slow enough (some might say a tad too slow) to give you time to drink it all in. This last might be considered a criticism, but I so enjoyed these visuals, coupled to a cast that is just about as mainstream glossy as France and Europe can currently provide, that the whole thing adds up to a very big "What's not to like?"

That cast? Ah, yes: In addition to Dujardin, we have the gorgeous (in very different ways) Alice Taglioni (above, wearing the cap) and Italy's Valeria Golino (below, with Dujardin and stuffed animals). Both actresses are just right and add immeasurably to the fun going on.

Add to the mix the super-professional Jean Reno (below) doing what he does best -- and expertly, as usual...

...while, for class, there's the terrific François Berléand, not seen often enough here in the U.S. in recent times (save for a short, smart role in The Stroller Strategy earlier this year). He's shown in the photo, right, with Caroline Proust, a young lady who had already made her mark in the soon-to-be-hugely-popular-internationally French TV Series, Spiral (Engrenages) -- here essaying one of the gang members, while showing Berléand how good she is at playing pool. Ms. Proust is fine in her somewhat truncated role, but what a difference it is seeing her as a leading lady in Spiral!

The rest of the cast -- which includes the likes of Samir Guesmi, Eriq Ebouaney, the late Jocelyn Quivrin and Ciarán Hinds -- adds talent and luster, but I think it's probably the overall cleverness of the twisty plot that will keep alert viewers most happy. CA$H is simply such good fun.

The movie -- running 100 minutes and sporting the IFC logo in its opening frame (though the film can nowhere be found on that distribution company's web site) -- is available now via Netflix streaming, Amazon Instant Video and on DVD.

A BAG OF HAMMERS, from Brian Crano & Jake Sandvig, is an original worth seeing

What makes an original? Certainly not the subject matter, for what hasn't been done already, time and again? What makes A BAG OF HAMMERS original is how its filmmakers treat the tried-and-true -- charming con artists, men who don't grow up, a lonely little boy with an unemployed mom, the homeless, mismatched lovers (all stuff we've seen countless times). But never like this. What writer/director Brian Crano (shown below) and writer/actor (he has one of the leads) Jake Sandvig have achieved with their really special new film is to give us something missing from so much that we see nowadays: surprise. (For more on this subject, see the interview with Mr. Crano at the end of this post.)

The filmmakers take their subjects and events (and the dialog that wraps around them) and treat it, first, realistically (I don't think there's a dishonest moment in the movie) and then quirkily, humorously, sadly, and sometimes just amazedly. They -- and their actors -- spin on a dime, and so we, the audience can never be fully prepared for what will happen. Yet when it does, we buy it. (Not for nothing is the movie about a pair of con men -- but sporting "decent streaks" a mile wide.)

The movie is almost constantly -- yet quietly and below its delightful surface -- raising the question of morality in the actions we see. Who's right? Who's wrong? The answers are not so easily found, and this is part of the movie's great strength. It deals with some of life's most primal themes, often humorously, and doesn't give us easy answers, even as it does entertain us quite well.

How did the director bring together such a semi-starry cast (even Amanda Seyfried turns up here!) to involve themselves in a very small-budget movie? I guess it's, as usual, who you know that counts. And thanks be that Crano and his casting director Brad Gilmore know some attractive and unusually gifted actors. Britain's Rebecca Hall (above), sporting a fine America accent, as she often does,  just keeps amazing us over and over again -- from Starter for 10 and Red Riding through The Town, Please Give and Everything Must Go. This actress is a continual treat to watch, and here, as the waitress at a waffle-themed diner, she's once again... well, everything you could ask for.

Jason Ritter, above, another fine upcoming young actor who was wasted in last week's The Perfect Family, is a standout here as one of our two troubled heroes. His scene with a lovely actress named Barb Rossmeisl is a stunner and a keeper, and his explanation to young Chandler Canterbury (below, in red, and one of our best current child actors) about what has just happened is simply sterling (that's where the film's title is put to use).

Ditto Mr. Sandvig (above, right) who takes -- perhaps because he wrote it himself -- the less showy role, but still grounds it with gravity and charm. Maybe its Carrie Preston (below), however, who walks away with the dramatic crown. She is simply so good, so real, making us, by turns, root for her and then hate her. Ms Preston, shown below, is largely responsible for the movie's success at keeping us off-balance -- and loving it.

I'll not go into plot. You deserve the surprises that Crano and Sandvig have up their sleeves. A Bag of Hammers, from MPI Media Group and running (on my screener, at least) only 75 minutes, opens this Friday, May 11, in New York City at the Village East Cinema, and in Los Angeles on Friday, May 18, at Laemmle's Music Hall 3. Other playdates around the country, I hope, will follow, as well as VOD and eventual DVD.

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We had time for only a short phone interview with co-writer/director Brian Crano, below, so we tried to make the most of it. (Note: there are some spoilers in this interview, so for the sake of the "surprise" that's so important to the film, see it first and then come back to the interview.) In the below conversation, TrustMovies appears in boldface and Mr. Crano in standard type:

First off: is it pronounced Craaaano or Crano?

Long a -- as midwestern as you can make it.

What I loved best about the movie is how original it is. It strikes me as a real original. It takes stuff that we’ve seen countless times -- the abandoned kid, the mom who can’t find a job, the scam artists who need to grow up, hell, even suicide – and works it all into something surprisingly real and “felt.” And funny and odd. Did you mean it to accomplish all this?

Without being lofty about it -- yeah, absolutely. For me the thing missing most in my movie-going experience is surprise. So I am trying to find out a way to make this happen. That’s my job as a filmmaker, as I see it. To find something emotionally true or something funny, but something that the audience doesn’t see coming, that undercuts their expectations. This movie gave us a lot of opportunities to set up red herrings. We did that time and time again in the film.

The dialog is excellent -- always believable but also often funny, witty, caustic. How was it to collaborate with someone. How did that go?

It was very easy. In writing the first draft of the movie, Jake Sandvig and I would basically just play out the scene between the us. That proved really useful. If you have to say something out loud, that will tell you if it's a good thing to say – or not. When you actually hear it, then you know when something’s funny or true. The whole movie was sort of “written out loud.”

It does occur to me that the initial set-up is pretty fake. Stealing cars is grand theft auto, right? If they’re doing this kind of thing all in the L.A. area, the police would quickly be onto their scam and arrest them. (But this didn’t bother me during the movie – only after.)

Yeah – this came up sometimes to me, too. But to me it wasn’t such a big deal. There is a certain kind of “movie logic” operating here that you kind of have to give in to, to enjoy the movie. And, actually, if you look at the L.A. police statistics, the percentage of crimes that are prosecuted are extremely low.

The end credit sequences are pretty jokey and quite fun, but they tend to distract from any “moved” feelings the viewer might have. Did you want audiences to end up saying – oh, it’s just a movie, or it’s just a good joke?

The end credits piece –because the last quarter of the movie is pretty heavy -- gave us an opportunity to leave em laughing again. As serious as the film is at points, it's still a comedy and I didn't want it at any point to be a labor. This is just like giving you your dessert at the end of the meal, like after a steak dinner.

I get it. The end stuff certainly wasn’t like the usual “outtakes” that you often see at the end of films.

These definitely were not outtakes. These are scenes that were written for this purpose.

Where did you get such a terrific cast (well, Jake Sandvig co-wrote it, so you knew him) but the others: Jason Ritter, Rebecca Hall, Carrie Preston (who is really good!), Amanda Seyfried, Canterbury, Todd Louiso (shown above), Sally Kirkland, etc. But especially Rebecca. She is one my favorite actresses.

Rebecca is the best you can find. She is really top shelf. It is helpful that she and I have been friends for such a long time. We met during when we were just both out of drama school period. We started making each other laugh and have not stopped, pretty much ever since then.

She seems so willing to do so many different things, take on so many different roles in big films and small films…. And what a fabulous American accent she has! 

She is totally fearless. She has no typical “actor's pride,” like, “’Oh, I won’t do this! It's too risky,” or "what If I'm perceived incorrectly." Carrie Preston is the same way. Everything they do, they are doing this for the right reasons, and when you watch them, you can tell that right away. Same goes for the boys: Ritter and Sandvig (shown at left) -- and Chandler, as well.

You filmed in L.A., right? But you live in NY? And you’re from Michigan….

I just moved to NYC a month ago; right now, in fact, I am waiting for our mattress to be delivered. For 10-12 years prior to this, I lived in L.A. -- pretty much since drama school in England.

I want to see your short films. Where/how can I see Rubberheart?

I’ll send you a copy. Rubberheart has Rebecca in it, it's based off of a short story she wrote. My hobby is kind of making comedic, satirical shorts. The other short I made that you can see on my web site – Official Selection -- is my response to the thousand of short films I had to watch while Rubberheart was playing at various festivals. It is sort of a pastiche of art films. I also do a web series with my boyfriend called Simply Plimpton, where he portrays a version of actress Martha Plimpton.

The scene with the homeless woman is just terrific – one of the best I’ve ever seen on this subject. How/why did that come about? (Did you see Monday Morning? That’s another film about the homeless, which has only opened in L.A. at this point.)

No, I didn’t get to it.

It also covers the homeless in a very different manner. But back to your scene with the homeless woman. It is particularly moving and real.

It was written almost as an interstitial scene. That is, it could have quite easily been skimmed over when reading. But our great casting director, Brad Gilmore, found this incredible actress, Barb Rossmeisl. She and Jason hit it off so well and were so good together. They both understood what was needed and how this was kind of the whole movie’s message in a single scene. The film is about connecting with things you're afraid of -- and connections that might not necessarily seem ”normal.” This is one of my favorite moments in the film.

The big question: did the guys raise the kid while grifting and scamming, and did Kelsey help them? And if so, what the fuck does that mean?

For me -- I was at a talk-back the other night and a woman asked a question like that, laid out her take on the film and then asked if I agreed with her interpretation. She wanted me to agree with her response. But I told her, no, that I'm much more interested in her response and that it would be much more interesting than mine. In that, there’s not going to be a test. No one will get a gold star here. What did the movie make you feel? That’s the right answer.

Generally, I see the criminality in the movie is a metaphor for any kind of damage. Or any kind of thing that we, as a society, have decided is morally questionable. The heart of the movie is about how to make an untraditional family. So many children now are being raised by single parents, grandparents, whatever. There is no more nuclear family that means anything. So our point was to try to make a movie about that -- without making it a polemic or waving a flag. That is where we were going.

You certainly got there. What’s next for you?

I am just starting another movie that I wrote by myself this time. It’s called Retrace Your Steps, and that is about all I can say about it right now. Except it’s set in a Canadian forest.

Can you talk about the music in the film?

The score for this movie was done by Johnny Flynn, a British musician. I wanted him to make something different – a series of songs that was like a companion to the movie but not necessarily a traditional score. Meaning that the music in the film, I didn't want it to be emotionally prescriptive. Rather just be Johnny's interpretation of what's going on.

Lastly, Brian: Is there any question you’ve always wanted to be asked about your movie but never have been. Now’s the time. I’ll ask it and you can answer.

(He thinks a couple of seconds…) I can’t think of anything. I’ve spent six years on this movie, and have talked to so many people and fielded so many questions….

…that you’ve probably, at this point, heard them all? Well, thank you, Brian, and I wish you great good luck with this film, which really is a wonderful and original piece of moviemaking.