Fun with Film

I went to a movie at the Lincoln Center Film Society tonight called Ain't Them Bodies Saints. It stars Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Keith Carradine, Ben Foster and is set in 1970's Texas Hill Country!  That alone made it my pick but to make it a not-to-miss, there was a Q & A session with the film maker (writer and director) David Lowery after the movie. Wow -- why can't all movies be like that?!

[UPDATE 8/24/13: I just figured out that Rooney Mara was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  Lauded for her "chameleon-like ability to mold herself into a variety of characters .."  Well, I guess so!]

A few points before I get to the good stuff --

• It is set in Meridian .. not really Texas Hill Country but there were scenes that could have just as easily been Comfort.
• I don't have a sophisticated film palette.  I mainly watch movies as a guilty pleasure so if I hadn't really been paying attention (like watching it at home), I probably would have thought it moved too slow. I don't think that now.
• Great theater -- not full, mostly students and theatre buffs
• $13 Friday night adult ticket .. just like The Palladium

David Lowery on right, talking.  Notice I caught the "Meridian" credit COMPLETELY by accident.

Cool tidbits from the Q&A --

The movie starts where most 'outlaw' movies end.  They get caught.  That is because David is most interested it what happens next, the surroundings, what happens in a room after you leave, etc. 

Interesting actor contributions

• Casey Affleck as Bob Muldoon: Bob had several monologues in the movie.  One in particular is in front of the mirror as he puts on his shirt.  That day, David came up with 4 different versions, gave them all to Casey and told him to go with the one that felt the best.  Casey pulled pieces from a couple and threw in some details about fighting over a ball -- telling an incredibly believable story about himself (Bob) and Ruth when they were young.  David said he was simply stunned and kept it just as Casey did it.
• Ben Foster plays a local Texas deputy.  In preparation for the role, he spent a month in Midland with a Texas law enforcement family.  David had written the part to have Ben's character hand over his gun at the end of the movie, basically saying he couldn't do this anymore.  David is a TYPICAL Hollywood liberal and wanted to make a statement about guns (oh pleeezzz).  Ben said, you know David, that just wouldn't have happened.  This is a highly honorable responsibility, and way of life -- it wouldn't have happened.  So David let him do the end his way and it TOTALLY WORKED.  David loved it.

Someone in the audience asked how he came up with the title "Ain't Them Bodies Saints"?  Singing lyrics to an old folk song he munged the words and thought they were "ain't them bodies saints".  He thought those were the words for the longest time, then it became one of those things he just filed away in back of his mind. It stuck with him.  He felt it had cadence, poetic and old time-y.  If you break it down, you could interpret it to mean everyone has some good in them and he thought it was the perfect title for his story.

Very enjoyable evening.