Danny Boyle is near and dear to the heart of probably every SuicideGirl and member. If not for his debut film noir Shallow Grave or the film that broke him through, Trainspotting, then definitely for the horror film, 28 Days Later. That film gave a pure shot of adrenaline into the heart of the zombie picture.
His latest picture, Millions, might surprise casual fans. But Boyle nuts know that the man can tackle any genre and come up with a wonderfully inventive picture.
Millions tells the tale of a three person family, the practical nine year old Anthony and the religious seven year old brother Damian who sees saints around every corner and their father who is the superintendent of a new housing development in Manchester. When a suitcase full of money falls out of the sky at Damian's feet, it sets the boys on the adventure of a lifetime that leads them to realize that true wealth has nothing to do with money.
Check out the official site of Millions
Daniel Robert Epstein: I spoke to the kids who starred in your movie and they said you suck at football.
Danny Boyle: [laughs] Well Im here to put you right about that.
DRE: What made you decide to do a movie with kids?
DB: I fell in love with the script though I ended up changing it completely. It was one of those insane things in the film world where you fall in love with something and change everything except for one scene. Everyone wants me to make a sequel to 28 Days Later because it was such a hit or they want me to make another Trainspotting. But if you are lucky, you will be able to make decisions based on instincts. A lot of people had read the script and turned it down so I think they thought of me as a last resort. I could see why they didnt think I would be right for this because maybe Ill turn it into some slasher revenge horror child murdering movie. But I the script had such a connection to my background because I was brought up a very devout and strict catholic. At 14 years of age I was all set to go to the seminary and to become a priest. I recognized a lot in this imaginative kid and it gave me a chance to do a film about Manchester where I grew up. I dont see Manchester like a lot of people see it, as the kitchen sink drama movies from the 60s. To me its a place of vitality and energy so the film bursts with color. Its a life affirming place which is how I see Manchester.
I feel like all my films are life affirming and full of energy. I feel that when you go into the cinema you should come out feeling positive. I see this as a part of my body of work.
DRE: Having saints in this movie could have made it silly so how did you make it work?
DB: I felt they should have a bit of a personality and they shouldnt be pious and sanctimonious. They are real to him and they should express themselves to him because they have a speaking relationship. That prevents it from becoming too Catholic or even too sacred. Something we wanted going in was that we wanted the whole film to have the spirit of generosity within all the characters. I dont feel bitter about my Catholicism because it shaped the kind of person I am. When I reintroduced myself to it through the film it all came flooding back.
DRE: Are you going to go back to church?
DB: Im not actually but the writer of the film [Frank Cottrell Boyce] is a practicing Catholic. The idea of how we represent Catholicism is something we worked on very carefully together. The film shows that we should have faith in people rather than icons or a particular brand of religion.
DRE: Your film is about the possibility of evil with money but yet at the same time it takes millions of dollars to bring out that message in the film.
DB: Its funny because back before Shallow Grave we didnt have any money. Then Shallow Grave was a hit and we were suddenly given money. Ive made more money than my dad saw in his whole entire life and we have to deal with that. Its a very interesting crossover world. I think you just have to behave well because this is a world that can encourage people to get revenge because of how theyve been treated or they may behave in a vain and excessive way.
Ive only sacked one person in life. It was someone playing one of the infected in 28 Days Later. He was called to set earlier than he was supposed so he was screaming at this assistant director. He was absolutely vile to her and I sacked him on the spot. I cant take that kind of behavior.
DRE: Millions has some echoes back to your first film Shallow Grave. First of all theres a bag full of money and at one point in the film someone is looking down through a crack in the attic ceiling. Was that on purpose?
DB: Well the bag of money is a great clich to start a movie because it changes everything. Its a classic. As for the guy in the ceiling I guess I just like people in the ceiling [laughs]. Also I heard this story a long time ago when I was in Belfast. I was told that the British army used to raid republican streets and 50 troops would arrive, block off both ends of the street and search all the houses then 48 soldiers would leave. Then two days later the same 48 soldiers would raid the same street and 50 soldiers would leave. They were secretly dropping in spies to live in the rooftops. The people eventually found this out because they would find these bags filled with excrement, urine and bits of food because they were spying for two days. Ever since then Ive had this thing about people up there watching.
DRE: Does it make you paranoid?
DB: Im not paranoid. I realize that Im a regular guy who likes to scare people. I like to create unease and Im not sure why.
DRE: You said you made a lot of changes to this script. Does that happen before shooting or during shooting?
DB: The rule that we have is that we work the script very hard before shooting. We make the film with the writer even going so far as to film little bits. We do as much as possible beforehand then after we start shooting we dont change anything else. Its something that helps make a little bit of money go a long way. One may think that when you change things while shooting it may seem fascinating but it ends up being a cul-de-sac and an expensive one at that. You get into editing and its nonsense.
DRE: How come 28 Days Later had two endings then?
DB: Sometimes when we finish shooting we might do some pickups where we try other things. For Millions I told the screenwriter that he should turn the screenplay into a novel. You only have to suggest the idea of a novel to a writer and they are off like a shot so he got a publisher and a two book deal. He wrote the book while we were shooting so I read it and there were scenes in it I wanted in the movie. The scene with St. Peter wasnt in the original film so we did it as pickup and put it in.
DRE: How did you know that Alex Etel and Lewis McGibbon would be right as the kids in the movie?
DB: It was easy with Lewis because his character has to be able to deliver his lines sort of as an adult. He has an extensive knowledge of what adults like. With Alex it was more to do with a spirit and it made me realize that I didnt want an actor. There were a couple of kids that were better actors than Alex technically but they werent as interesting. They would be safety casting and Alex is bold casting. He has a unique way of saying his lines. Someone said to me that people like that have an old soul to them.
DRE: Is it easier to direct kids more than adults?
DB: I learned as much directing Millions as I did on my first film. They had the two steepest learning curves. I learned on Millions that you cant leave your fingerprints on the kids. We did some early footage and I looked at it and I could tell that the kids were being over-directed. So I had to back off and thats scary because directing is about control. You have to create an atmosphere that makes them feel confident and secure to make them understand the ideas. If the kids are good in the movie you tend to get a lot of praise but its not really applicable because its their performance. The best example of that is when they are looking at the women in the bras on the internet. If you could imagine me explaining to them my thinking about how the scene should be done, it would be vile because they are eight and ten. So I just said You come in there, look there and come out there. It ended up as a beautiful bit of film acting.
DRE: Youve helped introduce so many great actors to the world like Ewan McGregor, Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris. What makes you want to work with new people?
DB: With the exception of The Beach we try to work lower down on the radar in terms of visibility so the films can pop out. It means you have to do a lot more work publicizing the film and you arent guaranteed anything as opposed to doing a film with a big star. It seems to help the stories. The next film we are doing is Sunshine, a sci-fi film, and generally big stars tend to not be in big sci-fi films. Those movies tend to be ensemble films. Its project dependent and I certainly feel that having done The Beach I know that Im better at working under the radar. Though I dont think there is anything better than seeing a really good big movie that is playing all over the world. You get a buzz off of it.
DRE: When [screenwriter] Alex Garland and [producer] Andrew MacDonald were here talking about 28 Days Later they both acknowledged that The Beach was a film that didnt exactly work. Youve made four films since then, what did you learn from The Beach?
DB: The biggest thing for me is that when I arrive on a set or location, Plan A is to see what happens when you get there. Most directors Plan A is to know what exactly is going to happen. Im a great believer that actors are different everyday. I love that feeling and thats where ideas come from. On a huge film you cant do that and there is so much depending on your decisions being made in a clear way. Literally there is an army of people waiting for you to tell them what to do. I like a family atmosphere on set and Leonardo [DiCaprio] is into that so thats what we tried to do but it was just impossible with so many people. I admire directors that can do that because obviously there are people who can do it and keep it fresh and spontaneous. I dont think I have that skill so I hope I have other skills.
DRE: You are one of the few directors that is well known in the UK, how has that helped you out?
DB: Its very expensive to make a film in Britain because the exchange rate is so terrible. Dollars are worthless in the UK. Since 28 Days Later made so much money it gives you credit for your next movie. After they got over the disappointment of hearing that it was going to be about two boys growing up in Manchester [laughs] they said, ok.
DRE: Also could you kill a friend that got infected with RAGE?
DB: [laughs] I dont know how brutal or ruthless I am. People tend to think that directors are ruthless and I think you have to be tough sometimes but I dont know if I could be that tough.
DRE: Naomi Harris said she couldnt do it.
DB: Naw, shes a sweetie.
DRE: Whats the first film you remember seeing?
DB: Im a twin and my dad took me to see Battle of the Bulge and my mom took my sister to see The Sound of Music. So you could see what kind of gender upbringing I had.
DRE: What is happening with Alien Love Triangle?
DB: Its going to have to come out now because Miramax is jettisoning all their product. Alien Love Triangle has been done since 1999. Its like 25 minutes long so its kind of like an orphan, because it doesnt have any partners. It was meant to have two other 30 minute films to go with it. The other two they commissioned they turned into full length films and that was what Miramax wanted us to do. But we always thought it was ideal as it is. We tried to come up with two other parts to go with it. Its got Courtney Cox, Heather Graham and Kenneth Branagh and its very funny and very silly. Courtney Cox and Heather Graham play aliens. But Courtney Cox is a male alien inside Courtney Coxs body which is always an interesting place to be. Heather Graham is a female alien who arrives to take Courtney Cox back.
DRE: What is Sunshine about?
DB: We hope to start shooting it in July. Theyre taking a bomb to reignite a section of the sun thats failing. The bomb is immense, the size of Kansas
Its also a mystery because there was a mission that went up to the sun seven years earlier which failed and no one really knows what happened to the crew. At the end, they get to meet the source of all life in the universe which has got to be worth at least ten bucks.
DRE: Are you going to adapt Porno?
DB: Yes but thats a long term project. We want to make it about those guys when they look middle-aged so we might do it 20 years from now. The idea of it is not to try and attract a new audience to Trainspotting but to play it to everybody who watched it when it first came out.
DRE: Are you and Ewan [McGregor] cool with one another?
DB: Its cool in the English sense of the word rather than the American sense so its not hot. Its pleasant and fine. Im sure well be fine.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
His latest picture, Millions, might surprise casual fans. But Boyle nuts know that the man can tackle any genre and come up with a wonderfully inventive picture.
Millions tells the tale of a three person family, the practical nine year old Anthony and the religious seven year old brother Damian who sees saints around every corner and their father who is the superintendent of a new housing development in Manchester. When a suitcase full of money falls out of the sky at Damian's feet, it sets the boys on the adventure of a lifetime that leads them to realize that true wealth has nothing to do with money.
Check out the official site of Millions
Daniel Robert Epstein: I spoke to the kids who starred in your movie and they said you suck at football.
Danny Boyle: [laughs] Well Im here to put you right about that.
DRE: What made you decide to do a movie with kids?
DB: I fell in love with the script though I ended up changing it completely. It was one of those insane things in the film world where you fall in love with something and change everything except for one scene. Everyone wants me to make a sequel to 28 Days Later because it was such a hit or they want me to make another Trainspotting. But if you are lucky, you will be able to make decisions based on instincts. A lot of people had read the script and turned it down so I think they thought of me as a last resort. I could see why they didnt think I would be right for this because maybe Ill turn it into some slasher revenge horror child murdering movie. But I the script had such a connection to my background because I was brought up a very devout and strict catholic. At 14 years of age I was all set to go to the seminary and to become a priest. I recognized a lot in this imaginative kid and it gave me a chance to do a film about Manchester where I grew up. I dont see Manchester like a lot of people see it, as the kitchen sink drama movies from the 60s. To me its a place of vitality and energy so the film bursts with color. Its a life affirming place which is how I see Manchester.
I feel like all my films are life affirming and full of energy. I feel that when you go into the cinema you should come out feeling positive. I see this as a part of my body of work.
DRE: Having saints in this movie could have made it silly so how did you make it work?
DB: I felt they should have a bit of a personality and they shouldnt be pious and sanctimonious. They are real to him and they should express themselves to him because they have a speaking relationship. That prevents it from becoming too Catholic or even too sacred. Something we wanted going in was that we wanted the whole film to have the spirit of generosity within all the characters. I dont feel bitter about my Catholicism because it shaped the kind of person I am. When I reintroduced myself to it through the film it all came flooding back.
DRE: Are you going to go back to church?
DB: Im not actually but the writer of the film [Frank Cottrell Boyce] is a practicing Catholic. The idea of how we represent Catholicism is something we worked on very carefully together. The film shows that we should have faith in people rather than icons or a particular brand of religion.
DRE: Your film is about the possibility of evil with money but yet at the same time it takes millions of dollars to bring out that message in the film.
DB: Its funny because back before Shallow Grave we didnt have any money. Then Shallow Grave was a hit and we were suddenly given money. Ive made more money than my dad saw in his whole entire life and we have to deal with that. Its a very interesting crossover world. I think you just have to behave well because this is a world that can encourage people to get revenge because of how theyve been treated or they may behave in a vain and excessive way.
Ive only sacked one person in life. It was someone playing one of the infected in 28 Days Later. He was called to set earlier than he was supposed so he was screaming at this assistant director. He was absolutely vile to her and I sacked him on the spot. I cant take that kind of behavior.
DRE: Millions has some echoes back to your first film Shallow Grave. First of all theres a bag full of money and at one point in the film someone is looking down through a crack in the attic ceiling. Was that on purpose?
DB: Well the bag of money is a great clich to start a movie because it changes everything. Its a classic. As for the guy in the ceiling I guess I just like people in the ceiling [laughs]. Also I heard this story a long time ago when I was in Belfast. I was told that the British army used to raid republican streets and 50 troops would arrive, block off both ends of the street and search all the houses then 48 soldiers would leave. Then two days later the same 48 soldiers would raid the same street and 50 soldiers would leave. They were secretly dropping in spies to live in the rooftops. The people eventually found this out because they would find these bags filled with excrement, urine and bits of food because they were spying for two days. Ever since then Ive had this thing about people up there watching.
DRE: Does it make you paranoid?
DB: Im not paranoid. I realize that Im a regular guy who likes to scare people. I like to create unease and Im not sure why.
DRE: You said you made a lot of changes to this script. Does that happen before shooting or during shooting?
DB: The rule that we have is that we work the script very hard before shooting. We make the film with the writer even going so far as to film little bits. We do as much as possible beforehand then after we start shooting we dont change anything else. Its something that helps make a little bit of money go a long way. One may think that when you change things while shooting it may seem fascinating but it ends up being a cul-de-sac and an expensive one at that. You get into editing and its nonsense.
DRE: How come 28 Days Later had two endings then?
DB: Sometimes when we finish shooting we might do some pickups where we try other things. For Millions I told the screenwriter that he should turn the screenplay into a novel. You only have to suggest the idea of a novel to a writer and they are off like a shot so he got a publisher and a two book deal. He wrote the book while we were shooting so I read it and there were scenes in it I wanted in the movie. The scene with St. Peter wasnt in the original film so we did it as pickup and put it in.
DRE: How did you know that Alex Etel and Lewis McGibbon would be right as the kids in the movie?
DB: It was easy with Lewis because his character has to be able to deliver his lines sort of as an adult. He has an extensive knowledge of what adults like. With Alex it was more to do with a spirit and it made me realize that I didnt want an actor. There were a couple of kids that were better actors than Alex technically but they werent as interesting. They would be safety casting and Alex is bold casting. He has a unique way of saying his lines. Someone said to me that people like that have an old soul to them.
DRE: Is it easier to direct kids more than adults?
DB: I learned as much directing Millions as I did on my first film. They had the two steepest learning curves. I learned on Millions that you cant leave your fingerprints on the kids. We did some early footage and I looked at it and I could tell that the kids were being over-directed. So I had to back off and thats scary because directing is about control. You have to create an atmosphere that makes them feel confident and secure to make them understand the ideas. If the kids are good in the movie you tend to get a lot of praise but its not really applicable because its their performance. The best example of that is when they are looking at the women in the bras on the internet. If you could imagine me explaining to them my thinking about how the scene should be done, it would be vile because they are eight and ten. So I just said You come in there, look there and come out there. It ended up as a beautiful bit of film acting.
DRE: Youve helped introduce so many great actors to the world like Ewan McGregor, Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris. What makes you want to work with new people?
DB: With the exception of The Beach we try to work lower down on the radar in terms of visibility so the films can pop out. It means you have to do a lot more work publicizing the film and you arent guaranteed anything as opposed to doing a film with a big star. It seems to help the stories. The next film we are doing is Sunshine, a sci-fi film, and generally big stars tend to not be in big sci-fi films. Those movies tend to be ensemble films. Its project dependent and I certainly feel that having done The Beach I know that Im better at working under the radar. Though I dont think there is anything better than seeing a really good big movie that is playing all over the world. You get a buzz off of it.
DRE: When [screenwriter] Alex Garland and [producer] Andrew MacDonald were here talking about 28 Days Later they both acknowledged that The Beach was a film that didnt exactly work. Youve made four films since then, what did you learn from The Beach?
DB: The biggest thing for me is that when I arrive on a set or location, Plan A is to see what happens when you get there. Most directors Plan A is to know what exactly is going to happen. Im a great believer that actors are different everyday. I love that feeling and thats where ideas come from. On a huge film you cant do that and there is so much depending on your decisions being made in a clear way. Literally there is an army of people waiting for you to tell them what to do. I like a family atmosphere on set and Leonardo [DiCaprio] is into that so thats what we tried to do but it was just impossible with so many people. I admire directors that can do that because obviously there are people who can do it and keep it fresh and spontaneous. I dont think I have that skill so I hope I have other skills.
DRE: You are one of the few directors that is well known in the UK, how has that helped you out?
DB: Its very expensive to make a film in Britain because the exchange rate is so terrible. Dollars are worthless in the UK. Since 28 Days Later made so much money it gives you credit for your next movie. After they got over the disappointment of hearing that it was going to be about two boys growing up in Manchester [laughs] they said, ok.
DRE: Also could you kill a friend that got infected with RAGE?
DB: [laughs] I dont know how brutal or ruthless I am. People tend to think that directors are ruthless and I think you have to be tough sometimes but I dont know if I could be that tough.
DRE: Naomi Harris said she couldnt do it.
DB: Naw, shes a sweetie.
DRE: Whats the first film you remember seeing?
DB: Im a twin and my dad took me to see Battle of the Bulge and my mom took my sister to see The Sound of Music. So you could see what kind of gender upbringing I had.
DRE: What is happening with Alien Love Triangle?
DB: Its going to have to come out now because Miramax is jettisoning all their product. Alien Love Triangle has been done since 1999. Its like 25 minutes long so its kind of like an orphan, because it doesnt have any partners. It was meant to have two other 30 minute films to go with it. The other two they commissioned they turned into full length films and that was what Miramax wanted us to do. But we always thought it was ideal as it is. We tried to come up with two other parts to go with it. Its got Courtney Cox, Heather Graham and Kenneth Branagh and its very funny and very silly. Courtney Cox and Heather Graham play aliens. But Courtney Cox is a male alien inside Courtney Coxs body which is always an interesting place to be. Heather Graham is a female alien who arrives to take Courtney Cox back.
DRE: What is Sunshine about?
DB: We hope to start shooting it in July. Theyre taking a bomb to reignite a section of the sun thats failing. The bomb is immense, the size of Kansas
Its also a mystery because there was a mission that went up to the sun seven years earlier which failed and no one really knows what happened to the crew. At the end, they get to meet the source of all life in the universe which has got to be worth at least ten bucks.
DRE: Are you going to adapt Porno?
DB: Yes but thats a long term project. We want to make it about those guys when they look middle-aged so we might do it 20 years from now. The idea of it is not to try and attract a new audience to Trainspotting but to play it to everybody who watched it when it first came out.
DRE: Are you and Ewan [McGregor] cool with one another?
DB: Its cool in the English sense of the word rather than the American sense so its not hot. Its pleasant and fine. Im sure well be fine.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
VIEW 7 of 7 COMMENTS
Great interview, Daniel.