Two Oscar winners paired as one

By Brian Frederick

Jolie transfixed working with Eastwood

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 10/25/08 – Clint doesn’t like change. Not after the first take, anyway. “I like to capture actors when they’re still thinking about it, when they’re still formulating in their mind, because after all, what is acting? You are trying to give the impression of your immediate thoughts and translate them into your dialogue — and when you retake 20 times it gets difficult and somehow something gets missing at a point,” said Oscar winning director Clint Eastwood.

The enduring Eastwood finally hitched up with Oscar alumni Angelina Jolie, directing her in his latest motion picture release ‘Changeling’ set in 1920s Los Angeles. “Fit,” is the word Eastwood expressed describing the contemporary and period face of Jolie when he cast her to star in the lead role. “There is corruption all around the world and why this story was interesting to me is because it is as much a story about corruption as it is also a story about the ability to over come it and for even one individual citizen to change the law which we have the ability to do in this country is pretty amazing and one of the best things about this country,” said Jolie referring to the United States.

Like his classic Western characters, Clint also doesn’t say a lot. Apparently Jolie was not aware of Eastwood’s on-time on-budget economical style of directing actors or heard about it but didn’t believe it until she saw his style with her own two eyes. “With the crew I don’t have to say action or roll the film, I just turn to the camera crew and they start filming,” Eastwood said.

John Malkovich who stars in a supporting role to Jolie was noted as saying, “Eastwood was quiet and didn’t say action or cut,” like many directors. Usually a nod came from the cinematographer to begin the action. During much of the shoot, Jolie and cast had to take direction from Eastwood’s camera crew, citing “He expects people to come prepared and get on with their work,” she said.” Jolie was noting that the beginning of an action should be understood by the cast and crew as far as Eastwood was concerned.

The script was originally optioned by famed Hollywood director Ron Howard. Howard soon became consumed by other projects and found his replacement in Eastwood. Upon reading the script, Eastwood quickly signed on as director and Howard promoted himself to producer of the project. All that was left was attaching Jolie in the lead. She was rumored to be reluctant at first but challenged by the strength of the script and the message in it.

The film’s plot is premised on a child kidnapping and centered on a woman’s struggle to find her missing child. The subject matter of the film made Jolie uncomfortable being a mother of her own. She chose to work in the film as it brought attention to child abuse and human suffering. “This real woman lived through this and fought this system and it was a story of justice to me in the end and that is always one of the best stories to tell,” said Jolie.

Eastwood is known amongst some industry insiders for shooting action rehearsals and sometimes has his cinematographer “discreetly “film the scene. Action rehearsals are performing the scene just moments before shooting the “action!” and are done to get one last warm up before the actual take. Directors sometimes like to shoot these scenes because actors tend to be more relaxed when they think they are not being filmed. Much of Jolie’s acting in the film is performed this way. “We didn’t have to sit around and intellectualize too much,” said director Eastwood.

Eastwood asked the starlet to “perform a scene as if only performing for me.” When she finished the scene Eastwood might do another take as if they were all working according to schedule even though he had already made up his mind to use the “discreet” shot.

Eastwood’s style in directing is to try and make the actor appear real. One manner in which he directed ‘Changeling,’ was to limit retakes and extensive rehearsals simply because he believes that an actor can over-act a scene. By getting right down to the filming he believes he can bring out more realistic acting and actors don’t have time to get nervous. Directing ‘Changeling’ was no different. Many famous actors get nervous in front of the camera.

After screenwriter Michael Straczynski completed his first draft and sent it to Eastwood, he asked him,” What changes do you want to make?” “None, Eastwood replied, we’ll go with this.” When most films are completed in two month’s time, Eastwood usually finishes around a month’s time. His on-time prowess and meeting the bottom line is the reason Universal Pictures and producers love working with him. “I didn’t want to sit around and chat up a lot of jargon,” said Eastwood.

Typically working with Eastwood can mean long days and getting the job done right the first time is what he expects of his cast and crew. When Malkovich was expecting a long 18 hour day ahead of him, one day around noon he heard Eastwood say to the entire crew, “Let’s wrap for lunch, and that’s a wrap.” Meaning we’re done shooting the film. “I have made over one hundred movies in my lifetime and I have never heard that on set before,” Malkovich said surprised to be going home so soon.

‘Changeling’ is scheduled for nationwide release October 31. The film is being shown in a limited number of theatre locations now. There is some small talk amongst Hollywood critics that the film could receive Oscar nominations based on Eastwood’s track record at the Oscars and his timing for the release of the film.