John Malkovich enjoyed a particularly high spike in popularity and geek credit when he appeared in Charlie Kaufman’s Being John Malkovich, but he’s been in more than 20 films since then and he hasn’t managed to have that lightning strike twice.
He was excellent as the poseur art teacher in the otherwise disappointing Art School Confidential, and while he turns in a great performance in Burn After Reading, neither one stands above anything else he’s done. Maybe he should actually try playing a jewel thief to see what he can do with that role. Find out what he thought about working with the Coens and dropping the f-bomb a lot in the interview after the break.
This role seemed like a real workout for you, was that the case?
Oh, I enjoyed it very much. No, I wouldn’t say it was more or less of a workout than usual. Particularly with the script…there is nothing to change or improv with a good script. You just do it. There is a reason that a football field has boundaries. There are a million ways to do a good script within those boundaries. Then you play with those and it was a delight.
You’re also here in the festival in Disgrace. What was it like playing a character or characters who aren’t as intelligent as yourself?
You might want to clarify that I’m here in ‘Disgrace’. I’m not really here in disgrace or shame. Well, I would never say a character is more or less intelligent than I am. I just don’t think of it that way. I read what they do and when the writing is good it gives you a fairly clear notion of how they see the world. Then it’s just a matter of collaborating with people you’ve never worked with before. There is the give and take of how they work, how they view things, and how you do. You develop a kind of language. Usually that can be developed pretty quickly and readily. I never think ‘Oh, is this man brighter or less bright than I am?’
We have the great misfortune to hear some excerpts from his book in the film. Yes, I did say ‘That’s not a book I would rush out and buy.’ I feel like it’s something I could do without, but I haven’t written a book myself. I really shouldn’t comment probably. As far as Disgrace goes, I am mistrustful of going somewhere as complicated as present or past days South Africa and saying anything that would make someone believe that I understood it, or had something important to say. I liked it very much there. I found it unimaginably beautiful. Of course it’s also sad and difficult as well. My basic feeling about it was very hopeful.
What was it like working with the Coen Brothers?
I think that among the things that for me were delightful was first of all you are working with people who have made really, really fun things. That’s always exciting and inspiring and calming. They run a very calm set, a fun set, and partially because they are both very good. Because there are two of them nothing gets out of the infield. Things are seen, things are noted, things are remarked upon. That isn’t always the case in a movie. I think that Tilda and Brad would agree that a lot of times you can go days and days wondering if the director or directors saw that take, or any other take. Do they have any kind of feeling about it whatsoever. Sadly the answer to that could often, at least ostensibly appear to be, no. They haven’t seen it. That’s not the case with this. Not many actors put on the same plays in their garage by themselves, without an audience. It sort of presupposes that somebody has to be watching. They are watching.
You get a lot of mileage out of the f-bomb in this movie, what was that like?
Profanity, most specifically the f bomb, is not as expressive as doo doo, but it’s an incredibly expressive word. It can really mean anything or nothing, and everything in between. (Editor’s note: it sure can) It’s always fun to draw on that.
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