Gabriele Muccino: It wasn’t a flop, my film was not trying to be a romantic comedy
- Playing for Keeps, the Italian director’s third film shot in the United States, will be coming out in Italy on Juanry 10 in 450 cinemas, after a lukewarm reception the other side of the Atlantic
Gabriele Muccino was erupting with emotions when he met the press following the screening of his latest film Playing for Keeps in Rome. His third film to be shot in the United States after Seven Pounds is awaiting Italian release on January 10 (with Medusa in 450 cinemas) following a lukewarm American reception and a total takedown by critics.
But the Roman director refused to admit to a flop. “A flop is when a film cost 120 million to make only made 20 million,” he said. His own, produced by Americans Nu Image/Millennium Films in association with Italian Andrea Leone Films, cost 20 million and made 13 million in the United States alone. Total profits are already at 21 million if you include other countries where the film has already been released (among which Spain, the Netherlands, Hungary, Finland and Russia).
The next European steps will be France and Germany. Beyond the numbers though, the director’s reflections turned to strategy. “It wasn’t supposed to be a romantic comedy, but a film on human relationships with touching moments of truth. Despite this, the American distributor wanted to frame it like that and I had to cut at least two dramatic scenes which gave the film depth.”
The story is one of a father reuniting with his son (and ex-wife), but it is also the ironic story of an American suburb filled with desperate housewives. The film has a predictable and simplistic storyline where dramatic exertions, typical of Muccino’s style (whether you like them or not), are missing. The stellar cast (Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Dennis Quaid) and the good direction are not enough to make the film enthralling.
A lost opportunity perhaps. “I have nothing against Hollywood,” Muccino tried to temper. “My biggest success happened while working totally freely with Sony (The Pursuit of Happyness made over $300 million across the world). The truth is, this was an independent film. And getting thirteen producers to agree was not easy.”
But the man behind The Last Kiss is not giving up. “I am writing my next film, it will be in English and set in the United States. The main character will be a very young female actress.” Producers may be European.
(Translated from Italian)
Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.
