By Ron Gilbert
Gasper Noe is a director who has a vision which I have never seen, I did not need to take any drugs to watch this film but I got very high watching it.For a moment there was a similarity to the films, Requiem for a Dream and You Can Count on Me but this film enters a whole new realm. Peter Fonda should rush out to see it because of his participation in the Roger Corman film “The Trip” with the late Dennis Hopper and buddies Bruce Dern and good old Jack Nicholson. The actors would have impressed any methodacting class and the late Timothy Leary would be applauding. All I can say is:"WOW”!!Gasper is a true artist painting the screen with sounds and visuals that will impress any famous painter from Van Gough to Picasso.to Jackson Pollock I cannot fully express in words how this film affected me. . After I watched it I wanted to hop on a plane and walk the streets of Tokyo and visit the locations where this film was shot.
I called some friends who might have seen the film at the Cannes Film Festival but I realized that they had seen a rough cut and not the version that I was privileged to see.
Going back to 1991, Noe won the SACD Award at Cannes for his short film Caren, followed by the Mercedes-Benz Award at Cannes Festival in 1998 for his feature film “I Stand Alone” and then the Bronze Horse in 2002 at the Stockholm Film Festival for Irreversible. His newest film, Enter the Void has screened at the major festivals like the Sundance Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival and other major festivals around the world.
After seeing the film I had an opportunity to talk with Nathaniel Brown who plays Oscar in the film
RG
So Gasper said that he was looking for unknown actors for his film and he found you selling t-shirts in Brooklyn
Nathaniel
That’s right
RG
He also wanted an actor who would not be upset because most of the film would be shot from your point of view and the audience would only be seeing the back of your head most of the time
Nathaniel
Well you do get to see my face in a few scenes
RG
Yes that is true. . From the start of I seriously thought the actors were on drugs just from their movements and sound quality of their voices with that raspy growling sound,
Paz de Huerta who plays your sister is fairly well known and you have a close resemblance to her and you seemed to have a close relationship on the screen, but where did he find the other cast members?
Nathaniel
Gasper is very instinctive and likes casting unknowns but he needed an actress who could do those melodramatic scenes. He loves women even though you would not think so by the roles they play in his films .Cyril Roy (Alex) lives in Tokyo and is very cool and just happened to accompany a friend to the casting and really is a big fan of Gasper and just wanted to meet him. Gasper makes it very easy to work because he is like a child and gets very excited in making a movie as if it was his first one
For myself I had to bring up experiences as a stoned out party kid which is not like I really am at all. What he did with Paz was brilliant
RG
I could feel that just watching the film. I really felt the brother sister relationship with you and Paz.
Nathaniel
For Paz it was easier because she is a professional actor and I am not
RG
You were right there with her in your scenes and no one would doubt that as a beginner you had no bad habits so you were better off
Nathaniel
This was my first movie and a terrifying experience working along someone like her but she was very kind and gentle
RG
Like a real sister would be
Nathaniel
Yes.
RG
I was very curious as to where those clubs in Tokyo were and how he was able to get inside and shoot those very provocative scenes. Was that difficult?
Nathaniel
These clubs really exist but some scenes like inside of the Love Hotel were shot in a studio on this massive set and we also shot my bathroom scene there.
RG
The coverage was amazing. How much time did it take to shoot this film? It must have been intense with all that was involved.
Nathaniel
We shot over 4 months and filming was so intense that I am just coming down from it because it was very emotional for me coming out of that film. I would love to do another film like Inception or something that is groundbreaking both visually and well written. This is very hard to find in Hollywood, you know what I mean. How do you follow up after you’ve done a film like this?
RG
It isn’t easy.Now the question is whether you will you continue on that path as an actor or go into directing which you had intended to do in the first place?
Nathaniel
Well now that I have my foot inside of the acting I would like to continue because you get this bug and find a different way to express yourself and are getting paid for it
RG
Ok that is the good part.
RG
. Just see what happens when your film opens on September 24.I think that you will be getting offers
http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/enter-the-void
25.09.2010 | Editor's blog
Cat. : actor actress Artist Bruce Dern Cannes Cannes Cannes Festival Cannes Film Festival Che Contact Details Cyril Roy (Alex) Dennis Hopper Director Enter the Void Entertainment Entertainment Films I Stand Alone Independent films Jack Nicholson Love Hotel Major Nathaniel Brown Nathaniel For Paz Nathaniel Well Noe Oscar painter Paz de Huerta Person Career Peter Fonda Ron GilbertGasper the Cannes Film Festival the Mercedes-Benz Award the Stockholm Film Festival the SUNDANCE Film Festival THE TRIP Timothy Leary Tokyo Toronto Film Festival Van Gough www.ifcfilms.com/films/enter-the-void