Hulu had the opportunity to speak with James Gray, writer/director of The Yards and We Own the Night, about his upcoming film, TWO LOVERS, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow. You can catch the trailer here on Hulu before its February 2009 release. Hulu: Can you tell us, in your own words, a little about Two Lovers?
James Gray: Two Lovers is about a young man named Leonard, played by Joaquin Phoenix. He's becoming a mature adult, but he has some issues. His parents set him up with the daughter of a business partner, and she's beautiful and interested in him, but Leonard's obsessed with his neighbor, who is played by Gwyneth Paltrow. It's a romantic comedy-type story but with some ambiguity. The obsession has some consequences for Joaquin's character. It's always difficult for me to provide a quick summary because I'm too close to it. I try to see all the nuances that no one else can see.Hulu: The film comes out February 13, 2009, making it a Valentine's movie. Do you think Two Lovers is your typical date movie?
Gray: Yes and no. It depends on what you call typical. It's a movie about love, desire, and the fickle nature of desire and love. In that sense, it's very much something you'd want to see on Valentine's Day. But Two Lovers is not a mindless comedy. It's rich and textured, a detailed story with beauty and heartbreak -- a lot of what love is about -- but not bliss. Love is complicated; bliss is not. Hulu: Who do you think should go to see this movie opening weekend? First dates? Third dates? Thirtieth dates?
Gray: Not first dates -- they might be freaked out by it. The film doesn't try to sell a fake story about the purity and beauty of love. It's bitter and sweet. It's probably more suited for thirtieth dates -- I think they'll appreciate the complexity. Hulu: Your films -- Little Odessa, We Own the Night, and now Two Lovers -- take place in Brooklyn and Brighton Beach. What draws you to that area?
Gray: I'm from Queens and my parents and grandparents are from Brooklyn, which was eight miles away. It's an appropriate distance -- it's not home, but it's not so far away, either. It's New York in all its ugliness and it keeps with what I like about these stories. It's where these people work, and they have different layers. Growing up, Manhattan was beautiful, but the boroughs were … well, they were the boroughs. I relate to it personally, all the positives and the negatives. Hulu: You seem to have a close working relationship with Joaquin Phoenix, who has also starred in The Yards and We Own the Night. What's it like to work with an actor who immerses himself so fully into his roles?
Gray: Working with Joaquin has been a great thing. He commits himself so fully to his work. He's an unbelievably hard-working actor and that's often overlooked. But working with him can be very disturbing and intense. You don't know who you're always talking to, because he becomes that character for a very long period of time. It's really rewarding, because he brings such sensitivity to his work, and he's so bright and has such a profound understanding of his craft. When you get the opportunity to work with someone like him, you have to seize it. Hulu: Your next project, The Lost City of Z, will have a much grander scope. You're going from the streets of New York to the jungle. How has it been, changing gears to work on this film?
Gray: Locale has less of a role than you think, especially in the formation of the script. It's been tough to keep several balls in the air. It's such a complicated story -- ambitious with a great adventure but it also has a moral complexity to appeal to adults. It's the most fun I've ever had working on a script. The canvas for The Lost City of Z is so large. It's not just a jungle; we travel to Europe and back to World War I. It's been rewarding to research and become emotionally engaged with something that offers dramatic and romantic tension. Hulu: Since you went to USC's film school, we have to ask: Who do you have winning the Rose Bowl?
Gray: USC will win -- we should have been national champions. The team is a juggernaut and should have been undefeated this season.