Michel Franco has earned his reputation as the ‘Infant Terrible’. Ultimately, the themes of forced adultery, sexual abuse, extreme depression, and violent revenge that he presents in his films, not graphically but directly, make one of his works no more than a walk through the park.
Until now, the least shocking thing the famous Mexican director has done is “Chronic” (2015), his first film with British actor Tim Roth, who played a nurse who devoted himself diligently to terminally ill patients. But that same film was still overshadowed by a depressive pal that only occasionally appears on “Memory,” which is available today in theaters across the United States.
In the current film, Oscar winner Jessica Chastain plays Sylvia, a single mother, social worker and recovering alcoholic dealing with deep trauma. After an unfortunate first encounter with Saul (Peter Sarsgaard), an apparently intimidating man, Sylvia discovers that he is actually a sensitive person suffering from early dementia, and after being contacted by Saul’s relatives, she decides to take him in.
What begins to happen between these interactions is as surprising as it is dangerous given the state of mind of both characters. But it becomes not only an ideal showcase for the historical brilliance of Chastain and Sarsgaard, but also the perfect occasion to show a different side of Franco’s talent, who was also in charge of the script, production and editing.
In the interview, which we transcribe in edited form below, the filmmaker talks about the creative process of “Memory”, the gap between this film and his previous film, working with Chastain and other aspects of interest to those who follow his path. .
Michelle, you just finished shooting your next film, “Dreams,” starring Jessica Chastain, who also stars in “Memory,” your most recent work, which is already in theaters. You must be doing something right.
We understand each other and we really enjoy working together. I think we are going to make many films together; Not just two.
You have previously done two films with Tim Roth. He’s going to be jealous!
But I will also come back to him. The thing is, I like going back to artists I identify with.
It is important that these world-famous actors are not only ready to work with you, but they are also ready to participate in risky projects coming from independent cinema. In fact, I’ve read that’s what Jessica is interested in now, even though she’s done all kinds of movies.
I think she is curious about everything. She just did theater and was nominated (for a Tony Award) for her role (in a new production of the classic) “A Doll’s House.” I think she is a perfect actress who enjoys variety. The problem is that sometimes we refer to actors as Hollywood stars and fail to see that they are actors who enjoy all kinds of projects.
Jessica is a very creative woman. He loves working with a director and taking risks, or at least that’s what happened in my case. We have done things that would be impossible to do with a studio.
What struck you most about her as an actress and as a person when you decided to invite her to participate in “Memory”?
On screen, the thing that attracted me most about it was “The Tree of Life” by Terrence Malick; And then I saw her doing a lot of different things. It has a really wide range. He seems very special, chameleon and very intelligent to me. She’s an exceptional collaborator, because she doesn’t try to stand out; He is always at the service of the film and is very generous with the other actors. And it surprises me a lot. He always does what he says (in the script), but he does it in a way I never imagined.
“Memory” has to be the most beautiful movie you’ve ever made. Obviously, it’s your movie, so there are weird twists and the occasional disturbing situation. What motivated you to do something like that at this time?
For me, “Chronic” had that too, because the character played by Tim Roth cares about his patients. He was very loving. But I understand the point. Here is a love story that I haven’t found in earlier films and the love story works. There is also an encounter between two very broken characters who have been told by society not to take too many risks, so my film goes against social conventions.
I believe that, as I wrote this, I was in a place of peace. That doesn’t mean I find myself in constant agony when I write other films; Only this time, I thought of exploring what it would be like for each dramatic turn in the film to make things better instead of worse.
This is also an interesting variation on impossible love stories. We are dealing with a romance that, as you mentioned, is not only judged harshly by society, but also has every chance of failure. However, this time you didn’t want to go on the tragic side.
They are characters who like to live in the present, taking what each day has to offer. Even in the case of Sylvia, who has been in the AA program for 13 years. Saul basically lives in the moment, because his mind can’t do much else because of the condition it’s in. They decide to go that way, in a love affair that seems almost adolescent and therefore out of the ordinary.
Jessica Chastain in a scene from “Memory”.
(Ketchup Entertainment)
Your cinema is very real and straightforward. But it presents people in extreme situations, although they are situations that could easily happen in real life. In any case, they are far from the daily life of many viewers, and that is what makes them so attractive.
I try to make my stories original, but plausible at the same time. The film was set in New York and filmed in Brooklyn. Big cities have such a large number of stories that they allow us as screenwriters to get away from stereotypes, which is easy. I think you have to give the characters special qualities, but at the same time they are close to the viewer in terms of reality.
This is your third film in English. How do you feel writing and filming in that language when you are Mexican and still live in Mexico?
I like to work better in my language and I prefer to film in Mexico, although my English is very good. But that extra level of difficulty that definitely gets in the way—because I think in Spanish—is worth it because it allows me to work with Jessica Chastain, with Peter Sarsgaard, with Charlotte Gainsbourg, with Tim Roth.
I think this is offset by the quality of all the actors and how much they surprise me when we’re on set, because they’re actors you don’t really direct. They take the script and perform it, and that’s what I want from them.
The most obvious connection between “Memory” and the rest of your filmography is found in the use of characters marked by severe psychological problems or past trauma. This sometimes makes your stories seem overdone, even if they appeal to the essence of drama.
Sexual abuse, especially in childhood, is more common than thought. When it comes to dementia, half the world comes to me to tell stories of what they are experiencing in their family environment. I think, besides being unusual, they are things that are not talked about much. Families are always at the center of the best and the worst.
I write from what I know, as most writers do; And what comes next is intuition. At 44, I’ve seen a lot, and when I start writing, I don’t know what I’m going to turn to.
I don’t write from specific topics; It’s not like I’m saying, ‘This film is going to be about such and such a subject.’ When I made ‘After Lucia’, I never set out to make a film about bullying; I found that something when I was writing. The film was actually about the grief that the characters (a father and his daughter) were going through after the death of their mother.
But the process is changing, as this is my eighth film. For example, in “Memory”, it all started at a school reunion party where Sylvia was with Saul, wondering why he followed her home. I never wrote from a scene that I didn’t know where it came from.
