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Hollywood & Fine

Forget "Don't ask/don't tell." The guys in "Handsome Harry" don't even want to know.
"Those guys weren't thinking about ‘Don't ask/don't tell'," says actor Jamey Sheridan, who plays the film's title character. "No one was asking about anything. In the world they lived in, they'd have gotten their head punched in. That's really what they were concerned about."
Opening April 16, "Handsome Harry" deals with a group of Navy buddies who harbor a shameful secret from 1973. Thirty years later, Harry gets a phone call from one of the group, who is dying and filled with remorse. Fearful of retribution in the afterlife, the former shipmate makes Harry promise to seek forgiveness. That sends Harry on a journey to track down the other shipmates, while coming to terms with his own role in the incident.
"It was a story that put its hooks into me," says Sheridan, 58. "The night I read it, two things grabbed me. One was that it had jazz as a source of a love affair and I've loved jazz since I was 17. And the other was the psychology was interesting because he's a person who commits a crime of which he's also the potential victim. It's this thing of wanting to be the victim and the perpetrator at the same time.
"I think of him as a guy in blackout. I had the good fortune to do ‘Long Day's Journey into Night' with Jason Robards and we would talk about blackouts, where you sort of disappear for two weeks and don't know where you were until the alcohol wears off and you sober up a little. I would call Harry's condition an incomplete blackout."
As Harry, Sheridan got to play individual sequences with several different actors who portrayed the former shipmates: Steve Buscemi, John Savage, Aidan Quinn, Titus Welliver and Campbell Scott (who played his brother in that production of "Long Day's Journey into Night," and directed Sheridan in a 2000 film of "Hamlet").
"Playing that part with all those different guys was like eating pancakes – I loved it," Sheridan says. "When you play the central figure in a movie, you can lay back. You step out and let the other people do the dance, because you're going to be around. I need to carry the heaviest load, so I can underplay. I don't have to come in and generate plot. I'm not doing something flashy and then getting out of the scene. I'm there to add weight to things."
Sheridan admits that he hasn't had many roles like Harry "since I left the stage." Still, he's worked steadily in the past 20-plus years, moving easily between film and TV, in a profession it took him a while to come to.
"I was a late starter," says the Pasadena native, who started out as interested in being a modern dancer as in being an actor. "I quit acting a couple times, dabbled in other stuff, traveled around. I ran out of money in Europe and ended up in New York, sleeping on a friend's floor. I was thinking, well, what the hell am I gonna do? I'm 26, 27. So I started going around to auditions. I thought, if I could get enough work to qualify for unemployment, I'd stick with it. And I did."
His break came in a short-lived Broadway production of Arthur Miller's "All My Sons," opposite Richard Kiley – which ran long enough to earn Sheridan a Tony nomination. The next year, he was acting with Robards, Scott and Colleen Dewhurst in repertory productions of "Long Day's Journey" and "Ah! Wilderness" at Yale Repertory Theater and on Broadway.
"Here were the people I most admired in my craft and I was working with them," Sheridan says. "I thought, ‘Oh, OK you're really doing this now.' The business comes and goes but I finally believed I was an artist.
"I thought Jason was hilarious. I felt so comfortable with him. He didn't feel like a theater guy, just like a guy I'd meet traveling. We used to laugh all the time and I finally said, ‘Are we having too much fun?' And he said, ‘If you don't laugh, this show will kill you.'"
In recent years, Sheridan has been a regular in a couple of TV series, spending five seasons on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and, more recently, the first (and probably only) season of "Trauma."
"I prefer one script at a time so I know where I'm going and can draw an arc," he says, drawing a distinction between a film script and a TV series. "It's a little difficult to play something today when you don't know where you're going to be in four hours of TV time. We were doing Episode 5 and I said, ‘Well, now I have to retroactively erase something I did in Episode 1.'
"But it's good for the family. You've gotta pay the bills."

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LA Times

Forget "Don't ask/don't tell." The guys in "Handsome Harry" don't even want to know.
"Those guys weren't thinking about ‘Don't ask/don't tell'," says actor Jamey Sheridan, who plays the film's title character. "No one was asking about anything. In the world they lived in, they'd have gotten their head punched in. That's really what they were concerned about."
"But it's good for the family. You've gotta pay the bills."

Read the full review here. | Return to TOP.

Indiewire

Please introduce yourself...
My name is Bette Gordon. I was part of the groundswell of downtown independent cinema. I made my own films as an artist, and I was part of The Collective For Living Cinema, the first real cinema in Tribeca. It was an exhibition space, a loft in downtown Manhattan, that was run by a collaborative group of young filmmakers dedicated to making and exhibiting non mainstream films. Currently, I am a film director, I've worked in television as well. I also teach directing at Columbia University's graduate film program. I am most known for my film VARIETY, which is a film about looking, and about a young woman who sells tickets at a porn theatre and ends up following a man through Times Square's sleazy bookshops to the world of men and money in lower Manhattan.
What were the circumstances that lead you to become a filmmaker?
It is no accident that as a young high school student, after attending a screening of Jean Luc Godard's Breathless at the Brattle Street Cinema in Cambridge, I consciously decided to live in Paris and unconsciously decided to become a filmmaker. Godard believed in the transformative power of cinema, in its ability to promote a creative viewer as opposed to a passive consumer. Having grown up through the seventies, I could not have found a more appropriate mentor. His radical approach to the use of sound and image helped shape me as much as the questions he asked the viewer to consider, most importantly, the relationship between truth and fiction.
What prompted the idea for your film and what excited you to make you undertake it?
My good friend and colleague, Nick Proferes, wrote the script and asked me to collaborate with him. I was drawn to the male characters in the story because of their rawness, possessing a male energy reminiscent of actors I grew up watching and loving - Lee Marvin, Ben Gazzara, Steve McQueen, and William Holden - men who didn't say much but exuded a physicality I was also attracted to the idea of masculinity as a way of examining gender dynamics, which has been a consistent theme in my work. In VARIETY, I explored notions of female sexuality and desire. Handsome Harry allowed me to explore male sexuality through a female lens.
Please elaborate a bit on your approach to making your film.
My films have always focused on the visual aspects of storytelling. I've been drawn to stories in which color, texture and mood are as central to the narrative as character and plot. In order to create an honest and personal character film, I wanted to explore a different method for achieving an understanding of human behavior. I allowed the camera to be guided by performance so that scenes would unfold organically; I refrained from forcing or dictating the pace. I wanted a raw, emotional feeling in the film, not a fixed set of behaviors. Faces, bodies and voices guided the composition of the image. The perpetual search of the camera to find moments of discomfort was key to my understanding of Harry as a character in motion, striving to come to terms with himself as a man. I wanted the audience to share his subjectivity, but also to watch him closely as his life unravels.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in developing the project?
In addition to the difficulty in financing a low budget film, or any film for that matter, the challenge is to hold on to your passion, your vision, in spite of the bumpy road ahead, not to lose faith when people say “no”. On “Handsome Harry” my shooting days were limited, so I had to move quickly, think on my feet. We had lots of locations and just under 3 weeks to shoot. Sometimes we had twenty or more set ups in a day. Also, I was shooting for the first time with an HD camera, so I had to get used to a new set of circumstances and an unfamiliar post work flow. Because we chose to use anamorphic lenses to get the image quality we wanted, focus was crucial and exactitude important.
How do you define success as a filmmaker, and what are your personal goals as a filmmaker?
Success is getting to make another film What is most thrilling is to see what you imagined, what was in your head (what you dreamed of for so long), on the screen, in a theatre. I love the moment when the lights dim, the audience becomes quiet, and the first image appears. The collective experience of watching . . . The secret pleasure . . . I love being in a movie theatre.
What are your future projects?
I've always wanted to make a film version of “The Ravishing of Lol Stein” by Marguerite Duras.

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Moviemaker Magazine

Your new film, Handsome Harry, is set to premiere at Tribeca Film Festival. How does it feel to have your own creation premiere at such an exclusive event?
It is always rewarding to see your work appreciated by others. I also love the moment when you are in the movie theatre, the lights dim, people get very quiet, and the first image appears on the screen. Its thrilling, secretive, seductive. I will always love watching movies in a theatre. I love the collective experience. I am also thrilled to be at The Tribeca Film Festival since I have lived in the neighborhood since the 1980's. In fact, when artists like me moved to Tribeca, nobody knew it even existed. At night the streets were empty, it was like living on a Hollywood backlot of what old New York was suppose to look like. The spaces were large and cheap back then, you could do innovative work, have great parties, discover corners of downtown Manhatan that would make great locations, and feel the breeze from the Hudson River blow into the window.
Handsome Harry seems like a very interesting tale of mystery, forgiveness and self-identity, among other themes. How did you come across this project and how were you able to cast such an impressive lineup, including Steve Buscemi, Jamey Sheridan and Campell Scott, to mention a few?
My good friend and colleague, Nick Proferes, wrote the script and asked me to collaborate with him. I was drawn to the male characters in the story because of their rawness, possessing a male energy reminiscent of actors I grew up watching and loving - Lee Marvin, Ben Gazzara, Steve McQueen, and William Holden - men who didn't say much but exuded a physicality and a deep internal life. I was also attracted to the idea of masculinity as a way of examining gender dynamics, which has been a consistent theme in my work. I had worked with Jamey Sheridan in my previous film “Luminous Motion”, and we got along very well. When I read “Handsome Harry” I immediately thought of Jamey. He possesses a kind of restraint that was perfect for the character. His performance in Ang Lee's ‘Ice Storm' was outstanding. He had worked with Campbell Scott on Long Day's Journey Into Night on stage, and they became good friends. Both Jamey and Campbell saw “Handsome Harry” as an opportunity to work together again and explore the the themes of identity, friendship and betrayal. The ensemble feel of the piece led me to actors like Steve Buscemi, Titus Welliver, AIdan Quinn and John Savage, all of whom have a rough energy, they're edgy but down to earth.
I noticed that you have a long career as a moviemaker and started at a young age, but you often take several years off between films. Tell us a little bit about why that is?
I usually take awhile to develop a project. Whether it is an original script or an adaptation, the writing process takes time and re-writing is an essential part of the process. I enjoy the development phase, the time when everything is possible and you can dream, make the film in your head several times over. I want to make films that I am passionate about because it does take a long time to raise the money, and you have to hold on to your emotional commitment and belief in what you're doing even when everyone says “no”, believing that someone will say “yes”. I have also spent time on two projects that didn't happen, after a few years each. One was an adaptation of Sparkle Hayter's detective pulp novel, “Whats A Girl Gotta Do”. Its frustrating when you invest yourself fully, and then have to move on when you can't find a way to make the film. I also teach directing in Columbia University's graduate film program. It is very exciting to discover young filmmakers and to mentor them as they develop. Its a way of thinking on your feet as well, using your visual skills and problem solving along the way. When the lightbulb goes off for someone I'm teaching, it makes me feel great. I'm proud of some of the filmmakers and directors I have worked with, including Courtney Hunt who made “Frozen River” and Cherien Dabis whose recent film is “Amreeka”. I also am energized by the filmmaking community of other teachers with whom I work at Columbia - people like Eric Mendelsohn, Tom Kalin, Katherine Dieckman, Frank Pugliese, Andy Bienen and many others.
What do you hope for in the future of your moviemaking career? Do you have any specific goals or visions?
I want to continue to make films that tell stories I am drawn to. I love the collalborative experience of working with talented people - production designers, cinematographers, editors, sound designers, composers. At every step of the process new relationships are formed that add something special to the final result.There's a book that I have my eye on, a psychological thriller by a British writer, that I would like to option and I have always wanted to direct an adaptation of Marguerite Duras' novel “The Ravishing of Lol Stein.” And I'd like to direct a comedy one day as well, to work with an actress like Francis Mcdormand would be fantastic. I am very excited by what is going on in calbe television today and would love to direct episodes of strong shows like ‘Mad Men' and ‘In Treatment.'

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Women's Roundtable From Tribeca

First off, congratulations on the films! You all did such an excellent job. So my first question would be to ask you what it was that prompted you to write, choose or adapt the material?
My good friend had written a script and asked me to read it and then we decided to collaborate. I was very drawn to the male character study and rawness and male energy of the characters. They reminded me of the men I grew up watching in the movies like Steve McQueen and William Holden – men who didn't say much. This fascinated me and was consistent with my work on the notions of female desire and sexuality and Handsome Harry adresses the same issue but from a different side. I liked the idea of women looking at masculinity and the concept of masculinity through a female lens. (your indiewwire answer if you prefer it) Yes My good friend and colleague, Nick Proferes, wrote the script and asked me to collaborate with him. I was drawn to the male characters in the story because of their rawness, possessing a male energy reminiscent of actors I grew up watching and loving - Lee Marvin, Ben Gazzara, Steve McQueen, and William Holden - men who didn't say much but exuded a physicality I was also attracted to the idea of masculinity as a way of examining gender dynamics, which has been a consistent theme in my work. In VARIETY, I explored notions of female sexuality and desire. Handsome Harry allowed me to explore male sexuality through a female lens.
What caused, if any, the most sleepless nights during the filmmaking process?
We were a low budget film and only had 19 days to shoot, so I had to think a lot on my feet and deal with the limitations and sacrifices of shooting quickly. When you are preparing for a film and raising money it is a long process, which allows you plenty of time to think, plan and adjust. We had many locations and sometimes we did 20 set-ups a day so the biggest challenge was holding onto the original vision given the circumstances. A recent study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University in 2008, said that women comprised only 16 percent of all directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on the 250 top-grossing domestic films. I don't personally find this statistic to be as true when it comes to independent filmmaking and women filmmakers. How do you feel about statistics like this? Has being a woman presented any challenges or advantages in your career as a filmmaker? I am floored every time I hear those statistics. My sister has a corporate job and we talk about this often. There is not as large of a gap in the corporate world and in politics for women in top positions. There may be more female screenwriters but the statistics of female directors even in the indie world is horribly low. Women are on sets but more often in supporting roles like hair and make-up or script supervisor or producer. We see women taking care of the work of men. Even Hollywood has overlooked great female filmmakers in history like Dorothy Arzner and Lois Weber. I am glad these statistics exist and I don't think they reflect that differently in the indie world. Some foreign filmmakers may not face the same challenges, since each country has its own support structure at times from the government, for example, I couldn't speak to Jane Campion's experiences in Australia. There are ways for women to work through just as I did. I started as an artist with a do-it yourself philosophy and being self sufficient made the practice easier. I was influenced early on by the French New Wave and Agnès Varda. I forged through, I collaborated with my boyfriend at the time and made wild experimental indie films and just kept going. My subject matter has perhaps allowed me to keep working, especially with Variety, because I chose topics not investigated enough. I think I hooked in at the right time and place.
What films in the last year inspired you?
Not all these films were made in the last year, but in the last several years:
  • Wong Kar Wai's In the Mood for Love
  • Jacques Audiard's The Beat That My Heart Skipped
  • Fatih Akin's The Edge of Heaven
  • Susanne Bier's After the Wedding
  • And I always love Catherine Breillat's work, The Last Mistress, with Asia Argento. I would like to do a film with Asia.
And lastly, is this the first time you will play a film with Tribeca? What do you look forward to going into a film festival?
Whenever I travel to film festivals I always love the exchange of information and meeting people from all over the world. Playing my films at Tribeca excites me because this is my neighborhood. I love the idea of being on my own neighborhood, in a place that when I first moved here was so unformed that I felt I was an urban explorer. Near my first loft on Greenwich St. there used to be an empty lot across the street where you could hear crickets at night. Tribeca felt like a giant movie set. I love everything about New York. New York has so much. I tell my students that there are no lack of locations here and that every corner has something to offer.

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