Defining Complete Unknown: Joshua Marston on Writing Shape-Shifting Characters, Directing a Contained Set

MM: There were points that it felt like what Altman would do with a group of characters. He was so good at finding that balance, of catching people’s reactions and allowing us to eavesdrop on the snippets of dialogue.

JM: If we were able to create that feel, that’s great. I definitely didn’t shoot it the way Altman shoots. Everything was scripted, and by the sixth, eighth and twelfth hour of filming, everyone knew the scene—though there’s always a certain amount of improvisation. Because of the actors and, particularly, the way that Rachel Weisz works, the scene never fell into anything tired or repetitive.

MM: Michael Shannon’s got that nice acerbic edge, too.

JM: I don’t think any two takes were exactly identical, not only emotionally but even in terms of dialogue. They were always making slight adjustments. By virtue of having eight people talking on top of one another—actors who are trying to keep it alive—every take is different. I tried, much to the picture and sound editor’s chagrin, not to separate what people were doing. There were moments where, if there was one end of the take that was completely off-camera, they might not actually use their vocal chords, but for the most part everyone was always saying all of their lines, so they were all talking on top of each other—which was great for the actors and not so great for the sound editors.

MM: Let’s finish by talking about Amazon. They’ve acquired Complete Unknown and several other movies at the festival. So did Netflix. What is your impression about how the indie film scene is changing in terms of how distribution and acquisition are now happening?

JM: [Having] more buyers and more distributors is never a bad thing. If it ended up leading to the demise of theater chains that’d be a problem. I don’t see the sky as falling so I’m not too worried about that. It’s very easy to lump Netflix and Amazon into the same category but if you look closer each has a different model, and I think that difference in model is going to be very important as we move forward. One of the things that distinguishes Amazon from Netflix is the fact that where Netflix is trying to thoroughly change distribution all at once and deny theatrical, Amazon recognizes the value of theatrical, both financially and to the filmmaker who makes movies that are intended to be experienced in a group, in a theatrical environment. It’s a different experience and is attested to by the fact that we’re having this interview at a film festival. If movies didn’t play in theaters there wouldn’t be film festivals. I can’t imagine having a festival of people staring at laptops. I think Amazon recognizes the history of cinema and how it is integral to the experience of film. So I don’t fear the change as it ultimately leads to more opportunities for filmmakers. MM

Complete Unknown opened in theaters August 26, 2016, courtesy of IFC Films.

Pages: 1 2