Sorrentino Returns With 'friend'

Less than a week before the start of the Festival de Cannes, Paolo Sorrentino was suffering from a fever that he blamed on long work hours and the weather as fall turns to summer in Italy. But even with a temperature, he couldn't hide his excitement when talking about "L'Amico di Famiglia" (Friend of the Family). The film gives him his second shot at Cannes' Palme d'Or, two years after "Le Consequenze dell'Amore" (Consequences of Love) was In Competition. Sorrentino met with The Hollywood Reporter Italy correspondent Eric J. Lyman in an apartment he uses in Rome when work takes him away from his native Naples. He discussed his film, Cannes, future plans and the similarities between directing a film and coaching soccer.

The Hollywood Reporter: There has been a lot of talk about a rebirth of Italian film both in terms of quality and of commercial success. Do you think that is an accurate evaluation of the current state of the industry?

Paolo Sorrentino: I think there are a lot of good films coming out over the last few years. Italian directors and writers and producers, I think, are thinking beyond the old formulas and cliches, which obviously helps improve quality. Directors like (Marco) Bellocchio and (Nanni) Moretti are producing great work. And the Italian public is becoming more discriminating, which is also a good sign. A film like "Crime Novel" (by Michele Placido), for example, probably wouldn't have done as well just a few years ago, and it's done very well now. But there are worrying signs as well. I think its harder now to produce a first film in Italy, even if the idea is good. When I made my first film six years ago, it was easier. But now a lot of the funding is awarded on a system of points that are earned for awards and credentials of the people involved in a project, and that's not the best way to determine who is going to make the next great film.

THR: Do you think "Friend of the Family" would have been well received a few years ago?

PS: (Laughs) I don't even know how it will be received now! Not too many people have seen it yet, so I don't know yet what the reaction will be. I think most people will either love it or hate it. It's an extreme film. It's difficult to measure it against other films because it's so different. I don't think many people will be left without a strong opinion about this film.

THR: The film is about a loan shark and his relationships with people around him. What does the story have in common with your previous efforts?

PS: All of my films are about a study of man, of human nature. The protagonist is a sort of negative hero, and that makes his personality interesting to examine. He wants to be friends with people and also to take advantage of them through his loan business. It's a double role that doesn't work very smoothly.

THR: This is your second nomination for the Palme d'Or. Does an honor like this carry a different significance the second time around?

PS: The first time I have to say I didn't understand or appreciate anything that went on around me. I felt like I was in a daze. Now I know the way things work a little better, and I won't be as surprised by what happens this time around. But it's just as large an honor as before … maybe even bigger since I have more perspective now. I think I'm more stressed now because of the nature of the film, which is more unusual than "Consequences of Love."

THR: When was the film finished? And are you already thinking of your next project?

PS: We are still mixing a few final parts of the film (as of May 10), so it is still not finished. But there are no major changes left to make, and the version screened in Cannes will be the final version of it. I haven't really thought much about my next project because I've been so focused on this one. After Cannes I'll want to take a little time off to relax, and then I'll start thinking of something new. I'm thrilled by what I do and so I'm always eager to get back, but finishing this project has been tiring, and I will be able to use a break of a few weeks.

THR: Have you considered doing a project in English?

PS: I would like to do something in English, but I haven't got as far as thinking about a specific project yet. I speak some English, but I'm not fluent. But I worked on a television advertisement (in English) for Fiat cars with Jeremy Irons a while back, and I was pleased to discover how easy it is to work in another language. I think this is something that will happen eventually but not immediately.

THR: Did you always want to be a film director?

PS: (Laughs) Like a lot of kids back in Naples, I loved and still love soccer. But I didn't want to be a soccer player; I wanted to be a coach. I guess being a director and being a soccer coach are in the same vein. In both cases you are figuring out how to have people move and where to be in order to have the most impact.

THR: Who are some of the film writers and directors you admired most when you were growing up?

PS: I think the two biggest influences on me were probably (Federico) Fellini and (Martin) Scorsese. I really loved Fellini's "8 1/2" and also "Roma," and with Scorsese the films I really admired were "Raging Bull," "Taxi Driver" and "Casino."

THR: What is it that drew you to those particular directors and those films? Do you think their influence is evident in your work?

PS: I think it is evident, yes, but not in obvious ways. I have never tried to copy anyone, but I like the fact that Fellini and Scorsese both make highly personal films. They are inventive, and they take advantage of their great technical abilities. These are all things I try to do in my films, and I hope I do them well.