Johnny Hallyday was interviewed by Paris Match:
He said Vengeance’s shooting is going well, he’s not used to be so well treated.
He’s surprised by the shooting’s organization, the staff is really pragmatic: when they’re shooting in the street, they pitch tents on the sidewalk, they don’t rent rooms. It’s simple! But when it comes to cinema technics (movements, body language, positions…), they’re meticulous. For one scene, they do different shots. He said, it’s a film noir, but it’s seems more like a western: Johnnie To makes a lot of close-ups on lips, eyes, hands. He knows what he wants!
He also said he knew Johnnie To’s movies, but he didn’t know he was considered like a Star in Asia! He said To is really strict, and when he’s shooting a violent scene he’s like Melville, but when it’s an intimist scene, he’s more like Godard. Hallyday gave an example: he had to take a drink, and To told him “You’re going too fast”. Hallyday said in France he would have been told to hurry.
Hallyday thinks they’re doing a great film noir, with some action scenes with blood!
About working with Johnnie To: he said he’s the only actor who read the script. The others don’t have any ideas about the story… But Hallyday said they’re used to it, they fully trust To. Hallyday said Godard worked more or less the same.
Finally, Hallyday talked a little about his character, Francis Costello. He’s an ex-gangster, now chef. He’s french but his daughter is married to a chinese man, she lives in Hong Kong. But they’re going to be killed by the mob. So Costello comes there to find the killers, and kill them. He doesn’t speak chinese, but he’s helped by 3 local killers.
Hallyday said it’s a film noir with a lot of humour. A surprising humour, quite unusual.
The shooting should be over by February 2009.
Thanks Asie-Vision
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Les lecteurs anglophones connaissent Johnny Hallyday ?
Huhu c’est exactement ce que je me suis dit! XD
I really could not care less about Johnny Hallyday… Simon, Anthony, and Lam are the big draws in any Johnny To film!
BTW, Alain Delon turned down the part because he thought the script lacks consistency. But now he regrets (interview canal+).