First, I have no idea who m.sullivan is.She probably has no idea who I am.I co-produced and designed the film MARY, recently screened at Venice.Why do people who dislike cinema review films? I certainly do not think our film or any film is above criticism and Abel and myself have taken our share of negatve & positive reactions to our work.In France for instance, they critique the films they find interesting and give silence to those they don't think enough of to discuss.To make personal films, we filmmakers embark on a journey of constant battles and resistance.ALL OF US.The film we made, MARY, existed on paper (to the extent words on paper could convey what only a film could) long before Mel's PASSION.We developed MARY for 5 years.We tried to finance it in the US,UK,France and finally Italy. In the process we learned, once again how difficult it is to communicate ideas in various languages if it is even possible. It's particularly difficult to reach anyone who is either unreceptive to new ideas or new ways of expressing them. YOU CAN'T PLEASE EVERYBODY! Thanks,check out films for yourselves! Make your mind up for yourself.That's what MARY is all about!! FDC

Frank

"In France for instance, they critique the films they find interesting and give silence to those they don't think enough of to discuss".

Well, you should be glad there is a discussion about the film going then. I stayed for the entire film, but there were several spectators who walked out. My reservations are listed in my dispatch, and I am not alone in my reaction --several other film critics and cineastes I spoke with at Venice had identical reservations. But, you won a special prize as the film resonated with some members of the jury, so you must be pleased. People will see the film because of that, not to worry. I am interested in new ideas in film which is why I especially like the Venice festival, including the Horizon, international critic´s week and Venice day sections with innovative work. And I was especially interested in seeing this film based on the publicity material.

Since you are a co producer, was the script improvisational? Second, if the conception was well before Mel Gibson's film the intertextuality of Matthew Modine, the film director within the film of "This is My Blood" and Mr Gibson is there anyhow so you need to understand how spectators can come to that conclusion.

"Did director Abel Ferrara ask his actors to improvise?"
This does seem like a remark of someone who doesn't know really well Ferrara's work. What makes his best movies so magic is the part of improvisation of the actors during the shooting and what it does imply: that they give a little bit of themselves, of something very personal on the screen. The dance Christopher Walken is performing when he's welcomed by his "gangsta" friends in King of New York does have this brilliance: it was improvised and it does reflect Walken's love for Music Hall. Or Keitel's "Have you ever sucked a guy's cock?" scene in Bad Lieutenant. It has absolutely no narrative purpose (at this point we know how disgusting the character is) but it is THERE, brilliant, disturbing just like some scenes in some Cassavettes' movies are THERE. In lost of movies actors play. In Ferrara's movies they LIVE. And even if Mary were his worst movie i'd be happy to see a unique voice of contemporary cinema getting at least a reward he deserves for his whole piece of work.

The question was "was the script improvisational" , or was the script written to sound improvisational". In the case of "Mary" either way it did not work, nowhere to the stature that your words try to elevate Ferrera´s directorial style in other films. The
flatness of the efforts of some very fine actors in this film felt like
the sound of one hand clapping. If
they gave love to these scenes, you truly
could not feel it. See Mary.

>nowhere to the stature that your words try to elevate Ferrera´s directorial style in other films.
My words are not trying to elevate Ferrara's directorial style in other films to this stature (stature that he already possesses in Europe for critics). His talent in that field is already widely recognized. Even Bad Lieutenant-haters admit Harvey Keitel's exceptional performance. The trouble with your review is that it doesn't mention any other Ferrara movies, especially the ones that are much often considered as his best such as King of New York and Bad Lieutenant. It's always nice to know the reviewer's opinion about the director's work in general. For Mary, it's not released in France yet (but got praise from reviewers who saw it in Venice). I'd have already seen it in that case.

Sorry for not having mentioned my web-name in the previous post. And what i mentioned about KONY and BL actor's work is not my invention to praise Ferrara. These are things that were mentioned by Walken and Keitel in interviews about their acting career. And for the "reviewers who praised Mary", i was of course talking about the reviewers from the french press. For the presence of the movie in the Awards, it's been said that it won a prize because it had its passionate defenders and haters in the jury (i'd put Claire Denis in the defenders since she's always claimed her admiration for Ferrara's work).

At least theres a little back and forth.I dont think its possible to make a film whilst respecting ones actors and at the same time limit what one would expecpt ones actors to bring to the table.Isnt that why we all expect large paychecks whether real or imagined. I dont think Abel would ever gag an actor or any other collaborator from their input.Of course never abdicating the hardest won victory of all for a filmmaker FINAL CUT.Keep making films,keep watching films,keep talking about life through films,keep........