Oh, Canada reunites director Paul Schrader with American Gigolo star Richard Gere nearly 45 years later. Oh, Canada sees Gere play Leonard Fife, an acclaimed documentary filmmaker and ex-pat with growing dementia who’s near demise. Fife decides to participate in a documentary by his college students the place he primarily confesses his many life sins, together with a number of affairs and the assorted lies he has instructed about himself. It’s a very completely different function for Gere, who, due to American Gigolo, turned a intercourse image and is often recognized for taking part in charming main males in motion pictures like An Officer and a Gentleman, Fairly Girl, and Runaway Bride.
Director Paul Schrader sat down with MovieWeb to debate the method of creating Oh, Canada and what made it the right movie to reunite with Richard Gere. A part of what fascinated Schrader about casting Gere within the function of Leonard Fife was that the actor can be taking part in towards sort. Schrader defined:
“You recognize, this function is an efficient function for anyone, a fastball down the center for anybody. Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce, F. Murray Abraham, Tommy Lee Jones, they might knock this function out of the park, however you’ve seen them do this. You’ve by no means seen Richard [Gere] do that earlier than, he’s nonetheless very youthful. I assumed, wouldn’t it’s attention-grabbing to see Richard taking part in this function?”
Regardless of being 75 years previous, Richard Gere definitely nonetheless seems to be nice. Nearly too good to play the extra sickly model of Leonard Fife, which introduced a problem to Schrader and his make-up workforce on Oh, Canada. “We’re doing make-up assessments and making an attempt to age him, and it didn’t work,” stated Schrader. “Then Richard says to me, ‘You recognize I am at all times the reddest man on display screen,’ that means he has plenty of melanin in his pores and skin. That type of bronzy tan that he has is his pores and skin shade. We then began doing a make-up take a look at the place we made him up over a coat of white, after which he appeared previous.”
Associated
Paul Schrader Has No Plans to Collaborate with Martin Scorsese Once more
Regardless of remaining associates in any case these years, Paul Schrader would not suppose he and Martin Scorsese will likely be collaborating on a venture anytime quickly.
Richard Gere Returns from a Six-Yr Absence with a Gamble
Most opinions for Oh, Canada have highlighted Richard Gere’s efficiency as a standout, together with MovieWeb’s assessment. Whereas Gere was largely absent from popular culture for some time, taking a six-year break from 2017 to 2023, he returned in an enormous manner with 2024’s weird Longing and the superb spy collection, The Company. No matter that, Gere has remained one of the proficient actors working. He was by no means afraid to tackle difficult roles, and within the single yr of 2002, he confirmed a fantastic vary of performances with the Academy Award-winning musical Chicago, the erotic thriller Untrue, and the psychological horror thriller, The Mothman Prophecies. He’s a display screen presence that has been significantly missed.
Associated
The Frank Sinatra Biopic Fell Aside When This Actor Was Chosen
Paul Schrader briefly thought-about doing a Frank Sinatra film, however his selection of lead actor prevented the movie from securing funding.
Schrader’s intuition to go along with an unconventional choose reveals not solely a director keen to take dangers however one who typically contrasts with audiences’ expectations to go along with straightforward and secure picks. As Schrader stated, Anthony Hopkins possible might have executed this function, however audiences have already seen that, and it may be by-product irrespective of how nice the actor is. Richard Gere is thrilling as a result of audiences do not know what to anticipate. There ought to be extra risk-taking casting selections like this, and hopefully Schrader retains making them for a while to come back. Discover theaters and showtimes for Oh, Canada at Kino Lorber’s web site right here.
Leonard Fife is a terminally unwell author and filmmaker who has agreed to have his ultimate testomony of his life filmed by documentary filmmakers Malcolm and Diana, however proves to be an unreliable narrator as a consequence of his failing and distorted reminiscence.
- Runtime
-
95 Minutes
- Studio(s)
-
Arclight Movies
, Vested Curiosity
, Ottocento Movies
, Fortunate 13 Productions
, Match By way of Vi
, Northern Lights
, Lefthome
, Exemplary Movies
, Carte Blanche
, One Two Twenty Leisure
, Sipur Studios
, Tucci & Firm
, Slated
, Foregone Movie PSC