There’s “Learn how to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,” after which there’s “Learn how to Sufficiently Interview Somebody Whose Work You’ve Spent Numerous Significant Hours with Whereas Over Zoom to Promote a Movie About Themselves, All Inside Eight Minutes.” Who is aware of what quantity among the many a whole bunch of 1000’s (tens of millions?) which have attended U2 concert events within the final 45 years would promote an arm and leg for restricted time of any form with Bono, whose odd combination of expertise, sincerity, and absurdity have left an imprint on followers that goes effectively previous the usual rockstar glitz and glamour.
My very own alternative arose by way of “Bono: Tales of Give up,” Andrew Dominik’s cinematic rendition of a one-man stage present that itself condensed Bono’s compelling, self-effacing memoir “Give up: 40 Songs, One Story.” Those that learn that e-book will acknowledge many tales captured herein, although they’ve been jumbled round, reanimated by Bono’s buoyant presence, and punctuated with stripped-down renditions of traditional U2 tracks.
For no matter that might recommend of an ego journey, it’s a correct expertise: Shot in black-and-white by David Fincher’s common DP Erik Messerschmidt, “Tales of Give up” seemed and sounded good at residence — and will actually be one thing on an Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional, the place it begins streaming in 180-degree “Apple Immersive Video” on Might 30 — although these at Cannes could have the uncommon alternative to see and listen to it on a grander scale. Whereas I can’t wager what “Tales of Give up” would possibly imply to a U2 agnostic, this acolyte discovered it easy (however not-insubstantial) viewing.
Zooming from New York into Cannes, I discovered the legendary musician — sun shades clearly on — providing a straight-out-the-gate greeting.
The next interview has been edited and condensed for size and readability.
Bono: [Points at camera] Chin, chin, motherfucker.
IndieWire: Hello, Mr. Bono. How are you?
Mr. Bono to you. [Laughs]
We might go together with Paul.
No, I like that. I actually like Mr. Bono. Herr Bono.
Monsieur Bono. We might simply do that for eight minutes — we might simply riff.
Would like to.
That’s the dilemma of super-fast encounters with folks you admire.
Velocity-dating, Nick.
These are the challenges that we face, however it’s a great problem.
It’s an artform, I’m advised, to an individual who doesn’t do full stops or commas and even paragraphs [Laughs] that effectively. This is perhaps tough for you, and I apologize upfront; it’s definitely going to be tough for me. However I’ve numerous associates who’re nice journalists, and the artwork of compression is one I’m in awe of.
I come to you as one thing of a co-star, as a result of I used to be within the crowd for the filming of this film.
Oh, wow.
I spent hours watching you do completely different takes, ready between set-ups, singing alongside when the time got here. It was additionally fascinating watching it as an entire, edited piece — it’s seamless. I can’t bear in mind what was minimize out, besides whenever you broke into an Elvis impersonation and did “Heartbreak Lodge.” Do you keep in mind that?
I don’t, however I bear in mind there was some tequila concerned — oh, no, it was whiskey. I bear in mind doing a Ramones factor. Yeah, no: It’s all a little bit of a blur as a result of it might need been the identical day that I say goodbye to my father 5 occasions. [Laughs] Derangement of the senses, because it have been.
It felt deranged being in there. I’m wondering what it was like being a performer with an viewers that’s, let’s say, “in on the joke” — being directed to react on the third take of a tune or fourth take of a joke as if it have been all contemporary. Does it have an effect on you a lot as a singer or actor?
It’s tough to undo shock. For somebody like me, it’s greater than tough — it’s unsettling. However as soon as the interweb — or no matter they’re calling it as of late — occurred, out of the blue, to shock your viewers turned virtually inconceivable. So artists began to turn into human jukeboxes and simply change their units each night time to create that sense of shock. However I discovered by means of this course of the ability of a script, and that truly the very same phrases, the very same tempo — truly the very same key — can imply one thing utterly completely different from one night time to a different. I had this confirmed earlier than I went into “Tales of Give up” with two copies I’ve of Frank Sinatra singing “My Manner” — one from his late 50s and one from his late 70s. Similar association, similar key, similar textual content, and one is an apology and one is a boast. It left me in awe of interpretive singing.
I assume Frank knew what each nice actor is aware of: that you would be able to, one way or the other, suffuse the identical line however with the place you’re at and the place your emotion is at. The toughest bits for me have been truly when there was no viewers in any respect and I used to be simply left alone; Andrew needed it that manner. So I don’t know what number of days we did simply on our personal, and he was reminding me: “You suppose the viewers are shut on this theater, however they’ll by no means be as shut as this lens. And that lens will know when you’re not telling the reality greater than any of those people who find themselves both a) followers of yours; b) curious; c) simply vacationers coming to see the sight.” That was fascinating. So I needed to get nearer to the textual content. Yeah.
There’s a very wealthy historical past of U2’s music in cinema — my very own favorites are the Passengers songs in “Past the Clouds.” Are there any that make you particularly proud whenever you see them?
In all probability my favourite U2 tune is from Wim Wenders’ movie, known as “Faraway So Shut” — a tune known as “Keep.” And on the Passengers album there’s “Miss Sarajevo,” which options in “Tales of Give up,” however “Your Blue Room” is… yeah. It’s very particular. We simply revisited that album in dialog with Brian Eno, who was our information on these. We went in and spent a while within the studio over a interval, and we’re straight again there.
U2 is that this odd mixture of… it’s this dialectical factor between experimentation, innovation, making an attempt to get to emotions — greater than stances, emotions — that haven’t been felt, and kind of connecting. It’s this virtually contradictory impulse. David Bowie had it, too. It’s like: He needed to be Picasso [Laughs] and he needed to be Elizabeth Taylor. And when he was utterly, equally pushed, you bought all this unbelievable music. That’s my drug of alternative, actually: music. I at all times need artists to be someplace on the middle of that contradiction. The Beatles’ finest work is: They’re nonetheless making an attempt to speak with the most effective folks, however they’re additionally making an attempt to push the artform to its elastic restrict.
For me, “Tales of Give up,” the elastic restrict would possibly simply be to make folks chortle, and to have the ability to take off my armor — this kind of machismo that Irish folks go round with — and simply discuss my life as slightly opera. And that felt considerably daring and considerably, truly, experimental. Generally we will cover within the experimental. This was extra publicity for its mundanity, truly: The kitchen desk, the 4 chairs — Edge, Adam, Larry, Ali — the working theater, the hospital mattress the place I say goodbye to my father, “Krapp’s Final Tape,” black-and-white. I managed to be each actually pretentious within the first 5 minutes, which I’m actually happy with, then pantomime. Stuff from avant-garde to fucking panto.
I believe Apple goes to set off a tool in my Mac that kills me if I don’t finish this dialog proper now, however —
Publicist: Thanks, Nick.
No, no — maintain on a second.
Effectively, I simply wish to say thanks. Having spent a lot of my life listening to your music, these minutes have been valued.
I really feel slightly extra helpful now. Thanks, Nick.
No matter I can do to enhance Bono’s day.
Thanks, Nick. You’re an attractive man.