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| “The
more you put yourself in front of the public,
the more you risk them hating you.”
—Soderbergh
Director, producer, writer, editor, actor,
and cinematographer Steven Soderbergh is
a versatile personality. Having filmed his
first short at 15 in his home town of Baton
Rouge, Louisiana, he headed for Hollywood
to pursue his dream of a life behind the
camera. At first, he worked small jobs as
a game score-keeper and a cue card holder,
while honing his writing skills. His first
break (and a permanent relocation to Los
Angeles) came in 1986, when he got the directing
stint for the "Yes" concert video 9012.
Three years later, he released his first
feature film, "Sex, Lies, and Videotape."
It was a tremendous success at the Sundance
Film Festival and the winner of Cannes Palme
d'Or. The film took Soderbergh to new heights,
generating $1.2 million at the box office.
Soon after, Soderbergh signed on with Miramax.
Gaining credibility through independent
movies, Soderbergh shot films such as "Kafka"
(which gave him a chance to work with great
actors, including Jeremy Irons), "King of
the Hill," "Underneath," and "Schizopolis,"
all which did not heat up the audiences.
Soderbergh has always stayed away from publicity,
limiting his exposure only to that connected
to promoting his films and preferring to
live a less "star bright" Hollywood lifestyle.
Although his name has become well-known
in the industry, he has never been recognized
publicly. His quest for anonymity has come
to an end in 2000, with the release of two
Oscar-nominated films, "Erin Brockovich"
and "Traffic." Facing the reality of Hollywood
stardom, he is now an A-list director among
peers such as Steven Spielberg, James Cameron,
George Lucas, and Ron Howard.
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Sex, Lies, and
Videotape (1989)
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Andie
MacDowell (Ann) is
a neglected wife who
thinks sex is overrated.
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James Spader, the
video freak, and Andie
MacDowell in "Sex,
Lies and Videotape." |
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James Spader received the Cannes Film Festival
Best Actor award for his strong, intense portrayal
of Graham — an impotent man who fulfills
his sexual urges by videotaping women talking
about their erotic fantasies.
The film revolves around the interaction of
four main characters: Ann (Andie MacDowell),
an unhappy, sexually-repressed housewife of
John (Peter Gallagher), an arrogant lawyer
who is having an affair with his sister in-law
Cynthia (Laura San Giacomo), and Graham (James
Spader), John's old college friend who comes
to stay at their house. Graham's visit becomes
unexpectedly extended, as he later reveals
his intimate fetish to Ann, who is surprisingly
responsive to the videotaping of women —
chambering a fascinating approach of the consequences
of infidelity.
"Sex, Lies, and Videotape"
is an intriguing examination of life's secrets,
the hidden mysteries of sexual desire, and
lack of communication affecting relationships.
Extra Note: "Sex, Lies,
and Videotape" transformed the independent
film industry. "The film was written
in eight days, shot in a month, and edited
in four weeks, all on a tiny budget -by Hollywood
standards — of $1.2 million." [1]
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| Out
of Sight (1998)
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George Clooney and
Jennifer Lopez in
one of the Hollywood-style
facial close-ups.
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George
Clooney's charisma
is tangible; he seems
to have been born
to play a role such
as this. Photos
© Universal Studios
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"Out of Sight" is a romantic comedy with the
conventional characteristics of a Hollywood-style
film. Its main function is showcasing two
hot, irresistible performers, George Clooney
and Jennifer Lopez — a duo which alone
attracts viewers to the movie theaters.
Soderbergh is an actors' director who treats
his performers as stars. "Out of Sight" is
an exceptional example of old-school shooting,
idealizing the actors in romantic close-ups,
binding them in tight situations (e.g., both
actors inside a car's trunk), all enhancing
the "star" quality genre.
"During a time when every film student
wanted to be the next Ingmar Bergman,"
Soderbergh (one of the Kings of independent
filmmaking) undertakes a rebellious battle
against his own personal formula - escaping
into a commercial "pretty motion picture."
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| Erin
Brockovich (2000)
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Julia Roberts (Erin
Brockovich is a twice-divorced
high school dropout.
Photos © Universal
Studios |
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Albert Finney (Attorney
Ed Masry) plays a
magnificient role
in Erin Brockovich.
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Starring Julia Roberts in a role that won
her Academy Award for Best Actress, "Erin
Brockovich" is a witty drama based on a true
story. Erin - a twice-divorced woman with
three young children, no financial resources,
and no formal education - almost single-handedly
wins a case against the bad guys.
Following a car accident in which Erin is
not at fault, her situation becomes much worse
when her attorney fails to obtain a settlement.
Erin's tenacity and her will to survive makes
her plead with her attorney Ed Masry (Albert
Finney) for a job at his law firm. While getting
her feet wet in the new job, she finds interest
in a seemingly simple real estate case, which
later turns into one of the biggest litigations
in U.S. history.
"Erin Brockovich"
is a heartfelt, stirring motion picture, with
a focus on the life and personal achievements
of one extraordinary woman - a woman who is
seen by most people in a way completely opposite
to who she really is.
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| Traffic
(2000)
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Michael Douglas (Robert
Wakefield) has a personal
dilemma with his daughter's
drug addiction. Photos
© USA Films |
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Catherine Zeta-Jones
(Helena Ayala) finds
out her husband makes
a living by selling
illegal drugs. |
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"Traffic" is a dramatic thriller set in
the world of drug trafficking. It assembles
an extraordinary cast led by Michael Douglas,
Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Quaid,
Luis Guzman, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The
film tells three exciting stories, all of
which are woven together and connected to
drugs on some level, from personal family
issues to high-risk involvement in the business.
One story revolves around a Tijuana State
policeman Javier Rodriguez (Benicio Del
Toro) who works around the Mexican border.
A good man caught in a world permeated with
the corruption of illegal drug trading.
Choices are forced upon him by those with
power and money, and resisting such temptations
could cost him his life.
The second story is set in the U.S., with
the Ohio State Supreme Court Justice Robert
Wakefield (Michael Douglas) appointed the
new drug czar by the President. After he
realizes he has accepted a job with a no-win
situation, his life is further complicated
by his daughter Caroline (Erika Christensen),
who develops a nasty drug addiction. This
classic "it can never happen to me; it only
happens to other families" situation makes
Wakefield spin out of control as he tries
to face reality while maintaining his public
political image.
The third story takes place in San Diego
and focuses on Helena Ayala (Catherine Zeta-Jones),
a woman who has led an entirely "correct"
life. She contributes to the community,
volunteers, is a good mother and wife who
lives in a perfect world - until one day
two DEA agents, Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle)
and Ray Castro (Luis Guzman), burst into
her home to arrest her husband Carlos Ayala.
Helena finds out she's been living a lie,
because Carlos is a drug baron.
"Traffic" is a realistic depiction of the
drug world of the present day — how
society deals with drugs, and how easily
we are affected by them. There are no clear
answers to "Traffic" - unless it makes you
reevaluate the world around you to find
solutions — but it had its own conclusions.
Extra Notes:
The film was based on the 1989
British Television miniseries "Traffik."
Soderbergh operated his own camera on six
short films and "Schizopolis," which prepared
him for his next decision of being his own
cinematographer on "Traffic." He tried to
get credit as "directed and photographed
by," but it was opposed by the Writer's
Guild, and Soderbergh was unwilling to be
credited twice. As a result, he used his
father's two names as a pseudonym (Peter
Andrew) for the cinematography credit.
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Top
photo of “Steven Soderbergh”©
Universal Studios
[1] Notes: Cronicle of Cinema, news clipping
"Cannes, 23 May 1989.
+ summary and film synopses
by Adriana
de Barros, about
the author |
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