Ethan Hawke and director Robert Budreau of hostage thriller ‘Stockholm’ graced the red carpet to discuss period pieces, consistent collaborations, and more.
It isn’t all that surprising when a director finds his acting muse. From Martin Scorsese’s partnerships with Robert De Niro to Wes Anderson’s collaborations with Bill Murray, directors often find that one particular actor can uncover the complexity and tonality that they desire. It’s a difficult relationship to find and even harder to maintain as the two artistic forces coalesce, mutate, and become one. It’s delicate and yet wildly overpowering to see it come to fruition on the screen.
That’s exactly the kind of bond that director Robert Budreau seems to be building with Ethan Hawke, the star of his newest film, the hostage thriller Stockholm. Having previously worked on the Chet Baker biopic and critical gem Born to be Blue, it appears that Ethan Hawke is building a quite the rapport with the Canadian filmmaker. Both are avid history fans, and frequently discuss their adoration of the past. And it appears it that that love has come to fruition with Stockholm which tells the events of the infamous 1973 bank heist that led to the discovery of the psychological phenomena in which hostages develop a survival mechanism in which they sympathize and defend their captors. Gracing the Tribeca Film Festival’s red carpet, Budreau along with his cast of Ethan Hawke and Noomi Rapace discussed their time working on the film, their partnerships, and their love of history.
For the Love of History
Looking back into the past can be a difficult undertaking. But that never seems to be the case for director Robert Budreau who has captured the cool vibrancy of the 1970s with delectable ease. So much so that the director’s highest profile films are set exclusively in the mid-20th century, a trope that has not been lost on the director. “I’m a bit of a sucker for period—at least lately. I think when something’s period, it gives you time to reflect,” said the director. “You forget it’s been 40 years since the Stockholm incident happened. To me, it’s just about finding a great story,” reflected Budreau. But that wasn’t before the director signaled that he isn’t stuck in the past. “Maybe I’ll do something in the future next, who knows.”
As for Ethan Hawke, it appears that another motivation drove the actor to jump back into the acting seat with Budreau. “I have this dream that someday in my obituary, I’m going to do a film in every genre and subgenre. You got to make a good romance film, a good horror, a good comedy, a good western, a good thriller. And so this is my bank heist film.”
Pacino and Lumet as References
The shadows of 1970s American cinema certainly hangs over the head of every self-respecting director. It was a New Wave that had taken over cinema, one filled with cynicism, loner protagonists, and for the first time in American cinema, an overt sense of realism. It was a cinematic language that would inspired hundreds, if not thousands, of future filmmakers. And it seems that Budreau was no exception. “Dog Day Afternoon is certainly a shadow,” revealed the director. “It’s very similar in many ways. We really admire Sidney Lumet and Al Pacino,” said Budreau. The director went on to explain that, “our film is so different from that and yet it shares a lot with it. It was a nice reference point for us. It was probably the biggest inspiration for us.”
Ethan Hawke revealed his involvement with the project, noting that, “Robert sent me this New Yorker article shortly after Born to be Blue was finished. I thought ‘alright!'” The actor went to say that “You know, I’m a fan of Dog Day Afternoon obviously,” which drove him to aspire to make something in the same vein with a filmmaker that he felt could achieve such a lofty goal.
Collaboration and Partnerships
Finding fruitful collaboration can be a challenging endeavor. But for Hawke and Budreau, that never seemed to be that difficult of an undertaking. “We both kind of share a collaborative spirit and I really like to give actors space,” said Budreau. “It’s a personality thing. We got on in the Chet Baker film and we expanded that relationship to this,” explained the director. “It’s also just about finding trust too. When you trust one another, you find it easier to work.”
Ethan Hawke expanded, saying, “you just have a good time working with somebody.” The actor went on to say, “for anybody who’s working, when you start to trust people and feel good in situation you want to continue it.” The actor compared it to another creative experience, saying “it’s like when you’re playing music with somebody. You want to take advantage of some trust that was achieved.”
Stockholm premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival April 19.
Ethan Hawke, Noomi Rapace, Robert Budreau, and Steve London celebrated the 2018 Tribeca Film premiere of Stockholm at the official after-party on Thursday, April 19th at Up & Down.
PHOTO CREDIT: Astrid Stawiarz, Getty Images
Additional sightings: John Legend, Rob Base, Cheryl James–SALT of Salt n Pepa, Vin Brown of Naughty By Nature and Chauncey Black of Blackstreet celebrated the 2018 Tribeca Film premiere of United Skates at the official after-party on Thursday, April 19th, hosted by Bai at Metropolitan Pavilion.
PHOTO CREDIT: Mike Coppola, Getty Images
Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Jacqueline Bissett, Monika Bacardi, Phillipa Soo, Steven Pasquale, Gus Birny, Andrea Iervolino, among others celebrated 2018 Tribeca Film premiere of Blue Night at the official after-party on Thursday, April 19th, hosted by Nespresso at The Ainsworth.
PHOTO CREDIT: Dia Dipasupil,Getty Images
