The Call goes out in late March. That’s when the film of that title will premiere; it features John Malkovich and Naomi Campbell, and was directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, King Arthur). The trailer depicts a gothic thriller: an epic battle between good–Malkovich as a priest–and evil–Naomi Campbell, as what appears to be a fallen angel. The trailer’s tag for the film: “A tale of power. A tale of control.”
The latest Hollywood blockbuster? Not exactly. The Call is the debut film of a new branding effort for Pirelli Tires that will be available at www.pirellifilms.com. Agency Leo Burnett Italy, which has offices in Rome, Milan and Turin, created the film. Fuqua directed the project via bicoastal Anonymous Content, his spotmaking home, and Movie Magic, Milan. The film’s tag actually alludes to the longstanding branding position for the tiremaker: power is nothing without control.
The new online channel, which will be promoted in a multimedia campaign, will offer the tire maker “a strategic platform for brand communications, and not just for the product,” relates Nicola Novellone, the COO for Leo Burnett Italy, and one of the architects of the branded entertainment project. “We told the client, ‘you should consider the Internet as a way to improve your brand image, and really offer entertainment [to consumers], based on your position–power is nothing without control.'”
Novellone relates that the model for Pirelli Films is the Pirelli Calendar, an art piece produced each year. Only 20,000 are printed and distributed to VIPs and influential people globally. The 2006 effort was shot by photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot, and features the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Gisele Bundchen, Guinevere Van Seenus, Kate Moss, Karen Elson, and Natalia Vodianova. The calendar, which has been in existence for 40 years, is a cult favorite. “The idea [behind the films] is exactly the same,” says Novellone, who relates that one film will be released each year.
Aside from the brief teaser, details are scarce on the film’s content. “The story is a gothic thriller,” relates Sergio Rodriguez, executive creative director at the agency, who wrote the film along with Stefano Volpi. Rodriguez relates that the team cast Malkovich as the good axis of the epic showdown in part to cast against type–in much of his feature work, the actor has played the bad guy. Rodriguez jokes that Campbell’s role was “tailor-made” for her, given her reputation for temper tantrums and outsized behavior.
As for the selection of Fuqua, the creative notes, “he is for me one of the most talented directors in the new Hollywood generation. … I read his treatment, and was very inspired. Antoine is very good in directing actors–he does a lot of pre-production. Every single line was rehearsed a thousand times, and we worked a lot with John Malkovich as well in writing the lines.” The film was shot over the course of seven nights in Rome’s Santo Spirito hospital, and in an old industrial warehouse.
Novellone relates that a large, multimedia campaign advertising the film and its Web site will launch next month as part of a major promotional push. He notes that even prior to the announcement of Malkovich and Campbell as the stars of The Call, the Pirelli Films Web site was getting a lot of hits.
Already, the stage is being set for next year’s offering, though the exact genre has yet to be selected. Like the initial offering, it will have as its theme power is nothing without control. Says Novellone: “We are working with a lot of scriptwriters and copywriters worldwide to find the right feel and the right script.”
Marlee Matlin Is “Not Alone Anymore” At Sundance, Opens Up In A New Documentary
Marlee Matlin gives an unflinchingly honest account of her experiences as a deaf actor in the funny and revelatory documentary "Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore." The film kicked off the 41st Sundance Film Festival Thursday, as the first major premiere in the Eccles Theater in Park City, Utah.
After the screening audiences in the theater, some wiping tears away, greeted Matlin with a standing ovation when she took the stage.
The film delves into all aspects of her life, personal and professional: Her childhood and how her family handled learning she had become deaf at 18 months; her experience winning the best actress Oscar for her first movie role in "Children of a Lesser God" and her allegedly abusive romantic relationship with her co-star, the late William Hurt, which he denied; and her experiences in an industry not equipped to accommodate deaf actors.
The film was directed by Shoshanna Stern, who also is deaf. Matlin specifically requested that Stern take on the project when American Masters approached her about doing a documentary.
Matlin has written about her experiences before, including her volatile relationship with Hurt and drugs, in a memoir, "I'll Scream Later." But before the #MeToo movement, she felt her allegations were largely dismissed or glossed over.
Interviews from the book's press tour show journalists were more interested in the "amazing sex" she said she had with Hurt than the stories of the alleged physical and verbal abuse. One interviewer asked her why she waited "so long" to come forward with the claims.
The documentary isn't just a portrait of Matlin, but a broader look at deaf culture and how Matlin was thrust into the spotlight at a young age as a de facto spokesperson for all deaf... Read More