Welcome to Commentary Commentary, the place we sit and hearken to filmmakers discuss their work, then share essentially the most attention-grabbing components. In this version, Rob Hunter revisits the profitable however a lot maligned Bullet Train with a commentary from its director.
David Leitch and Chad Stahelski are the 2 large names behind 87 Eleven Action Design, the skilled stunt group that rose to prominence with the discharge of 2014’s John Wick. While Stahelski directed that movie and its three sequels, Leitch branched out for his personal solo efforts together with Atomic Blonde (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Hobbs & Shaw (2019), and 2022’s Bullet Train. All 4 had been box-office hits, and the primary three earned a “fresh” score through Rotten Tomatoes. Bullet Train, although, continues to be lambasted by critics and #FilmTwitter regularly.
The movie is a bit overstuffed, and it’s attempting method too exhausting to make you prefer it, however that apart it’s a wonderfully enjoyable popcorn flick. Fun solid, some laughs, and a superb provide of entertaining motion beats — Bullet Train is ok, folks.
Leitch’s newest characteristic, The Fall Guy, hits theaters at this time, and whereas it’s too early to inform if it’ll win over audiences and/or critics, it’s a film I’m trying ahead to seeing. Between the brand new movie and the continuing hate for Leitch’s final effort, it felt like the best time to revisit Bullet Train — through Leitch’s commentary. So maintain studying to see what I heard on the commentary monitor for…
Bullet Train (2022)
Commentators: David Leitch (director), Kelly McCormick (producer), Zak Olkewicz (author)
1. He clearly loves the 87 North opening brand, including that they need their motion pictures to have a enjoyable sensibility outdoors of the anticipated nice motion.
2. The movie initially opened with Ladybug (Brad Pitt) post-crash, surveying the scene and the chaos, earlier than then leaping again to the beginning. They as a substitute returned to the present opening that includes Kimura (Andrew Koji) and The Elder (Hiroyuki Sanada) by a hospital mattress as “the stakes were much stronger.”
3. Leitch made a degree of peppering the movie with talismans and different symbols to assist information viewers by way of the movie’s narrative “because it is really complex.”
4. The on-screen title begins as an animated roll of phrases, and it’s an concept Leitch had as a method of figuring out the movie’s quite a few themes. “It’s a little Easter Egg for the audience,” he says, as every character has their very own philosophical journey right here.
5. Ladybug’s introduction is ready in Tokyo however was filmed in downtown Los Angeles.
6. Leitch initially envisioned Ladybug as a far slicker character, however Pitt noticed him extra as this laid again man on the finish of his profession.
7. This received’t shock the movie’s naysayers, however “a lot of the third act and what a lot of the reveals were, kind of evolved as we were shooting it.”
8. The characters are all launched in an intercut sort of method as we transfer by way of the practice and opening act, however the script initially took a special method. Characters had been launched in a linear style, then the movie would rewind, and we’d meet the subsequent one. Then it will rewind, and so on.
9. Logan Lerman performs The Son, a personality who basically turns into a corpse after a really temporary introduction. “I don’t even know why he did that role,” says McCormick. “So amazing, it’s really a waste of his talents.”
10. Engelbert Humperdinck was joyful to return document his lounge-ish model of “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles,” partly as a result of his sister is called Bubbles.
11. Flashbacks just like the one displaying Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) & Tangerine’s (Aaron Taylor Johnson) kill depend had been simply fast flashes on the web page, however Leitch wished to take each alternative he may to get viewers off the practice. “It’s partly why you’re not exhausted of being in a tube for two hours.”
12. Leitch cameos at 14:41 because the Good Samaritan.
13. Joey King was one of many first actors solid for the movie (after auditioning through Zoom seeing because the movie was shot in the course of the pandemic).
14. While Michael Shannon performs White Death, the youthful model of the character that we see killing folks in a flashback is performed by Daniel Stevens. The character was initially a smaller a part of the entire, however one among Leitch’s first asks relating to the script was to construct out the ending higher and land a stronger twist.
15. Wolf (Benito Ocasio aka Bad Bunny) was initially envisioned as an older character, however “his passion was so perfect” that he landed the position. The flashback displaying his life leads McCormick to say that “It’s a very expensive music video, I’ll just say that as the producer.” She provides that she loves it, although, because it’s four-minutes shot on movie (to present it a special really feel) spent giving this character life and emotion solely to then kill him instantly after we return to the current.
16. The Johannesburg flashback with Ladybug and Lemon was filmed within the parking storage on the Sony lot. The information report in regards to the lacking Boomslang snake was filmed outdoors the Sony cafeteria.
17. Pitt did a lot of his personal stunts, with the primary exceptions being exhausting falls and the working scenes. He additionally wished his character to develop an rising variety of bruises, cuts, and extra culminating in not less than three golf ball-sized lumps, however they talked him out of it.
18. The practice passenger within the inexperienced jacket at 44:08 was principally within the script as an “insert cameo” second that finally went to Channing Tatum. “It was last minute, it was like, ‘who’s in town, who would be so funny,’ and then he over-delivered,” says McCormick.
19. The practice concession woman is performed by Karen Fukuhara, and her arrival onscreen leads McCormick to acknowledge that that is “not a great use of her amazing talents.”
20. King and Henry each used the identical dialect coach for his or her British accents. The movie’s sound mixer is Irish and apparently requested Henry after the primary few days of filming how he appreciated being within the States and the way lengthy he had been right here.
21. It was determined whereas filming that it will be enjoyable to have The Hornet (Zazie Beetz) punctuate every part she says with “bitch!” There was quite a lot of dialogue relating to what number of instances they may do it.
22. Lemon was initially meant to die, and Johnson thought that was nonetheless the plan when he filmed the scene of Tangerine discovering Lemon lifeless. They didn’t inform him {that a} rewrite was incoming in an effort to resurrect the character, and so they’re glad they didn’t as they discover Johnson’s efficiency right here very affecting.
23. The script initially began in the course of the day and ended late at evening, however they swapped it in order that the ultimate thirty minutes kicks off at daybreak. Leitch says it was “a classic studio ask” in that they need extra daytime footage to assist promote the film — “they want to see day, day , day, day, day.” He went with it as a result of it really works with the story being instructed.
24. They had been workshopping traces for the beat the place Ladybug palms over the case and has a sword held to his neck, and the increase operator instructed “Hurt people hurt people.”
25. Shannon is one among King’s favourite actors, and she or he was apparently nervous for her large scene reverse him. After capturing the scene, although, it was Shannon who went to Leitch and gushed about her efficiency.
26. Ladybug’s telephone conversations with Maria (Sandra Bullock) initially featured the cuts to her character as a substitute of simply her voice, however take a look at audiences felt it was deceiving as to Bullock truly being within the movie extra. The cameo was her paying Pitt again for him showing in her movie, The Lost City (2022).
27. The movie relies on a novel (by Kotaro Isaka), however McCormick mentions that they’re looking forward to a sequel. It’s stated within the context of Bullock taking part in a much bigger position in a attainable follow-up.
28. Other movies had stopped and began in the course of the pandemic, however Bullet Train was the primary to start out contemporary in the course of the troubles. It was pre-vaccine, and their security protocols helped them wrap manufacturing with out a single Covid-related delay.
Best in Context-Free Commentary
“Let’s fucking go!”
“We tried to do a lot of really provocative things, even with the needle drops in this movie.”
“Sorry, it’s hard not to get sucked in.”
“A lot of what Brad does is improv.”
“As long as you care about characters I think you can play with the atonality.”
“When you work with me, the script is always evolving.”
“This is where we just literally jump the shark.”
“He’s like part Lebowski in some of this, isn’t he.”
Final Thoughts
Yeah, I don’t know, Bullet Train stays a wonderfully innocent blockbuster delivering sufficient leisure to make a watch worthwhile. The motion is vigorous and enjoyable, and loads of the comedy beats land superbly with actual laughs (principally courtesy of Pitt). It’s nonetheless a bit bloated, and a few of the characters are performed far too large, far too usually, however neither weak spot kills the movie’s momentum or enjoyable. Honestly, the one factor I can’t forgive right here is the way it wastes an incredible combat expertise in Koji. (“Next movie, we’ll have a lot more with him,” says Leitch.) The commentary options each anecdotes and manufacturing particulars, and whereas Leitch is enthusiastic it’s McCormick who reveals off an in depth reminiscence and a few attention-grabbing observations. A great flick, a superb commentary.
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Related Topics: Brad Pitt, Commentary Commentary, David Leitch
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