Luc Besson’s latest film, THE FAMILY, focuses on the Manzoni Mafia clan as they relocate to Normandy under the witness protection program, after head honcho Giovanni (Robert De Niro) snitches on his fellow mobsters. We here at THN recently had chance to sit down with the film’s stars, Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer and Dianna Agron (and about twenty other journalists) at the Dorchester Hotel in Mayfair to discuss the film.
How did you go about researching your roles for the film?
Michelle: We had the book as a reference, which was really invaluable. I focused more on family, which was ultimately [her character] Maggie’s role in it – to protect her family at any cost.
Robert: I spoke to people, trying to find a believable reason why we would be in France. I didn’t find it, though Luc [Besson, director] said he had spoken to people in France and it could be true. I still think it could be true, but we never validated it, if you will. And also, this story – it is what it is, so it’s not about accuracy in the witness protection system. The fine details would be good yes, but there were a lot of fine details in it as is.
Dianna: It’s a dark comedy – and this is something that Luc does very well – so it’s on the page, with Luc’s direction. And I think because it’s a little bit more fun; because it isn’t a very serious take on what it would be like – it just gave us room to play.
Dianna, what was it like to work with such esteemed actors as Robert and Michelle?
Dianna: It was definitely mind-boggling; it was about a month and a half before [shooting started] that I found out I had the part for sure, and over that course of time everybody had confirmed that they would be doing this film. It was very cool.
Were they easy to work with?
Dianna: Yes. I mean the greatest thing about Luc is that he sets up such a beautiful environment to film. Doing a location film can be exceptionally exhilarating, because for this we were in Paris and Normandy – two beautiful places – you know, you could miss home and everything but it’s a great unifier. You’re not at home, you don’t have chores or your dog calling at you, so you can laugh and make the most of it.
Robert – your character watches GOODFELLAS in the movie, have you revisited that film or any others of yours recently?
Robert: I looked at the DVD. Actually, there were things on the DVD that I hadn’t been aware of, so I went through the whole film carefully, and then I went through the other stuff on the DVD that I wasn’t aware of, and it was helpful for me.
Have you ever been tempted to put pen to paper and open up about your own life in the way your character does in THE FAMILY?
Robert: Like an autobiography? I’ve been approached [to do it] but I haven’t really entertained it much. It takes time to do that. Once, Scorsese and I were thinking of doing a book together – and we still might, I don’t know – but that was as far as it went.
I think we’d all read that book. What is it about the world of gangsters that you think fascinates others so much and what is it that keeps you, as a performer, revisiting it?
Robert: Well if it’s written well, it’s fun to do. The characters are interesting, especially if I’m doing them with Luc or Marty Scorsese. We have another gangster film we’re gonna do, but you know it’s a very interesting one and I’m looking forward to it. I guess people are fascinated by them, because in some ways they’re against the law, some ways they’re not.
Robert and Michelle, are you aware of how your presence could intimidate younger actors like Dianna and do you do anything to alleviate that?
Michelle: It never occurs to me that I would be intimidating to anybody, but maybe I should consider that. I mean Robert’s a classic example of somebody who’s iconic and who effortlessly puts actors at ease the moment you meet him. And I think it’s also something that he just innately does with people. I’m never really aware; I just sort of show up at the set, and you’re part of a team, you’re working together, and supporting each other and you’ve got each other’s back, and I think if everybody shows up with that attitude then everyone has a great time.
Dianna, did you notice a conscious reaching out by the other actors to calm their nerves?
Dianna: They were just lovely people. The main thing is everybody wants to do a good job, and you wanna make it believable, and that involves speaking to each other. Not just in the scene, that would be quite awkward [laughs].
In the film the family have to embrace the culture. When you’re shooting abroad, do you have time to take in the local area and be tourists, or is it all strictly work?
Robert: No, I had time to do certain things. We all have time at one point and I always feel that when you’re on location you take advantage of it because you never know when you’re going to be back there, if ever.
Michelle: I was coming back and forth so I didn’t really have any downtime while I was there, my work was pretty condensed.
Dianna: I went to a livestock fair with Tommy Lee Jones, which was one of the most comical things that has ever happened to me in my life. One, because they don’t know who Tommy Lee Jones is in Normandy. So Tommy’s having the time of his life, because he’s a cowboy. So he’s in his element. And there were like smoke plumes in the corner and tractors for sale and the most enormous rabbits you’ve ever seen. I tried thinking of ways that I could bring some of those animals home. That wasn’t going to happen. But yeah it was fun.
Michelle: It’s so scary that stepping back in time for Dianna is the 80s [laughs].
Dianna, working with Robert and Michelle, would you say you learnt any particular lessons that you’ll take with you in your future career?
I think that both of them have made such wonderful choices with the characters they’ve played in such interesting movies. Obviously I’ve seen almost all of their work, so my learning experience was from watching them create a new character in front of me and then thinking about things that they’ve done in the past. And then as far as my career goes, I’m not afraid not to work, and I think that can be my greatest strength, and also a weakness. But I think a lot of people want to work back to back for fear that it’s going to go away, and I think that if I’m to try to honour what I’ve seen Michelle and Bob do, it’s to make smart choices and make things that you really believe in. Because that’s when you’re having the most fun, and if you just try to force it you’re probably only going to like half of your work.
How long were you filming on location for and how do you cope with being away from your friends and your family?
Rob: I went back home sometimes on long weekends, maybe every five weeks or so.
Michelle: I was away from home for 10 days to 2 weeks at a time, and I was running back and forth over a period of a couple of months. So you miss everybody, but fortunately they were able to work out the schedule so that I didn’t have to be away from home for longer than that.
Dianna: I think I was gone the longest.
Michelle: You were held captive [laughs].
Dianna: I was. It was kind of great for me because I had just come off doing the previous series of Glee, and I hooked this job. I went from Italy to France, it was very glamorous; and then I was there for I think 3 months. But that being said, I don’t have my own family; I didn’t have anything pulling my heartstrings back home. I mean obviously my friends and my family, but not my own children or anything like that. And obviously you have to do a really great job of keeping in touch with everybody, because otherwise you get back and they’re like ‘who are you’. So it’s good, it really strengthens your communication through things like email. I tried to be good and send a few letters, which I think is really a dying thing these days, but yeah you have to work at it. Skype, things like that.
THE FAMILY is released in UK cinemas on Friday 22nd November. You can read THN’s review here.
