comment #1

corey3rd says ...

a film about a commie icon was bootlegged by the people. couldn't see that coming

comment #2

Mike Ock says ...

Girlfriend Experience was under patronized because it was unwatchable. Soderbergh needs to steer clear of making another movie about sex.

He cast a hot pornstar as a high priced call girl, in a lowbudget film shot on HD video, and instead of using this as an opportunity to really go for it, without the constraints of the Hollywood studio system , and make something risque, and edgy.. a Y Tu Mama Tambien, or Swimming Pool, he chooses to fill the movie with wall to wall boring ass dialogue about the economy.

Then he wondered why people didn't show up.

comment #3

Circumvrent says ...

What Soderbergh really needs to do is make another Brokovich or Ocean's 11 - something nice and commercial and not too taxing on the soul. The guy is at his best when he's hitting a certain rhythm with his work - the big commercial projects with the smaller, moodier films in between. These last 4 or 5 films, he's been stuck in the same mode, and it's bad for him. He needs another palate cleanser, and then he'll be fine.

That said, I would like to see him go and make Limey 2 with Stamp and Michael Caine: http://theplaylist.blogspot.com/2009/07/steven-soderbergh-considering-limey-2.html

comment #4

DeafEars says ...

I don't buy it either. As painful as filmmaking is for Soderbergh at times, my guess is that it's more painful for him not to do it. I don't see him ever just hanging it up.

comment #5

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

There's always Ocean's Fourteen.

comment #6

Rothchild says ...

Mick Ock:

Go watch some porn. You can find it within seconds. The Girlfriend Experience was fantastic and Soderbergh's best in years.

comment #7

Mr. Peel says ...

So what about this LIMEY sequel that's suddenly being rumored? Apparently Jules Asner was on some podcast with Adam Carolla and said that Sodebergh wants to do it, teaming "Terence Stamp and Michael Caine." Could this actually be for real or is it just something Soderbergh said would be cool after a couple of bottles of wine with dinner one night? Seriously, Stamp and Caine? Directed by Soderbergh?? I can't think of another sequel that I'd rather see. Maybe that's what he needs to bring himself out of these doldrums.

comment #8

Circumvrent says ...

Agreed Rothschild. Girlfriend Experience really is a wonderful film. Should've mentioned that in my first comment.

comment #9

Myles says ...

Sony really does want to make Moneyball -- they just don't want to make it with Soderbergh, which really must sting.

Definitely rooting for the guy.

comment #10

byanyother says ...

Oy, his moment to walk away was years ago.

comment #11

Breedlove says ...

This guy is a bit of an enigma. To be honest, his career has been pretty frustrating for me. He's a brilliant talent and I still see everything he does. I respect his desire to really push the envelope and challenge himself and the movie-going public. But..dammit, the guy's two best movies are ERIN BROCKOVICH and OUT OF SIGHT. He has gone so far off into the weirdo experimental realm...I'm just dying for the guy to find another commercial, warm, funny, romantic script and knock it out of the park. He seems to go out of his way to avoid doing what he does best.

comment #12

bents75 says ...

I thought Che was a damn good film. It has its flaws, but it wasn't nearly as esoteric as I had expected.

Blockbuster has an "exclusive" rental deal with it currently, which curiously enough I've never seen mentioned around here. I rented it expecting to want to take a nap 30 minutes in and I loved it. It was flawed in some respects, but I respected the hell out of its ambition. A nice blend of character, action, and versimilitude. It was a return to form for him that has been missing for nearly a decade.

It's a shame to me that he doesn't personally seem to be speaking that highly of it - I think it's the highlight of his career. He should be proud of it.

comment #13

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

I think his little run including Out of Sight, Erin Brockovich, The Limey, Traffic and Ocean's Eleven was absolutely superb. All good films in their own way and a great balance of commercial and critical success. At least he's profilic unlike some of the other filmmakers who are associated with that late-90s golden era. I mean, in the time it's taken Spike Jonze to do 3 films, Soderbergh's done something like 14.

comment #14

MilkMan says ...

The Girlfriend Experience is a really good movie with a great lead performance and some very inspired direction, especially how Soderberg chose to frame some of the scenes, like the final confrontation between Chelsea and her boyfriend, where she is totally hidden from view. It's the best film about prostitution since Jeanne Dielman. It's also very European in tone and style, and of course that's not going to go over well with people. Soderbergh is directing films in the wrong country. What he needs to do is pull a Kubrick and set up camp in London. But the problems he is having write now really highlight the coldness and indifference that is endemic to Hollywood. They don't give a shit what awards you have won, or how many 100 million dollar grossing films you have made in the past. I think a secret part of Soderbergh liked being popular with the cool kids, and now he's not as popular anymore, and he's hurt.

comment #15

Mike Ock says ...

@ Rothchild - I watched some porn, and I must say that Sasha Grey's preformances in Grand Theft Anal and Gangbang My Face, were alot more interesting than that boring, pretentious, piece of shit Soderbergh film.

If Mark Cuban really wants to make money with The Girlfriend Experience, he should market it as a sleeping aid.

I hear Soderbergh is casting Ron Jeremy in a new film about Global Warming.

comment #16

btwnproductions says ...

In his autobiography Caine alludes to problems with Stamp, his flatmate when both were starting out. (A woman was I think involved.) I don't think they're on speaking terms and I don't think they've worked together--which would it make it interesting if a LIMEY 2 materialized.

Love it, hate it (I was bored), GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE, like 95% of indies, was never going to make much more than a ripple. Soderbergh's is the artist's dilemma: No audience for his art.

comment #17

frankbooth says ...

Soderbergh is one of the good guys and it's shame he's being treated this way, but every time I read "Moneyball," my eyes glaze over. I finally realized why:

Movies with "money" in the title usually suck. Movies with "ball" in the title usually suck.

Moneyball will probably suck, regardless of who directs.

comment #18

Rothchild says ...

Mike Ock:

Your expectations were wrong. Or you're retarded.

comment #19

JohnCope says ...

What about Solaris? Some people consider that his best film.

Personally, I'd still like to see the sequel to sex, lies which Full Frontal was not (despite being led to believe it was some sort of "thematic" continuation). That movie has one good moment--the last shot.

BTW, I've always wondered if Soderbergh and Spader were simply never that close to start with. I bring it up because Soderbergh directed Spader to what I feel at least, as a Spader fan, was his finest performance by a wide margin and you'd think given all the accolades those two would have teamed up and formed some kind of partnership similar to the one Soderbergh developed with Clooney. Sadly it never happened.

comment #20

BurmaShave says ...

Do smart people ever call something pretentious?

comment #21

JohnCope says ...

FWIW, Burma, I remember very distinctly Soderbergh saying in an interview once that (and here I paraphrase since I can't find the exact quote), "Any time you do something serious somebody's going to call it pretentious."

comment #22

Travis Crabtree says ...

Mike Ock is DEAD ON.

"Girlfriend Experience" was fucking awful. A friend, (who also hated it), remarked that "star" Sasha Grey had less charisma or acting chops than a real porn star. When she found out that Sasha actually is a porn star, she simply asked "why?".

Seriously, why on earth would you, with all of the terrific REAL actresses out there, hire an actual, dead-eyed, seemingly emotion-free porn actress for a film that required none of her talents. In fact, there wasn't single scene in "Girlfriend Experience" that called for Sasha to scream out "fuck my shit hole!" as she did in the one porn clip I've seen of her.

I love Soderbergh but that was, in fact, pretentious crap.

comment #23

MilkMan says ...

It's not American to be smart, Burma. Real Americans don't use big words or worry about life's problems in an adult manner. Going to college, and, god forbid, graduate school, is for losers, especially if they want to learn something. College is where you go to drink and fuck. And reading books that you can't buy at Rite-Aide is really just a waste of time, because books are boring, especially ones that can't be turned into movies.

It's real simple. People use the word pretentious when they feel that they aren't getting something. It's just a defense mechanism. Although I can't figure out why anyone would think TGFE is pretentious. Maybe Soderbergh should've have had a scene where Brad Pitt is standing and eating a plate of jalapeno poppers, like he does throughout all three Ocean's movies.

comment #24

berkguru says ...

The Limey was fantastic and Limey 2 would be great. Please make it happen. MoneyBall would have been great too - its a nice read.

comment #25

Travis Crabtree says ...

"Do smart people ever call something pretentious?"

Yes.

Unless they're afraid of appearing prosaic and they want to pretend to "get" something.

comment #26

Travis Crabtree says ...

You don't sound like you did much drinking or fucking in college, MilkMan. Were you one of those guys who scowled morosely at the laughing, frisbee-playing greek-types as you walked past them on your way to the Act-Now! guest speaker series featuring William Kuntsler? ("philistines!")

You did totally nail it about Pitt in the Ocean's movie. I'm seeing it now. Was that some cutesy actor "choice" thing?

comment #27

Terry McCarty says ...

Since Soderbergh did the interview book with Richard Lester (GETTING AWAY WITH IT, if I recall correctly), maybe this might explain the yearning for a sort-of-early-oblivion.

comment #28

Alboone says ...

I liked GFE. It was beautiful to look at and well acted I must say. It definitely at parts felt lacking.

This whole indie meltdown basically comes down to the fact that these indie inspired fillmmakers are so concerned with being REAL that it sometimes undercuts the narrative momentum. Instead of worrying about being REAL, worry about being INTERESTING. Good art across all mediums share one basic quality...energy. People respond to it. A good movie can give you an endorphin rush just as much as hot sex or a toke of reefer. I wish these filmmakers would stop trying to appeal to their select group of hipster friends and tell a story instead of presenting a thesis.

Che had a really good first half, but just completely deflates any momentum in the second half of the story. Its like looking at 2 hour documentary about shrubs and leaves. Its the same problem I had with Public Enemies, Michael Mann made a quiet art film where it would've benefitted from a more conventional cat and mouse play between Purvis and Dillinger. Besides the HD photography being distracting to say the least, I didn't get the adrenalin rush like I got from his earlier work. Movies like Heat and Thief took you into the process, the methodology behind it all. I don't know this whole post modern deconstruction trend hopefully will be on its last legs.

comment #29

MilkMan says ...

Travis, did you go to Sarah Lawrence?

comment #30

DavidF says ...

I'm not really clear what he's bitching about...is there anyone in Hollywood who gets so much leeway to do weirdo personal projects?

I mean, if he was wary of Che, why not pare it down to, say, a single three hour movie instead of a huge roadhouse thing that only amplifies how uncommercial it is (not matter how high the quality). I'd like to see it but it never really played here and I guess I'll see it on video but it seems pretty clear that the film killed itself.

Having read Moneyball (thanks, Jeff!) I'm sorry he's not doing that. I love Out of Sight and Traffic and have enjoyed Limey, Ocean's 11, and Erin Brokovich. The guy is clearly talented and clearly enjoys doing a little of this, a little of that...and he's basically done that.

It's a bit hard to feel sorry for the guy; who wouldn't love to have that career and that resume, checkered as it is?

comment #31

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

"Mike Ock is DEAD ON."

No, he's not. This is about the fifth time on here he's lamented the fact that Sasha Grey doesn't "get nakkie" in his film. Then he calls out Soderbergh for having an "immature" attitude about sex (look who's talking!). Yes, Soderbergh can be uncomfortable with sex...but here's a newsflash -- most people (esp. in the country) aren't exactly comfortable with intimacy even though they have this prurient fascination with staring at other people's naked flesh. Like Rothchild mentioned, her nude filmography is already 8 miles high -- have at it.

Instead, Soderbergh seems to be saying, "nope...ya don't get to have the voyeuristic satisfaction without earning the intimacy," which is actually a pretty interesting & bold starting point for a film about a call girl. The discussions about the economy is just kind of a shorthand way to try establish a server/client connection through small shoptalk -- like talking sports with the mechanic or barber.

Whether or not the finished film actually works or not is definitely up for debate -- I thought it had its fair share of flaws, but was fascinating to watch.

I'm just not a really big fan of the dismissive attitude towards the project. It seems as though every time a filmmaker in this country really wants to embrace his artistic side and make an experimental film he gets blasted sight unseen. These kind of films are important for the fabric of cinema culture -- sure, it's not going to be Breathless every time out, but if we can get a Che once every ten years, I'll be happy as hell.

Eventually, if the choice comes down to Soderbergh making Ocean's 20 or retiring, can anyone really blame him for choosing the latter?

comment #32

Travis Crabtree says ...

I, (if I had the money), would be more than happy to finance Soderbergh's next little "indie experiment". More power to him. I hope he keeps it up, and I'm glad he's able to do it. It's just that I believe he pulled up lame with this particular film.

I'm not going to pretend that I liked it just because it's an "art film".

comment #33

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

I read MM's thoughts after posting mine and I have to agree that he needs to leave the country -- location, location, location. France or something. A place where they appreciate actually auteurs, and don't grade a movie by checking off some hackneyed checklist (Explosions? Naked chick or at least ample cleavage (if it's PG-13)? Grinning, wiseass protaganist who knows how to aim a gun without looking like he cares?).

He can come back once every five years and stay in a Hollywood hotel while directing Clooney, Damon, Del Toro? (et. al), while Jules makes a "very special appearance" on E!. Then just get the fuck out as soon as shooting wraps. I really can't really imagine him missing L.A.

comment #34

Mike Ock says ...

@ Travis Crabtree - I agree 100%. What's the point of casting a hardcore pornstar in a movie ABOUT a woman who has sex for money, if you're going to keep her clothes on for most of the running time, AND make her recite some boring dialogue about the economy?

Her line readings were stiffer than the man meat she's used to ramming down her throat.

It's like casting Kobe Bryant in a movie about a basketball player, but then having him discuss nuclear proliferation through 95% of the movie, and with a scene or 2 of him shooting free throws in between. Who the fuck wants to see THAT?

Did anyone learn ANYTHING interesting about what it is to be an escort after watching GFE?

Based on what I saw in this movie, being a high priced escort must be a really boring and safe job. You don't have to worry about being busted by the cops, or catching STD's or you know...getting murdered by some psycho like that Craigslist killer a few months ago.

But go ahead Rothchild, keep pretending that you liked it, like the poseur/tool that you are.

comment #35

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

"I'm not going to pretend that I liked it just because it's an 'art film'."

But you have pretended you liked Transformers 2 just because...well, why don't you explain it to me again?

comment #36

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

"Che had a really good first half, but just completely deflates any momentum in the second half of the story. Its like looking at 2 hour documentary about shrubs and leaves. I don't know this whole post modern deconstruction trend hopefully will be on its last legs."

I see what you're saying, but I think the decision to split Che into two parts -- unlike that of splitting almost any other film -- actually proved to be a wise one.

I thought the first part was fairly conventional -- at least by Soderbergh's standards. You're given the setup with Che, Castro, and their commie buddies with their theories at the beginning, then you actually get to see those theories put into practice (whether it be politically, socially, or -- most of the time -- militarily). There was definitely an arc to the story and the characters that was as fulfilling as it was unexpected. Watching it, I was almost struck by how it could have been the kind of intrigue movie traditional Hollywood loved to make in the '50s -- that is, in between blacklisting those red bastards.

The second one is really more in line with what I expected out of a SS film: fragmented, esoteric, driven by mood and currents, etc. There's not a lot of regard for linear storytelling here, but isn't that because there isn't really a proper, three-act story to tell? It becomes pretty increasingly obvious that "liberating" people in Bolivia is a lost cause. It's both admirable and frightening how committed he is to his cause, despite the apathy all around him. So I think it's a good decision to have part two play out more like a dirge, or a slow-burn march to death. It just serves to illustrate how the will and drive of these revolutionaries is almost inhuman and almost has to be. They themselves must embody their ideals, or die trying.

comment #37

Breedlove says ...

Just to reinforce what I said above...think about the scene in OUT OF SIGHT where it cuts back and forth between Clooney and Lopez having a drink in the hotel bar with the snow in the background, and getting it on in the bedroom. The freeze frames and everything...man.

Look, I really liked BUBBLE, but there was nothing anywhere near that good in BUBBLE. Or CHE, frankly, as much as I dug that film.

Soooooo bummed he's not doing MONEYBALL. That project will go down as one of the all-time cock teases.

comment #38

alynch says ...

Only people who are really insecure about their own opinions claim that those who disagree with them are just pretending.

comment #39

Jonah says ...

"But you have pretended you liked Transformers 2 just because...well, why don't you explain it to me again?"

Wait, did Travis really like Transformers 2? If so, his opinion doesn't count for anything.

"Only people who are really insecure about their own opinions claim that those who disagree with them are just pretending."

Exactly. Just because you don't understand or get a movie, doesn't mean others are pretending to.

comment #40

Travis Crabtree says ...

Oh yeah.... I LOVED Transformers 2. I've seen it a dozen times. It was even better than the first first one! In fact, it was my favorite of all the movies based on children's toys.

comment #41

julieW says ...

They've already retracted this story..It was **beyond wrong..first saying that Che made 1.7 million dollars WORLDWIDE (it's made over 50 million)
also the implication that this is a current interview is a joke..the interview was done months ago for the release of 'Che' on DVD in the UK way before the 'Moneyball' fiasco..

comment #42

Travis Crabtree says ...

And if you watch someone sleep through half of "La Dolce Vita" in a theater, then spend several minutes longer than it should take in the can, then fidget with their cel phones, and THEN the next day tell everyone what a masterpiece the film was.... then I believe I can call bullshit on them.

comment #43

Yuval says ...

The Girlfriend Experience is an amazing film. Very powerful. If you had a problem with it because you felt Sasha Grey was wooden I'd say I disagree with you, but if you were looking for a porn film and was disappointed you didn't get one, then I think calling you stupid is stating the obvious.

"It's like casting Kobe Bryant in a movie about a basketball player, but then having him discuss nuclear proliferation through 95% of the movie, and with a scene or 2 of him shooting free throws in between. Who the fuck wants to see THAT?"

You mean, like He Got Game with Ray Allen?

comment #44

JackMP says ...

"Just to reinforce what I said above...think about the scene in OUT OF SIGHT where it cuts back and forth between Clooney and Lopez having a drink in the hotel bar with the snow in the background, and getting it on in the bedroom. The freeze frames and everything...man."

Rumor has it the freeze frames were a serendipitous accident. The AVID was stuttering during playback and Soderbergh really dug it, so Mirrione decided to scatter intentional freeze frames throughout the scene.

Great film. I'd be interested to see what happens if Soderbergh takes some time off. Maybe he'll find his "After Hours" or smaller film that reinvigorates his desire to make movies.

comment #45

Travis Crabtree says ...

Yuval.... are you purposely missing the point?

And that point being no, I didn't go to it hoping to see hot double-penetration action. The point is WHY hire a porn star (who's an awful actress) to star in a non-porn movie? Was Soderbergh not being gimicky by doing that? "Ooo, how daring! I cast a real life porn star in my film."
That didn't help my friend (who's an actual, non-porn actress) like the film any better to say the least.

At least admit it was stunt casting.

comment #46

Yuval says ...

Like I said, or better yet, my obvious point was, I think Grey was perfect in the movie, so I don't have a problem with her casting. I've read many times that Soderbergh cast most of the parts in the movie by non-actors with actual professions same or close to the ones in the movie. I think it worked, but it might not have worked, I don't really have anything to say about the casting process other than to say I didn't feel a false note from the performances.

I was actually challenging Mike Ock's points more than yours, but let me show you something here about your point-
Mike Ock -"He cast a hot pornstar as a high priced call girl, in a lowbudget film shot on HD video, and instead of using this as an opportunity to really go for it"
Travis Crabtree - "Mike Ock is DEAD ON"
Later-
Travis Crabtree -'And that point being no, I didn't go to it hoping to see hot double-penetration action."

comment #47

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

Call it stunt casting if you must (after all, it was an experimental film), but I believe casting SG was kind of a shorthand way of getting someone to act like a porn actress without all getting all "actorly" about it.

Good call on He Got Game. The Spike Lee/Ray Allen analogy is pretty apt; I thought it worked there, too.

"I'd be interested to see what happens if Soderbergh takes some time off. Maybe he'll find his "After Hours" or smaller film that reinvigorates his desire to make movies."

No offense, but isn't this what he has been doing -- albeit intermittently -- for the last five years, if not his entire career?

comment #48

The Bandsaw Vigilante says ...

"Seriously, Stamp and Caine? Directed by Soderbergh?? I can't think of another sequel that I'd rather see. Maybe that's what he needs to bring himself out of these doldrums."

Or else, as that article suggests, Michael Keaton in a LIMEY sequel with Stamp, directed by Soderbergh? Sweet Christ on a pony, I'd totally kill a prostitute to see that one.

comment #49

lipranzer says ...

Whether or not Soderbergh was just having a bad moment, or he's truly dispirited about the state of things (and who can blame him), I also think he should get the fuck out of Dodge. London sounds like a good place - after all, the director who I think is most similar to him, Michael Winterbottom, seems to be doing well there.

And I still like THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE (though to me, it isn't about sex, it's about money), love CHE (CitizenKaned's post about it was spot on for me; I think it's less about Che and more a study in revolution. I can understand why it was a failure because of that, but I still think it's brilliant), and though Soderbergh's been quite inconsistent this decade, at least he's trying to branch out and do different things. I'd rather have more people like him than assholes like Michael Bay and Zach Snyder, who get hyped as "visionaries."

comment #50

Mike Ock says ...

@ Yuval - No jackass, I wasn't expecting a porn film, but I wasn't expecting Wall Street either. And if Soderbergh wants to make an intelligent film about the economy, I rather he cast Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen instead of Sasha Grey.

And maybe work from a better script. You know, one where interesting things actually happen..

Re: He Got Game. My point exactly. Notice how it actually MADE SENSE to cast a professional basketball player as Jesus Shuttlesworth because most of the film took place on a basketball court, and it only made the movie more authentic.

They also cast OTHER NBA players like Walter McCarty, Travis Best, Rick Fox, and John Wallace. There were countless set pieces and montages that required people with natural athletic ability.

So why not cast some professionals? It makes sense.

And it just so happens that there's a scene in He Got Game where Ray Allen has a threesome with 2 girls in the dorm during one of his recruiting visits at some college.

In that threesome scene, he walks into a dorm and 2 naked big chested girls, have sex with Allen to get him to commit to their school.

And...surprise surprise...those 2 naked girls who only appear once in the movie, in that very explicit scene are played by Jill Kelly and Chasey Lain, 2 PROFESSIONAL PORN STARS!! (Now that I think about it, it's shocking that Spike had the audacity to a) Shoot them doing what they DO BEST, which is FUCK and b) Limit what they do worst, which is RECITE LINES - I'm sure Soderbergh would've shot that scene in a library with the 3 of them fully clothed discussing Russian literature.)

Maybe Soderbergh can learn from Spike re: when it's appropriate to cast a porn star in a movie, and how best to utiilize them.

comment #51

Yuval says ...

Mike, I feel you really worked on that comment and that you feel it amounts to a conclusion concerning The Girlfriend Experience, He Got Game and Wall Street. I don't really want to go into that anymore, let's just say I find your arguments weak (or WEAK, if you prefer). I would recommend you watch He Got Game again and observe how much of that movie required natural athletic ability, and compare it with say, the required ability to walk around nude/semi-nude in the Girlfriend Experience.

comment #52

Mike Ock says ...

Yuval,

About 60-75% of He Got Game takes place on a basketball court. Wouldn't it make sense to hire a pro athlete if 3/4 of your scenes are scenes of the star playing basketball?

Sasha Grey was nude maybe twice in GFE. She has sex for about 60 second combined..tops..what was the point of casting her?

What is the point of marketing a movie with a tagline like "See it with some one you ****"? I guess I was way off expecting a movie starring a professional porn star, about a sex worker, marketed like that, to contain much sex.

He Got Game game got it all wrong with its gratuitous wall to wall basketball scenes/montages featuring pro atheletes doing what they do best.

comment #53

Alboone says ...

"The second one is really more in line with what I expected out of a SS film: fragmented, esoteric, driven by mood and currents, etc. There's not a lot of regard for linear storytelling here, but isn't that because there isn't really a proper, three-act story to tell? It becomes pretty increasingly obvious that "liberating" people in Bolivia is a lost cause. It's both admirable and frightening how committed he is to his cause, despite the apathy all around him. So I think it's a good decision to have part two play out more like a dirge, or a slow-burn march to death. It just serves to illustrate how the will and drive of these revolutionaries is almost inhuman and almost has to be. They themselves must embody their ideals, or die trying."

Good point CitizenKanedforChewingGum.

comment #54

Catherine says ...

This story has been retracted. The quotes are from a different interview where he said he sees himself maybe retiring in 5 or 6 years...they imply this is something he said after Moneyball..It wasn't. Steven intends to do one on the record interview about the Moneyball fiasco with a big magazine...possibly Vanity Fair to tell the whole story..(and all the juicy stuff)
No one should count him out of the business..think about it--he has 5 films he directed being released THIS year.
both Che films, The Girlfriend Experience, The Informant and a documentary about Spaulding Grey in December.
"The Informant" is one of his best films in years and will no doubt be nominated for many oscars..(including actor, screenplay by Scott Burns and music by Marvin Hamlisch)
The play has been in the works for over a year. Don't worry..he's going to announce in the next couple of weeks a BIG film he's doing.

comment #55

Dance Commander says ...

The man spent $58 million on "Che" and it made $2 million? Good lord. He's lucky he wasn't crept upon in his sleep and dispatched by a silenced gun at the hands of a cold-blooded assassin. People have been killed for so much less. People who lose that kind of money routinely end up dead or in jail. I'm surprised his European investors didn't demand some kind of cinematic payback. The equivalent of another Ocean movie or something kid oriented involving CGI vermin.

comment #56

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

"About 60-75% of He Got Game takes place on a basketball court. Wouldn't it make sense to hire a pro athlete if 3/4 of your scenes are scenes of the star playing basketball?"

Methinks you need to watch the film again. No way, no how does more than 1/2 of that movie take place on a basketball court. Not even close. Not to mention, a lot of the extended basketball scenes in the film take place out on the playground. Not exactly the place where you need previous basketball credentials (or even natural athletic ability) to make a scene work well.

I definitely get the feeling if you asked either Soderbergh or Lee about their choice of lead performer, they would have a similar answer: to get the most realistic performance out of them while they are off their "turf" (whether it be the basketball court or the bedroom). These are still primarily dramatic films -- or at least they are intended as so -- so your argument that athletes or porn stars should only be cast to compete or fuck on film is kind of mind-boggling -- isn't that what ESPN and pornotube are for, respectively?

I guess I just don't think HGG is really about basketball any more than TGE is really about sex. That seems to be a really superficial summation -- you seem to be skimming over the films' most interesting themes -- but I suppose that's what happens when a film doesn't work for you (I know I've done the same in the past for films I just haven't connected with).

comment #57

Catherine says ...

@ Dance Commander....no Che made over 50 million ...that's just the thing this article is totally erroneous and has already been retracted..that's why I hope Jeffery takes this post down. The Guardian has already had to do a retraction on this story.

comment #58

Terry McCarty says ...

Nathan Rabin makes a case for Soderbergh's remake of SOLARIS: http://www.avclub.com/articles/space-oddity-case-file-141-solaris,30122/

comment #59

Gordon27 says ...

"It's real simple. People use the word pretentious when they feel that they aren't getting something."

That's not really true. I "got" 'Tetro', it was almost painfully simple to understand, but it still came off as a very very pretentious movie. (The first half was a veryveryvery pretentious movie, but by the end, it was only a very pretentious movie, so I averaged it out.)

Intelligent people shouldn't stop using accurate words correctly just because stupid people have come along and misused them all the time. But, if you prefer, "masturbatory" is usually the intelligent version of "pretentious".

Otherwise, you're basically saying that it's impossible for any movie to actually be pretentious, and that's just silly.

comment #60

free games says ...

Soderbergh is one of the good guys and it's shame he's being treated this way

comment #61

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