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Jonathan Mostow is one of the “that guys” of the directing world: you almost always recognize his handiwork, but you’re not quite sure who he is, because his films maintain a more assertive sense of themselves than they do of him (and we mean that as a compliment). Although he did some smaller films before then, 1997’s Breakdown](Breakdown (1997) - Movie | Moviefone) was his calling card as a filmmaker, and contained all of the elements that would signify something made by him - namely, an interesting idea that was executed with mastery of form and a comfortable grasp on genre conventions. Subsequently he directed the submarine thriller U-571](U-571 (2000) - Movie | Moviefone) and Terminator 3](Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) - Movie | Moviefone), and his latest, Surrogates](Surrogates (2009) - Movie | Moviefone), is another example of high-concept storytelling streamlined to maximize its entertainment potential.
*Cinematical *recently sat down with Mostow in Los Angeles for an exclusive interview about the ins and outs of the film, which follows Bruce Willis as a cop investigating a murder in a futuristic society where humankind interacts through android proxies of themselves, called surrogates. In addition to explaining the film’s world and surrogates’ place within it, Mostow talked about his technique as a director marrying interesting ideas to effective storytelling, and reflected on his expansive career both as a director and producer.
Cinematical: What is the point of the surrogates for the people in this film? How does it revolutionize their lives?
Continue reading Interview: ‘Surrogates’ Director Jonathan Mostow