There are many standout aspects of Adam Driver’s career, from his standout role in the HBO series Girls (which really launched his career) to his time as a principal villain in the Star Wars franchise, but recent years have been defined by him working with some of the greatest filmmakers alive. It’s a list that includes Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, Jim Jarmusch, Noah Baumbach, Michael Mann, Steven Soderbergh, and Spike Lee.
That’s a remarkable track record of collaborators – but it was while working with the legendary Francis Ford Coppola on the new film Megalopolis that Driver got what he sees as the best direction he’s ever gotten.
I sat down with Adam Driver earlier this month during the Megalopolis press day at the Toronto International Film Festival, and in addition to talking about his habits watching his own movies, we also discussed his history working with renowned filmmakers. I inquired about the level of intimidation that comes into play, particularly given Francis Ford Coppola’s singular vision for his sci-fi epic, and he explained that all of the best directors share something in common that negates it:
Initially [there is intimidation], I think, but another characteristic of those people like [Martin] Scorsese and the people you mentioned, [Jim] Jarmusch, they're so disarming. They are very upfront that they hired you for your ideas. And they know it would do... Not to say that all your ideas are good or impulses are right, but they have ultimate authority anyway, so they just won't use that. But they want to be surprised just as much as you want to be surprised.
In essence, it’s not a one-way street creatively; the filmmakers hire Adam Driver because they want to see and hear his choices and thoughts.
Continuing, the actor discussed the atmosphere that Francis Ford Coppola established on his very first day making Megalopolis. In addition to giving his performers a lot of freedom, the director also provided some wisdom that significantly stands out in Adam Driver’s memory:
They're trying to convey what it is they're trying to make, and you're hopefully trying to reflect it back to them and still take advantage of the time you have to push it farther. And Francis [Ford Coppola], you know, is no different. It felt like experimental theater. My first day on set, his direction – which was honestly, I think, probably the best direction I've ever got was, 'We're not being brave enough.' And that set a tone for how we were working on the entire film.
Very much built on metaphors reflecting the modern world, Megalopolis sees Adam Driver play Cesar Catilina, an architect with an immense vision for the future that will forever change the city of New Rome. However, his efforts are impeded by those who would prefer to see the world remain the same. It’s a bold and artistically unimpeded work (thanks to Francis Ford Coppola financing the film himself), and while the film has gotten divisive reactions – which you can pull from our Megalopolis CinemaBlend review – it can’t be argued that the film doesn’t take big swings at every opportunity.
Further discussing the precious direction Francis Ford Coppola offered, Adam Driver noted that it wasn’t just for him after a take, but for everybody involved with the production. He added,
It was for everybody. It was the thing. 'We're all collectively not being brave enough.' It said a lot of things in my mind that I'm reading into, which could have been not what he was trying to say, but we're getting too safe. We're trying to make a movie like you're accustomed to making films.
The cast of Megalopolis is full of veteran performers, including Giancarlo Esposito, Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Fishburne, but Francis Ford Coppola didn’t want his actors leaning on their experience. Instead, he wanted Adam Driver and all of the actors to help him try and push the art form forward. Said Driver,
That's what I like about films – that hopefully they'll push the medium forward and hopefully someone will do something that has incredible respect for the audience, that they don't need everything spelled out for them. And something that we were saying before is singular, that is new. It's different. And even if you don't get it the first time, maybe the next couple times, it will start to make sense. And I think that's this movie. It's hard to get it all in one viewing.
Megalopolis is now available for as many viewings as you desire, as it is playing in theaters nationwide – nabbing sixth place in the box office Top 10 this past weekend.
