Ben Stiller usually exercises his talent in comedy movies, but in ‘Greenberg’ hit latest film out, he takes on the role of a more serious character. Here director and writer Noah Baumbach, James Murphy, who did the music for the movie and Stiller who plays Roger Greenberg in the film, talk to The Daily Orange about production on the movie and the challenges they faced while making the film.

 

On the dynamic backstage chemistry

Stiller: I feel that working with Mel is a very great experience. Everyone working on the movie was dedicated to it and wanted to do the best they could because they respected the script so much and Noah (Baumbach) and there’s a lot of comradery. It’s a small production so we got to rehearse for a number of weeks and hung out a little bit. And all the way down to the camera people and crew everyone was there because they wanted to be there. It had a much warmer, intimate feeling that all came out of the atmosphere that Noah and Jenna set for the movie.

 

On writing music for the movie

Murphy: The way this kind of work was I met with them before shooting started, we talked about music, about the character. Like Ben said, it’s a lot of human comradery that made it easy to talk about what the movie needed. It wasn’t any less about my emotions it was something you were looking at and reacting to. We didn’t always try and make a soundtrack that accented emotions. We made songs that work almost like a backdrop for what was happening.

 

On Baumbach considering Stiller for a serious role

Baumbach: I’ve always wanted somebody who had a sense of humor to play this part. There’s a lot of humor in it. The more authentically it was portrayed the funnier it would be. Ben’s done a lot and I never really thought it so much as a different role it was Ben’s the best person to play this.

 

On Stiller taking on a solemn role

Stiller: I really have to say, off the bat there are four or five filmmakers when you get a call from them as an actor you just basically would say yes no matter what it is. I was lucky enough that what he was calling me with I felt very excited about it too because it was so specifically written. And We talked a little bit about it in the beginning, the age of the character and the issues he was going through. But then it was just the chance to work up something that was really just about the character. The specificity of the writing was really exciting, I was very fortunate to have that opportunity.

 

On Stiller’s reaction to working on a non-comedy

Stiller: First of all I’d love to work with Noah again if he has anything. There are very few filmmakers who like Noah who have that sense of humor but also reality and are doing what he’s doing. I had a great time doing it.

 

On the concepts going into the soundtrack:

Murphy: The goal for me was to make music that works that we like that seem true to the characters, true to the movie and made Noah happy. It seems pretty easy to do because we are able to talk about music pretty simply. I was making the soundtrack and Noah was making the movie 100 feet from each other. So it was very easy to have access and a lot of feedback. I always seemed to go with my gut and my instinct and bounce it off of Noah. It got more comfort the longer we did it.

Baumbach: I wanted James to do something obviously that was going to work for the movie. But interpret it himself and come out of a personal standpoint and I think our relationship and friendship outside of the work even or around the work was really important because I think it helped support an environment where we can talk freely. Some of it’s trial and error, some things you love and when you put it against the picture it doesn’t feel right. I loved everything James did that I kept trying to find places for it. The post production and the editing I tend to cut lines and move things around and be as open to what you have. It always becomes something different that what started with.

 

rltoback@syr.edu

 

Published on April 4, 2010 at 12:00 pm