Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Friday 29 September 2017
Q&A: ‘American Made’ director

on hustlers and Tom Cruise

By LINDSEY BAHR AP: And you’ve teamed you haven’t seen before,
AP Film Writer up with a larger-than-life the reality is it has most in
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Direc- movie star for this in Tom common with “Risky Busi-
tor Doug Liman loves spy Cruise, who you’ve worked ness” where he was a high
stories and antiheroes, but with before and will again school student who started
he didn’t anticipate having on the “Edge of Tomorrow” a brothel.
such a personal connec- sequel. AP: And you also lived to-
tion to the little-known story LIMAN: It’s kind of hard to gether while making the
of TWA Pilot turned Medel- work with Tom Cruise and movie?
In this Jan. 5, 2016 file photo, Doug Liman attends The National lin Cartel friend, drug smug- not be aware that you’re LIMAN: This will sort of sum
Board of Review Gala, honoring the 2015 award winners in New gler and Drug Enforcement working with one of the up my relationship with
York. Agency informant Barry biggest movie stars in the Tom: We shared a house
Associated Press Seal, who became a cen- world. We shot part of making the film and I was
tral figure in the Reagan this movie in this really re- taking piano lessons while
Administration’s Iran-Con- mote airstrip in Colombia... we were making the film
tra scandal. an hour and a half flight and I learned “Old Time
Liman’s late father, Arthur from the closest road. And Rock and Roll” and I kept
Liman, served as chief along the river by the air- playing it to see if he would
counsel to the Senate strip there were these in- slide into the room in his un-
committee investigating digenous people living not derwear...but he never did.
the affair. too far from the airstrip and I thought it would be a Pav-
“It was a story I already I said to Tom, “You know lovian reaction.
knew,” said Liman, who those people don’t know AP: But he also didn’t tell
directed “The Bourne Iden- who you are.” you to stop?
tity” and “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” And Tom’s like, “They’ll LIMAN: No.
‘’I just didn’t know it from know who I am.” I was like, AP: Is there anything you
the POV of the people on “They have no electricity. can say about the acci-
the ground doing the mis- They are 300 miles from the dent?
sion.” closest road through the LIMAN: I’m a pilot as is Tom.
Seal’s life gets the Hol- densest forest. How could As much as all the other
lywood treatment in Li- they possibly know who things that attracted me to
man’s new film, “American you are?” We stayed a day the movie, I was attracted
Made,” starring Tom Cruise there. We camped there to the idea of doing really
as the charismatic hustler. for a night. And on the sec- exciting sequences with
It hits North American the- ond day the indigenous real airplanes and what I
aters on Friday. peoples came up with all did with cars in “Bourne,”
In an interview with The As- these gifts for Tom. I wanted to do with air-
sociated Press, Liman talks AP: Why do you think you planes, kind of car chases
about the film, his ongoing two work so well together? with airplanes. And no one
partnership with Cruise and LIMAN: We created a really is more safety conscious
the plane crash that killed safe space where we can than Tom Cruise.
two crewmembers and be totally honest with each On “Edge of Tomorrow”
is currently the subject of other and can push our- we walked on to our drop
lawsuits from their families. selves and can do things ship set and the first thing
Remarks have been edited outside of our comfort he said was can we have
for clarity and brevity. zone. a fire drill? Sure enough a
AP: In the film, Barry Seal We have the kind of rela- few weeks later there was
keeps saying how much he tionship where if he’s do- a little fire and the fire drill
loves America while bla- ing something and it’s not paid off.
tantly gaming the system working and I’m trying to (This) accident wasn’t on
— drug smuggling, laun- figure out how to tell him set so I don’t know that
dering money. Do you think gently that it’s not working much about it, but those
this is a cynical movie? and I’ll say, “You know, Tom of us who are pilots are
LIMAN: I don’t think it’s cyn- that was...” and I’m trying acutely aware of how dan-
ical. I think it’s a celebra- to figure out what word to gerous this thing we love is.
tion of America. We are this use and Tom will go “Ter- Flying small airplanes is not
land of opportunity and rible?” like being on airlines.q
opportunists. And I’ll be like, “Yeah that
And the same drive that was terrible.” And he can
Barry had when he’s flying say the same thing back to
Like
these missions for the CIA, me. Like
which is like, “I know how AP: Between this and “Edge
to get around law enforce- of Tomorrow” you’ve got- us on
ment because the CIA is ten a lot of credit for put- us on
helping me, but I’ve got an ting him in more unconven-
LIMAN: As much as I want Facebook
empty airplane on the way tional roles. Facebook
back...” How is that any dif-
ferent than Henry Ford or to say “American Made”
Bon Dia 24 Aruba
Mark Zuckerberg? shows you a Tom Cruise facebook.com/bondianoticia