THE ACTOR DIRECTORS演而優則導

Two prominent actors showcase their talent behind the camera in this month’s films. By KEVIN MA

本月機上選映兩齣分別由兩出位 色演員執導的電影，讓觀眾見證他們在鏡頭前後同樣才華橫溢。撰文：馬樂民

Early this year, Bradley Cooper dominated the box office and award season with A Star is Born, his directorial debut – it was an illustrious example of an actor displaying his talent for filmmaking. Two other actors also recently stepped behind the camera for strong directorial efforts, showing onboard this month.

After a 16-year acting career, Jonah Hill ( Superbad, 21 Jump Street) finally added ‘writer-director’ to his resume with Mid90s. The film follows Stevie (Sunny Suljic), a 13-year-old in Los Angeles who finds refuge from his volatile home life when he meets a group of young skateboarders. Stevie becomes a favourite of the group because of his eagerness to please, but he becomes increasingly alienated from his family in the process.

Hill insists that the film isn’t autobiographical, but Mid90s comes with

a feeling of authenticity that can only come from a storyteller finding a narrative that’s close to his heart. It’s a heartfelt and warmly nostalgic film about Hill’s formative years, but it’s also gritty and unflinching in its depiction of troubled teens, toxic masculinity and domestic violence.

Armed with advice from his Wolf of Wall Street director Martin Scorsese, Hill shows remarkable confidence in his directorial debut. As well as using 16-millimetre film in a narrower 4:3 frame to match the look of the era, Hill chose to cast professional skateboarders and guided them to build the rapport they have in the film.

Any actor who ventures behind the camera might aspire to the career of Clint Eastwood, a screen legend who’s also become a prolific director. Though well into his 80s, he still directs an average of one film a year.

But it’s been six years since Eastwood acted in a film, and he finally returns to the screen with The Mule, which is also his 37th directorial effort. Based on the true story of Leo Sharp, The Mule stars Eastwood as Earl, a horticulturist who has devoted his life to work at the expense of his family. When he loses his business, Earl makes a living by becoming a trafficker for a Mexican cartel, transporting narcotics across the US.

Eastwood tells the story in his usual low-key, almost laidback directorial style, opting for long Steadicam shots that observe his characters at a distance. The Mule has a story worthy of a pulsating high-tension thriller, but Eastwood maintains a calm directorial voice that lets the drama unfold naturally. The film would make a poignant coda for Eastwood’s amazing career, but fortunately for us it appears that he has no intention of stopping just yet.