Beautiful Boy (Interview director Felix) 《漂亮男孩》导演专访 from Meiling Jin on Vimeo.

Meiling:” Congratulations on the film！So first of all, why do you want to tell this story to the audience? Why did you choose such an intense storyline?”

Felix Van Groeningen, “Because it is a beautiful portrayal of a family that believes in unconditional love, and yes, they go through hard times, and it is a raw authentic portrayal of someone is struggling with addiction, and how the family has to deal with that. I was very moved when I read the books, which was the film based on. And I felt it was important to tell this story.”

金美翎：“恭喜新片杀青！为什么会选择拍这么一个强烈故事情节的戏呢？”

菲力斯·范·古宁根：“因为它描绘了这对父母对他们儿子最无私的爱。他们的确遇到了很多挫折，基本上是一个非常典型的普通家庭摆脱毒瘾折磨的 真实写照。当我读这部原著时感觉非常震撼。我感觉现在是应该这样拍一部电影的时候了。”

Meiling, “So speaking of love, and I have read on Wikipedia, that your parents are actually hippies, right? Hippies with free spirits, so what can we see in Beautiful Boy, is there anything shadowing with the relationship between you and your father?”

Felix Van Groeningen, “Can you repeat the last one?”

Meiling, “Is there anything in the plot we can see that is actually shadowing between you and your father?”

Felix Van Groeningen,” Maybe it is actually more of me and my mother, that have that typical relationship. On the other hand, when you compare it to Beautiful Boy, I lost my father 15 years ago already, so when I make movies about father and son relationship, is to keep his spirit alive or something.”

金美翎：“谈到爱，我曾在网上查过您的资料，据说您的父母是嬉皮士，都是自由灵魂主义者，是吧？那在《漂亮男孩》的剧本里是否有任何借用您和您父亲经历的内容呢？”

菲力斯·范·古宁根：“你能重复一遍吗？”

金美翎， “您和您父亲的经历是否有间接影响到您指导这部电影？”

菲力斯·范·古宁根：“可能我和母亲两人的感情影响到我创作更多一点。说到我父亲，我跟戏中的父子关系比不了，因为15年前我的父亲就去世了，所以我创作父子真爱的电影也是为了纪念他。”

 

Meiling, “So since this is your first ever English-speaking film, and how do you feel the transition, from making Belgium film to English language film?”

Felix Van Groeningen, “It went seamless I have to say. I believe in an organic process, and one thing leads to another. And I had one film that was Oscar-nominated in 2014, and it led to making this film, and I have the opportunity to work with incredible actors, Steve Carell, and Timothee Chalamet. So I can’t be more excited.”

金美翎：“这是您拍的第一部英文电影，那从拍比利时电影转折到拍美国电影是否有任何挑战呢？”

菲力斯·范·古宁根：“我感觉转换得天衣无缝。有些事情自然而然就改变了。在2014年我就有一部电影已经入围奥斯卡奖项了。从那部电影就自然走到了这部电影。最重要的还是要跟有好心态的演员合作。史蒂夫和提摩西都是很棒的演员！”

 

Meiling, “So speaking of both actors, so those actors are very versatile. Their collaboration on the camera, what do you find it is the most interesting thing between a long-time actor in Hollywood, to a new comer.”

Felix Van Groeningen, “It was amazing to see how they approach their preparation to this role very differently.”

Meiling, “How are they different?”

Felix, “Timothee, is being very young and ambitious, he brought a lot of ideas and things he wants to try, from very early on, which was great. As a director, you got all of these inputs. On the other hand, Steve, whom is so experienced, was confident, that he would get there, just let him wash over it, so he is really more ease into it. So very different types of getting into it all. But it makes sense, because of their age, their “where they are in their career,” and their roles, actually. But seeing that opposite of each other, was very interesting. There is no wrong way. And I don’t have a set way of working to it. So, I let my actors decide, how they want to approach it.”

金美翎：“谈起这两位主演，两人都是多才多艺。一位是在好莱坞里长期活跃的老将，一位是小生，跟两位合作方式很相似吗？”

菲力斯·范·古宁根：“他们两人针对拍戏前后的准备工作很不同。”

金美翎：“怎样不同呢？”

菲力斯·范·古宁根：“提摩西非常年轻有为，一开始时他提出了很多有创意的点子，很多导演都喜欢演员提出来的建议。那么对于有自信心的史蒂夫，这些拍戏细节都是轻而易举的了，所以他的准备方式是很舒缓的。不过考虑到他们各自的年龄不同，职业追求的方向也不同，顺其自然就这样了。当然，这没有对与错，我做为导演而言，最希望的是看到演员的努力付出。”

 

Meiling, “Being a director, I’m pretty sure it is such an important role for the film, for the success of the film. So, with the intense storyline, what was the hardest scene you have filmed?”

 

Felix, “Yeah, maybe the first ever scene we ever shot, for this movie, was the hardest emotionally, because, that’s the last scene in the movie, maybe I shouldn’t tell it… ha-ha, beep.., very very intense scene, and we started with that, the very first scene, the good thing was, afterward, we are kind of relieved, and the rest of the shoot was easier.  ”

金美翎：“导演在拍戏中的角色固然重要。那在拍这部戏时，最难拍的一段是哪一段呢？”

菲力斯·范·古宁根：“如果说最难拍的一段，那肯定就是我们结尾的压轴戏。虽说是压轴戏，但它是全片中拍的第一个的镜头。可能我不透露剧情比较好 ，那段确实很伤感。先拍最难的一段，在后边等着的基本上都是非常简单的镜头。”

 

Meiling, “Really nice, I really wish you can win the Oscar!”

金美翎，“感觉非常不错！希望您能够得到奥斯卡奖。”