It may be that if we mention the name of Mark Myloid a quick reference when it comes to feature films does not come to mind. However, he is behind a good handful of chapters in series such as ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Succession’, ‘Shameless’, ‘El entourage’ or ‘The Affair’. Things change then. In addition, he also directed the mythical ‘Ali G is loose’, as well as two comedies called ‘A stroke of luck’ and ‘Tell me with how many’. What is clear is that Mylod has years and years of experience directing, although in this case it is television. His new project, ‘El menú’, opens on Friday, December 2 and has a spectacular cast, led by Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Ralph Fiennes, Hong Chau or John Leguizamo. At eCartelera we have had the opportunity to chat with the director about his return, as well as the criticism that underlies this fabulous thriller about haute cuisine and restaurants.
“First of all, I didn’t want to do another movie until I was sure it was something I could really sink my teeth into”Mylod responded to the question of why he has gone eleven years without directing a film (to later apologize for the food analogy), “and something that I felt was deeply passionate, that had something to say”. While his first three films were comedy, Mylod has wanted to move closer to thriller, a genre he has further explored during his television products: “In these eleven years I have tried to go for more courageous options that at first scared me. And ‘The menu’ was that”. In addition, the director has made it clear what his three impressions were as soon as he read the script: “The first was ‘What an entertaining cinematographic journey’, the second ‘What a specific tone in this triangle of satire, comedy and thriller/horror’ and the third ‘This scares me tremendously’. I guess that combination of elements convinced me to do it.”.
This crossover of genres is the key to the appeal of ‘El menú’, which also laughs with impunity at its own characters. “Tone finds its little place with the right combination”says Mylod, “It was basically instinctive for almost everything. The key for me was those weeks of rehearsal that I had with the actors where we got together in a room and talked. In those conversations we didn’t get up and start rehearsing the scene. We talked about the themes. I asked everyone to see Luis Buñuel’s ‘The exterminating angel’, so we could talk about that trip that many of our diners take, except for Anya’s character, about that discovery of feeling guilty in a restaurant that is still a microcosm of society“.
kill the rich
From this microcosm that the kitchen represents, the director wanted to qualify his criticism a lot. “I think if we just say ‘rich people are horrible’…obviously it’s very easy and reductive”explained Mylod, “We wanted to portray that image of an absurd world where you pay a ridiculous amount of money for a meal.. A type of totally forced economic strata. I think that’s very interesting, that whole world that I explore in the HBO drama I work on, ‘Succession’.”. Finally, he pointed out the tonal line that the project finally followed: “It would be so easy to point to the ridiculousness and enjoy watching the characters go through hell, but it’s more fun to do that while trying to understand them, to understand their egos, to understand their need to be seen, to feel special”.
‘The menu’ hits theaters next December 2.
Reference-www.ecartelera.com
