Interview: Alex Conn

 

For the latest edition of Interview, Last Resort Films president Phil Dolan once again sits down with writer Alex Conn (Anarchy, Slowly Dying) about the negative reaction to Anarchy and his new political drama, Repeal and Replace....


PD: Before we move on to discuss Repeal and Replace, what was your reaction to the response Anarchy received?

AC: I knew the movie was never going to get universal praise. It’s about an unlikable character doing unlikable things from their point of view. I expected it be mixed reactions but I was definitely prepared for a negative response.

PD: Given the rather obvious political stances given in some of your previous films, what was it about Paul Ryan that made you decide to write a film about him?

AC: I wanted to make the most apolitical movie I could have the most political subject matter. I wanted to make this film just about a dude trying to get this through with all these coalitions and different characters. That’s what made want to make the film. I wanted to make a film about the process and I felt it could be tense and interesting.

PD: There have been rumors of behind-the-scenes difficulties during pre-production, but that Jon Hamm stepped up to help make sure the film was made. How did star Jon Hamm help keep the film together?

AC: There was some hardship. This is a hard movie to write. I wanted to be apolitical like I said and make it focused on the suspense and the characters. Jon Hamm really wanted this movie to happen so he helped keep the movie afloat.

PD: Are you worried about potentially alienating audiences with a film depicting such recent political events?

AC: The thing is I don’t believe this film is partisan at all. If just documents and it just shows. It’s about a guy trying to achieve a goal and goes mad doing it. In this case it happens to be Paul Ryan trying to get a piece of legislation through congress.

PD: What's next for you?

AC: I have a film adaptation of A Tale Of Love and Darkness. I’m doing it in English and it is a loose adaptation it is an adaptation of the spirit of the novel. I really was trying to get that movie right and I think I succeeded but the real judge is the LRF audiences and critics. But after that I have a few ideas that are in the beginning stages.