thumbsucker (mike mills)
Mike’s favorite color changes all the time, but if you grill him enough he’ll tell you that its blue-leaning-towards-cyan- is at the top of the list. Lou puts weight on his left leg when he stands, but you are more likely to find him jumping.
These two people have a movie coming out named Thumbsucker.
Director Mike Mills’ film feels natural and honest with its thumb sucking main character Justin– played by oh-my-gosh-that-kid-is-great Lou Pucci- coping with feeling unnatural and embarrassed.
Thumbsucker is fun to say and good to watch. The story is about human flaws; the flaws in our self, in our relationships and in our quest to correct any flaws we think we have. More specifically the movie is about this 17 year old who stills sucks his thumb. Justin has parents, girls, teachers and an orthodontist looking out for his best interest, but they are grappling with their own short comings and ultimately don’t have the answers.
Not to sound too gushy but the film is real life: a succession of moments with few clues of what the hell we are doing. People say they have the answers but Mills calls bullshit on that. Good for him.
Mills is part of The Directors Bureau where Roman and Sofia Coppola – to name a few – are just a few souls within this collective of smart directors but, to some, aggravating story tellers. Therefore, if you did not like Lost in Translation then you might not have the patience for Thumbsucker. I think that you are crazy for not loving that film, but I’m giving you fair warning none the less.
As far as the interview goes, I had fine coffee and even a better conversation with these two.
Mike Mills is behind a lot amazing stuff. One of his multi-task are designing album covers for the likes of The Beastie Boys and another is directing and shooting videos for hip bands like Air, along with his long lived passion in graphic design. All in all, Mills work may just have a piece of work lying or hanging in your house; you just didn’t know it was him.
Please note that I meet Lou Pucci before he was big. Actually, that would be a bit misleading because judging by how many upcoming projects he has slated, the word on the street has been out for some time on this kid’s talent. Pucci has a part in HBO’s Empire Falls and also spent some time on Broadway. I had him show me his much revered jumping skills and he demonstrated that he too can not draw a circle well. I’m not sure if that relates to his awesome acting skills but what the hell, he did jump very well.
Other actors in the film are Tilda Swinton (The Deep End, Orlando), Vince Vaughn (Wedding Crasher, Dodge Ball, Swingers, etc), Vincent D’onofrio (Law& Order, The Cell, Steal This Movie, Mystic Pizza, Full Metal Jacket) and Keanu Reeves (Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.)
Verdict is: Good guys. Good film. Go see.
