"At a certain point I thought making something more intimate would be suited to me as a filmmaker and would also facilitate a more personal connection between the audience and the band," the director stated in the production notes.
Jagger was reluctant to go to a theater -- again, the "Last Waltz" problem -- but relented. "In the big shows, we're on the same stage, but it's like we're not on the same planet," Jagger said. "People like to see this interaction. This is what Martin was trying to get. If you're on this very large stage, there's a lot of moments when you're not close together. In fact you're hundreds of feet apart. If you're forced to be in a smaller setting, it changes."
It's an on-screen surge
It's an interesting time for the Stones and cinema. "This is quite a year, yes," said Jagger, who with Diane English is producing "The Women," a remake of the 1939 George Cukor film due in October. English is also writer and director, and the deep cast is lead by Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes and Debra Messing. Jagger also has another project underway, "Ruby Tuesday," an animated film that features the music of the band. "It's an animated film with Stones songs, not an animated film with the Stones, get that straight," said Jagger, clearly worried that the band isn't the sort that should be climbing inside a yellow submarine.
Well, maybe Richards could pull off the maritime cartoon. After Johnny Depp's channeling of Richards in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series and the rocker's cameo as Jack Sparrow's father, the salty old guitar hero is reveling in his new role as the world's pirate laureate. "I keep getting scripts, can you believe that? All these people want to put me in movies now. It's very unusual."
Jagger seemed long ago to give up on his aspiration of a Hollywood career, and when asked about his bandmate's accidental career as bleary icon, he chose his words carefully. The band has survived these many decades by giving each other room and keeping their interviews on separate floors. Richards, seemingly without malice, caused a stir recently by referring to Jagger as "a dictator," but the more careful singer wasn't going to fire a cannonball that might mess up the Stones balance.
"He needs a parrot, right? I don't know . . ." Jagger chuckled and tapped his teacup, searching for the right words. "He's an icon, I suppose, an iconic pirate. I guess . . . people evolve these characters throughout their lives. And it's interesting to watch. I hope he's not going to have a peg leg. I hope it doesn't come to that. But, you know, it could."
--
geoff.boucher@latimes.com
