Joey Magidson
Making a movie is damn near impossible. Making a good one, especially your first time out, is even harder. Sometimes, being an actor turned filmmaker makes it easier. Other times? Much harder. For Matthew Shear, he’s decidedly in the former camp, as he crafts a film in Fantasy Life that’s quite enjoyable, with the best role Amanda Peet has had in years. Last week, right as the flick was opening, Shear hopped on Zoom to chat with me. Today, as his debut expands, I present our discussion to you all.
In my review here of the film, I said the following about Shear:
There’s a charm to Fantasy Life that harkens back to an older time in independent cinema. Once, it was far less unusual to see a character actor make his or her filmmaking debut with a little indie dramedy set in New York City. It almost felt like a rite of passage for a certain type of actor or actress. Now? We don’t see it as often, and when we do, they’re not given much attention. So, it’s a credit to this film that it feels of an older time, while still deserving its own place in the modern world. It’s not the world’s most ambitious movie, but it is certainly an effective one.
Fantasy Life is a charming little film, working as a calling card for actor turned filmmaker Matthew Shear. The flick also wisely works, ultimately, as a showcase for Amanda Peet in a way that she almost never gets. It’s a selfless act from Shear, who is the star, though wisely not the sole focus. By the end of the movie, you’re invested in both characters, though Peet presents the most vibrant element, without question.
Writer/director Matthew Shear showcases some nice filmmaking chops, especially in how generous he is to Amanda Peet’s Diane. Shear’s script correctly sees Diane as the best character, as opposed to needing his own Sam role to be the biggest, with good results. His direction is fairly simple, yet rightly focuses in on the best elements. With good pacing and a clever place to wrap things up, it shows that Shear has got the goods. If Fantasy Life is indicative of what he’ll do behind the camera, I’m down for his follow-up.
Below, you can hear my conversation with Shear. We laugh a lot talking about how wild it is to actually make a film, let alone one that people really like. For example, Shear talks about how the movie is showing at the Angelika Film Center in New York City, a place he often goes to as just an audience member. Notoriously, you can hear the subway in the theaters, so I ask him about how having that addition to his work feels. We get into how he came to write the film, too, among other topics. Fantasy Life is in theaters now and is a lovely little indie movie that’s well worth seeing, so be sure to check it out…
Here now is my interview with Fantasy Life filmmaker and star Matthew Shear. Enjoy:
Fantasy Life is in theaters now!
Comments
Loading…