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An Interview with Robert Bruce Carter, Director of An Exquisite Meal

by Mike Haberfelner

January 2022

Films directed by Robert Bruce Carter on (re)Search my Trash

 

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Your new movie An Exquisite Meal - in a few words, what is it about?

 

It’s about an affluent striver couple that hosts a dinner party for friends, promising them an amazing meal. As the night goes on, strange stuff starts to happen -- uninvited guests show up, something shocking occurs, and things unravel as the host tries to maintain control of the surreal party.

 

So what was the worst dinner party you've ever been to, and has it in any way insformed this movie of yours?

 

The worst dinner parties I’ve been to involve a mismatch between someone’s perception of how interesting they are and how interesting they actually are, which is not really the stuff of movies. But the things in this movie, I’ve seen them all around me, you don’t need to go to a dinner party to see people lying to themselves.

 

(Other) sources of inspiration when writing An Exquisite Meal?

 

There was a sort of confluence of ideas that came together for me. I was watching a lot of absurd or surreal films, and I was reading a lot of The Last Psychiatrist, an anonymous writer who was obsessed with narcissism in America and I wanted to think through what I was seeing in my own life and in his writing, and find a way to process it in way, dramatically.

 

What can you tell us about An Exquisite Meal's special brand of humour?

 

The film doesn’t take itself seriously, but it does take the ideas seriously, if that makes sense? So there’s some satire with a bit of bite in there, and some bits that are just playful and silly. My favorite joke is also the darkest, the one at the end, so I won’t spoil it.

 

An Exquisite Meal takes place almost entirely within the confines of Dave and Irene's house - so what can you tell us about your actual location, what was it like filming there, and being confined like this, what were some of your techniques to keep things visually interesting throughout?

 

We filmed in a house in Chicago. We were looking on AirBnb and found this house that had been previously listed but was no longer active. I thought it was perfect because it felt like the kind of urban middle class house that Dave and Irene might live in, but it also had this kind of wild vegetation in front that made it feel like it could be haunted. It felt lived in. I hate it when movies have houses that feel like a new condo that was built four days ago, or sterile, without artwork or signs of life. 

 

The owners stayed in the house during production – they would wake up and eat breakfast and then head out during the day while we filmed and then they’d come back in the evening as we were wrapping up.

 

The confinement was bit tough psychologically, being in one place for two weeks, especially when we were shooting day for night – we taped trash bags to the windows to block out the sunlight and it was a bit depressing to be in the dark all day. We tried to use as much of the house as possible to keep things interesting and we tried to use the camera to make things interesting and vary it visually, and played with the color as well. I think the outdoor scenes feel like a breath of fresh air, which works for the story.

 

A few words about your directorial approach to your story at hand?

 

I knew that there are ridiculous elements to the story, so I wanted a somewhat heightened tone to it, in terms of dialogue and performances – it’s a bit performative, which I think some people find off-putting, but it fits with what the film is attempting.

 

I also wanted a layer of reality there though and wanted to keep the dialogue moving quickly, to feel lived in. Going too slow can totally derail comedy, so the pacing was tricky – sometimes the dialogue has to really move and sometimes things need to breathe.

 

Do talk about An Exquisite Meal's key cast, and why exactly these people?

 

We worked with a casting director to bring people in, apart from Amrita Dhaliwal, who plays Irene – she was a friend of mine that I reached out to personally to offer the part to her. Mike Jimerson, who plays Dave, he also came through the casting director but we had actually done comedy together for a couple years in Chicago and as soon as he came in I was like “of course.” He’s got great instincts but he also has this ability to play with a real darkness.

 

What can you tell us about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?

 

On set, the big thing was “this is collaborative. We’re a small group, so we’re all going to know each other’s names and get to know each other between takes and our friends will bring us lunch and we’ll have a good time.” Just trying to create a relaxed environment.

 

I’ve been on sets where as soon as the director says “cut”, everyone’s on their cell phone, or where cast and crew don’t intermingle, or people form cliques. I don’t like that, it creates a weird vibe, like people are from different sides of the tracks or something. I wanted it to be more like “hey, if you have a good idea, throw it out there” and create an environment where people felt comfortable creatively, like we’re all here together to make the same movie. Sometimes great ideas come from a PA or an extra, and that’s a gift.

 

Anything you can tell us about audience and critical reception of your movie?

 

Most of the reactions fall into two basic categories – either “I love it” or “what the fuck is this?”

 

Any future projects you'd like to share?

 

Nothing concrete yet, but I’m developing a few different ideas.

 

What got you into filmmaking to begin with, and did you receive any formal education on the subject?

 

I came up doing comedy in Chicago – improv, sketch, and a bit of stand-up and straight theater. So all my training was more in the theatrical aspects – writing, creating drama, working with actors, that kind of thing. When I went into film, I had to get up to speed on the cameras and sound and editing and all that. I had a sense that going to film school would be a waste of money for me but I took some classes to learn the very basics of filmmaking – lighting, recording sound, producing, and how to break down a scene and direct it. But mostly I learned by making short films and talking to other filmmakers that knew more than me, or by editing my own stuff. I also started watching differently, taking notes, trying to understand why things worked or didn’t, what I liked about the movies I was seeing, plus going back and filling in some gaps in my film history.

 

What can you tell us about your filmwork prior to An Exquisite Meal?

 

I made a few short films before working up to a feature. Some are more “pure comedies” and some are a little more dramatic. Some turned out better than others, but I learned a lot on each of them.

 

How would you describe yourself as a director?

 

Coming from theater, I think I’m more at home in the world of actors and dialogue. It’s taken me a while to figure out how to use the camera to tell a story, so I rely a lot on my cinematographers. That being said, I tend to have a very strong idea of what I want or how I want to tell a story, with my own specific sense of humor, but I’m very collaborative. I guess what I’m saying is that I know what I want, but I rely a lot on others to figure out how to get it.

 

Filmmakers who inspire you?

 

Elaine May, Kiarostami, Truffaut, the Coen Brothers are a few of my favorites.

 

Your favourite movies?

 

I can’t really answer this, but a few of my favorites that didn’t get seen by a ton of people in the past few years were Monos, A Hero, and Toni Erdmann. These all just floored me, in their own ways.

 

... and of course, films you really deplore?

 

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I’m not going to trash anything specific, but there are a few categories of films I don’t like. One is indie films that amount to something like “dating in your 30s is hard!” which I find to just be dull. And there’s a sort of Very Serious and Rather Important Drama with Very Beautiful Cinematography that just bores me to death. I’d rather watch something that’s a bit rough around the edges or doesn’t quite work, but tries something difficult or weird.

 

Your/your movie's website, social media, whatever else?

 

You can find the trailer and streaming links for An Exquisite Meal. And I’m on Instagram and Twitter.

 

Anything else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?

 

I think this covers it, it was a pleasure.

 

Thanks for the interview!

 

© by Mike Haberfelner


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In times of uncertainty of a possible zombie outbreak, a woman has to decide between two men - only one of them's one of the undead.

 

There's No Such Thing as Zombies
starring
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special appearances by
Debra Lamb and Lynn Lowry

 

directed by
Eddie Bammeke

written by
Michael Haberfelner

produced by
Michael Haberfelner, Luana Ribeira and Eddie Bammeke

 

now streaming at

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Robots and rats,
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Tales to Chill
Your Bones to

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Tales to Chill
Your Bones to
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