3 weeks ago
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After playing the original masked avenger in the Cesar-winning, smash hit “The Count of Monte Cristo,” Pierre Niney is starring as a charismatic, yet toxic superstar coach in “Guru,” Yann Gozlan‘s gripping psychological thriller which Studiocanal will introduce to buyers at the Cannes market this week.
Gozlan, who is presenting his latest film “Dalloway” at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, is reteaming with Niney for the third time, following “An Ideal Man” and “Black Box,” two of Gozlan’s most successful films.
Niney stars in “Guru” opposite Marion Barbeau, Anthony Bajon and Holt McCallany. Along with headlining “Guru,” Niney is also co-producing the movie via his banner Ninety Films, with Wassim Beji at WY Productions lead producing. Studiocanal will release the film in France on Jan. 28 on top of handling international sales on it.
Ahead of the Cannes Film Festival, Niney spoke to Variety about how he came up with the idea of making a film about a famous and dangerous coach a lot time ago, and developed the project with Gozlan and co-writer Jean-Baptiste Delafon (“Of Money and Blood,” “The Bureau”) who turned it into a high voltage paranoid thriller, inspired by films such as “Magnolia” and “Nightcrawler.” Niney also shared his thoughts on the ambition of contemporary French cinema and his upcoming project with Asghar Farhadi, “Parallel Tales.”
Where did this idea of making a thriller about a famous coach come from?
This is a project that has been germinating in my head for a long time. The initial idea was to explore that ability to electrify crowds with words and put people into a trance-like state and, willingly or unwillingly, to take control.The character of Tom Cruise was a source of inspiration when we developed the script. Yann and I also talked a lot about a film with Jake Gyllenhaal, “Nightcrawler” even if it’s more about modern voyeurism, we really love the strange fascination you can have for this kind of character. Strangely, even though coaches are now everywhere, notably on social media, and everyone is a source of advice and easily labelled a coach, there hasn’t been a film like this in the United States so we’re happy with the uniqueness of the subject.
What made Yann Gozlan the perfect filmmaker to tackle this project?
I was very natural for me to talk to Yann about this idea, obviously, because for me, he’s one of the most interesting directors today, even worldwide, I would say, when it comes to thrillers and character studies with strong tendencies to paranoia. I knew it could be really good, once again. So I brought him this subject which just the idea, this character, the broad outlines. And then he completely, entirely invented the film. He immediately went to see Jean-Baptiste Delafon, who wrote “D’argent et de sang” and “Le bureau des légendes.” Yann Gozlan is inhabited, even possessed by his subject, which is a great quality. He’s someone who has a very strong sense of imagery. He’s very meticulous, very precise in what he wants in the film. He has a vast knowledge of cinema, so every time we have lunch together, I learn something new, I have a new film to see, I realize there are a million things I don’t know. And he’s a huge Hitchcock fan. And I really love Hitchcock’s films, so it’s true that we have a lot in common there.
How did you prepare mentally and physically for the role?
I think something had already taken root. Once again, I think of “Magnolia,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” I think of Paul Dano in “There Will Be Blood.” I think of all these characters who, with their words, potentially awaken a dangerous animal in others. It’s really the double-edged sword of the power of words and the ambiguity of these coaches’ intentions. Are they actually doing good or manipulating people to develop a kind of hold over their feelings, by playing on the desire for validation that everyone has. All these themes had been in my head for a long time. And then I simply fed off real coaches. We have more and more in France, and obviously loads in the United States. They’re all very accessible now on social media or through their videos. Their podcasts are supposed to be inspiring. And then, of course, there’s another very important part of the film, their seminar, which is when they perform. It’s the moment when they make a lot of money and then it’s a real catharsis for people who fall into a kind of trance-like state.
Do you find that there’s a thin line between cult leaders and coaches?
This is obviously one of the themes of the film. I think it’s very difficult for the authorities, and the French authorities in particular, to assess when exactly a sectarian behavior begins. The word ‘sect’ covers a fairly broad field, since, in fact, a religion could quickly fall under the definition of a sect. So, in fact, what interested us was to ask ourselves: How dangerous is Matthieu Vasseur, who has the same name as in “Un homme idéal,” and “Boite Noire.” I like this almost mythical choice of keeping the same character name.
Have you had bad experiences with coaches?
I’ve used coaches when preparing for films, but it’s for a limited period, it’s never gone beyond preparing for a film. They’re sports coaches, diet coaches… But it never gets out of hand. I think I have a pretty solid educational foundation in that regard, so consciously or unconsciously, I must have distanced myself from those people. But they exist, and this toxicity exists in many people and in many ways. On the other hand, there are stories of people who got completely caught up in movements. It can be just one person who is targeted by a guy who actually does this to a lot of people, or with groups. Obviously, when I was preparing the film, I read all the stories I could find. It was also interesting to see that sometimes it comes in through a very official channel, i.e. companies that bring in coaches, a bit like managers. In the company, they come in to coach for 10 days and they get the employees hooked. I found out about a completely crazy story about two coaches who came to a company and six months later, they still hadn’t left. A year later, they had taken over the company. They sent away the staff. So in one year, they managed to brainwash everyone in the company and take control of the business. There are lots of stories like that, really interesting ones, which helped shape the character of Mathieu Vasseur.
How would you describe Mathieu Vasseur? Is he a sociopath?
What interested us about the character is that he’s a guy who really believes in what he’s doing. He’s very, very good at it. We see this from the very first scene: He’s genuinely moved and upset by the stories of the people who come to see him. And it was important to us that he wasn’t a cynic. Mathieu Vasseur is a coach who believes in what he does. That’s what makes it such a fascinating subject for cinema, in my opinion. We tried to bring a lot of nuance and ambiguity to this character.
Is the film about toxic masculinity or toxic positivity?
We’re really talking about power, validation, and also the descent into hell that can result from concentrating so much desire, so much power, and also paranoia, because I think that’s a pretty fascinating ingredient in Yann Gozlan’s films in general.
“Guru,” “The Count of Monte Cristo”… You’ve been starring in several ambitious films lately. Do you get the impression that France is making bigger and bolder films today?
We knew how to make these big films years ago, and now we’re coming back to them in a way. I think that naturally, with all the options available outside of the theaters, mainly on streaming platforms, we really need to find good reasons to tell people: ‘Come to the cinemas, it’s worth it!’ It’s not a trivial thing for people to go to the cinema, plan their evening or afternoon, organize themselves and pay to see a film. I think the films have to be truly original. That doesn’t necessarily mean big films. It can be a small film, but one with a strong vision. But then again, “Guru” is a film that didn’t cost that much, in the sense that we were lucky enough to have the budget we needed to tell the story we wanted to tell, but it’s nothing like “The Count of Monte Cristo,” for instance.
You’ll next be starring in Asghar Farhadi’s film in France. Are you looking forward to that?
Asghar Farhadi is such an incredible director, and it’s really great script and, on top of that, a cast that, if I had had to do it myself, I think I wouldn’t have hesitated to choose Virginie Fira, Isabelle Hupert, Vincent Cassel and Catherine Deneuve. It’s true that it’s rare in an actor’s life when everything comes together, and when you get it, it’s like the Holy Trinity: A good director with a good script and a wonderful cast.
Are you interested in working in the U.S.?
I’ve always said: ‘I love France.’ Whenever someone asks me: ‘Would you like to go and film in the United States?’ I say: ‘Of course, there are some incredible artists and if good projects come up,’ and there are some in the pipeline. But I’m so happy and spoiled to be in France in this industry that I’m genuinely proud of. You can go back 150 years, there have always been amazing artists in French cinema. We’re very lucky, especially when you look at other European countries where film industries are often struggling to develop. We have a cinema culture that is exceptional and unique in the world. And I don’t think that’s a coincidence. It started long ago, with American actors and directors coming to France to work with Jacques Audiard, Claire Denis and lots of other people, and I think now it’s a key moment for French cinema, at least in terms of continuing what’s already started with “Anatomy of a Fall,” “The Substance” and lots of other films. We often compare ourselves to the United States, as if we were the little brother of American cinema, as if we were trying to do as well, but I don’t agree with that view at all. Ever since I was little, I’ve watched French films. From Audiard to Alain Chabat, including films with Alain Delon and Jean Marais.
English (US) ·