In 1989, a black comedy emerged that subverted the ‘Rom-Com’ genre with a deliciously dark and devilish twist.
The film in question was Danny De Vito’s THE WAR OF THE ROSES, starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner as Oliver and Barbara Rose, whose seemingly perfect marriage suddenly and increasingly becomes a toxic disaster.
Thirty years on, director Mark Murphy is trying a similar tack with his brand-new ‘unromantic comedy’ FOR LOVE OR MONEY, starring Samantha Barks (LES MISERABLES) and Robert Kazinsky. It’s the tale of two old school friends, Connie (Barks) and Mark (Kazinsky) who meet up at the funeral of Connie’s husband. Mark is about to come into some money, which tantalises Connie’s mind, leading to some abrupt turn-around to try and win Mark’s heart…..
Film and TV Now spoke with the director about the new film.
Film and TV Now: Samantha Barks seems to have the potential to move between musicals and comedy. How did you manage to get her on board?
Mark Murphy: There was a shortlist of whom we thought could carry off Connie’s nefarious character, someone who could be cold and calculating without resorting to pantomime villainy, but who also had an underlying sensibility that when revealed could elicit an audience’s sympathy. Sam connected with the script, and jumped on board. I’m genuinely surprised we haven’t seen Sam in more comedies, she’s got a charming cheekiness and great timing that makes her perfect for the genre. She’s obviously a big Broadway star and that’s where the focus seems to lie, which is a loss for comedy, hopefully we see her return to the genre in the not too distant future.
FTVN: The film subverts the classic rom-com style personified in the Working Title hits like FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL and NOTTING HILL. Where did the initial idea come from and was it based on any particular real-life romance?
Mark Murphy: When pitching the film, I described it as “Four Weddings for the cynical generation”. The origins of FLOM are actually (loosely) based on events that happened some years ago, they weren’t romantic, but in fact revolved around a business situation which went incredibly sour. Still stinging from it I found a cathartic release by writing a script called The Revenger, about our protagonist discovering that someone whom he thought was a trusted friend was in fact deceiving him, and so decides to exact his revenge by making life miserable for his new found nemesis. Apart from needing a disconnect, I also felt a genre shift would make it more interesting, so dressed the story as a Romantic Comedy. The real situation was neither romantic nor a comedy!
FTVN: Anna Chancellor is a FOUR WEDDINGS connection in this film. What attracted her to the script?
Mark Murphy:Anna has an immense presence, which is what we needed for Carol, Connie’s mother. When we get to the parents house, there’s a real gear shift, where we begin to understand Connie’s behaviour by meeting the parents from hell, Anna Chancellor and Ivan Kaye They needed to be both intimidating yet seemingly docile, like a pair of hippos, from afar they seem cute and friendly, but if you go into their domain, you’re suddenly in a precarious situation. I think this is what attracted Anna to the script, it’s fair to say her character is larger than life, my only regret is we didn’t get to spend more time with them.
Related: For Love Or Money – An Unromantic Comedy Review
FTVN: There is a viciousness to the comedy at times, which reminded one of the vitriol spouted between Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in THE WAR OF THE ROSES back in 1989. Was this film an influence on FOR LOVE OR MONEY?
MM: I’m a massive fan of the Douglas, Turner and de Vito troika, but never saw that film fully, and it didn’t come to mind when writing or filming. There’s a very delicate balance that needs to be found with a film like this, it was important that Mark (Rob Kazinsky) didn’t come off as a misogynist or a bully, and it helped enormously that he and Sam have this amazing on screen chemistry, much the same way that Douglas and Turner did in the Stone and Jewel films. I’m going to have to watch War of the Roses now.
FTVN: British Cinema does this type of genre very well. Is this a genre you are comfortable working in or are you somebody who likes to vary his output to encompass other genres?
MM: This was my second comedy, previously I’d done a few horror/thriller films, I had a lot of fun with this genre, I think it suits my skill set and have a couple more Rom Com scripts that I’m currently working on. That being said, I’m excited to try other things, and recently picked up a book option on a war story set in the 70’s in Oman.
FTVN: Tell us about your production team.
MM: A lot of the people I work with, I work with repeatedly, a film set is very much like a pressure cooker (apologies for the cliched analogy), working with a crew that you have a short hand with gives you a fighting chance to deliver the film on schedule and on budget. There are two crew members that I’ve worked with on every film I’ve shot so far, Simon Hornett, my Sound Recordist, whom apart from being terrific at his job, is like a barometer for me on set, he knows when I’m in a good place and focused, as well as when the pressures are distracting me, at which point he gives me a nudge in the right direction. He also brings snacks on set, which I happily steal. The other is my editor, Dragos Teglas, who has the patience of a saint and puts up with my tantrums for months on end. His cutting style is superb and no doubt his life expectancy has been significantly shortened by working with me.
FTVN: Where did you film and how long was the shooting schedule?
MM: We filmed around London and near Rickmansworth, we had a horribly tight twenty three day shooting schedule. Ridley Scott didn’t help; on the last filming day, we were originally going to shoot the camping scene near the church location in this beautiful country village, but we lost access as the roads were shut for a pick up scene near by for All The Money in the World, so we had to relocate. Ridley Scott and Mark Wahlberg, mark my words, I shall have my revenge, on this film or the next….
FTVN: We understand the film is going straight to Digital Download. Was this an intentional decision or did you ever plan on releasing it Theatrically?
MM: Personally I was championing the idea of releasing it on 700 screens across the country, but the execs shut that idea down straight away. It actually had a small theatrical release in the States and did better than expected, so I was pretty disappointed that it wasn’t given a shot in its home territory, but c’est la vie, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.
FTVN: What advantages have you found in terms of securing distribution in a purely Digital Download context?
MM: Personally? None.
FTVN: Finally, what is your next project going to be?
MM: There are a few scripts that are ready to go, but my personal favourite is a romantic comedy I’ve been writing with Rob Kazinsky, called A Date to Remember, about four friends who compete to win the inheritance of a fifth friend by setting each other up on the worst dates possible. Not a true story…
For Love or Money will be available on Digital Download from July 8 and can be bought here
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