I recently got a chance to sit down and talk with British filmmaker, director and writer, Bart Layton. As we discussed his upcoming highly-anticipated mystery heist crime action thriller, Crime 101. That stars an all-star cast of Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry. Which I actually got a chance to see an advanced screening of here in Chicago as one of the first places to see the movie with an actual live audience in theaters to see the crowds actual reaction. Before it hits theaters this Friday, Feb. 13th. In my discussion with Bart about the upcoming mystery heist crime thriller that is interconnected through several different stories that connect to one big heist. We discuss everything from that interconnection to the process of making the film, what he was trying to aim for with the audience that goes out to see the film, how it was transitioning from directing more documentary type films to an actual full length feature film and how he developed certain characters for the film. As a few examples of the many topics we discuss in my fun and in-depth one-on-one sit-down interview with Bart Layton. That you can dive into below.
Nello Rubio for TheHipHopDemocrat.com: Hey Bart nice to meet you again. My name is Nello Rubio with TheHipHopDemocrat.com
Bart Layton: Oh, wow. That is a really cool name.
Nello: I got a chance to see the movie yesterday with the crowd and everything. I think a lot of the crowd really liked it a lot and responded really well to the movie. You mentioned during the discussion you had yesterday after the screening how this is really your first major feature film because a lot of the movies you have done before have been more so documentaries. Also your other film you did before American Animals is like a mix of a film and a documentary. So how was it switching from being more documentary to an actual full-length feature film?
Bart Layton: I was kind of excited, but also a little if I am honest. Almost kind of felt like I was almost out of my depth. My first movie was called, The Imposter, and I felt like a bit of an imposter, but I was also pretty confident that I had written a good script. Cause if I didn’t then I wouldn’t have had all these incredible actors. And then there is kind of these two sides of both fear and excitement. And you have to try to convert fear into excitement. Because they are two sides of the same coin often. I suppose what I did was just a huge amount of prep. I talked about this at the screening a bit yesterday. Cause if you do that level of homework then you will be in good shape when you get into it. I felt nervous up to the point where we actually Star shooting and then I was like, ‘oh, yeah I do know what I am doing.” And maybe I am not too bad at this. So I felt like it was sort of a big leap and I had a big budget and four, five or six huge movie stars. But actually ultimately it is all the same work, whether you are making a big film or a small film. Let’s just focus on one step at a time.
Nello: One of the things I actually liked a lot about the film too is obviously being a writer myself as well. Is a lot of the details you were able to put into it and kind of weave into three or four different stories that are almost all interconnected in a way. How was the process with that and trying to make sure that they were still interconnected with the story where the crowd or people who see it wouldn’t lose interest in the movie?
Bart Layton: I think you just got to keep the story in motion. You just got to make sure that at no point is the audience is going like, ‘Yeah, I am no longer interested in what is going to happen next.’ You just got to have that thing of propulsion of people really wanting to know how this is going to resolve? And then you have to kind of apply it to each one of those narratives. So you know. We know that Chris’ character, Mark’s character and Halle’s character and even Barry’s. They are all on a collision course and you don’t know quite how it is going to come together. But you know it is going to be explosive in the end. So it’s tricky you know, but you have to be very economical you know. Cause I ended up writing kind of three interconnected movies, but I think it is like a piece of music. Keep the rhythm going. Keep the people completely engaged. Dispense with anything that isn’t necessary.
Nello: It is kind of interesting too how I noticed with almost each character. Whether it be Chris’ with Mike or Halle’s with Sharon and even Mark’s character with Detective Lubesnick. Those three main character having kind of that dilemma throughout the movie about not knowing if they are doing good or bad. Is that something you kind of purposely did?
Bart Layton: Yeah, definitely and as filmmaker you definitely want to deliver a great thrilling experience at the cinema. We all want that if you are going to pay the money and go and buy your popcorn and all of that. You want to deliver a rollercoaster ride and all the pulse pounding adrenaline and all of that. But you want to also give people something to possibly think about. So you don’t walk out thinking that was fun, but ultimately like I don’t need to think about that ever again. You know so I suppose I am trying to encourage the audience that yeah it is not just black and white. You know is he the criminal if he is ultimately ripping off insurance agencies who are taking huge sums of money from people who are paying for their insurance and then they are trying to actually weasel their way out of paying when they make a claim. Who is actually at fault there? And I am not saying it’s just black and white, but there is always gray in these things. Even Ruffalo’s character who works at the L.A.P.D. I spoke to a lot of actual police officer who had left the L.A.P.D. because they felt they were being pressurized to hit the numbers and not so much crime prevention or community service. You know so all of that stuff. So you are trying to introduce those ideas in here while still delivering the thrill ride.
Nello: Barry’s character of Ormon I liked a lot. Even though he was a criminal you could kind of feel and sympathize with him in a way. You actually worked with him before on American Animals. So you do you and think having that relationship with him already made it easy to bring him on for this one and help build up his character like that?
Bart Layton: Totally. You know I actually wrote that part for him because I know we have such an already good relationship. Plus we are so close and that he would do it. Also with it he is also drawing on a lot of his own history. You know he has come from the streets. He has come from a tough place. So all of that is baked into that character as well.
Nello: I like how the film also keeps you on edge and guessing throughout the film. Also how you mentioned it even makes you think even after seeing the movie. It is kind of you are seeing that with a lot of movies now. One you have seen coming up a lot recently is Sinners and a lot of those movies that after you see them to see them in theaters. They get you kind of thinking afterwards and wanting to see the movie multiple times. Do you think that is kind of what you were aiming with this too?
Bart Layton: Yeah definitely. That’s kind of the most rewarding cinema experience. Where you get a great metaphor for something else and Sinners is a great example. It is a great parable and so you get all of the things that you want from a big night out at the theater. So that is something that we definitely wanted. That I felt like let’s give you all of the thrill. So hopefully a bit more subtext and a bit more depth than kind of your average action thriller. I think this is more dramatic and more thrilling cause of that.
Nello: I am actually a big fan of a lot of action thrillers myself as well and I think in a lot of ways it kind of reminded me about more recent films like that. Which I love like Baby Driver and Den of Thieves, but this still stood out as its own great kind of film like that. Is that what you were trying to get with this too as well?
Bart Layton: Yeah sort of something for everyone I guess. You know cause I think some of those movies tend to be more male and for the lads. And what we have seen from the audience testing that we have done is that this is totally absolutely a movie for everyone. Young, old, male, female. You know we haven’t had a reaction yet where it’s like, ‘Oh this is just for men of a certain age.’ It’s totally across the board. You know your Mom saw it and she loved it. And she said how she was 62 and had the greatest time. So that’s great, right?
Nello: My last question that I have is. My Mom kind of mentioned that as well and I thought that as well. But it reminded me of a lot of the older classic films with a lot of the details you get from seeing the film too. Is that something you were also trying to aim for as well from the different audiences?
Bart Layton: Yeah just that I think if you connect with the characters because you see something of yourself in them. Rather than just like for example like I love those John Wick type films cause it’s a great ride. But I am not playing along. I am not him. I don’t have his skills. Where as I think if you have a movie which can deliver on some of those thrills, but you are more relating to those characters. Your emotional experience is a bigger one. You come out feeling like you had a bigger experience.
