It's a film that caused rivalry amongst critics and one that you will either love or hate, but most definitely not a film you can ignore or will easily forget. It's most probably one of the most relevant films of our time. What makes it so exceptional is that Schrader never exploits his subject matter or indulges in fantasies about sexual games that feed the appetite of our modern world, but gives us an honest and candid look at what obsession is all about, and how its corrupt nature can poison innocent lives.
The casting of controversial young superstar Lindsay Lohan and real-life porn star James Deen results in a heated and conflicted affair, with Nolan Funk as the sexy stud who completes this unconventional love triangle. When asked about casting The Canyons, Ellis stated: "Dealing with the casting of The Canyons was a great, liberating process-for both the production team and for actors in general. We used Let It Cast and saw some amazing actors who we will definitely keep in mind for future projects. The way the entire cast came together so quickly was a thrill and everyone who landed their roles deserved them. Using social media as a way to help build a film is really like riding the wave into the future."
Schrader said: "Bret Easton Ellis' characters are beautiful people doing bad things in nice rooms. Lindsay Lohan and James Deen not only have the acting talent; they also have that screen quality that keeps you watching their every move. In the film, Deen plays an arrogant and smarmy LA trust-fund kid with casual ties to Hollywood. When he learns of a secret affair between his girlfriend Tara (Lohan), a former actress, and the lead of his film project (Funk), he spirals out of control and his cruel mind games escalate into an act of bloody violence. This is what drama and human tragedy are about, revealing the sometimes monstrous and corrupt nature of an ordinary human being who has power, and the poisoned innocence of other everyday people who will do whatever they can to survive.
The Canyons takes us into the intimate lives and closed rooms of the super-rich, who use money to turn fantasies into reality. The Canyons is a low-budget independent film that looks like a million dollars in the hands of Schrader and his team, mostly because of his astute direction that not only turns up the heat, but also creates suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Paul Schrader says about filming The Canyons: " ... we're making art out of the remains of our empire. The junk that's left over. And this idea of a film that was crowd funded, cast online, with one actor from a celebrity culture, one actor from adult-film culture, a writer and director who have gotten beat up in the past-felt like a post-Empire thing. And then everything I was afraid of with Lindsay and James started to become a positive. I was afraid we wouldn't be taken seriously and people would think it was a joke. My son and daughter didn't want me to do it. That just shows you how conservative young kids are. If you're made enough films you really know what you need money for and what you don't need money for. There's virtually nothing on the cutting-room floor for this film - you shoot straight to the bone. It ends up being kind of like a film co-op, since you're paying everybody the same rate; the actors are doing their own hair and make-up, no trailers. It really becomes a communal project."
Read more about The Canyons and other films currently showing at www.writingstudio.co.za.
