If you haven't been tuned in already, Nimród Antal is a name you're going to be hearing a lot more of in the future. The director is in the midst of steering "Predators," the Robert Rodriguez-produced reboot of the classic alien franchise, toward the big screen.
While shooting on that sci-fi flick continues, Antal's latest movie, the heist flick "Armored" arrived in theaters last Friday. In a recent conversation, star Matt Dillon, who plays an armored car security guard who finds himself in the middle of a high stakes robbery, couldn't stop singing the praises of his up-and-coming director.
"Nimród seems to be a real master," Dillon said. "I enjoyed filming primarily because Nimród is really good. You know you're in good hands. It's not just about action, but there's character development and strong performances."
Those performances come curtsey of vets like Dillon, Laurence Fishburne and Jean Reno, who all play members of the security team whose seemingly well-planned heist soon goes wrong.
"We were a pretty seasoned group of actors and we all felt really comfortable," Dillon explained. "And that's because we all know how nice it is to work with a filmmaker who's supportive, knows what he wants, is passionate and will go to war if he needs to."
These aren't the only kind words being thrown Antal's way. Rodriguez, after all, compared the director to Quentin Tarantino in his ability to work with Hollywood talent and then recruited him for "Predators." Based on Dillon's comments, you can begin to form an idea of what that upcoming sci-fi flick will look like.
"[Nimród] made a film called 'Kontroll,' made almost entirely in the Budapest subway system," said Dillon. "And he did the same thing with 'Vacancy'—it was so contained. For 'Armored,' so much takes place in this warehouse or this armored car, but he blew it out, really opened it up. He only uses the claustrophobic elements to his advantage. He doesn't allow it to become something that stifles the big screen experience."
So Antal's visual style works wonders with enclosed spaces. But what it really comes down to—and what keeps filmmakers and actors itching to work with the guy—is that Antal is, as Dillon put it, "just really, really, really talented."
"He's got great taste, good instincts," the actor continued. "When he felt good about something, I trusted him. A lot of times, a director is just trying to move on. But I believed him. That's more unusual than you think. He really believes in himself. That's contagious."
Have you seen "Armored" yet? Are there any formal elements you're hoping will pop up again in "Predators"?
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