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What is your main motivation as a filmmaker? “Just to tell a good story. With Argylle, I didn’t try to reinvent the genre, but instead I put a spin on it. I always direct as if I’m the audience member and think, “What would I like to see in this scene?” Then I try to do that. Of course, all movies have a formula, but sometimes the formulas are a little bit too obvious. So, I thought I would change a few ingredients. The best example is when somebody came up with the idea of putting salt and caramel together. Initially, I thought that was a bad idea, but when I tried it, I thought it was a great idea. I try to do the same with movies, adding some unexpect- ed ingredients, hoping it still tastes good.” There is also the cat that plays a big role in the movie - Alfie the cat? “Initially, we cast a professional cat for that role. He was expensive and sort of useless, so one day I went into my daughter’s bedroom, asked her to grab our cat, Chip, and told her that he would work with me for the next three months. It was bizarre driving to work every day with a cat in the car and sharing a trailer with him, but he ended up being the perfect choice. Chip is fun and sweet, and he even stole some scenes.” Having your wife Claudia work on the produc- tion, and your kids, and even getting the cat involved too, must all have made this project something of a family affair? “Yes, although they have always been part of my pro- jects, in one way or another. They have influenced and helped me on every movie I’ve made, though here they are in a more official capacity.” And the result is a film that is smart, very en- tertaining, and just a fun adventure to be en- joyed on the big screen. “Well, I still think the world needs to be connected in a human way, and the cinema is one of the last plac- es where we can go and experience a story—with its ups and downs—together.

Nezaboravno je bilo raditi sa Semjuelom L. Džeksonom na prvom filmu o „Kingsmenima“ i od tada sam želeo da ponovo radim sa njim I had the time of my life working with Samuel L. Jackson on the first Kingsman movie and have been wanting to work with him again ever since

is overexaggerated and tough for critics to accept. But the audience should enjoy it, at least that’s the belief of the director himself, whom we asked about what even inspired him to make Argylle... “As a man that has sort of helped orchestrate what people come to expect from spy thrillers, I thought it was time to take some of the clichés that I’m guilty of adhering to and turn them on their head. During the pandemic, I spent a lot of time at home watching ‘80s films with my kids and thought, “Wow, these are great movies!” They were fun and pure escapism. I just thought the world post-COVID would need something to make you smile and feel like you’re getting a hug, while also being on a thrill ride.” How does it differ from your previous mov- ies? “It’s a lot softer and it’s a PG-13 movie! I wanted to make a film that was sort of the antidote to Kingsman: The Secret Service. And I wanted to make the ultimate date movie too, which is what I think it’s turned out to be.”

U početku smo angažovali profesionalnu mačku, ali je bila skupa i u neku ruku beskorisna, We initially cast a professional cat, but he was expensive and sort of useless, so our cat, Chip, acted in the movie pa je u filmu glumio naš mačak Čip

Interview » Intervju | 29

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