And the sequelJack Reacher: Never Go Backthankfully keeps that tradition.
Zwick is the sort of Hollywood journeyman whos name on a film is alway a good sign.
Was that something you intentionally tried to stick with?
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It was very conscious.
We didnt want to have a lot of big CGI.
We wanted there to be more of a focus on the people, and the relationships.
We wanted the violence to be brutal and felt, but not defy the laws of physics.
Is that how you approach action scenes in general?
Ive done all sorts of different kinds of action.
I think its horses for courses really.
Was that becauseBlood Diamondis a film about a serious issue, and this is more just escapism?
Its just all happening in this figurative way.
And I wanted a little more literalness.
So what action films influenced this film?
Gosh, I hadnt thought about this in terms of action film.
I thought about 1970s movies, but in terms of relationships.
But I hadnt thought about which particular action movies we were relating to.
And you get the drama in those from having characters you already care about.
That was the hope for us.
Do you think yourself as an old school filmmaker in that sense?
I think I have a more classical bias.
And I feel thats the more radical position to take now.
And I am more interested in a more humanistic view.
Do you find its harder to get those sorts of movies made?
Yeah, it is.
It wasnt the audience that fled, it was the studios that lost heart in them.
Those shows are where the adult movies exist now.
Do you see yourself ending up doing TV in the future then?
It may indeed be inevitable if you want to do things that are challenging and have adult themes.
Ive done it withPawn Sacrifice.
So are you say getting the movie out there and actually seen is the hardest thing?
It must be more than 10 to one.
Was that in the book?
Im trying to remember…
I think we stole a bit of that from another book.
Im reminds of the opening of John FordsStagecoach, one of the greatest movies of all time.
Its just a man in a telegraph office, and theyre getting this communication in.
Someone asks what it is, and the guy just says: Geronimo.
It just promises the film youre about to see.
This is the second film youve made with Tom Cruise.
What is he like to work with?
Hes enormously well prepared, incredibly disciplined.
Hes very regular in that process.
Did he bring you on board?
The phone rang and he asked if it interested me.
I was surprised because it wasnt like anything Id ever done, but that was reason enough to try.
How did you try and balance this being both a Jack Reacher film and a Tom Cruise film?
Well, I think there was some real attempt to differentiate from, say,Mission: Impossible.
Because that Ethan Hunt character is very manic, and does things in a particular way.
And this character is much more still, and internal.
I think that was the distinguishing characteristic.
Lets talk about Cobie Smulders in the film its a really interesting role for her.
Were you trying to not just make the female lead the damsel in distress?
Oh, for sure.
And to putJack Reacherin that context seemed to be the real opportunity.
Obviously, we know her best fromHow I Met Your Mother, and this is a very different role.
How did she come on board?
I mean, Tom and I just had to make a movie.
I went about the job of meeting a lot of actresses, seeing whos available.
It was very conventional.
What made you think she could do the action?
Oh, she was a soccer player for 12 years.
So she was physical.
So youve said that shes meant to be an equal to Jack Reacher.
And thats the outfit that she ends up wearing for most of the film!
Id like to ask you about the fight scenes, in terms of the choreography.
Theres a great fight scene early on in a restaurant kitchen in particular.
Who was the choreographer?
He has guys on his team.
And we built it, and change it.
Even on the day, you change it and find out certain things work better.
Its not storyboarded, because Ive been involved with the choreography.
And on the day I want to look at it and see whats the way to photograph it.
Its obviously shot in both masters and coverage.
But on the other hand you use that coverage to punctuate the visuals.
And not because they cant do it, they [the actors and stuntpeople] did do it.
And theyre getting kicked and bruised and beat up.
So in some sense you want to minimise the number of takes if theyre going full on.
How long does a scene like that take to shoot?
The fight in the kitchen?
At least a day and a half.
For less than five minutes of the film.
I wanted to ask about the music.
James Newton Howard normally scores your films how come Henry Jackman did this one?
I called Hans Zimmer actually, because he had worked with Henry, when Henry was a younger composer.
And Id seenCaptain Phillips, that Henry did, which I thought was really effective.
I also wanted to ask you about using temp music in particular.
Look, I think temp music is just one way of communication between a director and a composer.
And there are other ways.
I think I like to use all of them.
One way is the temp score.
Another way is just having a conversation [with the composer].
So theres the opportunity to be improvisational.
Is there any talk about a thirdJack Reacher?
We dont know yet.
This is just coming out and we have to see how it does.
Are you aware then with a film like this that it might take time to get an audience?
The fact is the first one actually lived on in the ancillary markets.
Do you think that its an older audience, who have lives and children etc?
I think inevitably becomes that.
Because who reads books these days?
Finally, what do you think is the best film that youve made?
Inevitably, if someones being honest, theyd say its the one they havent made yet.
So you wont single any film out then?
Its not for me to say… [Smiles].
Ed Swick, thank you very much!
Jack Reacher: Never Go Backis in UK cinemas now.
