As far as promos go, Studio City’s 15-minute promotional film, The Audition is a record breaker both in terms of numbers and names. Directed by Martin Scorsese and produced by Brett Ratner (Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, Hercules and the Rush Hour movie franchise), the short film also brings together three of the biggest acting names in Hollywood: Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt.
While co-chairman of Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd, James Packer would not comment on the rumoured $US70m cost of the short film, he did say Crown Resorts and its 34 percent owned Melco Crown Entertainment, which operates Studio City, had each paid half. He added that if that figure was correct and the film was used over three years, that would equate to an annual $11m expense for the company, which he hinted was good value. “It is the most famous marketing campaign in the world,” he said.
It was certainly a big enough venture to bring the Hollywood heavyweights to Macau (with the exception of Brad Pitt) and more specifically to the stage for a press conference on the opening morning to discuss their reunion.
The mood was relaxed, and the familiarity and fondness between the stars palpable. Their individual willingness to be part of a project like this became clearer when explained in the greater context of past and present. Never before have these names been listed in the same credits for a single production, despite numerous projects over recent decades.
“The great honour for me is these two men are really like my two fathers in the world of cinema,” DiCaprio explained, seated next to Scorsese, with De Niro, Lawrence Ho, James Packer and Brett Ratner on stage. “My first film was with Bob De Niro. I was 15 years old. We did a film together called This Boy’s Life. I’ve had the fortune of working with Marty quite a few times.”
Robert De Niro added: “I am delighted to be part of The Audition and to celebrate the inauguration of Studio City. It is a ‘must-visit’ destination for all visitors looking for a unique and immersive experience”.
Scorsese, the most nominated living director in Academy Award history, added: “We all loved making The Audition. It was great to have the new Studio City in Macau as our setting, because it has the feeling of the most fantastic Hollywood set ever designed.”
The plot of the film centers on De Niro and DiCaprio auditioning for the same role in a Scorsese film. A rather ingenious approach to solving the dilemma of having both your muses in the same film, not to mention Brad Pitt. This dynamic not only plays out well on screen, but also lent itself to an amusing energy in real life.
“The premise of this competition was very humorous for both of us,” DiCaprio explained, “because we’ve both done a lot of films with Mr. Scorsese, so what would it be like if we both showed up at this casino competing for the same role but we didn’t know it yet? But for me, the great joy was finally getting to be on set with both of these guys.”
Referring to De Niro and Scorsese’s past collaborations, DiCaprio said: “This is the greatest relationship in cinema history in my opinion, and to be able to have scenes with Bob and being directed by Marty was a small slice of heaven for me as an actor.”
If the playful rivalry between DiCaprio and De Niro, sprinkled with a dose of Pitt, weren’t enough of an acting title battle, the matter is easily resolved with an unexpected twist. Scorsese himself. Not only is he one of the greatest directors of all time, but he also makes for a darn good actor. His effortless presense on screen is so captivating, you can’t take your eyes off him, despite having two of the greatest living actors in the same frame.
“The truth is he kind of stole the show,” DiCaprio said of the cameo. “At the end of the day, he’s the best out of everyone in this short. He’s pretty amazing as an actor.”
Speaking of the challenges involved in making a 15-minute film, Scorsese elaborated: “The idea was presented to me by Brett and Bob and Leo — the question was as to what the creative freedom really entailed. And you might think ‘Oh, it’s just a short film’, but there’s no such thing. In fact a short film is even tougher in a way, because it has to be a film — it has to be something that’s not a prologue to a bigger work, it has to be contained in and of itself. We also tried to make it reality based with humour about ourselves, because making movies you have to have a sense of humour.”
The Audition was scripted by Terrence Winter, who penned Scorsese’s Wolf of Wall Street and created the TV series Boardwalk Empire. Though The Audition is set partly in Studio City, as well as in the Philippines and Japan, the entire production was actually filmed in New York and appears to involve a lot of CGI.
The plot of the film goes that having travelled to Manila to audition for a part in a new Martin Scorsese film, De Niro and DiCaprio are both rehearsing their lines when they bump into each other at the hotel entrance. Much suspicion follows and Scorsese swoons in to explain that, well…they have both kind of been brought there to audition for the same part.
Snappy dialogue follows as the actors mock each other, pandering for the attention of their revered cinematic master, vowing to land the part they are both competing for with unabashed tactics. From jabs about DiCaprio’s facial hair to the age gap between the actors, the two really have a go at each other.
The trio then fly to Studio City in Macau where the best scene in the film plays out. Seated at a restaurant with an exasperated Scorsese in the middle of the two bickering acting greats, the director tunes out their voices and lets his eyes follow the flashing lights coming from, across the street, at Crown Hotel. Plastered on the front façade of the hotel is a giant ad featuring a posing and preening Pitt, pouting like a teenager taking their first selfie. Scorcese’s mind and attention is ensnared. The Audition just got a little more crowded.
Scorsese’s current feature film in production, again talks about Macau – Silence, starring Andrew Garfield and Liam Neeson is scheduled for release in 2016.
“We started shooting in Taipei, and we recreated Macau of 1640, with the basis of the Jesuit superior there. It’s a true story, and it opened up a whole world of meaning of East and West to me, because I hadn’t understood the extent of the reach of Portugal and Spain in this area, and the mixture of the culture in Macau, the architecture of the old Macau. And, as a place that was created to be a bridge. It’s a very different world, but it’s a fascinating place.”
