Film?Script
Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg reluctantly join forces after being set up in 2 Guns, directed by Baltasar Kormakur.
2 Guns
The gifted film director Baltasar Kormakur is about to have his most high profile project to date released into theaters. The action comedy 2 Guns stars two of the biggest names in all of cinema today: Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg. The Iceland born filmmaker has also helmed projects The Deep, Contraband and Inhale in his relatively short, but accomplished career. Baltasar filled us in on his home country, adapting to American culture and what it was like to work with Hollywood royalty. Can you tell us how you got your start in filmmaking? In my early 20s I was looking for acting work in Iceland. In 1999 I edited my first film and while I was working on that I realized what I was searching for. I didn’t know [I wanted to be a filmmaker] until then. I wasn’t one of those kids running around with a 8MM camera. Do any of the challenges you face in America, in terms of filmmaking, even compare to those obstacles in Iceland? The challenges in America are very different. It’s unions and studios...it’s a different set of challenges. But, films should never be easy to make. It should always be a challenge... if it’s not worth a challenge you shouldn’t do it. If it gets too easy, people get lazy and that’s not helpful. Was there any culture shock for you when you first transitioned from making films in Iceland to the United States? At the end of the day it’s pretty much the same thing. It is challenging to shoot a film that isn’t in your own language. If you are going to make a film in America...you have to understand America. With 2 Guns, you are working with two of the biggest actors on the planet. What was it like directing them? Most of the time their concerns are about things being well done. They expect me to be professional and prepared, and that’s okay with me. Great actors just want to do good work. How different, or similar, are the ways Denzel and Mark approach acting? In some ways they are similar...as the filming went on they actually started working more from the same kind of place. Mark is trusting...at least in my experience with him. There aren’t a lot of conversations with him before we film. He kind of figures it out as he goes. Denzel wants to prepare more and he wanted to work on the script more with me. Denzel is a good improviser as well...but he is more of a method actor and Mark isn’t that way at all. What can audiences expect from 2 Guns? I enjoy films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid...movies that don’t take themselves too seriously...films that have fun with the format. Some buddy comedies have gone too far for me...they become too silly and rely too much on the comedy. I found two alpha males battling each other really interesting. This film has two real stars. What did you learn from making 2 Guns? I think that comes way later. It takes years to realize what you have learned. It’s hard when you’re too close to the movie. It takes years to really learn from it. THe NUMberS In light of our boys’ summer release, we’ve decided to do a semi-accurate numbers game on their roles since 2000. Denzel Washington has played some type of law/military man 8 times; Mark Wahlberg has 7 times. In contrast, Washington has played a criminal in 2 roles while Wahlberg has in 4. Wahlberg has produced 11 films and television shows while Washington has directed 2 and produced 5 films. Lastly, they both have played different characters with the same name twice: Washington’s Franks and Wahlberg’s Leos.
Baltasar of all Trades
Kormakur is just about as versatile as they come. With his start in front of the camera and his love for behind the scenes, he’s a master at integrating the two with great skill and fluidity. With nine movies under his directing belt and thirteen that he has acted in and produced, Kormakur is solidifying his place in history. He’s caught the attention No. 106 THE STNDRD LIFESTYLE - THE ARTIST ISSUE
of the world, his projects ranging from an indie feel to as Hollywood as they come—not to mention his Oscarnominated The Deep earlier this year (based on a true story). With several projects already in the works, we can’t wait to see what each one brings; unique in their own right but always with Baltasar Kormakur’s stamp.
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