Russel Crowe’s new movie, Poker Face starts streaming tomorrow, and the writer, director, and actor has said that the project was “unshootable” before he got his hands on it.
One of Crowe’s main criticism about the original idea for the film, was that it was meant to be shot in Sydney and Kiama, but the storyline would make out as if the characters were in Marin County, California.
“‘What? The f***ing sun goes down the wrong place, mate,’” Crowe detailed saying in response to the idea.
“’What the f**k you talking about? You’ve got a house on a hill overlooking the ocean but that’s east brother. The sun’s coming up there. You know, if you’re in Marin County the sun would be going down there,” he told news.com.au
“I just sort of explained to the productioners like, ‘You’re asking so much that’s going to be such a waste of money. You’re going to waste money trying to pretend this is somewhere else,’ so I was like, ‘I’m not interested in doing any of that. If we’re going to make this film, we’re going to make it in Australia, we’re going to make it with largely an Australian cast, then let’s just have this be an Australian story.’
“It’s an urban Australian story … I just don’t see there is any valid reason that you can’t tell a contemporary urban Australian story without having to have a kangaroo involved.”
So, with Crowe’s changes, Poker Face was shot in Australia – and the storyline represented that. As the director, he made the conscious decision to include a large number of Australian representations in the film.
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The wine in the movie is from Aussie wineries – Henschke and Penfolds to be precise. The film also features art by famous Australian artists including Clarice Beckett, Arthur Streeton, William Dobell and John Peter Russell.
Along with directing the film, Crowe is also a producer, writer, and acts in the lead role of Jake Foley, alongside fellow Australian actors Liam Hemsworth and Daniel MacPherson.
Poker Face premieres on the 22nd of November on Stan.
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