Hell and Back

There are many sides to Mexico City.

We saw a really beautiful side recently. It was a restaurant location, as nice or nicer than anything in Beverly Hills. The restaurant was elevated, with large stone steps leading up to opposite ends. The entire front of the place were floor to ceiling glass windows that we removed. On top of that, the whole thing overlooked a beautiful courtyard, and the weather was absolute perfection.

And…it was Kevin Bacon’s first day. He’s playing Love, a hard-working emergency-room doctor, and he’s every bit as charismatic and charming as you would expect. The day’s scene introduced his married best friends, Henry and Gina, played by the fantastic Clark Gregg and the truly luminous Julie Delpy. It’s one of the more straightforward scenes in the film, funny and comfortable, the way friends are. And Kevin, Clark, and Julie just played the hell out of it. It was a real pleasure to watch.

What a great day.

The next morning, I woke up and realized I was in Hell. They say don’t drink the water. I don’t drink the water. A couple smart people told me not to eat raw veggies, which are thoroughly washed in water. Two days ago, I forgot that simple advice and started eating salad. Good for me, right? Wrong. I was in H…E…L…L.

The first day of Hell was all about standing as little as possible. I spent hours (and I’m not exaggerating here) HOURS working up the nerve to walk to the gift shop to buy medicine. I was delirious, trying to come up with a different plan. I knew everyone staying in the hotel was on set, unable to help me, and it never occurred to just call and ask for someone on the crew to be sent back to give me a hand. No, in my delirious state, I kept thinking, “There’s gotta be SOMEONE still at the hotel who I could call to bring me medicine?”

The only person I could think of?

Kevin Bacon.

I decided it was best to just make the trip on my own. Which I did without incident.

Day 2 of Hell was much better. Standing was a little easier. Walking wasn’t too bad. Still no chance of making it to the set, but honestly, I was just happy to be alive.

By the next day, I was fine, in our van with one of the producers, fighting traffic on the way to the set. Mexico City was crowded and angry that day. From this, to the beautiful afternoon a few days before, to the dark recesses of my hotel room…so many sides to Mexico City. They will all be part of this story, the good and the bad. The ugly.

And the very, very beautiful.

Ten Things I've Learned

Starting a blog on the making of a movie AFTER you start shooting the movie is really complicated. Where do I start? I could go back four years, tell you how Jieho and I met, how we started collaborating on THE AIR I BREATHE, how producers and cast and financing all came together, and finally how we ended up in Mexico City with Jieho directing.

Then again, I could start a couple weeks ago, when I arrived in Mexico City and strolled for the first time ever onto the set of a major motion picture that I helped write. That would logically lead to the first week and a half of shooting, with so many mind-blowing moments for me that I don’t even know where to begin.

But the problem here is all this writing about the past just keeps putting me behind, because what I want to write about is TODAY. I want to rush home from the set and share some magic moment, a memory emblazoned in my brain. I want to tempt you, just a tiny bit, with what you can expect from these four intertwining stories, each named after a different emotion.

But first, in my desire to catch you all up, I thought I’d do a brief recap of exactly what I’ve learned since coming to Mexico City. And here it is…

TEN THINGS I’VE LEARNED IN MEXICO CITY

1) People in Mexico City like to PARTY. It is not uncommon, when leaving your hotel at six in the morning to go to the set, to cross paths with people coming back to the hotel after partying all night. And if you decide to join some new friends for a night out…better have the next day off. Because you’ll need it.

2) Brendan Fraser, while an extremely nice fellow, hits like a tank. I don’t know this from personal experience, but the other day, I saw him take out a couple of stunt men in a fight scene that will rattle your teeth. No lie.

3) Driving in Mexico City is only for the brave…or crazy. I only see it from the back of a van, but things like traffic lights and lane dividers feel oddly quaint here.

4) Assuming it’s possible for a camera to have a crush on a human being, then I have to say that our camera has a massive crush on Sarah Michelle Gellar. Because the camera just loves her. Oh my God, does it ever.

5) If you say “Good Morning” to someone in barely acceptable Spanish, they will happily carry on a full conversation before realizing that you (or in this case, I) do not really speak Spanish at all.

6) Forest Whitaker loves his job. As the spiritually-bereft banker Happiness, I’ve watched him tumble to the ground, drag himself to his feet, and run up some stairs, gasping for air…only to break into a charming grin the moment someone yells cut.

7) Sometimes when you ask a very talented movie star to do a top-secret cameo in your movie, they say yes. And when this happens, you feel very, very good.

8) Mexican film crews rock. They’re dedicated, hard working, and like to have fun. If only I’d paid attention in high school Spanish class, then maybe I could talk to more of them.

9) Actors are smart. For instance, Emile Hirsch brought a costume-piece for his character that has got to be one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. It’s perfect.

And finally, one more thing I’ve learned…

10) Dreams come true. Sometimes they just take a year. Or four.

Which brings us to today. And as for what happened today…well, I’m exhausted, so I’ll have to tell you tomorrow. But here’s a hint.

Kevin.

Okay, another hint.

Bacon.

Seeya tomorrow.