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by Jonathan W. Hickman
Garmento is good comedic satire.
Its digs at the fashion industry, while a little over the top at times, generally worked well for the format.
Writer and director Michele Maher spent some time with me by email before Christmas to discuss her juicy little film.
Maher studied film at NYU, acted in HBO's Dancing in September, and has appeared in numerous national commercials.
Earlier in her career, Maher spent two years working for various fashion design houses in New York where she drew inspiration for
Garmento.
 Einsiders.com: Whose idea was it
for the padded crotch cup?
Maher: Mine. I always noticed designer underwear ads for men
on bus stops and billboards and thought there was a sock in their undies. Too
big, so I thought, "Why not padded cup underwear?" The production
designer, Henry Dunn and costume designer, Amy Westcott and myself designed
them.
Einsiders.com: Were you concerned about the use of
a possibly insulting stereotype when the crotch cup is sold
to Japanese businessmen?
Maher: I know this bothered you. The Japanese scene
came out of the fact the Japanese love brands especially American brands and I
was trying to depict this accurately. The idea evolved from input of a dear
friend who is Japanese and his eccentric interests.
Einsiders.com: I calculated the film as taking place in 1993.
Why that year? Was there something about the 1990s you wanted to expose?
Maher: I worked for a designer during this period of time and was exposed to the IPO
phenomena. I was very skeptical at the time and I left my company before it went
public. A lot of people I worked with lost their savings when the stock dropped.
I do not know why I predicted that especially since I do not follow the stock
market but I always felt the numbers never added up. The company's sales were
inflated. It really disillusioned me about the corporate world.
Einsiders.com: Garmento is great dark satire. How would you
describe the film? I mean, recently, I reviewed About Schmidt and have
told our readers that it isn't what you would expect from the previews.
Can you give us a description of the film from the movie trailer
perspective?
Maher: Garmento takes you on a dark and satirical journey into
corporate America through the backdrop of the fashion industry. It is a story
about the inside workings of a world filled with greed and corruption where
shady deals are made for a buck and ruthlessness is a prerequisite for success
and survival.
Einsiders.com: David Thornton was excellent. How did you
influence the way he played Ronnie? It was a subtle performance that could
have been done in a completely different tone and possibly ruined your
film.
Maher: I was very concerned that this script could go either way with all the
characters. And you're right, the film would have been a mess if the actors
played it over the top. Susan Shopmaker, the casting director has a wonderful
eye for actors. During auditions I made it clear what I wanted. Play it real.
David really wanted to play Ronnie. He was impassioned by this project from the
start. He also made good choices for himself and suggestions to me. It's nice
having seasoned actors on a set especially for my first time directing. I think
what I did as a director is let my actors do their thing. All these actors have
great instincts and it empowered them to make strong choices. There were a few
times a performance was going off in the wrong direction and I would pull it
in.
Einsiders.com: I recently caught Jerry Grayson on HBO in The
Sopranos. This guy is very good in everything I have seen him in.
His performance in Garmento could have been one big cliché, but somehow, he
avoided the comic trappings. How much of this was your doing?
Maher: Jerry's portrayal of Ira Gold met my expectations from the very beginning.
He is a truly a pro. I also wanted Matt
Sevitto to play Louie and I saw the magical chemistry between Jerry and
him. There was a lot of magic on this set. If everyone on a movie set could
put their egos away and have a true collaboration, I think better films would be
made.
Einsiders.com: What's next for you?
Maher: Developing Garmento into a
television series. I am pitching it as Sex and the City meets The Sopranos.
No deal with HBO yet but they are aware of Garmento and my series idea. Funny
how Jerry's part was created on The Sopranos after they viewed
Garmento. I have two production companies interested in developing it so
I have written the pilot. The series takes place before the movie.
Einsiders.com: Do you have one of those punching bags hanging in
your office? Is the bat a designer special that specifically goes with the
executive punching bag? I mean, the bat was a nice touch. No real
executive would want to risk damaging his hands by striking the bag with his
fist, right?
Maher: Right. Credit goes to David Thornton. It was written for him
to use gloves, but he thought the bat would be more interesting so he brought
his three year old son's bat to the set. The good thing is, I let
him.
Instinct has to be critical to a director; it must be gut-wrenching--antacids and late nights. Hopefully, Maher will get a
chance to go with her gut with a little heart on another project or the television series of Garmento.
Check out the website for the film at garmentomovie.com.
Jonathan W. Hickman
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