A LOT LIKE LOVE
Q&A with Nigel Cole		 Search all of phase9.tv






Movie Interview by Elaine Lipworth

Director Nigel Cole brings wit, humor and heart to A LOT LIKE LOVE, an engaging romantic comedy starring Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet.

Infatuation, true love or just good friends? Amanda and Ashton take seven years to find out.

In the new movie from Buena Vista International, A LOT LIKE LOVE, Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet have a brief encounter on a plane trip between Los Angeles and New York. They go their separate ways but meet again and again – over the next few years - without ever committing to a real relationship. As in all the best romantic comedies, there are so many obstacles to overcome at every stage of the romance, that the path of true love does not run smooth. The two characters have sizzling chemistry. The question is: are they destined to be together?

British director Nigel Cole infuses A LOT LIKE LOVE with humor, drama and realism. The filmmaker, who previously directed SAVING GRACE with Brenda Blethyn and CALENDAR GIRLS with Helen Mirren, divides his time between London and Los Angeles.

Meeting the director, it is easy to understand why he has such a great gift for comedy. Cole is highly entertaining, constantly making jokes and having fun at the expense of everyone (including himself).

The following interview was conducted in Los Angeles.


What led you to make A LOT LIKE LOVE?

COLE: My previous films, CALENDAR GIRLS and SAVING GRACE were about middle aged women (Helen Mirren and Brenda Blethyn). That was great, but I wanted to do something different. I thought I needed to do something younger and sexier. I got offered a lot of scripts following the success of my first two films and I was very keen to do a romantic comedy because I love them. I love a mixture of comedy and drama and I enjoy making audiences laugh and then cry. And romantic comedies allow you to tell a strong dramatic story with good humor thrown in. But for a long time I couldn’t find a good one. I wanted one that was realistic and recognizable, that I could identify with from my own complicated life. And then I read Colin Patrick Lynch’s script and thought it was great. It reminded me of some of my favorite films, old fashioned romantic comedies which are witty with good dialogue, like SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY and ANNIE HALL.

There is great chemistry between Ashton and Amanda, did that happen naturally with the two stars?

COLE: I take full credit for their sizzling chemistry. [Laughs]. No seriously, that is what romantic comedies are all about of course, the chemistry between two central characters. Ashton was a big fan of Amanda and kept talking about her and I was a big fan too. So we had a reading in a hotel in New York. Immediately they started to read together, you could tell they would be great, it is one of those indefinable things. They made each other laugh and started playing with the script. There was something good going on with each other.

Why did you pick Ashton as the male lead?

COLE: I thought that he was the best person for the job. I was aware of his popular reputation for being funny. I thought he was a very intelligent, sensitive young man and I wanted to meet him. He is a very good actor and I was delighted to have him in the film. I think he is going to be a huge star. I think he is as good or even better than Cary Grant. He has a charm and wit that are very rare and he is also impossibly good looking. We tried to make him look bad and we failed! (laughs) I would work with him again anytime.

What do you think is so special about Amanda?

COLE: Amanda Peet can make you cry and make you laugh, sometimes in the same moment. I think this is the first role in which she also shows her vulnerability. I was blessed with two really good actors and they got on with each other so well from the word ‘Go’.”

Do you think Ashton could branch out and do drama?

COLE: I think Ashton could do anything. He is sharp and talented. I never had to tell him anything twice and I think he is capable of doing great work. He has a wonderful charm so I think romantic comedies are natural for him but I think he could do serious drama too.”

Is it easy finding great stars to cast in a movie such as this one?

COLE: When you come to Hollywood from another country, you think that there are going to be huge movie stars on every street corner. And when you come to cast a film you think that you will be overwhelmed with stars. But you realize there are not that many, particularly when it comes to younger leading men, there is a world shortage. I am going to start a big campaign, because the world needs more movie stars. Never mind global warming, this is the great crisis facing the world. (laugh). When you need a handsome charismatic actor who can also be funny, it comes down to two or three actors. So I think why Ashton is going to do incredibly well in his career because there is not a lot of competition.

Continued on page 2


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