Everything Else, Man, I Love Funny — May 28, 2012 at 3:00 pm

ANDY SERKIS TO GIVE KEANU REEVES THE GIFT OF MOTION-CAPTURED EMOTIONS FOR NEW ROMANTIC COMEDY

by

If the past four years have been a dark time in your life, it’s probably because Keanu Reeves didn’t really do much during them. He’s an enigmatic guy, that Keanu. You never know what he’s thinking. Anyways, perk up, because he’s already begun shooting an as-of-yet untitled romantic comedy scheduled for release sometime this fall. That’s not interesting, though. What’s interesting is that Andy Serkis has been tapped to bring to life all the facial expressions, emotions, and general life-like qualities presently missing in Keanu’s body of work. It’s a tough job, but if anyone can do it, it’s the guy who mo-capped for a mutated hobbit and a talking chimp.

Serkis is deep in thought with his character as Keanu reads the title page for the eighteenth time

Mum’s the word on any sort of plot synopsis, but I have it on good authority that no stops will be pulled when it comes to the special effects department. In order to understand the process better, I sat down with Andy Serkis on the set of his most difficult task as an actor.

“This isn’t like Lord of the Rings,” Serkis remarked while slowly shaking his head. “There’s no real template to go off of. When I was doing all the Gollum stuff, at least I knew how the character was supposed to feel inside. But when it comes to Keanu Reeves, there’s just not much there to work with. I’m going to have to find a hyperbolic chamber or something so I can get inside his head, you know? I think I need to experience what it’s like to seemingly feel nothing.”

Of course, it’s easy to understand the predicament facing Serkis, and who better to express how important emotions are to a script than the man he’s trying to better: Keanu himself.

Despite his enthusiasm for it, emotive visualization eludes Keanu Reeves to this day

Continuing the theme of emotions and how they’re visually represented, I was able to get a few shots of Keanu expressing certain feelings while on set, with Andy Serkis then bringing them to life.

Keanu’s version of “happy” followed by actual happiness

Keanu tried “scared” and Serkis showed him why it sucked

“Anger” just wasn’t coming naturally to Keanu

After such a horrible display, Serkis was noticeably frustrated with the Chain Reaction star. As he was trying to make his way to the Kraft Foodservice table, Serkis was heard mumbling, “God damn, I don’t understand. Just react. Do something.”

A visibly frustrated Andy Serkis pulls another all-nighter

The next day, Serkis pulled me aside and gave me his new idea on how to get more out of Keanu. It was apparent that he didn’t want to waste another six hours trying to explain to him how to act surprised.

“Here’s what I’m thinking: take him out to a bar,” Serkis said with a Smeagol-esque grin on his face. “Once he’s good and trashed, I’ll do something to really get his goat. Maybe drive him around all crazy while he’s nauseous. That should do the trick.”

All those years of practicing maniacal laughter really paid off

I waited outside the pub for a couple of hours, unaware of how well Serkis’ plan was working out. Then, around 7pm, the duo emerged. Serkis seemed sturdy, but Keanu had obviously lost a lot of mental capacity. He could barely get the car door open once Serkis motioned for him to get in. After only a few minutes of donuts and power-sliding, the inevitable happened.

Serkis’ plan worked, and Keanu became aware of a whole new kind of emotional expression

In the end, it seems the two professionals were able to come together and figure out a solution that works for both of them. I can say first hand that I saw no less than two distinct emotions come across Keanu’s face, and that was just during a reading.

Serkis was finally able to enjoy something emanating from Keanu’s face

I think the most gratifying piece of information I came away with has to do with the change in Keanu’s demeanor after having worked only a few days with Andy Serkis. There was a noticeable step up in the way he reacted to people, and he seemed to be genuinely happy about it. I’m glad, for one, and I hope this movie – whatever it is – pans out for everyone involved.

Keanu learned more than ever before from the experience of acting with Andy Serkis

 

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51 Comments

  • Reply
    Kaiderman
    Twitter:
    May 28, 2012 6:03 pm

    Well done, Phobos! lol

  • Reply
    Pete
    Twitter:
    May 29, 2012 8:12 am

    They should have got Ahmed Best in rather than Serkis.

  • Reply
    Dylan
    Twitter:
    May 29, 2012 8:38 pm

    That video was the best thing I saw today. Keanu getting existential = happy Dylan. And I miss his long hair. I need to watch more interviews with him.

    And I haven’t seen Much Ado in forever. Used to love that flick. Yeah, I said it.

  • Reply
    Anakin McFly May 30, 2012 3:16 am

    For a moment there I was going to at least praise you for your originality (it’s the first time anyone has exploited Andy Serkis); but then I realised that, no, the entire thing is basically the same-old rehash of tired misconceptions about Keanu Reeves being some expressionless subhuman with the IQ of a kumquat.

    If this – basically the comedic equivalent of laughing at the kid in the wheelchair – is what passes for humour with you, then you are a sad, sad person who evidently gets off on trying to show everyone how cool you are for going along with popular opinion, and somehow thinking that makes you edgy or original or something. Newsflash: it does the exact opposite.

    And, hey, you’re entitled to that, if it helps you sleep better at night. But using Serkis is a low shot, especially given that I highly doubt you have any idea what he honestly thinks of Reeves. They might be friends for all you know, and even if not, I doubt he’d appreciate having his name and image used to mock a colleague in the industry, even in a joking fashion.

    - Anakin McFly
    Keanu SWAT Team
    http://www.whoaisnotme.net/dkr.htm

    • Reply
      Dylan
      Twitter:
      May 30, 2012 10:29 am

      I happen to be a Keanu fan and regularly defend him against the haters, but funny is funny, and this is funny.

      I got a laugh out of this, too: “basically the comedic equivalent of laughing at the kid in the wheelchair.” So, basically, you are the one saying he has special needs? Kinda defeats your purpose, doesn’t it?

      • Reply
        Anakin McFly May 30, 2012 7:52 pm

        nah, that’s not how analogies work. Laughing at someone for being mentally deficient – whether or not they actually are – is not that different from laughing at someone for being physically so.

    • Reply
      Joanna C May 30, 2012 10:46 am

      Comparing a joke about Keanu Reeves to laughing at a kid in a wheelchair is about as off-base as a criticism can get. I’m more offended by that comparison than anything the writers of this post wrote. A post which, by the way, is a SATIRE. And PS on what planet is a segment called “Man, I Love Funny” supposed to be interpreted as an actual news item implying that Andy Serkis has any opinion at all about the quality of Keanu Reeves work. He doesn’t. That’s the joke.

      • Reply
        Anakin McFly May 30, 2012 7:36 pm

        I’m sorry. I could have used a better analogy, perhaps. The idea was that both involve mockery of someone perceived to be less able than you in some way – in this case, intelligence – and thus stem from a similar attitude.

    • Reply
      Sir Phobos
      Twitter:
      May 30, 2012 1:04 pm

      Hey, look, Mr. McFly. First of all, although this might be the first time someone has exploited Andy Serkis, it will not be the last. You can quote me on that.

      Don’t sue me if I use your description of Keanu as “…some expressionless subhuman with the IQ of a kumquat.” That’s better than anything I wrote.

      Is Andy Serkis doing motion capture work for a guy who can do “neutral” and “slightly amused” really going with popular opinion? I thought I was starting something here.

      I sleep just fine, thanks. And just for the record, that video I put in this article is genuine, so…you can go ahead and tell me the man is a deep thinker if you really want to, but it seems the evidence is against you.

      I like your site, though. You should add a small section somewhere about how you help the poor starving kids of Africa after a long, hard day’s work of Googling Keanu Reeves and crying inside your rose-colored glasses.

      -Sir Phobos
      Man, I Love Films SSS (Satire Secret Service)
      http://http://manilovefilms.com/category/everything-else/man-i-love-funny/

      • Reply
        Anakin McFly May 30, 2012 7:49 pm

        Popular opinion as in the concept of using Keanu as a punching bag and one of the main go-to guys whenever critics want to make fun of someone’s acting.

        I’m not an interview-watching kind of fan and it’s too early for watching videos, but I’ve seen similar, and chances are it’s one of those early 90s interviews in which Keanu was either half asleep and/or stoned and far from his intellectual best.

        People who have actually met Keanu or worked with him almost universally mention his intelligence, and how it diverts so much from the image popularised in the media. Some quotes here -> http://www.whoaisnotme.net/intel.htm
        or this article from an interviewer who decided Keanu was a “stealth genius”: http://www.whoaisnotme.net/articles/2008_1027_kea.htm

        Glad you like my site. I’d mention helping the poor starving kids of Africa, except that would be a lie; my work largely involves LGBT activism and helping kids closer to home (Singapore). Also, googling is so last century, this is the most effort I’ve spent on anything Keanu-related in a long while, and my glasses are perfectly colourless.

        • Reply
          Sir Phobos
          Twitter:
          May 30, 2012 8:17 pm

          Dude, it’s Keanu Reeves. You picked one of the dumbest possible things to crusade against. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t need a task force to save him from the internet.

          I actually like Keanu when he’s used well. Constantine, The Matrix, and Bill & Ted (not Bogus Journey…that sucks) come to mind. That said, this is satire. Opinions and facts get exaggerated for effect. I don’t actually think the guy is mentally retarded. I just think he’s a shitty actor, and most of his movies prove that. Anyways…I’m going back to watching Johnny Mnemonic.

        • Reply
          Lauren May 31, 2012 7:04 am

          Oh my God. It’s a JOKE! A JOKE! Do you know what a joke is? Apparently you lost your sense of humor in one of those dreadful cupcake baking accidents we hear so much about.

          Although I do personally enjoy Keanu, but this is still funny. Because it’s a JOKE. Stop ruining the internetz for the rest of us.

          • Anakin McFly May 31, 2012 9:43 am

            Google says a joke is “A thing that someone says to cause amusement or laughter, esp. a story with a funny punchline.” So by that definition, something is not necessarily funny by virtue of being a joke; something being a joke has more to do with intention, hence the “this is still funny. Because it’s a JOKE” logic is a fallacy.

            …And then you had to go and mention cupcakes and make me hungry, when it’s almost 1am in the morning and a completely inappropriate time for baking. :( CURSE YOU AND YOUR CUPCAKE TEMPTATIONS.

          • ckage June 1, 2012 2:46 am

            “It’s a JOKE” is not a get-out-of-jail card from criticism. Deal with it.

          • Lauren June 1, 2012 7:46 am

            Aw, look who’s redefining the paradigm to better correspond to their own world view! That’s so cute!

            You’re right. But it is the only way to deal with dingbats (I use that in the pejorative sense) who call themselves a Keanu SWAT team (please, dear God, tell me you’re kidding and that this is all an elaborate troll exercise). Whoa.

          • John June 1, 2012 9:05 am

            THINK OF KEANU! WON’T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF KEANU?!?!

        • Reply
          MarkusWelby1
          Twitter:
          May 31, 2012 9:32 am

          I think McFly and the “LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE” guy must be related…..nuff said.

  • Reply
    MarkusWelby1
    Twitter:
    May 30, 2012 8:33 am

    I actually think that Serkis got into the mocapping business to help poor unfortunate emotionless souls like Keanu. He’s providing a service for the greater good and couldn’t disagree more with McFly…..”HELLO MCFLY!”

  • Reply
    ckage May 31, 2012 5:25 am

    Ah… “Keanu-doesn’t-emote”, plus original use of vomit imagery. How edgy!!

    (disclaimer: the above comment contained sarcasm. Better clear this one out, because interpretation capacity doesn’t seem to abound around these parts.)

  • Reply
    dirtywithclass
    Twitter:
    May 31, 2012 9:37 am

    I think the comments here are even better than the actual article. I am thoroughly amused

  • Reply
    Dan
    Twitter:
    May 31, 2012 9:59 am

    This whole thing is so great. Can I join the Keanu SWAT Team? I had no idea it existed!

    Nice job with the post, Sir Phobos. It’s been a dreary day, and these exchanges made it a lot better.

  • Reply
    monica June 2, 2012 11:56 am

    This gag is well-executed, with the jarring exception of having cast in the the ‘emotionless’ role an actor with a demonstrably wide range when it comes to emotive visualization. You wouldn’t cast Steve Reeves in the role of a physical weakling, would you? Ciao!

  • Reply
    Joke June 5, 2012 1:38 am

    I’m late to the game, but anyway.

    What does Keanu think of this?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLpP7TDlCXE

    :-)

  • Reply
    Kaiderman
    Twitter:
    June 14, 2012 4:47 pm

    I would normally just delete a troll like McFly and his bullshit comments since he is just essentially spamming us with links to his site but damnit if his site doesn’t have an awesome name! ha

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