Carles Torras – Callback #LFF2016

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Carles Torras, director of Callback from the 60th BFI London Film Festival.

Callback is the English language debut by director Carles Torres. The film was crafted by him and the leading actor of the film, Martin Bacigalupo. The end result is a film that sits well with familiar cinematic portrayals of psychopathic men.

In this case, the leading character is Larry De Cecco, whose short description is summed up perfectly in the BFI London Film Festival’s synopsis for the film: “a struggling voice actor, part-time removals man, practicing psychopath.”

Torras talks to us about the style and construction of the film, and the various themes that are dealt with in the film, such as loneliness and feigned personalities – the latter point inspired more general observations, of which the highlight is the director jokingly remarking “maybe the film industry is full of aliens.” The film, after all, talks about the American dreams, and that is another aspect from Callback which we examine in this interview.

CALLBACK. Meet Larry de Cecco – struggling voice actor, part-time removals man, practising psychopath. Dividing his time between his thankless day job and a series of humbling auditions, Larry takes enjoyment in minor break-ins and perverse acts of vandalism. When an aspiring actress rents a room in his apartment, it looks like the reclusive Larry might have found a friend, but it is not long before his dark urges rise to the surface. With his English language debut, Spanish director Carles Torras has crafted a scathing critique of the American Dream, shot with cool precision and infused with a caustic streak of black humour. Larry’s unhinged stoicism can be traced through a dark history of screen sociopaths, from Travis Bickle to Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, but lead actor and co-writer Martin Bacigalupo’s revelatory, squirm-inducing performance makes for a truly distinctive anti-hero who will not be easily forgotten – no matter how hard you try.