Interviewing Paul Dano and Melissa Leo turned out to be one of the tougher assignments I had at this year’s TIFF. It’s not that they weren’t perfectly charming (both Leo and Dano were exceptionally nice), but the issue is that in the movie PRISONERS, they play the two characters without delving too deeply into the movie’s plot, which is a no-no for a film like this.
As such, I had to tread rather lightly in my interview. Luckily Dano and Leo both seemed game, although I only had a brief amount of time with them to discuss their respective roles. Dano plays Alex Jones, a mentally handicapped man who Hugh Jackman‘s character is convinced is behind the abduction of his daughter, which Leo plays his guardian Holly. Part of me wishes I could re-interview them a few weeks after the film opens and everyone sees it to better elaborate on their parts.