Film noir cloak and dagger films are alive and well thanks to writer/director NICK STAGLIANO and THE VIRTUOSO. Together with co-writer James C. Wolf, Stagliano weaves a nail-biting pot-boiling thriller about a professional assassin – THE VIRTUOSO – who accepts an assignment from his unnamed boss known only as “The Mentor.” Given only a “where and when” and one single clue, THE VIRTUOSO heads to a sleepy mountain town and must identify his mark among several possible targets, among them “The Sheriff”, “The Loner” at the local diner, “The Waitress”, some locals “Handsome Johnnie” and “The Girlfriend.”
Starring Anthony Hopkins, Anson Mount, Abbie Cornish, David Morse, Eddie Marsan, and Richard Brake, not to mention “The Dog” who is the one soft cuddly spot in the film, enigma is the watchword of the day as Stagliano maintains a dual storyline as unflinching, methodical, and precise as THE VIRTUOSO himself. With immaculate pacing and staging, the film’s construct feeds into Anson Mount’s performance as THE VIRTUOSO, stoic and unflinching, while reveling in the richness and texture of Anthony Hopkins’ commanding majesty.
In conversation, energetic and upbeat, Nick makes you feel as if you’ve known each other forever and with our exclusive chat there was an instant camaraderie as we talked about shooting in the Poconos in Pennsylvania, complete with the benefits and challenges of the locale and the weather and how that informs not only the production itself, but the story and performances. Digging into the making of THE VIRTUOSO, Nick is an open book, discussing casting and key scenes with Hopkins and Mount (start the new Oscar campaign for Anthony Hopkins now), story breadcrumbs, the use of voiceover narration with a bookish sensibility, Frank Prinzi’s flawless metaphoric cinematography, Norm Dodge’s rich production design, scoring by Will Blair and Brooke Blair, and of course, “The Dog” and so much more.
TAKE A LISTEN. . . . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview April 22, 2021
