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'Things Like This' filmmaker: 'Everyone deserves love' no matter size or sexuality
Max Talisman is a filmmaker determined to carve out space for stories that feel as raw and real as the streets of New York City where he shot his first feature. A writer, director, producer, and actor, Talisman wears many hats for Things Like This, his debut film that refuses to fit neatly into the boxes of romantic fantasy or predictable queer tropes.The film follows two men, both named Zack, whose unexpected connection forces them to navigate the long-term emotional aftermath of growing up queer. Its a romance, but not the glossy, idealized kind. Instead, Things Like This leans into the messy, vulnerable, and sometimes painful truth of forging intimacy while carrying the scars of the past. The film also eschews traditional rom-com tropes by portraying a full, dynamic romantic relationship between a fat man (Talisman) and a thinner man (Joey Pollari). Joey Pollari and Max Talisman in 'Things Like This'Courtesy MPX ReleasingShot entirely in New York City over just 18 days, the project is the first release from Talismans own production company. He not only directed and produced the film but also stars in it, shouldering the creative and logistical weight to ensure the story stayed grounded in authenticity rather than falling into clich.Talisman began writing the script in 2017, after nearly a decade working in film and television and realizing how rarely someone like him, a queer man, was allowed to exist at the center of the frame. With Things Like This, hes determined to change that narrative. Out spoke with Talisman about the tone and inspiration behind the project, and what he hopes queer audiences will carry with them after the credits roll.Youve described the film as exploring the idea of the "in between." Is there a specific scene that, for you, captures that in-between moment most powerfully.Max Talisman: I think theres a few moments. Theres a sense of trying to flirt with someone but not totally knowing they are queer. Is this a vibe and are we catching this together? [Laughs] I think we see it in the struggles of the characters accepting themselves both as queer people and as adults. I just thought when writing it, like, I screw up all the time. We're messy and we are growing all the time.I read that you might have originally started writing this as a horror concept. Is that true, and are there any scenes in the film that still reflect that darker, horror-inspired vision?The film itself wasnt horror, but I was writing a horror film and it kept devolving into comedy. Then I thought I have to kind of listen to what's happening here and just write a romantic comedy because that's what I think my subconscious is having me do anyway.Did any films, rom-com wise, inspire the tone of the project?I think most of them are straight films from the 90s in the early 2000s that really created the rom-com genre. As a queer person, I had to find myself in it. My goal with this film was to create something that felt nostalgic and felt wonderful to exist in the world with these characters. I wanted straight people to be able to find themselves within the lens of these two gay men, but [they] can also relate to these experiences. I think the films that informed me the most are movies like Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's Diary like all of those quintessential [films].What production challenges did you come across, and what did you learn from those?My brain naturally works in a very creative way, and it can work in this technical aspect of producing and production as well. I just don't enjoy it as much as the creative stuff. I've been a creative person since I was young. So the stuff that we came across was just sort of everyday stuff that happens on a film set, like you're running over time, or like that kind of thing. As a producer, it was my job to be aware of that. As the creative, I was like, I didn't want to be aware of it. I think it was the juxtaposition of producing and being the creative that were sometimes challenging. Cast of 'Things Like This'Courtesy MPX ReleasingWhat directorial choices, whether in camera angles, pacing, blocking, or opportunities for improvisation, did you feel were most essential in preserving your vision for the film?I think giving actors the freedom to feel like they could play is something that was so important to me. I also think my vision was coming from an actor's standpoint of wanting to collaborate with these other actors and really just being sort of a team leader in that way. I wanted the actors to always know they had a safe place to play and a safe time to explore. I would also say the soundtrack. It was really important as a director for me to capture the film musically in a way that felt authentic and felt like something that I think people would want to be listening to while going on this adventure in New York City.There's been a lack of queer content recently, so this film came at a great time and we hope we receive more like it. What is this film saying, and what do you want queer audiences to walk away with?I think it's obviously a horrible thing that there's less queer content this year than there was last year, and there's less queer content from last year than there was the year before. As queer creators, were told we have to make something different, and then we have these straight films and Im not sure how many times Ive seen a knockoff of the movie Taken. Sorry [laughs]. I think it's important for us as queer people to be reinventing this because these are the questions we are asked. What was most important was telling this from a size perspective, and also making it clear that everyone deserves love no matter who you are. You deserve to feel like you are valid in that search for love.... Moving forward, I want to explore so many things as a writer. I think because my lens is that of a queer man, that's where it will always start. Theres a lot of different aspects in this world right now that I think are important to explore.Things Like This is now available to stream on digital and DVD/Blu-ray. Watch the trailer below.
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