Riff Raff is Dito Montiel’s latest film. It stars Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Lewis Pullman, Pete Davidson, and Bill Murray. The story is about a former criminal whose ordinary life is turned upside down when his old family shows up. After a triumphant premiere last fall at TIFF, Roadside Attractions just released it into theaters. Montiel recently spoke to Immersive via Zoom.
[This conversation has been edited to clarity and length]
Tell me a little bit about how you got involved with Riff Raff. What was it like working on someone else’s script because you usually write your own stuff?
It was written as a play by John Pollano. My friend, actor PJ Ransome, was rehearsing the play and told me I should read it. I read it and loved it. It felt like Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf, but everybody’s Virginia Woolf. Let me figure out how I can make this happen.
How long did this one take to put together?
It’s always near impossible. You know that world, it’s insane. You never know who’s got value or not. The financing is such madness, but it’s a double-edged sword. People always talk about how the seventies were such a great time for directors. Well, it was great for 10 directors, and now it’s okay for 10,000. I’ll take those odds in that sense.
It’s hard to keep up with all the changes…
It’s utterly insane. It’s built to fail, and sometimes, it doesn’t, you know? I don’t know how to keep up with the changes. My attitude is to put my head down, do the work, and pray.
You have a remarkable quality with actors. You always get an amazing cast. Can you talk about casting for this movie?
It’s always a trip. It’s easier said than done. I was watching The White Lotus, and I’m the only person on this earth who didn’t know who Jennifer Coolidge was. I thought she was great in it and knew I wanted to cast her. A guy I know has the same manager as her, so I got it to her, and she said yes.
I knew Ed Harris from Sundance Labs; he was an advisor of mine. Years ago, he gave me his email and made the mistake of saying, “If you ever need anything…” I’m the guy who will take you up on it. I told him I was doing a movie with Jennifer Coolidge, and he wrote back, “I love Jennifer, I’ll read it.” Then, the creative floodgates opened.
I know that Bill Murray has better things to do. He definitely doesn’t need me or this movie. If he wants to be here, I wonder what he’s gonna do with that role. You know? It’d probably be exciting. I’ve been lucky with this. I was lucky that my first film had Robert Downey Jr attached – who doesn’t wanna work with an actor like that?
The rest of the cast, Gabrielle Union, Lewis Pullman, Miles J. Harvey…
Miles Harvey, he is the real deal… We had all these open calls, and the minute Miles walked in, I was like, there he is. Who else could say this stuff? He’s a machine; he did the scene and then asked to do another – he did six scenes. DJ was an essential part.
Every piece is essential. You have a real knack for finding character actors for the smaller yet essential roles.
When I read it, I first thought of PJ Bryne, who I love to death, and I thought he had to play the neighbor. It’s only one scene, but he will shred it into oblivion. I called him and said PJ, here’s the deal: There is no money, and you have to bring yourself here, and it’s only one scene, but you are going to be with Bill Murray and Pete Davidson. And he says, “I’ll be there.” It was the same with Scott Michael Campbell, who I love; he plays the clerk in one scene with them and crushed it.
What were your favorite moments in this movie?
Just being in the room with those eight actors was a trip. I don’t do storyboards because, to me, storyboards are a dream that’s not gonna come true. You know I could draw a window there, but I’m not gonna build it, you know? So, we find the location and then let an actor dictate the scene. Then, they act out the scenes with an iPhone to get a feeling for it. I can’t think of a moment, but being in a room with eight actors that you love, there are worse things you could be doing.
What were you some unique challenges other than just monetary?
So, every day is something new. You have many things to worry about these days and schedules; it’s insane. Years ago, I saw this quote from a famous director who said, “I regret getting into this business because I could have been so much more creative.” It takes so long to make the movie, and you worry so much. I feel like it’s a party that I snuck into that someone’s gonna figure out that I don’t belong in it and kick me out.
There’s a phrase people use a lot now: imposter syndrome…
You have to be arrogant enough to think you can do it. Something tells you that you don’t belong in this place, you know? My father was a typewriter mechanic from Nicaragua. Like, this was not on the radar.
When I was at the Sundance Labs, Frank Pierson (Cool Hand Luke, Dog Day Afternoon) was one of the writers who shared his process with me. He said, “I wake up every morning at 7:00 AM. I have breakfast, then I work from eight till noon, then I have a little lunch, then I work from then until five, and then I’m done with my day. If you wanna be a writer, that’s what you must do.”
Not everyone can do that, especially now.
I liked his thinking because no one is waiting for the next movie written by me. So I tackle it by putting my head down, writing it, and at least somehow getting through whatever tough time in life I’ve been through; at least sitting and writing makes me feel better while I’m in it. I’m in a dream, and I’m in a fantasy. I try my hardest to make it as good as possible to feel confident enough that if someone doesn’t want to do it, I think at least it’s my best shot.
That’s excellent. One thing about your movies is that they all feel real. Something that’s really lacking in modern movies is blue-collar characters.
They don’t make heroes like that anymore. It drives me nuts because I wonder what happened to the guy who is broke or the woman who is broke. You know? There used to be movies like The Deer Hunter…
Steelworkers.
Steelworkers. The movie takes an hour and a half for anything to happen. They’re just hanging out. I have to admit, part of me was like, come on… I see you’re hanging out. You’re playing pool. Then, all of a sudden, it jumps into insanity, and you realize what craft…
What has this experience been like with this movie? It’s like a VHS that I would’ve rented with my mom and dad in the late eighties or early nineties.
That’s what excited me: a bunch of interesting people in a room doing really bad things. How could I not be excited? And they’re funny, too.
Riff Raff is now playing in theaters.
