Italian director Paolo Genovese, known for his sharp and crowd-pleasing bitter comedies, dives into a stylized world with Madly which depicts the inner workings of our brains under the control of emotions that take on human form. The screening was followed by a lively discussion with the audience. Many were reminded of Pixar’s animated film Inside Out, a comparison pointed out in the very first question.
“Actually, it was the other way around. Pixar took inspiration from me,” Genovese joked. “I’ve long entertained the idea that we all carry multiple personalities within us. I even made a commercial based on the same concept, and one of my earlier films that probably no one has seen also bears some similarities. When I finally sat down to write the script for Madly, I asked Disney if they had any problem with it. In the end, they liked the idea so much they came on board as co-producers.”
Genovese finds inspiration for his films, often centred on interpersonal relationships, primarily in real life. He draws from everyday observations of the world and people around him. After all, ideas and thoughts are said to resonate most when rooted in a specific moment or situation. “Madly has been a great success around the world because it reflects the ongoing transformation of romantic relationships. One must be curious, observant and view the world with a critical eye,” explains the creator of Perfect Strangers, the most remade film of all time, which also came up in the debate: “After watching Perfect Strangers, most people just wanted to break up. With Madly, I wanted to make up for that and make people want to fall in love again.”
When asked about the soundtrack, Genovese threw in an amusing behind-the-scenes story. “We spent a long time figuring out how to represent the emotions in the brain when the characters have sex for the first time. We landed on a musical scene where the actors sing. I wanted something like liberating rock. But now, the actors tell me that every time after they’ve had sex, they can’t help but sing Somebody to Love,” he said, sparking laughter in the audience and proving once again that he has the right recipe for what resonated with the audiences.
