How much fun was it to play someone that rude?
It was bliss, of course, because I think we were all far too well brought up. From very early on we’re encouraged to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to everyone for no good reason, and of course for things we don’t actually want.
Would you have made the film any other way, looking back?
Having been in this industry for a long time, trying to get movies made is very challenging under any circumstances.
How did you come across the book and what compelled you to champion this project?
Coogan: I was in New York making a film. And because my career’s been in comedy—I’ve written a lot of television comedy— I wanted to find something more substantial, that had more substance.
Why did you decide to shoot this film in black and white?
Alexander Payne: You know, it wasn’t ever really a decision—it just felt right. It had to be in black and white.
What was involved in the production of making such a visually and sonically rich film?
At the Tour de France we had a full ten cameras, and we were able to put a camera inside the car, sometimes two, and then at every stop along the way we had three cameras in every car.