Iron Man 3 _ meet the press Paris (2013) Robert Downey Jr. Gwyneth Paltrow

Feeling the room? Feels right? The vibes are good? I feel it. I feel it. Good. So the vibrations are good. Well, first of all, thank you for being in Paris for Iron Man 3. And of course, we talk directly straight to the movie. In the movie, we see suddenly Tony facing Pepper and admitting basically she's essential to his life. I was wondering, what did you both want to explore with Shane Black? Now, you know, behind the camera. And what are your characters' journey and dynamics? All right. Go for it. And I'll be translating. Well, what I think, and Jon Favreau, who directed obviously the first couple Iron Man movies, always said, you know, the heart of the movie is Pepper and Tony. And I think it's what, like I was talking to female journalists today, and they said, you know, I usually don't go for this sort of movie. I liked it. And it's obvious because there's something a little bit more accessible and mature and interesting about the relationship. So we wanted to kind of go to the next level. And Gwyneth always acts like, oh, I don't even know what you guys are doing, but she's actually really smart and savvy about this stuff. And we wanted her to have more to do. And we wanted her character's arc to be more significant, didn't we? Well, let's not forget that Jon Favreau, who obviously directed the first two Iron Man movies, always said that the heart of the story was the relationship between Pepper and Tony. And I was talking to female journalists this morning, and they found that there was a much more mature relationship here, which they were obviously more interested in. So with Iron Man 3, I think we wanted to go to the next level of their relationship. And Gwyneth always acted like she didn't know what her place or role was, when in reality, of course, she's extremely smart and savvy, and she knows exactly what she wants to do. And so we wanted to give this new film more scope, to give her character a richer and more interesting arc, didn't we, Gwyneth? So is that how you see the movie as well? A bigger arc for your character and the relationship? Okay, should I try and do it in French to save you here? Why not? Yeah, let's give her a round of applause. She's going to try, Gwyneth, to speak in French. I think it deserves a round of applause. Absolutely. Okay, I'll try. So in the first film, Pepper is very cute. She's always helping Tony with his work. It was very good, it was cute. But now, in the third film, she's a lot stronger, a lot more interesting. Also, the relationship between Tony and Pepper is a bit more complicated. I think Pepper was very funny to make this film. The third film is the best for me. You get it, very sexy by the French actor. So, questions here. Yes, hello, so Ilan Malka for The Move. These are very physical roles. Can you tell us about their physical preparation for these roles? I do sports every day, five times a week. I need to do a bit more for the team, but also with my food. I ate a little bit more meat, but Robert is also very strong. As you all know, I'm a Kung Fu master. So most of my training was internal. So you get it, most of my training was mental and internal. Of course. Another question, here. Hello, this is for the approach of the story and the characters. I think it's more adult with Shane Black. I wanted to know if that's what you liked the most for the third episode of Iron Man. Well, it also seemed that Shane Black's approach is in a way much more adult, mature, as you said. Is that also what attracted you to go for it the third time around? As Robert said, I think the center of the film is the relationship between Pepper and Tony. There are a lot of special effects, but I think the reason it's a little bit better than other films of this genre is because the dynamic relationship between the two is more interesting. You had to do something that was unexpected again. And Shane Black, I know the French people and press are very warm to him. And I think there's a reason he's very well deserving. His reputation is noticed. It's true that after Avengers, which was a huge success, both critically and financially, you had to present something unexpected with Iron Man 3. And I think Shane Black was the director you needed. And I know that in France he is very much appreciated by journalists and rightly so. Questions? Yes? I had one, but I think they just answered it. How did they approach the change of personality, especially for Iron Man? In Avengers 2, he's more on the big show side, a bit of a megalomaniac, a spoiled brat. And here we have a character who is much more confronted with his past, tormented. And the second question was, how does this film fit into the second phase? Because at first glance, it doesn't seem obvious. First part of the question is for you, Robert. And obviously there's a big change between Iron Man, let's say, Iron Man 2, and even the Iron Man we see in Avengers, which is quite a bit of an arrogant, megalomaniac kind of guy. And here in the country, he's much more tormented. How did you really prepare for this radical inner change? Relationships? Again, I try to think about what the audience is hoping for. People are under the impression that Tony is kind of a little more real. And obviously I've drawn on some of my own experience playing the guy. But at this point, it kind of feels this strange kind of life, imitating art, imitating life. And we just wanted to make something a little bit deeper. I think this film has more depth, but I think it's very entertaining and actually very funny in a way that kids will like and adults don't seem to mind either. So it's true that, of course, we know that the audience is waiting to see and have an impression of Tony which is more real, I think, today. And then, of course, these changes you're talking about, it's also my own experience as a man. It's a little bit as if, in the end, here, cinema imitated life in a way. And I think that Shane Black really gives more depth to the scenario and to the story, even though, of course, there are a lot of funny moments and extremely entertaining as well. There's something really important. I think you need to look more at the shoes. You need to look at Gwyneth's shoes. That's also what sells tickets. Okay, questions? Speaking of humour, I'd like to know what made them laugh the most when reading the script. And, for example, the approach of the fans of Iron Man. How they tattoo themselves with Tony's face. Do the fans themselves have unusual behaviours? No, they actually prefer to talk to Gwyneth when she's the one talking. The scenario was... The scenario was funny as well, but for me, Robert is the funniest thing in the scenario because he's always changing the words and the ideas. So, that's the humour. It's from him. I hate paper. I also hate it when I receive close-up lines. I also like to launch them and improvise. How do you feel Shane fitted visually within the second scene? That's actually a really good question. Good question. John Toll shot this movie as one of our great American DPs. And Shane really, really, really was looking at movies from the 60s. He was looking at European culture. He was looking at noir film. He really wanted this to feel kind of like a detective story in some way. And also wanted to kind of break the mould of the way sometimes these films look. There's very wide shots. There's very close shots. And then there's shots that used to be green that they changed into other things. He wanted it to feel like it really did have a visual style. And he wanted it to seem a little bit more immediate. It's true that, first of all, John Toll is the director of photography, of course. But we also watched a lot of movies from the 60s, European movies, a lot of noir films. Because Shane Black really wanted to give the impression that we were in a thriller, in a detective genre movie. He didn't want, let's say, the usual scheme of wide shots, then close-ups, and then, of course, the famous green screen. No, he really wanted to give this film a visual style. And it's in this, of course, that this film is different, but at the same time, it's part of Iron Man. So the fans, what do you have to say about the fans? So it's normal, and besides, there's a team of security around him that's important. Question? Yes, the microphone is here. Hello, I'm Thomas Robert. What is your implication in the studio decision to promote Shane Black as director? And how would you describe your work relation with him? We've been arguing, by the way. It's just about personal. So, you get it, he was arguing like that. He was whining, why didn't you see the baby? Susan was waiting. That was kind of my screen test for the screen test for Iron Man. But the first couple of days, I mean, you know, Gwyneth doesn't really know Shane, and she didn't really know Joss, and her and Jon Favreau are very, very close. And so it's been this kind of odd transition. And sometimes she'd look at Shane and go, he's very odd. I mean, what is he doing? And Shane is so enamored with Gwyneth that he would be like, you know, or whatever. So, but then what happens is when we start working together and when we're working on the scenes, it's just, I don't know, I just, I've never had a better chemistry with anyone than you. And there's something about it that, you know, just really translates well to film. So Shane would just kind of put us together and leave us alone and be eccentric and then say cut. So there you have it. Whether you believe it or not, it's the Marvel Studios that first went to see Shane. And it's the truth. So, of course, after they asked me, I agreed. And of course, first of all, because it's someone with whom we work almost intuitively. We have common instincts. And then, of course, my role in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was almost a test, an audition test for Iron Man. So, in a way, we found each other. And then, on the other hand, for Gwyneth, it was a little different. Because the first two days, in any case, she didn't know Shane, not Joss. So it was all a little complicated for her. And she looked at me from time to time saying, but what is he doing there? And then, in fact, in reality, Shane was quite intimidated, but a lot Gwyneth. So he was a little bit like that at first. You saw the imitation, of course, that you had, that Robert did. But in fact, after a very short time, there is such an alchemy between the two of us. And since forever, and I really believe that my alchemy with Gwyneth is the strongest I've ever seen on the screen. That right away, with Shane, he understood that to put us both in front of the camera and, basically, to let us be a little bit divagated by being eccentric. She is so free to do that. Well, that was enough. And in the end, she said, cut. It was a little bit weird for me when we started, because the first two films were with John. He is very, very important for the Iron Man films. And also, he was there as an actor, as an actor, sorry. So it was a little bit weird, because Shane was there, but John was there too. But Shane was the director. But the truth is that Shane has a lot of talent. The script was beautiful. The best of the three, I think. So it was very good. Especially since you have a lot of scenes with Happy Hogan. Another question over there. Hello, first of all. A question for both of you. Which scene gave you the most pleasure as an actor to play? And a question for Gwyneth. She talked earlier about dietetics. And we know that she wrote books about recipes. I would also like to know if she was a good cook and what are her favorite dishes? For me, it was when... As an actor, I don't know. For me, it was when I had their... What is the word? Their death. Yes. Yes, it was very good for me. And you? First of all, I feel like an asshole. But I was raised by wolves. She went to all these nice schools and they spent all this goddamn money. And now she's all fancy and comes out and you just love her. I am an animal. I'm an ugly American. They don't teach French in jail. I think we can applaud that. They had to say it compared to Gwyneth's impeccable French. Of course, she went to the best schools. And of course, they teach French there. While he feels like a kind of beast. An American who is a bit stupid here. Because of course, they don't teach French in jail. So, what was the most pleasurable scene anyway? Now that you've said it, feeling better? We had a steam shower scene. It was a three-day shoot. They didn't use any of it. They said kids couldn't watch it. Seriously, Annie? She saved the footage. No particular scene you enjoyed? I mean, these films are particularly serious. But the heart of the movie is kind of, you know... She finds Tony in a bad way. He admits he's messed up. And somehow or other, there's this resolution where she kind of hugs him. And then says she's going to run a shower and he's going to join her. To me, it was like conflict resolution. To me, it's the most important scene in the movie. Because she goes one way for a bunch of it and he goes another way. But if you don't have it rooted in, this is a couple who knows how to be honest with each other and love each other and resolve their conflicts, then who cares if they get back together? So, in reality, it's true that the heart of this movie, what was most important to me, was those moments where he admits, he finally says to Pepper that he's completely lost and that it's not going in his head at all. So there's the side where he comes home, she's going to take a shower, etc. There's this conflictual side. We immediately find a solution. Because, in fact, deep down, they have a very honest relationship. They have a relationship where they love each other, they can talk to each other, and so they always find a solution to the conflict. So it was those scenes that, in my opinion, were the most important. Other questions, yes? I would like to come back to the armor. There's a French expression, the defect of the cuirass. I wonder if this movie is not a movie about the defect of the cuirass. The armor doesn't work. And I would like to know if, for him, it's more interesting to interpret the hero in the armor or the hero out of the armor, with the armor that doesn't work. Well, Gwyneth, you were mentioning earlier the armor, and obviously there are many flaws in this film to this armor. So, if truth be told, do you feel, Robert, that Tony, in a way, enjoys more being out of the armor or inside of the armor? What proved the most challenging and interesting for you? I think, yeah, I mean, hopefully this movie was about, and we tried to make it kind of clear, it's about transcending the need to be attached to that mask. It's a pretty lofty idea. But he also does it. I mean, it's stupid. It's kind of like almost an old Chevalier thing. He'll give it all up for love, you know? See what you do to me? So, of course, we can see that Tony is deeply, almost obsessively attached to this mask, which is the armor. But, of course, like a Chevalier, we can see right away that he's ready to drop his weapons, to take off this armor. See what she does to me? The effect that this woman does to me. So, another question, and this will be the penultimate one. Yes? It seemed to me that the film could also be seen as a parable about addiction to technology and how we can feel better if we get rid of it and if we master it. I wanted to know if that struck you in the script and if these are questions that you could ask each other in your daily practice of technology. And how we are, in a way, addicted to technology. Is that a question that you feel the film actually poses? And is it a question that both of you sometimes address in your private lives as well? With my children, it's impossible. They are completely addicted to the little iPad. I don't know, it's horrible. I asked them a question and they are always like that. But that's the world now. I think we need to adapt a little, but it's not fantastic with children. Well, then how do we buy it? We bought the London one. Paris isn't out yet. It really is funny. Five years ago, things were one way, and now she's very entrenched in this as a way of doing business, as a way of doing stuff. I go near her computer and it breaks, which is funny because I play this tech genius. Last night, to give you an example, we went to dinner in a Moroccan restaurant in Paris and Gwyneth did us the honour of joining us. And five minutes after the start of this meal, she was actually looking at the map. She thought it was from Paris, but it was actually from London because the Paris application doesn't exist yet. Whereas five years ago, there was none of that. She would never have done all that. So yes, she's starting to be a little obsessed with all this. But I have to say, I go near a computer and it breaks immediately, which is rather funny when you know that I'm supposed to be this technology genius. So, last question. She's here. Hello, it's a two-part question. I was wondering what guarantees the success of a Marvel movie? And will you go for an Iron Man 4? What guarantees the success? That's what you want to know, right? And will there be another one? Yeah, what guarantees success? Robert guarantees success. Perfect answer. You never know. I mean, it's a crapshoot every time. Gwyneth came and did a couple of days on Avengers. She's like, I haven't even seen it. Did it do all right? Unprecedented success. She and I are the secret sauce. We don't want to boast, but we are the secret sauce. As far as the future, who knows? She and I are the secret sauce. I don't want to boast, but it's the truth. As far as the future of Iron Man 4 is concerned, I don't want to say anything today. This concludes this press conference. Thank you very much for being with us. Thank you.