ONE DAY AS A LION: An Interview With Director John Swab

Introduction

Directed by John Swab and written by, and starring Scott Caan, the director describes One Day as a Lion as a film “where the story is secondary to the characters.” Luckily for the audience, Swab has assembled a top-notch cast of charismatic character actors, delivering a darkly comic and witty story about dysfunctional families and inept hitmen.

Synopsis

One Day as a Lion is the story of Jackie Powers (Caan), a nice guy but a lousy hitman, who’s sent to take out a crafty debtor (J.K. Simmons), but only manages to piss him off. Fleeing the scene, Jackie takes feisty but bored waitress Lola as a hostage. When Jackie reveals to Lola that his actions are borne out of noble causes, Lola cooks up a scheme for them to get cash from her ‘challenging’ mother (Virginia Madsen). Meanwhile, a thug (Slaine) is sent to kill him by their increasingly impatient mobster boss (Frank Grillo).

Analysis

One Day as a Lion is being positioned (not by the director nor the writer themselves, as Swab explains below…) as a homage to the works of Quentin Tarantino and The Coen Brothers. Such propositions are often irresponsible and unfair; raising audience expectations unnecessarily.
However, it is clear from the performances that all involved are enjoying delivering Caan’s words. He is no Tarantino…but who is?

Caan has crafted characters that exist in their own reality but make very human choices in exceptional circumstances. Does anyone set out in life to be a hitman, or does it require a number of gears to turn before the individual has no other option? What One Day as a Lion does well is it explains the story behind ‘the hit,’ introducing all the characters involved. Then we follow all as their storylines diverge (Tarantino-style?).

We have our main set of characters who we grow fond of (this is no small part due to the casting) while we are introduced to the eccentrics in the periphery (almost Coen-esque you could say). Meanwhile, Swab continues to revel in setting stories in his beloved Oklahoma, keeping the majority of the action in bright, warm, and dusty daylight, with splashes of vibrant color throughout, literally keeping the story light even if the story matter can often get dark.

Cinema Scholars’ Glen Dower recently got to chat with director John Swab about One Day as a Lion, working with the legendary J.K. Simmons, and Scott Caan’s multi-layered screenplay, among other topics. 

Interview

Glen Dower:

Mr. John Swab, how are you, Sir?

John Swab:

Good, how are you doing, man?

Glen Dower:

I’m really good and thank you for talking with Cinema Scholars today. So, before I’d even heard the title of this film or knew what it was about, I received a still of JK Simmons in full cowboy gear, standing opposite Frank Grillo, in full…Frank Grillo gear. And I remember thinking, ‘I don’t know what this movie is…but I am all in!’ And that moment as it turned out happens in my favorite scene. Having those two guys square up together, was that a dream team as far as casting those two roles?

John Swab:

Yeah, I’m a big fan of JK and I’m a big fan of Frank, who I’ve gotten to work with a few times before. So anytime you get two powerhouse actors squaring off in a scene, it’s a real treat, man.

Glen Dower:

It’s very ‘Old West,’ with that in mind, perhaps this film is part of the creative zeitgeist at the moment. We have the Taylor Sheridan-verse for example, 1883, 1923, Yellowstone, and also Tulsa King. Do you think there seems to be a swing towards the Americana of the Old West and New West, and we are moving away slightly from the glossy world of CSI-type entertainment?

John Swab:

Probably. I’m sure to some extent. I mean, the thing about Westerns is they’ve always been popular. People love Westerns and I’ve found even overseas with the movies we’ve made; people are really nostalgic and crave that kind of rustic Americana-type of cinema. They’re used to seeing movies that have been made in LA or New York or Atlanta, but they long for the films that are made in this part of the country in Oklahoma, in the Midwest, and in those kinds of forgotten parts. So, we’re happy to oblige them with that content.

Glen Dower:

Yes, and we are now treated to the more layered characters as well as the nostalgic feel.
The film has been described as an homage to the work of Tarantino and the Coen Brothers. Was that something you were conscious of while directing or was that within the writing?

John Swab:

Scott and I never mentioned to each other once the name Tarantino or the Coen Brothers. We talked a little bit more on the fringes about people like Vincent Gallo and Woody Allen and things like that. it’s flattering that people draw those influences and references. But I’m not an asshole, so I would never mention myself in a name or camp with those people, I just couldn’t do that myself. But yeah, I guess it’s only those people, two filmmakers, the Coen Brothers, and Tarantino were huge influences on me growing up. I guess it’s only natural that bleeds into anything I do.

Glen Dower:

I have watched the film twice, the second time understanding the ‘Tarantino’ aspect with the idea of the two storylines going on, the dysfunctional family then the mobster story, with the connective tissue of the Dom character. While the Coen Brothers’ influence could be the enjoyment of the dialogue within scenes – which of course comes from Scott’s writing. When you were directing him, did Scott ever give you notes about what he thought a scene should play like, compared to your vision?

John Swab:

No, I mean, and if he did, I certainly don’t remember it. For me, the way Scott writes is very rhythmic and it’s almost lyrical in a way, and there’s a timing to it. And when you read texts like that, for me there are a few ways to cover that. One is to cover it and really shoot the shit out of it and try and match the cutting and the coverage to the pace of the text, which is not something I was really interested in doing. For me. It was like, okay, let’s go the exact opposite way and do way less cutting and way less coverage and make the shooting style as simple as possible to let the text breathe and let these characters breathe within it. I tried to just juxtapose the writing with the visual approach, but that wasn’t really a conversation he and I had. But it was out of respect for his text. I felt like giving it the air to breathe would serve it.

Glen Dower:

Staying with Scott for a moment, he is of course the son of legendary James Caan. There was a scene at around the 15-minute mark when it was just like watching his dad onscreen. His mannerisms, and the cadence of his speech. I was taken aback. Did you notice that on set, how mesmerizing it was to watch his father flow through his performance?

John Swab:

All the time! Yeah. I mean really! Wow! There were moments, and I know the scene you’re talking about, but that the one you’re talking about is when they’re outside and they’re walking out on his shirt’s open and all that, he’s kind of got this kind of air to him that is, it is Jimmy reincarnated, but it’s hard because his dad’s obviously is a hero too. So yeah, it seemed like it wasn’t really something you could coach or talk somebody out of doing something that was going to happen. Oh no, it is what it is.

Glen Dower:

Yes. I think it helps endear his character to the audience as well, on some level. Also, I wanted to talk about Marianne Rendón, who plays Lola. I just want to see everything she is in now. I think she stole the film, she was excellent. What was it like directing her?

John Swab:

Yeah, Marianne’s is a cool customer and very bright. And finding the right Lola for this movie was super important because there are so many big male characters in this. There’s Frank, there’s JK, there’s Slaine, there’s Scott, and there are all these really dominant male forces in the movie. So having a likable female character with the tenacity that Marianne brought was super important because anytime she squared up with any of them, she was as good or better. She did a great job.

Glen Dower:

Finally, when we at Cinema Scholars received word that I would be speaking with you today, I consulted my wonderful colleague Ms. Rebecca Elliott, who is from the same part of the world as you, and she wonders, ‘If you plan to stay regional, a la Lucas in the Bay Area or Robert Rodriguez/Richard Linklater in Austin, or is the obligatory move to LA in your plans?’

John Swab:

No! I mean, I’ve been in Oklahoma, I’m from Oklahoma, and lived briefly in LA, and I lived for a while in upstate New York, but I pretty much exclusively, except for one film, shot in Oklahoma and I’m planning to shoot another one here. I love this part of the country and I feel uniquely qualified to photograph it and shoot movies here. It’s my part of the world and I understand it as well, if not better than anybody. So, I take a lot of pride in staying regional.

Glen Dower:

As you should. Can you tell us about your next project?

John Swab:

Yeah, it’s a movie called King Ivory. It’s about the fentanyl epidemic. A true story. It’s a rough one, and it’s a lot of fun though, with good characters and we’re pretty excited about it.

Glen Dower:

Well, we look forward to talking to you again about it, and for now, sharing the word on One Day as a Lion. Mr. Swab, it’s been a pleasure, and thank you again for your time today.