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One of the more fascinating films that premiered at this year's Tribeca Film Festival was Live! Written and directed by Bill Guttentag and starring Eva Mendes, Live! is a fictional narrative that follows the behind-the-scenes of a reality show's struggles to make it on the air. What's different about this show versus anything that's currently airing on TV is that its premise is incredibly daring. Basically, six people compete for a chance to win $5 million. There's one gun, one bullet and each person holds the gun to their head and pulls the trigger. Survive, and you win the money. Not only is the show itself risky, but the film's main character (as played by Eva Mendes) is a ballsy network executive who's convinced our nation is ready for something like this. On the other hand, she also wants to be the one responsible for making television history. Essentially, we hate her for supporting this type of show -- but at the same time, we wind up rooting for her to succeed.

For Guttentag, this is his first feature narrative as a director. In the past, he's directed episodes of the hit HBO documentary series America Undercover, as well as Law & Order: Crime and Punishment and one of the more recent controversial docs, Nanking. Basically, if anyone should be directing a film like this, it's him. I recently sat down with Bill to talk to him about the film, how it came about and whether he thinks a show in which real people play a game of Russian Roulette on live television could ever exist. Check it out:

Cinematical: Realistically, in your opinion, do you see a show like this ever existing?

Bill Guttentag: The film is, of course, a satire. But like any satire, you don't want to go completely out there with something that will never happen; you want to go a little bit farther than what would be out there.

Cinematical: This is your first narrative feature as a director. Talk about how the project came together; what about this idea sparked your interest?

BG: I'd been a showrunner for a show called Law & Order: Crime and Punishment, and I've been to a lot of network meetings where a lot of crazy stuff happens. I thought to myself that this would be some pretty good stuff to build a film around -- coupled with the fact that it would allow me to address a comment that I really want to make; one that the events from the last few weeks have tragically pointed out. And that is that we're a nation obsessed with guns. This is a gun culture, and I think the country pays an enormous price for that kind of culture. So this was something I thought was important; something I wanted to comment on.

Not long ago I was having a conversation with my friend about our constant craving for more reality TV. At one point, my friend turned to me and uttered a line I had heard several times before: "Ya know, pretty soon they're going to take this reality thing too far and start killing people on live TV." I'm sure you've either said or heard the same thing, but never gave it a whole lot of thought. Sure, we live in a violent world, but is a network stupid enough to approve of a show that kills people? And why even entertain the idea of bringing something like that to the FCC? Well, writer-director Bill Guttentag must have had that same conversation, though he didn't laugh it off and move onto another topic. Nope, he made a movie out of it. In fact, the inciting incident in Live! happens in the exact same way I just mentioned. But instead of two ordinary people having a conversation, we're taken inside a network boardroom where several creative types are trying to brainstorm the next great reality show idea.

Live! is a pretty easy film to sum up: Essentially, a television executive (Eva Mendes) trying to make a name for herself decides to run with an absurd idea brought up, as a joke, by one of her colleagues. What she wants to do is create a show in which real people compete in a game of Russian Roulette on live television, with the survivors taking home a sweet $5 million payday. While a documentary crew follows her around and films her every move, Katy (our ballsy TV exec) takes on the mission of convincing her network, their lawyer, their advertisers, the FCC, the media and the viewing audience that America is ready for a show like this. With ferocious stamina and her eye on the prize (which, in this case, means greater ratings than the Superbowl), Katy uses her brain -- and one tight skirt after another -- to seduce her enemies into thinking that this crazy idea might just work.

There's no rest for the wicked. Here's some news bites for today:

• Brian Cox, who played the sinister William Stryker in X2, recently talked about the upcoming Wolverine spin-off while promoting Running with Scissors in the UK. According to the actor, who was previously asked by the filmmakers to be in the flick, the movie will take place '17 years ago'. While it is easy to lather on some old-face makeup, it's not so easy to wipe almost two decades off a face, so he is thinking: "they could do what they did with Patrick and Ian for the start of the third one." Cox is great and all, but is it worth that much effort to keep him?
• The upcoming mockumentary, Live!, has been picked up by Fortissimo Films for distribution rights outside of North America. Making racy moves like Survivor's racial divide seem wimpy, the film follows a TV executive (Eva Mendes) who is trying to produce a real, Russian Roulette gameshow where contestants compete for the chance to win $5 million by putting loaded guns to their heads. I just wish Christopher Walken had a part in the flick. Or, Robert DeNiro. They both do it so well.
• It looks like Walk Hard, the music duo spoof starring Jenna Fischer and John C. Reilly, is preparing to add a current SNL player to the cast. Kristen Wiig, whose impressions on the show have ranged from Drew Barrymore to Katharine Hepburn, is in final negotiations to play Edith, the wife of Reilly's character. I'm not sure how this all fits together, since Fischer is supposed to be the "June Carter" to Reilly's "Johnny Cash."

According to Production Weekly, David Krumholtz has found a way to spend his summer break from Numb3rs. Originally slated to be hanging out in Paris with Michelle Williams and Woody Allen, the actor suddenly found himself with a whole lot of free time when Allen dumped that project and headed back to London. Now, though, word comes that Krumholtz has landed on his feet, albeit with a slightly smaller budget: He's going to star opposite Eva Mendes in Live!, an indie thriller from Oscar-winning short-subject documentary director Bill Guttentag.

The movie is a mockmentary that follows Medes' character, an "ambitious president of [television] programing," as she tries to raise ratings with a reality show in which people play Russian Roulette for a "Yay, you're alive!" prize of $5 million. Gee, think someone's seen 13 (Tzameti)?

The movie begins filming in LA later this month.

[via MovieWeb]