Mirror, Mirrors

“The Hills Have Eyes” director Alexandre Aja will deliver the scares anew in the upcoming horror movie “Mirrors” which is based on the Korean hit film “Into the Mirror.”

“Mirrors” stars television’s hit series “24” actor Kiefer Sutherland as an ex-NYPD cop whose life has gone downhill. In an attempt to sort his life out, he accepts the job of night watchman in a department store that has suffered a severe fire years earlier, and where only a few huge mirrors survived the flames. During his night rounds, the ‘mirror world’ contacts him and asks him to do impossible things which put those closest to him in imminent danger.

Director Aja, in the following q&a cites and shares his experiences during the film’s production.

Q: Where did the ideas for the film come from?

A: After “The Hills Have Eyes,” I wanted to deal with a different subject. I’ve always been attracted to the supernatural. It concerns a whole area of genre films that combine fantasy with horror. The idea of the mirror, an everyday object that everyone takes for granted and hardly notices, stuck with us. How many times a day do we look at ourselves, look at this image which we totally depend upon, in a mirror.... It is a little like checking to see if we are still there! Everyone has a different and particular relationship with the mirror. Some of us are quite narcissistic; others can’t stand the sight of their own reflection. We managed to convince Fox to let us take the basic theme, an ex-cop confronted with a mirror, and to turn it into a different story that has nothing to do with the original remake idea.

Q: Did working on this film make you think differently about mirrors?

A: I was terrified. I couldn’t even handle the mirror in my bedroom! Each time I was writing a mirror scene, I managed to frighten myself first before finalising a scene.

Q: When did you decide to choose Kiefer Sutherland?

A: As far as I’m concerned the most important part of a film will always be the story. His portrayal in “Flatliners,” which marked me on a personal level as it did my entire generation. It was one of the numerous reasons that made me choose him. Although his role as Jack Bauer in “24” has increased his fame, Jack is a more contained character who controls emotions well. Those who have only ever seen him in “24” will be very surprised. When we first met, I found out that he himself had a particular relationship with mirrors. He does not like looking at himself in the mirror, which is pretty rare for an actor. There are no mirrors in his house. He never looks at the monitor.

Q: What is the atmosphere like in the film?

A: The story takes place in New York, the city of reflections like no other, due to its incredible skyline of buildings. However, the attention is not focused on New York as a city; it is just a background for this ghost ship of an old abandoned department store. The intensity grows as Kiefer gradually gets caught up in a whirlpool of mystery that he must solve.

Q: Where does this film figure in your career?

A: Up until now I’ve been really lucky. Since the success of “The Hills Have Eyes,” I’ve found myself in increasingly favourable situations. I’ve often taken the risk of imposing my vision to those in America who decide, and run the risk of losing everything. “Mirrors” was a long process and I had to defend my point of view but in the end, the film is exactly as I imagined it, totally without compromise.

“Mirrors” also stars Paula Patton (“Déjà Vu”) and Amy Smart (“Crank,” “Butterfly Effect”) to be shown in local (Phils.) cinemas soon from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.