Adam Driver's Crafty Festival Escape Act: Behind the Scenes of "Paper Tiger"

Adam Driver held the limelight at Cannes Film Festival’s premiere of "Paper Tiger" on Saturday, flanked by his co-star Miles Teller and the film’s triple-threat, aka writer and director, James Gray. When the Lumière Theatre's lights dimmed and the movie commenced, Driver discreetly vanished from his seat.

“I can’t stomach watching myself,” declares Driver. “I have a whole ritual that involves sneaking out at just the right moment, navigating labyrinthine backstage mazes to a room with an epic view of a sea of boats. Then I tiptoe back in as the credits roll, doing my best impression of a ghost.”

Talk about a seasoned routine! Driver has artfully implemented this escape act at several previous Cannes showcases. An exception to his rule occurred at the 2024 premiere of “Megalopolis,” where he remained in support of acclaimed director Francis Ford Coppola after his wife Eleanor's passing.

In "Paper Tiger," Driver takes the role of an ex-police officer-cum-savvy businessman who struts his stuff in sharp suits like he’s the king of the metropolis. This marks his eighth debut at the esteemed festival. On-screen, Driver is the essence of poise, but admits watching himself in action still makes him squirm. A few pre-screening drinks used to help tame his nerves, but he's since learned to moderate this method. “You risk coming back and totally misreading a movie’s climate. It’s awkward greeting everyone energetically when the room's full of sniffles.”

The buzz following the grand debut of "Paper Tiger" has been electric. Critiques have lauded the film, hailing it as Driver’s "crowning performance," and praising Gray’s seamless fusion of a gritty crime drama with a poignant family narrative.

In a quaint room of the Carlton Hotel post-premiere, both men indulge in mutual fanboy moments. “I adore Adam Driver!” Gray proclaims unabashedly, marking Driver for some serious praise. “I penned this character with him specifically in mind. It’s rare to stumble upon an actor who can effectively balance vulnerability and menace, two highly prized assets for any director. The Dude portrayed by Jeff Bridges in ‘Big Lebowski’ is perhaps the only performance devoid of any lurking threat, and it still works. Everything else holds some degree of tension."

Driver reciprocates the enthusiasm, confessing to binge-watching Gray's New York-based narratives which count “We Own the Night,” “Two Lovers,” and “The Yards" among them. “He crafts incredibly intimate stories yet always peppers in an astonishing cinematic sequence,” Driver observes. “And they're invariably grounded in character-driven narratives."

The duo engaged in pre-production dialogue at Driver’s New York residence. “If I can't decipher a character, playing them convincingly becomes a herculean task,” he says. “Time is the greatest adversary during filming, so it’s crucial to delve deep into the characters beforehand, to avoid time-consuming on-set debates.”

In the midst of producing "Paper Tiger," Gray brought bits of his past to the studio. He candidly details the parallels to his childhood experiences growing up in the outer boroughs of Queens, to events in the film. “I’d be lying if I said it was a comfortable conversation,” admits Gray. “The timeline was stretched out in reality, things unravel faster in the movie, but the essence of loss remains the same.”

The film's plot encounters a Greek tragedy-esque twist. Despite its somewhat heavy subject matter, Gray insists on a light atmosphere on set, promoting organic scene development over rigid storyboarding. "He truly venerates actors,” Driver concurs.

For Driver, "Paper Tiger" provided an exhilarating opportunity to dip back into indie territory following his plunge into darkness - metaphorically speaking - as Kylo Ren in the latest "Star Wars" trilogy.

Speaking on his navigation of the industry's cutthroat landscape, Gray asserts, “Remaining resilient against external market dictates and keeping your creative instinct intact is a balancing act. Steven Spielberg is often presented as the commercial director archetype. But he remains incredibly genuine and accommodating of artistic instincts."

He continues passionately, “Just concentrate on the work. The system is designed to humiliate you. To coax you into submission. The rewards – houses, cars, deals, prizes – can fuel ego and competition. That pressure, if you let it, can be lethal."