When I saw an hour and a half on Sundance Channel blocked out for Meet Mike Mills, I couldn’t figure out how interesting he could possibly be. 90 minutes with Scorsese, sure. But 90 minutes with Mike Mills? Naturally, I HAD to watch it.
Turns out they showed the entirety of his shorts, Architecture of Reassurance and my favorite, Paperboys. It’s one of the most unassuming films in a long time, and it’s got a really engaging, smart view of a world many adopted New Yorkers have fled. (Architecture is actually about a girl who longingly wanders around an oppressively homogeneous suburban subdivision.
Paperboys figured into my first documentary project, adding to my conviction/hypothesis (depending on the day) that a studied look at rural life could be interesting.
Mills also directed the some of my favorite Gap ads (did that phrase just chase you all away? hello? …hellooo?), the ones inspired by West Side Story, which is one of only four musicals I can stand. (For your purchasing pleasure, the others are Moulin Rouge, South Park and Umbrellas of Cherbourg.)
Mills’ videos, commercials, and some shorts can be seen in the archives at The Director’s Bureau site, which has one of the only Flash intros I don’t mind watching. Work and info from his partners, including Roman and Sofia Coppola, is also available on the site.
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the making of, by greg allen