Q&A: Armand Assante

Now you see him, now you don't

December 02, 2008|By Robert K. Elder, TRIBUNE REPORTER

Armand Assante visited Chicago on Monday to record post-production dialogue for "Chicago Overcoat," a mob film shot locally and starring Frank Vincent, who was in "The Sopranos." The movie, produced by Beverly Ridge Pictures and directed by newcomer Brian Caunter, follows an aging hit man through a moral crisis. Assante talked about the project and his desire to shoot in Chicago:

Q. What attracted you to the picture?

A. The quality of the writing was really, really good. ... The story opportunities were quite rich. But I was only here one day shooting. I was in and out of here like a flash.

Q. But your character, imprisoned mob boss Stefano D'Agnostino, is central to the story.

A. He's controlling everyone from a prison cell. ... He's the power controlling it from a deep, dark place. But it's a psychological drama that the character of Frank Vincent is really playing out ... a guy who is re-examining his life and morality.

Q. What was it like filming in Joliet's prison?

A. [Laughs] Yeah, welcome to Chicago! It's one of the most formidable institutions I've ever seen. It's still quite resonant; there's a haunted feeling to it.

Q. You also just shot "The Steam Experiment" in Michigan.

A. It's kind of a coincidence. The independent film world is pretty small, and some of the producers I've worked with are gravitating to these states providing lucrative incentives. It's a very, very difficult economy right now, so incentives ... are really helping the industry. I have one small project that I want to produce that would be wonderful for Chicago.

Q. Tell me about it.

A. It's kind of a lightweight comedy about the importance of understanding that all relationships are imperfect. It's kind of a human, touching piece that a friend of mine, Dominik Sedlar ("Searching for Orson") wrote. ... I don't want to give out the title yet.