Exclusive: Director Martin Guigui On His Beachfront Thriller PARADISE COVE

By RACHEL REEVES

When looking at Martin Guigui’s award-winning and multi-faceted body of work, there are a few things that become abundantly clear. For one, he is a creator who refuses to limit himself to only one industry. On top of writing and directing feature films like 9/11 and The Bronx Bull, Guigui has also worked with some of music’s best as a performer, producer, music director and music video director. Familiar names like Lady Gaga, Slash, Christina Aguilera, Billy Gibbons, Haley Reinhart, Lemmy Kilmister and more have all crossed professional paths with Guigui in one way or another. 

It is here in this wealth of content spanning genres, decades, industries and skills that another, more personal aspect of Guigui becomes evident. Accomplishing way more in just a few years than some do in a lifetime, Guigui’s passion for creative collaboration and zest for life shine through with ease. For his latest project, Guigui indulges his love of ’80s thrillers in his newly released film, PARADISE COVE. Based on a true story, the film follows a young married couple (played by Mena Suvari and Todd Grinnell) who have inherited a beachside Malibu home. While the home’s disrepair and renovations were expected, they were certainly not at all prepared for the mysterious woman (Kristin Bauer van Straten) living under their back porch. We recently had the privilege of chatting with Guigui all about PARADISE COVE, his musical background, and more.  

Tell us a little bit about how you first got involved with PARADISE COVE. What is it that attracted you to this project?

I was approached by a friend of mine named Nick Stellate (also co-producer on the film) a few years ago and he said, “Hey man. I just came across this really cool script and you should read it! It feels like something you would want to direct.” And, I get those kinds of calls a lot. (Laughs) So I asked, “Well, why do you think I would like it?” And he told me most of it takes place in one house. As a director, I gravitate towards self-contained, character driven stories. And most of my films have been that. I’m also a fan of the thriller genre and have done a couple of those. So I said, “Sure. Send it over.”

As soon as I saw the title, PARADISE COVE…you know, titles are funny. Titles really have an impact on what tickles you, or what doesn’t. Not only when you’re watching a trailer or seeing a poster, but also when somebody is telling you a story. And this story sucked me in. A few years back in California, we experienced some horrible fires, in Malibu especially. That’s also the premise of the movie and part of what sucked me in — a house burns down in Malibu and little by little we start to find out what happened. Of course, the two people who come in from out-of-town that have inherited the house are also inheriting the ex-model, mentally unstable person who is living under the house. There was just something about it that brought me back to thrillers from the ’80s, like Fatal Attraction. 

So, the writer Sherry Klein and I got together and we hit it off! We immediately jumped right into getting the movie made.  Really, what gets movies made is the right team that comes together at the right place, at the right time. Also on this one, not unlike a lot of other films, it had a lot to do with the cast. It’s like a play. It’s this ensemble piece. And we found this wonderful cast that happened to be available and identified with the script. That’s what really green lit the movie. 

We definitely have to talk about this cast. The film has many familiar faces including Mena Suvari (American Beauty), Todd Grinnell (One Day at a Time) and Kristin Bauer van Straten (True Blood) in the lead roles. What was the casting process like on this project?

Mena Suvari was first on our list for Tracey. We were fortunate that she was available, but more importantly, that she identified with the material. She just got it. A woman that’s trying to have a baby and the emotional journey and the fragile hyper-sensitivity that goes into making a baby with love. She’s incredibly intelligent, very spiritual and she put a lot of her heart and soul into this role. 

For Kristin, we had a list of four or five people who we thought could tackle the complex role of Bree. There’s an insanity to Bree, but it’s justified with a lot of emotion and trauma. There’s also an entertainment factor to Bree. It was that combination that brought us to Kristin and we were again fortunate that she identified with the material and happened to be available. 

Todd was on hiatus from One Day at a Time and they had been nominated for Emmy’s and whatnot. When that happens, it can be more difficult to get an actor to pay attention to something else, but he was very open to doing a feature film. I always say, whoever is on set on the first day of shooting gets to be in the movie. (Laughs) So that worked out for everybody.