marcy evidential: Lindsay Lohan Has 'Hypnotic Presence' As Surfer in 'First Point'

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Lindsay Lohan Has 'Hypnotic Presence' As Surfer in 'First Point'

Director Richard Phillips tells MTV News that Lohan is 'startlingly powerful' in his latest short film, which debuted Monday.
By Jocelyn Vena

Lindsay Lohan in "First Point"
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Lindsay Lohan has once again teamed up with artist Richard Phillips, this time for "First Point," his latest short film that debuted Monday at Art Basel in Switzerland.

In the five-minute flick, the blond starlet surfs and sunbathes her days and nights away but, much like in her real life, is constantly hounded by the prying lens of the paparazzi. It also features music by Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter.

When MTV News caught up with Phillips, he said working with Lohan was a no-brainer, especially after they worked together in 2011 on another Lohan-centric video piece, "Lindsay Lohan, a Richard Phillips Film."

"As the singular person who is capable of embodying the all-time great personas of both Marilyn [Monroe] and Liz [Taylor], Lindsay holds a unique position in the world as an icon of beauty, fashion, celebrity persona and most importantly as an actor," he said. "With this film we wanted to explore beyond the 'motion portrait' of our first film and create a kind of 'surf noir' context for her to project from within."

The director and his muse shot the video piece in August of last year after they decided they wanted to create another eye-catching visual together. And, "First Point" was truly a collaborative effort. "Lindsay was very involved in the work on set not only in the development of the characters she portrayed, but also in how she was styled as well," he explained. "During editing she likewise added her perspective, which contributed to shaping of the final version of the film.

"She was a pleasure to work with in every way," he continued. "From going all out for the surf scenes to creating the dark energy in the night sequences, Lindsay was seriously committed to accomplishing all of our shots, but we had a lot of fun working along the way."

While Lohan doesn't do much of the surfing in the film herself, Phillips recalled her excitement over the sport on set. "[I was surprised by] just how into surfing she is," he said. "She was first one in and the last one out!"

For the film, there were two decades that Phillips wanted her persona to recall. "They will see Lindsay occupy the dual roles of both the surfer and the iconic beach pinup girl. She also portrays 1990s noir archetypes that create the flip side of the '60s-inspired surf lifestyle imagery," he said. "[Fans will see] the startlingly powerful and almost hypnotic presence that she possesses projecting from the screen."

With this short out, Lohan's long-form movie career also seems to be thriving as well. She's currently shooting the Elizabeth Taylor biopic "Liz & Dick" for Lifetime and is attached to star in the Bret Easton Ellis-penned sexy thriller, "The Canyons."

"First Point" will see a New York debut later this year when Phillips shows his collection at the Gagosian Gallery in September.

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