Gomez: He Tells it Like it Is

Nick Gomez is no bullshitter, but then he's no gentleman either.

His first feature length film, "Laws of Gravity," made for $38,000 and written after he knew how much money he'd have to make the film, is doing, considering his budget, his lack of experience and his genuine lack of smugness, amazingly well.

He has had an offer of $3 million to do a film with Luke Perry and Johnny Depp--which he turned down because he says he prefers working with unknowns and maintaining a level of control over his work. Besides, Johnny Depp isn't really Gomez's style.

Gomez's style actually isn't so far removed from the characters in Laws of Gravity--cigarette smoking and cursing freely, Gomez wore a goatee just like Jimmy's in the movie and a green Notre Dame hat he says his girlfriend picked out for him.

Gomez's decision not to make the movie with Perry and Depp should not be mistaken for anything like "artistic integrity." Gomez is proud of the neighborhoods in which he grew up--in and around Somerville. But while he is interested in portraying life in down-and-out (mostly white) neighborhoods like the Brooklyn area in which "laws of Gravity" takes place, in no way does he profess to be a visionary or to be interested in art with a capital A.

To hear Gomez tell it, "Laws of Gravity" was just a kind of experiment, not with cinematic technique or the presentation of a profound message in mind, but a way to make some money and maybe see what would happen next.

It took Gomez three weeks to write the script, but in a process of constant and fluid movement between the written script and the ad-libbing of the actors, Gomez says "we gave back the actors their own language."

The movie isn't solely a creation of Gomez's mind, but rather a collusion of the minds of the film's actors and actresses. Gomez attended State University of New York-Purchase with many of his actors and they are also familiar with the kind of life that "Laws of Gravity" portrays.

Why is Gomez interested in film? "I stumbled into it; if you have no real talent you go into film." To him, "Laws of Gravity" is a "harsh little story, not belonging to the tradition of high art."

He cites his influences as the B-grade and blaxploitation films he saw when he used to sneak into the old Paramount theater. "I like the tabloids--emotional, violence-driven stuff."

Gomez has been described as holding a debt to Scorcese and his film "Mean Streets," but he says that's not so--he simply wanted to present a picture of a life he knows, a life which happens to be the tough, gritty one Scorcese made famous.

I was interested in discussing the themes of violence and rage in the film, the portrayal of women, the "Artistic" content of the film. Gomez was not. "I'm dubious about projects you hold close to your heart. Spontaneity is very important, you just have to allow accidents to happen on the set."

Gomez refuses to recognize any artistic content the film may or may not have. He is completely pretension-free. One wonders what will happen if he finally does accept a big deal and starts to get paid for bullshit--will it hit the fan or will Gomez choke it up?

Gomez's advice to young filmmakers: "Make mistakes, make mistakes. Write the screenplay after you know how much money you have." He says he knows he can always make another film for $40,000, so he can maintain a bit of independence.

"Not working in L.A. also helps, you're not to-tally caught up in it." L.A., according to Gomez, is "as bad as everyone says." And Gomez is definitely not a "player" in that sense of the word.

He seems to be a guy who's glad to have found a way to make some money without betraying his real background--and, for the time being, with a minimum of bullshit.