Juliette Lewis and Alexander Skarsgård take us inside the dark and dystopian world of 'Metropia'

Juliette Lewis and Alexander Skarsgård at the Tribeca Film Festival press conference for "Metropia," on April 25, 2010, in New York City

Rebelling against an oppressive society has been the concept behind many films. The animated movie "Metropia" explores that concept with a unique look and twist. In the futuristic world of "Metropia" (which takes place in Stockholm), people are being controlled not by the government by a powerful business corporation that puts individuals under constant surveillance and influences their thoughts — unbeknownst to those individuals.

The corporate manipulation of people is connected to the city’s Metro subway system. One ordinary man named Roger (voiced by Vincent Gallo) slowly but surely finds out what it is going on in his fascist world, and he teams up with a mysterious shampoo spokesmodel named Nina (voiced by Juliette Lewis) to try and stop the corporate giant. Along the way, Roger has to deal with Stefan (voiced by (Alexander Skarsgård), the corporate drone who is assigned to control Roger.

"Metropia" (directed and co-written by Tarik Saleh) had its New York premiere at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. The film (out May 12 in select U.S. theaters) is also among the movies that are available on demand as part of the festival’s offerings that can be seen on cable TV. On April 25, the day after the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of "Metropia," I caught up with Lewis and Skarsgård when they sat down for a "Metropia" press conference in New York City. And even though the movie was the main topic of discussion, I had to ask Alexander Skarsgård what people can expect from the third season of "True Blood." (In fact, I was the only reporter at the press conference who asked him about "True Blood," but I also asked the actors which "Metropia" character they identified with the most.) Here’s what Lewis and Skarsgård had to say at the press conference.

Roger (voiced by Vincent Gallo) and Nina (voiced by Juliette Lewis) in "Metropia"

What attracted you to "Metropia"? What did you think of the "Metropia" script when you got it?

Lewis: I’m just into radical, unique points of view and any fresh voice in any artist medium. And I’m also very pro anti-establishment works of art or things that question the status quo. I love the sentiment or statement of where these voices come from and how they get in your head and questioning that. Like that [there was] that poster [in "Metropia"] that says "reputation rental." I thought that was so funny, especially in this day and age, some people need it.

Two things: The script drew me in because it was so interesting and then meeting Tarik [Saleh], of course, and this idea that it’s film noir. And then, when I saw the animation, it all hinges on the style, and that blew me away, because there was such a frailty and humanity to these characters. And then I visited their little elf workshop where all the animators were. They showed me the process in using real human eyes. I loved the kind of governmental figures. The weird cowboy, oh my God! He was hilarious. I think we knew a cowboy once who ran things.

That was really fun. I was the last to come on [board to join the "Metropia" cast], so it all worked out there. We went in a small room, and I’d say, "OK, where am I?" The animation was not finished; it was just samples. And then [Tarik Saleh] would paint the picture for me: "This is in the great hall and you’re telling the guy this, that or the other, and you sort of talk and imagine."

Skarsgård: It was just the two of us [Tarik Saleh and I], basically. It wasn’t animated yet, so I had nothing to watch. It was pretty good, in a way, because it gave us a lot of creative freedom to do whatever you wanted. It’s not about lip synch or hitting certain beats. You could just play around with it and be very creative. If we wanted to change something or just add something, we could do that …

It was quite surreal. I saw the movie in Austin in October [2009], something like that, over a year after we recorded it. It’s really weird, because you sit down and you watch it and suddenly, there’s a face and interaction with other characters. I record my stuff, I went away to Africa, where I was working on something else at the time, and you come back, and [the movie] comes to life. It’s pretty amazing. I’m still blown away by it.

Juliette Lewis and Alexander Skarsgård at the Tribeca Film Festival press conference for "Metropia," in New York City

Did you know what your character was going to look like before you did the voice work?

Skarsgård: Yeah. Tarik showed me the style of animation, what it looked like. I loved it. Roy Andersson, the Swedish filmmaker who did "Songs From the Second Floor," I’m a huge fan of his work. And this ["Metropia"] kind of felt like an animated Roy Andersson movie, in a way.

What did you think about the science-fiction aspect of "Metropia"?

Lewis: When [Tarik] used the words "film noir," then I got it. And I loved the angles and the way ["Metropia"] was shot. I guess vocally, I’m just trying to achieve what I’m normally trying to achieve, which is a real reality and something honest and unique. And he encouraged me. He liked my regular voice. Usually for characters, I’ll talk a little higher, or what have you. It’s a very bass voice. He likes it.

What kind of dimension did "Metropia" have as an animated film that it wouldn’t have had as a live-action film?

Lewis: It’s a hyper-reality. It’s a universe that’s exaggerated with its color and sparseness and the sterile nature. You can do these things in animation: create an alternate reality, a hyper-reality, an aesthetic that heightens your feeling of eeriness, that paranoia, or alienation. That’s what this movie is, just in the color and the lead character. I fell in love with him when I first saw him. I was just drawn to this funny character. I’d never seen anything like it. In animation, there’s so much freedom to do this kind of storytelling.

Stefan (voiced by Alexander Skarsgård) and Ivan Bahn (voiced by Udo Kier) in "Metropia"

What inspiration did you draw from in voicing your "Metropia" characters? How is that character development different from the character development you have to do for a live-action film?

Skarsgård: Just the amount of creative freedom was amazing. There were no boundaries at all. We could do whatever we wanted. We could play around with it and just have fun. Tarik is an old friend of mine. We had talked about it, even before I read the script, for years, about the story — this kind of dark, bleak, dystopian idea that he had that’s not so far from where we are right now in the [United] States. It’s run now more by corporations.

I live in the States now, and people trust now big corporations more than the government. With this new law that the [U.S.] Supreme Court just passed where there’s no cap on how much money corporations can [donate to political campaigns]. Corporations can basically just buy a candidate or sponsor a candidate for billions of dollars. It’s hard for the little guy to get his voice out there … So I was just fascinated by that.

Does the current political environment influence how you played your role in "Metropia"?

Skarsgård: Oh, absolutely. It’s not a fantasy. It’s fiction, but it to me, it wouldn’t be interesting if it wasn’t related to our society.

Lewis: Whatever my "process" is, it’s a very instinctual, imaginary place that I go to since I was a little kid. It’s my faraway place where things come alive. And I love complexity and subtext. So even in my ["Metropia"] character, you have all that, because she’s not really helping [Roger]. She has her own personal, vested interests. She’s an opportunist, in a way. She is benevolent, sort of, at the end. She doesn’t kill him. She’s self-serving …

Especially now, I really rely on the director to paint the picture, and it’s always a game of trust, where I go, "OK." And I’m also a big believer in choices for the director. "Should she be more angry here or should she be less? Should she be subtle?" So I’d give [the director] choices, and then he’d put it together. I did a voice once for a Japanese anime project called "Armitage: [Dual Matrix]," and that was fun. But I haven’t done [animated movies] very much.

Juliette Lewis and Alexander Skarsgård at the Tribeca Film Festival press conference for "Metropia," in New York City

Would you do more animated projects if you had the chance?

Lewis: Oh, I’d love to! Because I feel this voice is kind of funny. I’d like to work with it and do something.

Which character in "Metropia" did you identify with the most?

Lewis: I relate to Roger. That’s the little man within me. Roger, his character, he doesn’t want to be doing the job he’s doing, in a way. That lead character, I relate to some small portion of myself.

Skarsgård: Stefan, but I think Ivan Bahn [voiced by Udo Kier] is an amazing character. I’m such a huge fan of Udo Kier’s work. [He says in Kier’s voice] "Will there be nudity?" is my favorite line, even before I saw the movie, Tarik played me that. I was like, "Can I hear it again?" The delivery is so cold. I think he’s f*cking amazing in the movie. He really is. [Ivan is] not a very sympathetic character, but very amusing.

Ivan Bahn (voiced by Udo Kier) and Nina (voiced by Juliette Lewis) in "Metropia"

What’s next for you?

Lewis: I was just making music and writing songs and touring for the last five years. And I just started making movies again a year ago. It’s really fun, because I’m just approaching it with this deep love. It’s like a rekindled love affair, so each project I do has been a really rich experience. I worked with two first-time directors: Drew Barrymore on "Whip It" with Ellen Page, and then Mark Ruffalo directed his first movie with Orlando Bloom — and that went to Sundance — it’s called "Sympathy for Delicious."

And then I’m going to be in two big comedies. One with Jennifer Aniston and Jason Batemen [due out] in August [2010] called "The Switch." And that was fun for me. I’m just drawn to character work. I am essentially a character actress. I have no shame in that statement. My dad’s a character actor. I really like a variety of characters. [I did] another comedy … ["Due Date"] with Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis that Todd Phillips directed. I have a little cameo in that. It’s out in October [2010].

Skarsgård: We’re shooting Season 3 [of "True Blood"] right now in L.A., so I’m headed back tonight. I’ll be doing that for another two months.

Do you have another project lined up after you finish Season 3 of "True Blood"?

Skarsgård: Hopefully. It would be great if I got to work after that.

Juliette Lewis and Alexander Skarsgård at the Tribeca Film Festival press conference for "Metropia," in New York City

What about your upcoming movies?

Skarsgård: [Filmmaker] Johan Kling, I worked with last year [on "Trust Me"]. During the last hiatus [after Season 2 of "True Blood"], I did the remake of the Sam Peckinpah movie "Straw Dogs." I spent three months in Shreveport, Louisiana, shooting that. Hopefully, there are a couple of things coming up in the fall. But right now, I’m focusing on "True Blood" and finishing up that [season].

How does Season 3 of "True Blood" compare to Season 2?

Skarsgård: There’s a lot going on. It’s pretty wild. It’s about vengeance for my character [Eric Northman]. You find out that something happened a thousand years ago, and throughout Season 3, he kind of goes after someone to kind of avenge someone. I don’t want to reveal anything but [Eric will avenge] someone’s death. And there will be nudity!

Can you talk about how it is working with a director on an animated film compared to a live-action film?

Lewis: It’s the same. Storytelling and the director’s ability to tell that story, whether it’s the set designer — in this case, the animator — the actors, you have to keep telling the different departments [in] creating a vision. [A director] is a visionary. The difference is in this work, when it’s all voice, you do it in this finite, short period of time, several hours. And then they do the rest. So you’re almost compartmental. You’re using one aspect of your "instrument." It’s fun and unique. I like it.

Photo credits: Photos #1, 3, 5, 7: Carla Hay.  Photos #2, 4, 6: Tribeca Film.