The Michael Shannon, Andrew Garfield and Laura Dern-starring drama 99 Homes is set in Florida amid the foreclosure crisis of 2010, but because of those Louisiana film tax incentives you'll spot local places and actors in the film. NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune film critic Mike Scott spoke with director Ramin Bahrani about the Greater New Orleans area's role in the awards season shoe-in, both as location and inspiration.
To achieve that Florida look, Bahrani said they shot the generic neighborhood scenes for the film in Metairie, saying "They've got a lot of beautiful mid-century modern homes there." From the trailer, it looks like they filmed in the part of Metairie near the Lakefront (if you know anything about filming locations for the movie, be sure to let us know!). There was one scene in the film shot at Benson Tower, Bahrani said.
Besides New Orleans-area neighborhoods, the film features actors from the city and the Guld Coast region, which Bahrani said in the interview added authenticity to the film:
"What was interesting about being in Louisiana is, they might not have gone through an eviction but they had lost their homes or their friends had lost their homes in Katrina." The film hits local theaters this Friday, Oct. 9.
· New Orleans faces add authenticity to '99 Homes,' filmmaker Ramin Bahrani says [NOLA.com]