American screenwriter and director, Christopher McQuarrie has established himself as one of the contemporary masters of the under tension, populated by ambiguous characters and complex narrative structures. Revealed in 1995 with The Usual Suspects, which earned him the Oscar for the best scenario, he pursues a singular career, gradually going from writing to staging. He notably signed Way of the Gun in 2000, before becoming one of Tom Cruise’s most loyal collaborators. Together, they made eleven feature films, including several components of the mission saga: impossible. In 2025, McQuarrie returned to La Croisette on the occasion of the presentation of mission competition: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, part 2, as part of the 78th edition of the Cannes Festival.
On the morning of the first, an exceptional meeting brings together a large audience who came to listen to the filmmaker. To everyone’s surprise, Tom Cruise in person joins the scene being discussion, offering a suspended moment, between professional confidences and film buff.
From the first exchanges, the moderator recalls that Mcquarrie is not at his first appearance in Cannes. This recall opens the way to a reflection on a journey shaped by a central question: why do the morally ambiguous characters of the filmmaker arouse so much attachment?
“” I am often told about moral ambiguity, but I believe that my characters know perfectly where ethics is located“Explains Mcquarrie. “” The problem is that I never talk about their past. I seize them in the present moment, which means that there is always a vagueness with regard to their personality.This way of approaching writing is not a strategy: it is visceral. “” As far as I remember, I have always told stories. The films I saw when growing formed. They gave me this taste for black comedy. It’s in my veins.Among his major references, he spontaneously quotes Clint Eastwood, whose films have deeply marked his adolescence.
AboutThe Usual Suspects who has become a polar classic over time, Mcquarrie would like to recall that success has not been immediate. “”It’s the video that changed everything. People happened, that’s how the film became cult . This delayed destiny inspires him a broader reflection on the changes in the cinematographic landscape: a film can meet its audience far beyond traditional circuits, provided that it gives itself time.
This remark leads him to evoke the upheavals of the current industry, where young filmmakers find themselves, sometimes too early, at the head of disproportionate projects. “”As soon as they make a short film that is successful, we try to recover them, we immediately entrust them with huge budgets, and that crushes them. I had to climb the ladder. I worked as a scriptwriter, a co -producer, I did a bit of everything. This is how I learned. “He illustrates this slow skill by a striking image:” Writing is to push a rock at the top of the mountain. To achieve is to hit the mountain while running while the rock rolls behind you and Keep him so that he doesn’t fall. »»
From the Pandemic of COVID-19, he has observed a worrying trend: the disappearance of medium-sized films in the cinema, for the benefit of blockbusters or productions intended for platforms. “”Streaming can be a refuge, because there is not this obsession of the first week. But I remain convinced that what we learn from his mistakes is precious.He quotes two inspiring examples:Top Gun: MaverickAndAnorafrom Sean Baker. “”Sean fought for his film to come out in theaters, and he ended up making 75 million admissions. This success, he underlines, should not be perceived as competitive but complementary. “”The films must not compete, but they coexist. Even big films attract only a specific type of audience. Ideally, we would go to see Top Gun so that Anora May exist.»»
This inclusive vision of cinema goes hand in hand with a larger concern: that of collective memory. “”When I open Netflix, I would like them to highlight heritage. Many think that the history of cinema begins with Star Wars. It worries me.»»
The complicity with Tom Cruise then appears as a rampart in the face of these concerns. Since their first collaboration, a rare alchemy has settled between the two men. A relationship based on a common passion, the same sense of rigor and commitment. “”What unites us is our love of cinemaSummarizes Mcquarrie. “”Tom is still learning. He wants to understand. And he lets the directors do their job.»»
When Cruise enters the scene, the exchange gained intimacy. The actor evokes his instinctive relationship to the scenario: “When I read a script, I see it, I hear it. This is what allows me to know how to play, how to tell. “He pays tribute to Mcquarrie,”Who does not write just for me or for the actor, but for the film. He knows how to speak to the actors, he adapts to what they reveal for themselves. That’s the art of making a film. »»
Both insist on the crucial importance of the preparation. “”As long as we have not found the actors, the scenario is just an empty vesselSaid Mcquarrie. Each role must be invested by the one who embodies it, nourished by its interpretation. Cruise continues: “I do everything myself. I get involved in every detail. It’s not just about saying replicas. You have to find the right tone, bring the film to life.»»
The dialogue then naturally derives towards the action scenes, a trademark of their collaboration. For Mcquarrie, a good action scene is based first on visual clarity. “”It’s not just the show. It is emotional link. When you no longer understand who is where you pick up.»»
Cruise, for its part, insists on the endurance and the discipline required by such filming. “”There are so many details, close plans. You have to understand how to assemble everything. It is a discipline. And Christopher directs all this as a Swiss clock. »»
But beyond impressive logistics, it is the emotion that remains the engine of their work. “”It is not for waterfalls that these films exist, says McQuarrie. This is because there is an emotional life.He even reveals that the most extravagant idea of the film was born … from a Tiktok video. “”I had seen a video, I showed it to Tom. He said to me: we’re going to do it. I said: Aren’t you going to do this? He told me if. And we did it ”
Tom Cruise concludes the meeting on an almost intimate note: “From a young age, I have learned discipline. Understanding the camera, light, sound … and Christopher succeeds in putting it all in order. But even with all the preparation of the world, there remains a part of unforeseen. »»
This rare dialogue between a discreet, methodical director, and a hyperactive and passionate star offered the Cannes public a moment of authentic, warm and demanding cinema. He recalled that the success of an action film is not only due to his technical prowess, but to the emotion that animates him. And that when two sincere lovers of the seventh art meet, they can, together, give birth to works that are both spectacular and deeply human.
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, Part 2Go out in our Tunisian rooms on May 17, 2025.
Neïla Driss
