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CNN Live At Daybreak

'Captain Corelli's Mandolin' Opens Today

Aired August 17, 2001 - 07:51   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Nicholas Cage and Penelope Cruz may be the talk of Hollywood when it comes to their off screen romances, but the two stars hope there's going to be good word of mouth about their new movie.

COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" opens nationwide today.

And CNN's Sherri Sylvester sat down with Cruz and Cage on the eve of the movie's premier. Let's look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHERRI SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He's dating Lisa Marie Presley, she's seeing Tom Cruise, but both Penelope Cruz and Nicholas Cage would like to focus your attention on the language of love in "Captain Corelli's Mandolin."

NICHOLAS CAGE, ACTOR: I thought I could watch you forever.

PENELOPE CRUZ, ACTRESS: You think you can come here and turn my whole world upside-down?

CAGE: I was emotional. I liked the original idea that love can spawn over many, many years. That you can still be -- you can grow old and still be in love with the same woman that caught your eye, you know, and I'm a romantic that way.

SYLVESTER (on camera): Do you think there's one soul mate out there?

(LAUGHTER)

CAGE: I don't know how -- yes, I don't know. I don't know. I just don't.

SYLVESTER (voice-over): As for Cruz on Cruise...

CRUZ: I never talk about my private life in interviews.

SYLVESTER: She is torn between two loves in this World War II epic.

CRUZ: Come back to me. CAGE: Promise me.

SYLVESTER: Cage and Cruz fell for the best seller on which the film is based, but director John Madden left Cruz hanging on these words after their first encounter.

CRUZ: Well, I'll tell you that some characters belong to certain people, but he didn't finish the line. And the second reading, again he said, some characters belong to certain people. And then finally after the last audition, he called me and said I tell you some characters belong to certain people and this one belongs to you. And I just started crying and it was beautiful because it's a very important character for me. I love this woman.

SYLVESTER: As Captain Corelli, Cage had to play the mandolin and conduct a chorus of military men. While he's not musical, his grandfather was.

(on camera): Did you channel Carmine Coppola a little bit musically?

CAGE: Well, I tried to. I mean I -- I don't know if that's even possible, but I would just sort of meditate on him and just say, all right, help me out here because you know I have to conduct in this movie and I don't know how.

SYLVESTER (voice-over): Carmine, Francis Ford Coppola's father was the Oscar-winning composer of "The Godfather" films as well as a conductor.

CAGE: He was a very strong presence, a very proud man who would conduct with gusto, and I have those images in my head.

SYLVESTER: While Cage learned the music, Cruz tackled the emotional scale of the piece.

CRUZ: I couldn't eat, talk to my family because they came to visit. I had no more energy after those scenes but everything was worth it.

SYLVESTER: Now if they can just get moviegoers interested in their on screen romance.

Sherri Sylvester, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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