NOVEMBER 2017 ROGER THE UNTAMED PULVERS MEXICAN STAR SAND HORROR WITH AND 5 OTHER A DIFFERENCE TRUE ANTI-WAR FILMS ELLE FANNING 21st CENTURY WOMAN FOR MORE MOVIE NEWS, REVIEWS AND INTERVIEWS, HEAD TO WWW.FILMINK.COM.AU ELLE FANNING COMES DOWN TO EARTH The star of 20th Century Women, Neon Demon and How To Talk to Girls at Parties is only getting started. BY RHIANA DAVIES-COTTER AND JAMES MOTTRAM. n How to Talk to Girls at Parties, an alien touring the galaxy (Elle on Elle’s film career – her last three films have been directed by female Fanning) leaves her group and meets two young inhabitants of a brave directors. “There was Sofia Coppola with The Beguiled,” she says, “Then new world – 1970s (prime punk era) Croydon, in South London. The I did a Melanie Laurent film [upcoming Galveston], and then I did one with film is directed by John Cameron Mitchell, of Hedwig and the Angry Reed Morano [upcoming I Think We’re Alone Now]. I don’t necessarily IInch and Shortbus fame, and adapted from Neil Gaiman’s 2006 short story. think about the gender, I just loved the stories, and they happened to be In Elle’s words, the film is “A love story. It’s like a punk-alien Romeo and directed by amazing female directors.” Elle admits that she wouldn’t be Juliet.” Aside from Fanning, the film stars Alex Sharp (To the Bone), Ruth where she is today without the help of Sofia Coppola. “I feel like I might Wilson (Luther) and Nicole Kidman – Elle’s idol. “I always dreamed of not even be here if it wasn’t for the film Somewhere [Elle’s first film with meeting Nicole,” she says, “She was one of those actresses that I really Coppola]. Somewhere was the first movie that people really saw me in. I admired and respected. I was fascinated with her. She chooses so many was 11 at the time, and Sofia and I have kept in touch ever since then.” different characters. She’s not afraid – she just goes for it.” After Somewhere, Sofia and Elle were on the lookout for the next film they Kidman gave Elle some welcome advice about staying afloat in the cut- could do together – and the opportunity presented itself with The Beguiled. throat world of Hollywood. “Nicole was like, ‘You need to find your tribe, and “I got an email from Sofia saying that she had this idea, and that Kirsten surround yourself with people that support you. Especially in this business, [Dunst] was already signed on. Sofia said it was based off this movie that people can love you for the wrong reasons. You need to make sure that you Clint Eastwood did a while ago, and she said ‘I’m going to make you the protect yourself and have people around you that are really supportive’.” bad girl!’.” In the film, which is set during the American Civil War, a wound- So far, this is exactly what Elle is doing. “I still live at home with my par- ed Union soldier (Corporal McBurney, played by Colin Farrell) is taken in by ents,” Elle muses. “My family is full of strong women. My grandmother lives a group of women at a girls’ school in Virginia. Elle plays Alicia, a hormonal, with us, and my aunt, and my cousin and her daughter. We’re just a bunch of bored and sexually charged teenager intent on seducing the Corporal. Let’s ladies. And my sister (Dakota Fanning) is so supportive. It was very strange just say things don’t end well. for my family when my sister and I chose to act. My parents wanted us to be Elle’s character in The Beguiled is just one example of her determination tennis players. We didn’t live in L.A, we lived in Georgia, and it was my sister to choose complex and daring roles. “When you do films,” Elle remarks, who was originally like ‘I want to be an actress.’ Then after she started, I was “You have these experiences and you expand as a person. I care about like ‘Okay, me too.’ I wanted to try it, and once you start – if you love that how I’m growing as an actress and as a woman, and I want to choose world of just dressing up and playing pretend – it’s the best thing. You can’t films that are going to teach me something – that are going to make an really get enough of it, and you miss it when you’re not acting. You’re always impact on the world, even if it’s like The Neon Demon [best scene – Elle like ‘what’s the next character going to be?’” felates a knife held by Keanu Reeves]. I’ve had some people say ‘That’s my Being surrounded by strong women at home seems to have rubbed off favourite film ever!’, and others say they thought it was absolutely horrible. WWW.FILMINK.COM.AU So, it’s like, you know what? That’s just the way it is. Another film that Elle holds close to her heart is “I’ve never had a movie where I’m just a high school And I like it that way, because you’ve made an impact Mike Mills’ 20th Century Women, which is the story of student walking through the school halls. And it’s not on someone, and it’s memorable. I want to do movies a teenage boy and the three women who attempt to necessarily that I’m against that, but I just haven’t that people are going to remember, movies that stand raise him into a caring and intelligent man. The film is really gravitated towards roles like that, until this film. I out from the crowd.” set in Southern California in 1979, and Fanning plays thought How to Talk to Girls at Parties was really funny, At just 19 years old, Elle already has over 25 films Julie, the boy’s best friend and a young woman trying and it’s something that I’d never really done.” under her belt. She started acting at 18 months old to navigate her burgeoning adulthood. “I love that film, We thought we’d finish our interview with the (when she played a younger version of her sister in and I love Mike Mills,” Elle says, “We became really most important question of all – how exactly does one the film I Am Sam) – but the first time she remembers close. I just love to call him and talk to him. He’s so talk to girls at parties? “I would say no weird pick-up really connecting with her character was in Ginger and soulful, and you can see it in his films.” lines,” Elle answers. “I think your eyes just need to Rosa, when she was 13. “In that film, I realised what Elle’s determination to grow as a woman and meet. There’s not really any words that need to be it was like to not feel like myself. I lost myself in the artist through her films has kept her away from roles said. A little mystery is always good.” character in a great way. I had an accent, I had red that are more typical for actresses her age. For hair – that movie just meant a lot. I had my first kiss in example, she has never played a high school student How to Talk to Girls at Parties plays at the Ad- that film. Like my first real kiss ever! I was bright red. in a teen movie – until now (if an extra-terrestrial elaide Film Festival which is on October 5 – 15, Yeah, I definitely grew up a lot.” being in the form of a high school student counts). 2017 n WWW.FILMINK.COM.AU THE UNTAMED: THE DEVIL WITHIN Writer director Amat Escalante was born in Spain but spoke to us from his adoptive Mexico about his latest film The Untamed. BY CHRISTINE WESTWOOD he origin of the story was that I wanted to explore the mist, traumatised. The scene shifts to the home of the anger that I find in the culture around me. I feel Alejandra (Ruth Ramos) serving a meal to her children and that sexuality is connected to that anger, like in husband. We quickly discover the overtly macho Angel is Thomophobia, and the treatment of women.” conducting an abusive affair (reflecting his own repression The first human character we see in his film is a and self-loathing) with his brother-in-law Fabien (Vincent wounded girl, Veronica (Simone Bucio) walking through Villa Vicencio). But before we meet any human protago- WWW.FILMINK.COM.AU nists, the opening scene of The Untamed is a glimpse as instinctive animals. attracts more profile and backing. of the world from the point of view of a nebulous, “I work intuitively,” Escalante says. “I’m not ac- “I’m not sure about the next project but I’m trying alien creature. ademic or intellectual, I didn’t go to film school. The to get inspired by writing and making notes. And I’ve It is this marrying of a mundane world with a way I structure a film is not very orthodox. I wanted been looking at a project in the US for about 3 years science fiction, horror theme that Escalante wanted to do documentaries but failed! So I decided to apply now. I’m interested in how that would be a new to tackle.