March 4, 2024
Lynne Ramsay - You Were Never Really Here

Jeff welcomes Mary Kay Holmes from the Share A Sandwich Podcast to explore the complexities of trauma, violence, and redemptive behaviors in Lynne Ramsay's psychological thriller, "You Were Never Really Here." Joaquin Phoenix delivers a haunting performance as a traumatized mercenary on a mission to rescue a young girl in a gripping film that you don't want to miss.
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WEBVTT
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This episode of a Film Buy is
brought to you by black Key Cooffee.
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Head over to black Keycoffee dot com
and get your favorite flavor this winter,
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then build your own sample pack and
try several Black Key coffee. With enough
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coffee, anything is possible. Today
we're going to talk about a film by
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Lynn Ramsey, her twenty seventeen underrated
thriller You Were Never Really Here. Hello
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everybody, I'm Jeff Johnson and welcome
back to a Film by podcast. Before
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we get going, I do want
to shout out one of our listeners,
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Sarah Simons on Spotify. Uh left
us a really cool comment about a recent
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episode we did, our Lee Daniels
episode covering The Paperboy. Sarah says,
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so great of you to cover this. I watched it when it came out
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and since then probably five times,
the last time being today. It's in
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my top five. Still always shocks
me like I watched it for the first
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time. Laugh hell loud, Sarah. I'm already wondering, like what if
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this one is in your top five
and it is a very It's a very
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great movie. Sarah if you're listening, we gotta we gotta know what the
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other four are in this top five. Please email us at a film by
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podcast at gmail dot com because if
you do, uh, we got we
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gotta, we gotta let we gotta
let the listeners know, and we got
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we gotta send you some a film
by swag. Moving on, I'd like
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to remind to all of you back
in January, I had the privilege of
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being on the Share a Sandwich podcast, and the host and creator of said
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podcast is with me today, Mary
Kay Holmes. Welcome to a Film Buy.
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Thank you. I'm so excited to
be here. We are excited to
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have you, and I got to
ask you to do something for me.
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For our listeners who may not know
about the share Sandwich podcast, can you
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give us a little background on how
this came to be and what it is
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all about. Sure. On the
shaff Sandwich podcast, I have a guest
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every week and they vary from just
all different types of people that I've met
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or have gotten to know, and
I ask the same ten questions of everyone
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and it's been more of a social
experiment for me than anything else. I
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during COVID and coming out of COVID. I sort of go really tired of
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small talk and the basic questions that
adults ask each other. Oh you know,
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what do you do? Blah blah
blah. So I started getting really
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into icebreakers and asking people questions like, Hey, you know, what's your
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favorite dinosaur? Because it's just not
something that adults talk about. So I
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wanted to make a podcast that was
just grown people asking each other questions that
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we don't normally ask each other.
It is absolutely fantastic. It's actually one
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of my favorite new pods. Please
check out Mary Kay on the Share a
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Sandwich podcast. We have got ourselves
a pretty fantastic director to discuss today and
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a movie that I think a lot
of people have not seen and probably need
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to see. Mary Kay, can
you tell our listeners a little bit about
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you were never really here? Yes, I agree with you, and that
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I had never heard of it until
you sent it to me. But essentially,
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it is about a traumatized veteran who
is unafraid of violence and he tracks
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down missing girls for a living.
So when one of his jobs spins completely
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out of control, his nightmares start
to overtake him as a conspiracy as uncovered,
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leading to what could be his death
trip or his awakening. I like
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how you I like how you said
that. That's uh. I mean true,
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I've seen the movie. I love
the movie, and I'm already intrigued
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to watch it again just based off
of that synopsis. I mean, the
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internet is a great place to help
put together a synopsis. So it was.
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This movie was amazing. It was
different than what I was expecting.
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What were you expecting? I mean, did you watch a trailer or did
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you just go in completely like unaware. I watched the trailer and I was
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essentially braced for sort of your standard
action thriller, you know, a lot
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of gratuitous violence and you know action
and certain you know, very sort of
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hyper masculine activities happening. And the
fact that w Quing Phoenix was in it
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was should have been a little bit
of a tip off that it was not
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going to be like a John Wicker, you know, but it was very
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different than that. The trailer and
the movie itself were very different. I
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mean it's you know, as I
mentioned, it's neo noir. This is
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a it's a it's a haunting film. Yeah, and it's and it's visually
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yeah, you know, we're talking
about like city city landscapes, you know,
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New York. Mainly, it's not
like it's great to look at where
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where she's where Lynn Ramsey's shooting,
but it's still just it's it's visually stunning
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the way the way she shoots,
right, I mean it's like it's like
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slightly out of focus. Yeah,
cinematography, right, Yeah, cinematography is
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gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous. It's it's
you know, you can tell that she
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probably takes beautiful photographs. Her composition
and the way she puts everything together,
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there's there's energy put into every shot. Mm hmm, absolutely so. Jaquin
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Phoenix as Joe. During an interview
with Rolling Stone, he shared that Lynn
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Ramsey gave him an audio mix of
fireworks blended with gunshots to describe what's going
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on inside this character's head. And
when you when you know that and you
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watch this movie, because he's he's
got this this thousand yard stare through a
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lot of it, he's kind of
just like, is he is he is?
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He? Is he with us?
Or where's he at? And when
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you hear that, that's what's you
know, when you when you watch it
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again and you know, like that's
what's that's kind of like his inner monologue.
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For me, it put the movie
on a whole new level. So
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I'm like, this guy is really
troubled. Yeah, no, and that's
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intense. I did not read that
one. I read different things, and
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it was the same thing with you
know, as I was going through like
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different synopsis online and reading things about
it, and they always kick it off
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with the veteran right up front,
within the first few words. And yes,
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there are moments that tell you that
he is a veteran, but I
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don't feel like there was a huge
emphasis put on it. But I do
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think that when you've been through a
traumatic situation like he clearly has in combat,
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that that is always in your mind. So knowing that she sort of
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gave him that soundscape for his thoughts, that's really that's really interesting. I
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think it's brilliant, and you know, it just it speaks to what kind
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of artist she is, I think, because this character he is, he's
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very damaged, and this is something
that we're This is a point like you
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know, mid you know, like
twenty fifteen, twenty seven, sixteen seventeen,
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this is where Joaquin's starting to take
on roles where he's playing these traumatized
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people, these these damaged people think
of him and Joker, you know,
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Todd Phillips Joker, which he'll do
a couple of years after this movie.
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You can kind of see where he
gets his inspiration for Arthur fleckin in this
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movie with with the character Joe.
He's just so damaged and like you talked
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about, like his military background.
We get very very brief flashbacks that Lynn
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Ramsey is giving us to kind of
show so who he is and why he
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is so traumatized. You know,
you know, we know he's an abuse
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child. You know he has observed
the violence, the extreme violence that his
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father has has done against his mother. You know, we talked about the
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horrors of war. You know,
he sees some pretty messed up stuff.
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But we again we see just just
flashes, like just quick images, like
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some like one image I had to
stop. I had to pause to go,
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did I see what I just saw? You know, because we know
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he's got a military background, we
know he has a background with the FBI,
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and this kind of all speaks to
this all kind of builds to this
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new career he has where's he's basically
saving young girls from from trafficking. Yeah,
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and I have to say the way
that she sort of shows these flashbacks
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to his time in combat, it's
very different than any other combat flashback I've
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ever seen before. It's yeah,
moments, these really sort of poignant and
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powerful moments that aren't your traditional you
know, something blowing up or something this
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happening or this happening. It's like
there's this tiny little thing that happens here
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and this tiny little thing that happens
here, and they're very specific. Yeah,
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It's it's really powerful the way that
she does it. They're specific because
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they also they force you to ask
questions because it really puts you inside his
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headspace. You know. We get
a brief, like a one second shot
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of like two soldiers just playfully dancing
together, and you know, and you're
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like, what's what's going on there? And then you see like this quivering
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foot and you're like, wait,
who is that? What's going on?
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And then when you kind of put
and she has these extreme close ups that
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are slightly out of focus. So
it really puts you in this person's mind
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because like when you think, like
you know, when we when we experience
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trauma and we we think back or
were it kind of jamsus, you know,
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kind of jams us up, and
you know, we're kind of we're
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in our own headspace. It's it's
fuzzy, and maybe we don't remember things
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coherently. And I think what she's
doing here is brilliant, honestly, when
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she's explaining who he is. I
love it. Yeah, No, I
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fully agree with you on that.
I fully agree. And what's interesting is
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that that tiny moment of him dancing
in the desert with the other man,
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if it is even him, I
don't even know if it was him.
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I think it was just two men
dancing together. There is a moment later
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in the movie that if you sort
of like draw the straight line between those
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two moments, you can make an
assumption about him and something about him,
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you know, which is not overt
and it's not discussed, and it also
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is just a thing that happens,
but it gives you just that extra,
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tiny, little paper thin layer of
who he is, very subtle layers.
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I think, as we try to
unravel who Joe is and where he comes
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from, there's a lot of questions
that you and up asking yourself. Yeah,
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for sure, a lot is co
star fourteen year old Ekaterina sampson Off
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is in the role of the governor's
daughter or the Senator. I'm sorry,
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excuse me, the Senator's daughter.
Nina, this young lady. So she's
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born to a Ukrainian mother and a
Russian father. She's got dual citizenship,
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and she did a few indies before
this, but currently she's making her living
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as a model. Her performance is
a little creepy, am I am,
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I out align with that, like, I don't know, she feels kinda
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I don't know, eth rul,
like she's just I don't I don't trust
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her. I want I want him
to save her. I want him to
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help her. But she almost doesn't
seem like the quintessential victim, even though
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she is a major victim. Yes, right, does she carry herself like
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that? Is it just me?
Or what's your take? Mary? Kay?
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Well, it's really it's interesting that
you say that because there's sort of
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this first of all, just side
note. She reminded me a lot of
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Hunter Schaeffer from Euphoria. I don't
know if you ever watched Euphoria, but
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from and I'm like, wait,
wait, wait is that Hunter? And
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I look it up because very similar
sort of look But what's interesting is,
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you know, we get used to
in film and television seeing these abused women
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and girls in this certain way,
right, and so there are these assumptions
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that that is how it is.
And I think that there is sort of
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the vibe that I got from her
is that she's having this sort of out
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of body experience, right. And
you've heard that, you know, I've
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read that before from people who say, when you're in these horrific situations,
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all you can do is just leave
your body because there's nothing you can do
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otherwise. And so she's so young, and if she's been dealing with this
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horrific trauma for years, it's possible
that she is just so disconnected, you
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know when they go to her eating
at the end, sitting there, I
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mean, you know, but at
the same time, like she's probably hungry
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and you know, like there's food. So it's it's an interesting disconnect that
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kind of gives us this insight into
man, how how do you move forward
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from that? When you have been
so brutalized, you know, how do
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you put yourself back together and then
sort of you know, slide yourself into
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society and move forward. I mean, that's I can't imagine it's easy.
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Yeah, I mean people still have
to eat, they still have to sleep.
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You know, slipping throats makes you
hungry, right, Mary Kay,
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It's a lot of work. It's
a lot of work. Uh, you
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know, I listeners, I probably
suld have said this, but this movie
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is streaming on Prime if you you
know, if you want to spoiler free
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type of assessment, go see it. Come back to us. But you
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know, we're not worry I I
don't think we should only think back,
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do you, Mary Kay? No, I think we should go back.
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I also think that there's like a
huge, you know, trigger warning on
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this movie for many different reasons,
so, you know, triggered by that
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type of stuff. Then maybe this
will sort of give them the opportunity to
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say, you know, I'm not
going to watch this one. Maybe I'll
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just listen to the podcast and not
watch the actual film. Absolutely, and
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it's I love the I love the
point that you made with her at the
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end of the movie and you know, sitting there eating dinner with the bloody
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razor blade and her hands are covered. Yeah, because I remember the first
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time I watched this movie. I
never would have expected that moment because we
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see you know, we know that
Joe's gonna go save this girl from this
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this disgusting brothel that she's being held
in, and that that scene in itself,
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it's I don't think it's like a
pivotal moment, but I think it
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speaks volumes to the title of this
movie, you know, of the book,
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because he never lets himself be seen
on close circuit cameras. He never
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lets him he doesn't give his name, he's his head's always down, he's
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just he's never really here. Yeah, but when you watch that moment when
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he storms this place and he's just
dispatching these guys with this ballpen hammer,
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you just see like glimpses of it
on the on the monitors. So a
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lot of a lot of inferred violence. I mean, you know, we
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don't really see a lot of gratuitous
violence like you were expecting on this A
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lots implied and lots like it's it
happens, so like, did I just
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see what I thought I saw?
It's a it's quick, And I think
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that's part of the genius of this
movie, honestly, And one of the
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things that really blew me away about
it is I'm used to bracing myself.
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You know, you see someone walking
towards someone with a ballpeen hammer, You're
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like, oh boy, this is
going to be a whole thing. And
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you have the moment where he raises
the hammer and then you splash to the
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guy on the ground, and then
you have those beautiful moments in between where
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he's sort of catching his breath,
taking a moment, remembering why he's there.
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Okay, on to the next thing. You know, the moments when
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he's driving, or the moments when
he's sort of in between, you know,
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houses while he's going on this final
mission. It's it's amazing because we
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don't have to relive or I guess, live the initial violence of it.
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We know what happens. He's got
a hammer, that guy's gonna we know
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what's gonna happen. I don't need
to see it, and I what I
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want to know is how it's affecting
him afterwards, what's doing to him And
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and she does a really great job
with that. Yeah, I love her
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shots, nonviolent shots that tell you
something really violent just happened or is about
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to happen. The movie opens,
he's we see him kind of cleaning up,
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and he's cleaning a hammer that he's
just used. We don't we don't
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really know at that point. But
then when you see, like later down
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the road, when he's grabbing a
hammer, a new hammer, off the
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shelf at the local hardware store,
You're like, oh my god, he
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is about to unleash some some really
terrible things. You know. It's like
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it's like the senator who who hires
him? He has that question, he's
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you know, he says, uh, can you be brutal? And Joaquin's
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just like, I can be,
and then he just says, I want
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you to hurt them. It's just
like, oh yeah, like what is
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that? Well, and then you
discover how tangled the whole thing is,
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and it's like, ah, like
this is and the thing is that you
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see, you know, you see
Joaquin, you see Joe struggling with this,
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because I think it's easy for us
to assume, you know, like
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in a John wu type movie,
that like, oh, this guy is
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like hardcore, he's seeking revenge.
This is happening. He doesn't care about
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anybody that gets in his way.
This is what's going down, And you
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don't see necessarily those moments in between, now that there's anything wrong with that
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that's a completely different type of movie. But the fact that you see Joe
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doing these things or don't see him
doing them things, and then he goes
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home and he's taking his mom's glasses
off and putting them on the nightstand,
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and he's, you know, doing
these little things that show that he's trying
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and that he actually does have the
capacity to love and care for someone.
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He's not just this calculated robot.
Yeah, And speaking of caring for someone,
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I think what really turns this movie
on its head is the idea that
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you know, there's events that are
going to happen where she's going to be
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taken a second time. He's going
after her a second time, and you're
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just like, okay, I get
where we're going here, and to find
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out that it's really it's her that's
going to save him in a way,
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I thought it was brilliant writing because
let's not forget you know, Lynn Ramsey
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writes this, you know, she
adapts this from the novella, So the
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writing's brilliant here. The idea that
this fourteen year old girl ultimately becomes the
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hero of the movie. I absolutely
love it. I just love it.
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Yeah, because you see him the
entire time. I mean, he's he's
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struggling the entire time. You know, he's struggling with his history in combat,
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he's struggle with his childhood trauma.
He's struggling with his day to day
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he's struggling with how he feels about
himself, how his body feels, his
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aches and pains. You know,
it's just I mean, one of the
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greatest greatest moments is him, you
know, lying in bed and he's sort
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of you know, dangling this knife
over his throat considering doing something, and
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then the other room, his mom's
like Joe, and he's like, what's
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the knife down? It's like what
is happening? But it's so like he
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just goes back to being like,
Okay, I'm a beautiful son. I
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got to go home my mom with
this thing and then just toss my knife
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on the ground and go do this. Yeah. The way the way he
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the way he balances his suicidal tendencies
with the care he has to provide for
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his mother, and I love the
relationship by the way, you know this
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is it's so it warms you.
It's like you're like, you're like,
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Okay, this guy's brutal, he's
cold, blooded. No, he's not.
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Like, look, he's he's at
home. He's there to take care
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of his mom. You know,
they have they I love the banter that
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they have where they're they're kind of
like they're more like roommates, like old
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old roommates. You know. I
think it's fantastic. I love a Walter
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White. I mean I love a
complicated character. So he fits the bill
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right. You know, he's a
guy that does awful things, but he
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kind of doesn't for a good reason, and he kind of doesn't do bad
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people. And also he takes care
of his mom. So like you know,
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it's it's again like you said earlier, it's layered. Yeah, let's
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I want to ask you something.
So we got, you know, on
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the on the subject of brutal,
cold blooded mercenary type type guys that are
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that are out to take care of
people. This movie has a you know,
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critics kind of pointed this out,
this movie has a real taxi driver
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comparison happening. And I didn't think
about that until maybe the third or fourth
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time I watched it, and and
it's there because like you know, I
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think I think he's better than Travis
bickele I mean, and I don't mean
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better as a character. I mean, he's a better person than Travis Bickel,
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but they're you know, they're doing
the same thing, right, I
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can definitely see that. I have
not watched admittedly Traffic Taxi Driver in many
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years. So now, as soon
as you mentioned that earlier, I thought,
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oh man, I got to go
back and watch that now because I
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live for that, you know,
the comparison and sort of where the nuance
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is between the two different characters,
because yeah, I mean, nobody's all
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good, nobody's all bad, and
different people have different things that inspire them
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to make the world a better place
and a different place. Where the line
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is between what's good and what's bad
and what they're willing to do to make
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the world a better place in the
way that they choose. I'll tell you
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right now, Like, yeah,
watching this you met you kind of pointed
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out those those moments, those really
nice moments we have with Joaquin just sitting
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in his car waiting or observing or
you know, preparing. It really puts
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you in that that Travis Bickel frame
of mind where he's just driving the taxi
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and you're in his head for a
little bit and he's talking, you know,
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he's you know, Denaro's kind of
narrating, like what his thoughts are,
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what his feelings are, and the
idea that they're both out to save
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a young, damaged, you know, female that's that's been kind of forced
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into a world of prostitution, who
ultimately maybe doesn't need saving. It says
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a lot about about what this movie
is. Yeah, Yeah, and it's
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interesting, you know, it's it's
also it changes your definition of saving,
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right, So we initially think of
the hero sort of swoops in and is
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saving her. Obviously, yes,
she's being saved from an terrible, terrible
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situation that she maybe physically is not
capable of getting out of, right when
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you're you know, surrounded by giant
adult men. But then in the end,
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she's saving him from himself. She's
saving him from this dark hole that
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he's living in, especially after you
know, what's happened to his mom and
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what happens you know, from that
moment forward. I think I think that
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it's it's interesting how we can sort
of redefine saving. Yeah, I mean,
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just because someone's not trapped in a
building by by terrorists doesn't mean they're
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not trapped in their emotions and maybe
they need someone to save them emotionally or
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save them mentally. And I think
that's what this girl, you know,
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that's what this character Nina, that's
what she's all about. Especially at the
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end. It's it's so I mean, the way she takes care of him
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at the end, it kind of
washes over like a just an awesome wave
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of calm as far as but at
the same time, she's just so hardcore,
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you know, she's like, all
right, come buddy, here's what's
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happening. This is what we're doing, and time to get up. Also,
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like the song that's playing in that
diner at the end, the Cake
327
00:23:56.559 --> 00:24:00.720
song, while they're saying really dark
moment, it's sort of every you know,
328
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sort of processing everything that's happened,
and then there's this song about cake
329
00:24:04.519 --> 00:24:10.799
playing. It's genius, Yeah,
genius and a little discombobby lighting. For
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me, yes, yes, I
mean it's to me, it's similar.
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It's the same sort of interesting moment
like when he you know, goes home,
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discovers what's happened with his mother,
goes downstairs and he you know,
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attacks this man who's questioning and he's
laying on the floor with this man,
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knowing that this man is going to
die, and there's music playing. It's
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the whole you know, I've been
to Paradise song playing yea, and the
336
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guy who reaches over and holds Joe's
hand and he lets him and he sings
337
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the song to him and he holds
his hand, and it's like, you
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know, on the one hand,
you're sitting here going what is happening?
339
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But at the same time, you're
like, this is a real human moment,
340
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Like this is you know, two
humans, not two people fighting against
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each other, two people on the
opposite sides of things, but like two
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human be and one of them is
about to end his life and he just
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wants comfort and he wants someone there
with him, and this is the person
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who's laying next to him. And
so that's what's happening. And that's really
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interesting. It's an odd moment and
brilliant because when you find out that whole
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thing is ad libbed, with the
singing and the closeness that they have.
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I love the fact that the guy
is a obviously he's a terrible he's a
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scumbag, and he's he's dying.
He's dying out right there on the on
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the kitchen floor. But he also
reveals to Joe like it was in her
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sleep, she didn't feel a thing
right. And I kind of feel like
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that gives Joe comfort and maybe that's
why he is with this guy in his
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final moments, like you don't have
to die alone. I'm here for you.
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And he kind of because like when
you first see that that hand,
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that that hand, take that other
hand, and you're like what, and
355
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then I thought, wait a minute, it's kind of a mutual respect in
356
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a weird, really twisted way.
And a Lynn Ramsey, it's really it's
357
00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:03.880
messed up. It's a messed up
scene, but it works, especially when
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they're kind of sharing this moment where
they're singing the song together. Yeah,
359
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and I think Joe probably has guilt
that his mother died alone and that he
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wasn't there, and he probably,
because of her age and because of everything,
361
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always just envisioned that she would get
sick or she would get old and
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she would pass away and he would
be sitting by her holding her hand and
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she would die. And that is
not what happened. But that's what he
364
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did for this man, and so
it's it's just an interesting exchange that happens
365
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in that moment that's both bizarre and
yet heartfelt at the same time, very
366
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very heartfelt. We're gonna take a
quick break and when we get back gonna
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we're gonna talk a little bit about
this film's background. We are back with
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00:26:48.599 --> 00:26:55.759
Mary Kay from the Sherry Sandwich podcast
talking about Lynn ramses, you were never
369
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really here, Mary Kay. It's
based on the Jonathan Ames twenty thirteen novella
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of the same name. He is
a big fan of the film, was
371
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one of the producers actually, and
Lynn writes and directs this adaptation. Now,
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we talked a little bit about the
score and the music. Obviously,
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we talked about that cake song just
being a weird choice but also kind of
374
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fitting. Something that kind of surprised
me. Was the guitarist for Radiohead,
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Johnny Greenwood scored this film, and
it just so happens it's the second time
376
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they've worked together because he also scored
her twenty eleven film. We need to
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talk about Kevin. Oh, that's
really interesting. I didn't know that.
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I'll tell you if you're a Radiohead
fan, first off, it's you know,
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they're a fantastic band. They are
truly a great band. This score
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has what I would call a chaotic
feel to it. It's messy, and
381
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when you realize that it's all about
being inside Joe's head, it makes the
382
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score perfect. Yeah, And you
know what's really interesting is in the very
383
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beginning there's sort of the sound mixing
of the whispers and the sort of talking.
384
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I had to go back and watch
it twice. It reminded me a
385
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little bit of zone of interest.
I don't know if you saw a zone
386
00:28:19.559 --> 00:28:23.640
of interest, but before I saw
a zone of interest, I hadn't ever
387
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really had a strong opinion about sound
mixing as far as like winning an award
388
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for sound mixing. After I saw
that movie, and I did see it
389
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in the theater, I left there
and I thought, this movie has to
390
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win something for sound mixing, like
the way that they sort of like juxtapose
391
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these awful sounds and birds tweeting and
whatever. And it was the same thing
392
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that was happening in the beginning of
this There's these moments of sort of like
393
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inaudible whispering and clearly terrifying music playing, which, now that you mentioned Radiohead,
394
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makes complete sense. Yeah, the
way that it blends together and you're
395
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kind of going whoa, what's happening? This is heavy. I'm already scared
396
00:29:00.559 --> 00:29:06.279
and nothing has happened, and that's
amazing. Like, I love kicking it
397
00:29:06.319 --> 00:29:10.200
off that way. Yeah, I'll
tell you what I love kicking off with
398
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this movie. We open in Cincinnati, Ohio, and you know, hey,
399
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I am a hometown since I kid
so uh. When that cab door
400
00:29:18.759 --> 00:29:22.279
shuts and I see Cincinnati, I
was like, all right, we're in
401
00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:26.240
Sinsey, you know, let's stop
at Skyline. But that's right, He's
402
00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:32.240
quickly on his way to New York. This film, this blows my mind.
403
00:29:32.279 --> 00:29:34.839
By the way. This film was
unfinished when it was submitted to the
404
00:29:34.920 --> 00:29:40.599
can Film Festival. Oh and it
still wins Best Actor for Waquin Phoenix,
405
00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:47.039
Best Screenplay for Lynn Ramsey, and
was nominated for the Palm Dure and almost
406
00:29:47.079 --> 00:29:51.200
took it. Wow. Yeah,
yeah, there's a lot going on here.
407
00:29:51.400 --> 00:29:55.680
Yeah. Yeah, I do want
to ask you this because I love
408
00:29:55.720 --> 00:29:57.839
the title of this film, because
it immediately when you hear the title,
409
00:29:57.880 --> 00:30:04.640
you're you're already asking questions. It's
released in France and Germany under the title
410
00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:11.000
A Beautiful Day, which is a
reference to the last line of dialogue given
411
00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:12.160
in the film. From Nina when
she says, Joe, wake up,
412
00:30:12.240 --> 00:30:18.240
it's a beautiful day. What what's
the better title here? Mary Kay,
413
00:30:18.480 --> 00:30:21.279
you're there, you're you're a writer. Let me know, like we go
414
00:30:21.319 --> 00:30:22.400
on with the book title, We're
going to go with a beautiful day.
415
00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:27.920
That's really interesting. And I you
know, I'm big on words and saying
416
00:30:27.960 --> 00:30:32.160
words that mean something and saying what
you're meaning. And I think that especially
417
00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:36.000
in a title, very carefully choosing
words, they all mean something. And
418
00:30:36.039 --> 00:30:38.920
I always think that's interesting when things
are translated and you read what the translation
419
00:30:40.039 --> 00:30:41.400
is versus what it is in English
or what you know, what it says
420
00:30:41.400 --> 00:30:47.319
in German or whatever. A beautiful
day, I think I think you were
421
00:30:47.359 --> 00:30:52.400
never really here as a better title, because I think that that reference is
422
00:30:52.839 --> 00:30:57.240
directly sort of Joaquin's life, right, or Joe's life. Joe was in
423
00:30:57.279 --> 00:31:02.880
combat and he was never there.
You know, we go in, we
424
00:31:02.920 --> 00:31:06.960
go out, we were never there. He goes into these situations, he
425
00:31:06.960 --> 00:31:11.039
helps these people, he was never
there. It's and it's also sort of
426
00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:14.799
this greater existential thing that I think
we all go through, right, which
427
00:31:14.880 --> 00:31:19.000
is we all come and go both
from people's lives and from life itself,
428
00:31:19.160 --> 00:31:23.759
and so it's it's kind of a
kind of a deep phrase. If you
429
00:31:23.799 --> 00:31:27.359
think about it. A Beautiful Day
can also do the same thing, but
430
00:31:27.640 --> 00:31:30.759
I feel like you were never really
here. It hits more for me.
431
00:31:32.519 --> 00:31:34.759
It definitely hits more, especially when
you think there's a there's a major theme
432
00:31:34.759 --> 00:31:41.400
of loneliness and isolation that I think
tracks through this film. And maybe it's
433
00:31:41.519 --> 00:31:45.920
it's it's Joe's character telling his father, his mother, the people in his
434
00:31:45.960 --> 00:31:51.960
world you were never really here because
he's so alone. Or again it's maybe
435
00:31:51.960 --> 00:31:55.559
it's the it's the people that hire
Joe and we know you were never really
436
00:31:55.559 --> 00:31:59.000
here. I think it's I think
it's way better if you told me,
437
00:32:00.039 --> 00:32:01.039
Hey, I need you to go
over and pick up this movie for me
438
00:32:01.240 --> 00:32:05.640
off the shelf. It's called A
Beautiful Day, and there were no titles
439
00:32:05.720 --> 00:32:07.200
and I just saw pictures. If
you told me to go pick up A
440
00:32:07.200 --> 00:32:10.359
Beautiful Day, I'm expecting to pick
up a box that has like George Clooney
441
00:32:10.440 --> 00:32:15.200
smiling at Joy Roberts or something of
that nature on it. You know,
442
00:32:15.279 --> 00:32:20.799
I'm not not what quing phoenix staring
menacingly at me, you know, from
443
00:32:20.839 --> 00:32:23.720
a thousand yards away, just like
and you you could go back to you
444
00:32:23.759 --> 00:32:28.319
know, life is beautiful, right, the movie about World War two?
445
00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:32.039
And you can. And that's also
I always wonder it actually reminds me.
446
00:32:32.039 --> 00:32:36.519
I wonder what that translates to in
other languages. I wonder what titles they
447
00:32:36.599 --> 00:32:39.680
used for that film and other languages. But I remember at the time thing
448
00:32:39.680 --> 00:32:43.799
and this is a really interesting title
for this movie because it's not what you're
449
00:32:44.200 --> 00:32:50.200
expecting when you're, you know,
getting a movie about Nazi war camps.
450
00:32:50.440 --> 00:32:52.880
But it's so you know, you
can make it work. But it's this
451
00:32:52.920 --> 00:32:55.759
one you were never really here,
you immediately know kind of what you're on
452
00:32:55.799 --> 00:33:00.680
board for. I think so too. Yeah, there are some really great
453
00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:05.480
moments in this movie. We've already
discussed several of them. But let's talk
454
00:33:05.519 --> 00:33:08.039
about the pivotal scene. Mary Kay. I'm not talking about the moment that
455
00:33:08.079 --> 00:33:10.839
you saw on the trailer. I'm
not talking about the climax of the film.
456
00:33:12.519 --> 00:33:15.359
I'm just talking about the scene that
you see it and you go,
457
00:33:15.400 --> 00:33:19.599
you know what, Without this moment, this movie is less. Is there
458
00:33:19.640 --> 00:33:22.079
a pivotal scene for you? Is
there something that comes to mind for you
459
00:33:22.759 --> 00:33:25.920
when you watch you were never really
here. Oh yeah, the moment that
460
00:33:27.000 --> 00:33:31.000
he walks into his mother's bedroom and
sees her with the pillow over her face.
461
00:33:32.359 --> 00:33:38.480
That like, I just gave myself
chills that moment. I audibly gasped
462
00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:46.920
because I thought they got him exactly
where it hurts, and this is the
463
00:33:47.079 --> 00:33:52.240
last thing he has. That's it. His mom is really if you think
464
00:33:52.240 --> 00:33:55.759
about it, she's the last thing
tethering him to this world. So now
465
00:33:55.799 --> 00:34:01.079
he's just totally unhinged. He's got
nothing him back. He's got no reason
466
00:34:01.119 --> 00:34:07.319
to hold back because who cares.
But then you get the beauty of him
467
00:34:07.319 --> 00:34:10.360
sort of taking care of the men
downstairs and then going back up and having
468
00:34:10.679 --> 00:34:15.199
this really beautiful moment where he's taking
his mom and he's putting on a suit
469
00:34:15.320 --> 00:34:21.039
and he's taking her to the car, and you know, taking a body
470
00:34:21.039 --> 00:34:24.480
out to a lake has never been
so moving. Honestly, it was really,
471
00:34:25.239 --> 00:34:29.760
you know, and I wrote it
down because it was amazing to me.
472
00:34:29.800 --> 00:34:31.239
Again with the sound mixing, you
know, his mom in the back
473
00:34:31.280 --> 00:34:35.519
of the car, she's wrapped in
bags, and he rolls the window down
474
00:34:36.039 --> 00:34:38.639
and he's driving and you can hear
the plastic rustling in the wind in the
475
00:34:38.639 --> 00:34:45.239
backseat, and I thought, oh, man, like, what imagine,
476
00:34:45.400 --> 00:34:50.320
you know, driving down the street
being the guy that you are, and
477
00:34:50.360 --> 00:34:53.679
you're doing this and this is this
is the last thing you ever wanted to
478
00:34:53.719 --> 00:34:58.840
do, the last thing that could
possibly have broken you. And that's why
479
00:34:58.840 --> 00:35:01.119
it's amazing, you know, when
he does fill his pockets with rocks and
480
00:35:01.159 --> 00:35:06.119
then he thinks about Nina and he
takes him out, you know, that
481
00:35:07.079 --> 00:35:10.679
big moment. Also, how does
how does such a morbid moment in the
482
00:35:10.679 --> 00:35:16.360
film become such a such a heartfelt
moment though, you know, I just
483
00:35:16.400 --> 00:35:21.639
don't get it, because like the
first time I watched this, I was
484
00:35:21.719 --> 00:35:23.840
I was really I was shocked,
and I was a little appalled that his
485
00:35:23.920 --> 00:35:30.480
mother is wrapped in black plastic and
duct tape in the back seat, and
486
00:35:30.519 --> 00:35:32.280
I was like, what what kind
of monster are you? But then when
487
00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:36.960
you see how tender he he is, you know, preparing her and then
488
00:35:37.360 --> 00:35:42.400
and then taking her out, it's
it's really it messes with your mind because
489
00:35:42.440 --> 00:35:45.360
you're like, this is this is
I think this is abhorrent, But at
490
00:35:45.400 --> 00:35:49.360
the same time, this is what
he knows and this is the best he
491
00:35:49.400 --> 00:35:52.039
can do. Yeah, And in
that and that, in that regard.
492
00:35:52.079 --> 00:35:55.119
It makes it a beautiful moment for
his character. Yeah, I mean,
493
00:35:55.159 --> 00:35:59.039
and there's a certain amount of professionalism
that comes with what he's doing, right,
494
00:35:59.079 --> 00:36:02.880
you know, it's sort of where
his expertise meets his emotion and he's
495
00:36:02.920 --> 00:36:06.000
like, the best way to take
care of this is to do X,
496
00:36:06.079 --> 00:36:07.599
Y and Z. So that's what
we're doing. But I'm gonna put on
497
00:36:07.639 --> 00:36:10.400
a suit while I do it,
and I'm going to take her to a
498
00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:15.599
beautiful place. And he very you
know, gently picks her up, and
499
00:36:15.639 --> 00:36:20.360
he is very delicate with her.
And I think that it's it's hard because
500
00:36:20.360 --> 00:36:22.440
it's the two parts of its his
brain fighting against each other. You know.
501
00:36:22.559 --> 00:36:27.599
He obviously can't call someone and have
a proper funeral for his mom after
502
00:36:27.719 --> 00:36:30.559
everything that's happened. It's just not
real. Who would he call. He
503
00:36:30.559 --> 00:36:35.800
has nobody who'd he call, no
one to call, so he has to
504
00:36:35.920 --> 00:36:39.480
make his own moment. And you
know, the thing that I thought was
505
00:36:39.480 --> 00:36:45.480
actually really beautiful that I think moved
me the most is he doesn't take her
506
00:36:45.519 --> 00:36:47.760
to the lake and drop her in. He walks her in, and he
507
00:36:47.840 --> 00:36:52.639
sinks with her, and then he
releases her at the bottom and comes back
508
00:36:52.719 --> 00:36:59.239
up and that is not something that
most people in a situation of disposing of
509
00:36:59.280 --> 00:37:04.480
a body would do. So it's
it's there's it's an extra layer because it's
510
00:37:04.480 --> 00:37:07.800
his mother and he needs to do
it in the best possible way he can.
511
00:37:08.039 --> 00:37:12.880
And I'll be honest, we're we're
actually this kind of this scene tethers
512
00:37:12.880 --> 00:37:16.519
to yours because this is my pivotal
moment, him bearing his mother and his
513
00:37:16.599 --> 00:37:22.679
attempt at suicide by intentionally drowning himself. Because up to this point we've seen
514
00:37:22.760 --> 00:37:25.679
we've been inside his head and we've
seen these these uh, these suicide fantasies
515
00:37:25.719 --> 00:37:30.360
that he's had, and this is
the point where he's like ready to go,
516
00:37:30.119 --> 00:37:32.440
all right, this is it.
I'm now, I'm me and my
517
00:37:32.480 --> 00:37:36.519
mom. I'm gonna go with her. Because when you're watching it, like
518
00:37:36.559 --> 00:37:37.760
the first time you see him picking
up these these stones, you're like,
519
00:37:38.320 --> 00:37:42.440
oh, is he gonna bury your
And then you know when you see him
520
00:37:42.440 --> 00:37:44.960
walking into the water, you're like, wait, what's the stones for?
521
00:37:45.360 --> 00:37:52.559
And he just kind of sinks this
this really slow, beautiful moment where he's
522
00:37:52.559 --> 00:37:54.800
sinking and just looks so at peace, and you got to think, like,
523
00:37:54.840 --> 00:37:59.159
this is the one time in his
in his in his world where there
524
00:37:59.239 --> 00:38:02.400
is no noise, right, there
is no there is no pain. But
525
00:38:02.440 --> 00:38:09.039
we get that brief glimpse of Nina
in his mind and then Okay, I've
526
00:38:09.039 --> 00:38:12.599
got more work to do. I've
got a purpose. And he takes the
527
00:38:12.679 --> 00:38:15.800
rocks out and he allows himself to
resurface, and then it's let's go get
528
00:38:15.880 --> 00:38:21.320
Nina. Yeah, because I think
originally his mom was his final purpose and
529
00:38:21.360 --> 00:38:25.199
then with this mission, he added
another one. And so he couldn't when
530
00:38:25.239 --> 00:38:29.360
he thought about it, like,
am I really going to leave this person
531
00:38:29.679 --> 00:38:34.719
out in the world to just fester
or whatever? Like he can't do it.
532
00:38:34.840 --> 00:38:36.840
He can't do it because at the
end of the day, he's a
533
00:38:36.880 --> 00:38:40.239
good person. He is. Let's
talk about another good person. Let's talk
534
00:38:40.239 --> 00:38:47.239
about Lynn Ramsay for a minute.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland. She studied
535
00:38:47.400 --> 00:38:51.519
fine art and photography. You mentioned
that her she would have been a great
536
00:38:51.519 --> 00:38:55.480
photographer. She studied it. And
here's here's what I love about her.
537
00:38:57.559 --> 00:39:04.000
She applies to film school on a
whim after seeing Maya Darren's film Meshes of
538
00:39:04.039 --> 00:39:07.639
the Afternoon. Mary Kay, I
have to I have to know, have
539
00:39:07.719 --> 00:39:10.559
you ever seen a film that that
inspired you, that moved you so much
540
00:39:10.639 --> 00:39:15.920
that you decided to change the course
of your career. Oh boy, that's
541
00:39:15.000 --> 00:39:21.840
a big question. That's a that's
a very good question. I would say
542
00:39:22.400 --> 00:39:25.519
there have been films, there have
been TV shows there. I mean,
543
00:39:25.559 --> 00:39:31.320
I would say there's a heavy emphasis. What's interesting about Lynn Ramsay is that
544
00:39:31.400 --> 00:39:35.719
because she is from the UK,
I have a special place in my heart
545
00:39:35.719 --> 00:39:42.639
for UK writers, because any UK
crime show is probably better than most American
546
00:39:42.679 --> 00:39:45.760
crime shows. And I know you're
not lying. It's a very controversial thing
547
00:39:45.800 --> 00:39:49.360
to say, and a lot of
people will argue with me about it,
548
00:39:49.880 --> 00:39:54.159
but it says something about her.
I mean, I can think back on
549
00:39:55.559 --> 00:39:59.519
I mean, look, I'm gen
X. I grew up watching cable when
550
00:39:59.519 --> 00:40:04.199
I wasn't. I saw The Shining
when I was probably seven, which is
551
00:40:04.320 --> 00:40:07.920
not great. But that moment when
I saw the Shining for the first time,
552
00:40:08.400 --> 00:40:13.239
I was like this, I want
to do this. And I've been
553
00:40:13.239 --> 00:40:17.400
a huge Stephen King fan ever since
then, And so I would say that
554
00:40:17.440 --> 00:40:23.039
I would say it should have ruined
me, but instead it sort of inspired
555
00:40:23.079 --> 00:40:25.199
me, like how did he come
up with this? You know? And
556
00:40:25.239 --> 00:40:29.199
over the years I would go back
to it, reading Firestarter and reading these
557
00:40:29.199 --> 00:40:31.719
other books and thinking, you know
how he crafts these worlds, and he
558
00:40:31.760 --> 00:40:36.840
does it so efficiently. So yeah, I'm going to say I'm going to
559
00:40:36.920 --> 00:40:40.519
go with the shining interesting that you
would pick a Stephen King project, because
560
00:40:42.360 --> 00:40:47.480
Stephen King will come up again here
later on in our conversation, but for
561
00:40:47.519 --> 00:40:51.880
now, let's talk about her.
We'll keep talking about Lynn. She graduates
562
00:40:51.920 --> 00:40:54.519
in nineteen ninety five from the National
Film and Television School in England. She
563
00:40:54.559 --> 00:41:00.480
goes on to direct several award winning
short films on the festival circuit, and
564
00:41:00.519 --> 00:41:06.559
she's known for using non chronological storytelling
and often chooses projects that center around children
565
00:41:06.679 --> 00:41:09.760
and individuals going through trauma. And
if you know anything about her filmography,
566
00:41:12.119 --> 00:41:17.079
that definitely tracks. So let's talk
a little bit about her filmography with this
567
00:41:17.159 --> 00:41:21.639
caveat. We haven't done this before, but I kind of want to talk
568
00:41:21.679 --> 00:41:25.280
about some several projects that she was
supposed to do and did not. Oh
569
00:41:25.360 --> 00:41:30.960
yes, please, because admittedly I
have not seen a lot of her catalog
570
00:41:31.719 --> 00:41:36.440
I want to now, but I
just haven't. So yeah, No,
571
00:41:36.519 --> 00:41:39.079
there's a short film on IMDb that
I was looking at that I was really
572
00:41:39.079 --> 00:41:43.840
hoping I would have time to watch, and I did not, so it
573
00:41:43.880 --> 00:41:45.599
will be one of the first things
that I watch, probably this week when
574
00:41:45.599 --> 00:41:52.400
I have time. So her feature
film debut, Rat Catcher in nineteen ninety
575
00:41:52.440 --> 00:41:58.199
nine, all about a naive young
lad navigating the dirty streets of nineteen seventy
576
00:41:58.199 --> 00:42:04.400
three Glasgow and the poor youth around
him. Definitely an independent film. I'm
577
00:42:04.440 --> 00:42:09.159
not familiar with anybody in it,
although it looks like she's got some family
578
00:42:09.159 --> 00:42:14.679
in it, so this this was
probably an indie But I don't know.
579
00:42:14.679 --> 00:42:15.519
No, I don't know a whole
lot about it. Have you did you
580
00:42:15.559 --> 00:42:20.079
happen to see Ratcatcher? I did
not know. I kinda I kind of
581
00:42:20.119 --> 00:42:24.559
feel like we're gonna move quickly through
dough her hormography and and and with apologies
582
00:42:24.559 --> 00:42:29.159
to to miss Ramsey, but you
know, but we're also gonna, you
583
00:42:29.199 --> 00:42:30.559
know, I feel like we're gonna
do we got some homework when this is
584
00:42:30.599 --> 00:42:36.880
all said and done. Two thousand
and two, she has another small budget
585
00:42:36.920 --> 00:42:43.079
film, Morvan Calor, and again
I'm gonna say these are probably like UK
586
00:42:43.920 --> 00:42:50.440
based projects without without digging too deep, I know Samantha Morton is the star
587
00:42:50.519 --> 00:42:54.960
of this one. After her boyfriend's
suicide. A morning supermarket worker and her
588
00:42:55.000 --> 00:42:59.559
best friend hit the road in Scotland
but find that grief is something that you
589
00:42:59.559 --> 00:43:05.280
can't run away from forever. So
here we go. We're talking about traumatized
590
00:43:05.320 --> 00:43:07.280
people and this, this is kind
of like her. This is kind of
591
00:43:07.320 --> 00:43:10.199
like her jam. You know,
she's I feel like she knows how to
592
00:43:10.199 --> 00:43:15.880
tell this kind of story and maybe
that's why she's she's sticking with it.
593
00:43:15.280 --> 00:43:19.199
What do you think? Yeah?
No, And I have to say,
594
00:43:19.400 --> 00:43:22.159
you know, when I was reading
sort of about the themes that she really
595
00:43:22.199 --> 00:43:27.480
focuses on, and I actually read
a quote by a British film critic named
596
00:43:27.559 --> 00:43:31.760
Jonathan Romney, and he says she
thinks not in concepts, but in images.
597
00:43:31.880 --> 00:43:36.000
She doesn't make intellectual films, but
ones that are close to music,
598
00:43:36.320 --> 00:43:39.119
taking visuals to the point of abstraction. And I read that sentence and I
599
00:43:39.199 --> 00:43:44.039
thought, ooh, And then I
watched it and then I learned that she
600
00:43:44.119 --> 00:43:45.320
was from the UK, and I'm
like, Okay, all of these things
601
00:43:45.400 --> 00:43:51.039
mean that probably I should watch every
single one of her movies. So let's
602
00:43:51.119 --> 00:43:55.239
we definitely got to talk about her
her next one, and this is a
603
00:43:55.440 --> 00:44:00.400
very powerful movie. This is one. If you haven't seen it, you
604
00:44:00.480 --> 00:44:02.280
probably need to know a little bit
about it before you get into it.
605
00:44:04.079 --> 00:44:07.039
Talk about twenty eleven's we need to
talk about Kevin Mary, Kay, did
606
00:44:07.039 --> 00:44:12.599
you see this one? I did
not, but I do remember hearing about
607
00:44:12.599 --> 00:44:16.159
it, but I don't remember.
I don't remember exactly what it was that
608
00:44:16.239 --> 00:44:19.320
I did hear about it, So
I'm gonna need to go back and do
609
00:44:19.360 --> 00:44:22.800
some research. Yeah, this is
the one. A lot of controversy around
610
00:44:22.840 --> 00:44:28.239
this one at the time. We
need to talk about Kevin. This is
611
00:44:28.239 --> 00:44:35.199
the one where we've got a mother
played by Tilda Swinton who's going through some
612
00:44:35.280 --> 00:44:43.239
extreme issues because her child is involved
in a mass shooting at school. Yes,
613
00:44:43.639 --> 00:44:51.320
it's very hard to watch, you
know, definitely has a lot to
614
00:44:51.360 --> 00:44:54.480
say about, you know, has
a lot to say Tilda Swinton, John
615
00:44:54.519 --> 00:45:00.960
c Riley, Ezra Miller pre flashes
here. There's a lot going on in
616
00:45:00.960 --> 00:45:07.119
this movie. And it's just some
serious, serious emotions in this one,
617
00:45:07.840 --> 00:45:12.559
and it's fantastic. And that's another
one where she She's one thing I love
618
00:45:12.599 --> 00:45:16.079
about her. She's directing and she's
usually writing or co writing all of her
619
00:45:16.119 --> 00:45:20.079
stuff. Yeah, I mean,
she really, really brings it in.
620
00:45:20.960 --> 00:45:22.079
Yeah, And I feel like if
you can, that would be ideal,
621
00:45:22.480 --> 00:45:27.840
right, because you either want to
be collaborating with someone that you know well
622
00:45:28.440 --> 00:45:31.079
or doing it yourself because at the
same time, like I don't know,
623
00:45:31.519 --> 00:45:35.719
and obviously there are many examples of
people who have done it where there's been
624
00:45:35.719 --> 00:45:39.280
separate writers and directors. But I
feel like writing it yourself and directing it.
625
00:45:39.320 --> 00:45:43.480
You know, in your brain as
you're writing something, you can see
626
00:45:43.480 --> 00:45:45.599
the light coming through the window,
and you can see how this character holds
627
00:45:45.639 --> 00:45:49.440
themselves and you can see, you
know, as you're putting the words on
628
00:45:49.480 --> 00:45:52.280
the page. So I think there's
something really special that happens when people do
629
00:45:52.360 --> 00:45:55.400
that. Absolutely. Now I did
mention. I do want to talk about
630
00:45:55.440 --> 00:46:00.679
several projects that she was supposed to
do and they never never came to fruition.
631
00:46:01.559 --> 00:46:06.360
Right before she does, we need
to talk about Kevin two thousand and
632
00:46:06.400 --> 00:46:13.679
four. She was the original director
attached to The Lovely Bones. Oh interesting,
633
00:46:14.400 --> 00:46:17.719
Yeah, Now, this is a
situation where she deals with a lot
634
00:46:17.719 --> 00:46:22.159
of frustration from the studio she does. And Mary, you're Mary Kay,
635
00:46:22.159 --> 00:46:24.320
You're a writer, so I know
you can relate to this kind of frustration.
636
00:46:24.960 --> 00:46:29.519
She is handling. She's handing in
draft after draft, and depending on
637
00:46:29.559 --> 00:46:35.079
which suit she's talking to, it's
can we get a happier ending? This
638
00:46:35.119 --> 00:46:37.679
didn't happen in the book. This
should have been in the book, but
639
00:46:37.719 --> 00:46:39.840
it's not. Can you put it
in? Back and forth, back and
640
00:46:39.880 --> 00:46:45.480
forth. She's trying to adapt this
novel. She ultimately steps away, thinks
641
00:46:45.519 --> 00:46:49.320
better of it. Peter Jackson takes
her place. And I got to say,
642
00:46:49.360 --> 00:46:53.239
this film, largely panned by critics, not what you expect from Peter
643
00:46:53.320 --> 00:46:58.719
Jackson, and I think that's one
of the reasons it failed. Yeah.
644
00:46:58.880 --> 00:47:02.159
No, I mean I think it's
frustrating because especially in an adaptation, and
645
00:47:02.199 --> 00:47:07.320
I think especially with these big budget
movies, and I kind of think that's
646
00:47:07.440 --> 00:47:10.599
why there's sort of a lot of
people that are moving away from sort of
647
00:47:10.639 --> 00:47:15.320
the bigger budget things. You can
read the original script, and I've done
648
00:47:15.320 --> 00:47:19.800
this online where you can go download
the original script for a movie and then
649
00:47:19.840 --> 00:47:23.159
you can just see how it was
just absolutely decimated as it went through the
650
00:47:23.159 --> 00:47:25.559
process, and you're like, oh, why didn't they keep this character?
651
00:47:25.599 --> 00:47:28.480
Oh, it would have been so
great if they'd done this, you know,
652
00:47:29.079 --> 00:47:34.800
And you can really feel for the
directors, as you can imagine the
653
00:47:34.800 --> 00:47:37.559
frustration that they were up against,
right, and then they're getting absolutely panned
654
00:47:37.599 --> 00:47:44.119
by the media for something that genuinely
was not their fault. So yeah,
655
00:47:44.280 --> 00:47:47.360
I could see walking away from something, and I can see why she's probably
656
00:47:47.480 --> 00:47:51.239
kept it. Indie, you know, you get your money, and you
657
00:47:51.239 --> 00:47:52.480
get people on board, and you
say this is what I want to do,
658
00:47:52.519 --> 00:47:55.400
and they go, okay, great, here you go. Enjoy.
659
00:47:55.559 --> 00:48:00.199
And I'm a big lover of an
indie film, you know, and I've
660
00:48:00.239 --> 00:48:06.159
seen many that I have loved that
made no money for anyone, and it's
661
00:48:06.199 --> 00:48:10.079
a real shame that they didn't because
they were beautifully executed, but because they
662
00:48:10.119 --> 00:48:13.519
don't have, you know, the
big industry behind them, you don't hear
663
00:48:13.559 --> 00:48:15.039
about them, or you don't get
the chance to see them. So I
664
00:48:15.840 --> 00:48:19.400
can see how that would be frustrating. It would be hard for me to
665
00:48:19.480 --> 00:48:23.559
take one of my books and watch
someone just chop it into pieces and change
666
00:48:23.599 --> 00:48:28.280
the ending and change the characters and
change the motivations, and it would be
667
00:48:28.400 --> 00:48:34.000
it would be excruciating. Well after
twenty eleven's we need to talk about Kevin.
668
00:48:35.320 --> 00:48:36.719
I mean, she's got a lot
of she's got a lot of a
669
00:48:36.719 --> 00:48:39.159
lot of heat. She's got a
lot of cred going for her. So
670
00:48:39.280 --> 00:48:46.559
she partners with Nallie Portman in twenty
thirteen, and she is originally slated to
671
00:48:46.599 --> 00:48:51.840
direct Jane Got a Gun. Now, this was originally this is the Nlly
672
00:48:51.920 --> 00:48:57.599
Portman movie where she's got to you
know, get revenge on some wrestlers that
673
00:48:57.760 --> 00:49:00.280
you know, she's got team up
with her ex, her ex, her
674
00:49:00.280 --> 00:49:07.320
to you know, avenger husband,
that kind of thing. Ramsey leaves the
675
00:49:07.480 --> 00:49:12.280
day before their first day of shooting. Wow, And this is all due
676
00:49:12.280 --> 00:49:16.800
to creative differences with a couple of
the producers. Now, depending on who
677
00:49:16.880 --> 00:49:20.800
who you listen to or what what
you what you listen to, Uh,
678
00:49:20.840 --> 00:49:23.960
there's some shady stuff going on with
these with these producers. She was sued
679
00:49:23.960 --> 00:49:29.000
for breach of contract and kind of
received a little bit of a backlash from
680
00:49:29.039 --> 00:49:34.760
Hollywood, but ultimately they dropped they
dropped the they dropped the lawsuit. But
681
00:49:34.800 --> 00:49:37.239
the damage is done at that point, you know, it's like, oh,
682
00:49:37.320 --> 00:49:40.159
okay, you know, creative differences
were difficult to work with. She
683
00:49:40.320 --> 00:49:44.599
just she bails on us the day
before and again, this is a movie
684
00:49:45.079 --> 00:49:46.800
that you know, even Jude Law
walked away from that one. It's I
685
00:49:46.840 --> 00:49:50.119
don't know if you've seen it,
it is it's not a good film.
686
00:49:50.639 --> 00:49:53.000
I have not seen it, but
I can tell you that as soon as
687
00:49:53.000 --> 00:50:00.599
a woman is labeled difficult in the
industry, it goes. It really takes
688
00:50:00.639 --> 00:50:02.159
things to an extreme. You know, you hear about that, you hear
689
00:50:02.599 --> 00:50:05.920
they direct one thing, and it's
like, well, she was kind of
690
00:50:05.920 --> 00:50:10.800
difficult. So meanwhile you hear about
people who are the absolute worst on a
691
00:50:10.840 --> 00:50:15.119
film set, who are just a
nightmare to work with. But like,
692
00:50:15.559 --> 00:50:17.519
but you know, he's the guy
that does X, so we've got to
693
00:50:17.519 --> 00:50:22.000
have him back to another film,
even though everyone hates him. So it's
694
00:50:22.760 --> 00:50:25.880
you know, I'm sure that it
didn't do her any favors, and I'm
695
00:50:25.920 --> 00:50:32.400
not trying to just you know,
obviously it's not There are many male directors
696
00:50:32.400 --> 00:50:37.679
that I love and respect, but
I think that it does go a long
697
00:50:37.760 --> 00:50:42.039
way when you label a woman as
difficult, because then everyone's like, oh,
698
00:50:42.079 --> 00:50:45.159
she was the one who was X, Y and Z, Like I
699
00:50:45.199 --> 00:50:46.639
can get my friend to direct this
and we won't have to deal with that
700
00:50:46.679 --> 00:50:51.320
problem. And then you get a
movie that's just a dumpster fire because of
701
00:50:51.360 --> 00:50:52.960
it. But it makes billions of
dollars, so everyone's like, no problem.
702
00:50:53.400 --> 00:50:58.320
I'm kind of glad that the situation
happens with Jang on the gun because
703
00:50:58.480 --> 00:51:00.840
her her fix, Like when she
was like, you know what, I'm
704
00:51:00.880 --> 00:51:06.400
out of here, she heads off
and she starts adapting the book, so
705
00:51:07.519 --> 00:51:09.360
you know, for you were never
really here. So I think she was
706
00:51:09.360 --> 00:51:14.039
taking a step in the right direction
because this movie is just amazing. It
707
00:51:14.119 --> 00:51:16.840
really is. It was very surprising
for me. I was expecting, like
708
00:51:16.880 --> 00:51:21.639
I said before, expecting one thing
and got something completely different, Like this
709
00:51:21.760 --> 00:51:24.159
is something now that I'm going to
be talking about for the next couple weeks.
710
00:51:24.800 --> 00:51:29.519
Well before we talk about what's coming
up next. For Lynn Ramsey,
711
00:51:29.920 --> 00:51:31.039
I want to talk. I want
to tell you about two more projects.
712
00:51:32.360 --> 00:51:38.239
You mentioned Stephen King and that was
your inspiration. In twenty twenty, it
713
00:51:38.360 --> 00:51:43.599
was announced that she was going to
be directing an adaptation of Stephen King's The
714
00:51:43.639 --> 00:51:46.559
Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon? Oh
did you happen to read that one?
715
00:51:47.079 --> 00:51:52.039
I did not, But that's all
my fun. It's not your typical Stephen
716
00:51:52.119 --> 00:51:57.199
King book, and it's such a
great it's such a great one. I
717
00:51:57.800 --> 00:52:00.840
really would recommend that to anyone that
loves Stephen King. You know, it's
718
00:52:00.880 --> 00:52:04.239
not for everyone. I get it. It's not it's not so much a
719
00:52:04.280 --> 00:52:09.039
horror based story that that he's known
for. It's it's just it's a little
720
00:52:09.079 --> 00:52:12.519
it's a little different, and uh, I would have loved to see it.
721
00:52:12.559 --> 00:52:14.760
I don't know. I went as
soon as I've found this out,
722
00:52:14.800 --> 00:52:16.159
I was like, Okay, well, what happened to it? Where's it
723
00:52:16.159 --> 00:52:21.480
at? It's been for it's been
four years, no other information about it.
724
00:52:21.480 --> 00:52:25.239
It's just interesting that I've heard that
he's pretty hands off with stuff.
725
00:52:25.280 --> 00:52:28.840
I've heard that he's kind of like, you'd take this and you make it
726
00:52:28.840 --> 00:52:31.559
your own. You know. He
has that whole program where you can buy
727
00:52:31.559 --> 00:52:35.199
the rights to one of his short
stories for a dollar. I don't know
728
00:52:35.239 --> 00:52:38.960
if you heard about this what I
know that. So it's certain stories that
729
00:52:39.079 --> 00:52:42.760
he's available, and you can sort
of write a pitch. If you're a
730
00:52:42.800 --> 00:52:46.000
student and around you want to make
a student film or something, yeah,
731
00:52:46.079 --> 00:52:49.400
you can pitch and he'll sell you
the rights and you can do it for
732
00:52:49.440 --> 00:52:53.840
a dollar. And because he thinks
it's fun to see people take something of
733
00:52:53.880 --> 00:52:57.440
his and turn it into something.
And I'm sure, there have been times
734
00:52:57.440 --> 00:53:00.599
he's had opinions and I'm sure you
know, but in general, from what
735
00:53:00.679 --> 00:53:06.719
I understand, he's not one of
the nightmares to work with when you're adapting
736
00:53:06.760 --> 00:53:08.840
something of his. Nice. I
dig that about him. Yeah, me
737
00:53:08.920 --> 00:53:12.920
too. Let me ask you what
you feel about this one? Off and
738
00:53:12.960 --> 00:53:20.000
on. She has planned to direct
a modern adaptation of Herman Melville's Moby Dick,
739
00:53:21.559 --> 00:53:25.360
but she wants to set it in
space, A good for her.
740
00:53:28.519 --> 00:53:30.840
I don't even know what that looks
like. But I have like you got
741
00:53:30.960 --> 00:53:35.440
you got you, you have my
you have my curiosity, you know.
742
00:53:35.599 --> 00:53:37.760
Yeah, I'm like, okay,
I'm in let's see, let's hear the
743
00:53:37.760 --> 00:53:39.920
pitch. You know, I think
at a certain point when you have classics
744
00:53:39.960 --> 00:53:43.159
like that, you know, I
mean, you know, I wrote a
745
00:53:43.199 --> 00:53:45.440
book a couple of years ago that
I can't sell to save my life.
746
00:53:45.519 --> 00:53:49.599
That's, you know, about Jesus
as an alien, and it's it's too
747
00:53:49.679 --> 00:53:54.039
much for most people brain's around.
But when you take something like Moby Dick,
748
00:53:54.559 --> 00:53:59.079
right that everyone knows and it's been
around, and you know the themes,
749
00:53:59.119 --> 00:54:02.119
and it's really a book that's more
about the themes than what actually happens,
750
00:54:02.559 --> 00:54:07.320
so you could take it and theoretically
turn it on its head and do
751
00:54:07.440 --> 00:54:12.159
something with it. You know,
It's there's a million different ways to do
752
00:54:12.199 --> 00:54:15.000
it. I mean, I don't
know if you saw Garama del Toro's Pinocchio
753
00:54:15.159 --> 00:54:17.800
a few years ago, but you
watch the Disney Pinocchio, you watch that
754
00:54:17.840 --> 00:54:23.280
Pinocchio. They're very different Pinocchios,
very very different videos. It's brilliant,
755
00:54:23.480 --> 00:54:28.880
but it wrecked me for a week. So it's I would be really interested
756
00:54:28.920 --> 00:54:30.119
to hear the pitch for that.
I would love to be in the room
757
00:54:30.239 --> 00:54:35.320
to hear about that. Well,
let me, uh, you know,
758
00:54:35.480 --> 00:54:39.239
let me tell you about the three
that she's got that that are happening,
759
00:54:39.559 --> 00:54:44.000
you know, all right, because
I'm excited. I'm looking at these three
760
00:54:44.039 --> 00:54:49.159
and I am actually excited about them. So she's got two in pre production
761
00:54:49.360 --> 00:54:52.960
and she's got one in post production. So right now, she's in pre
762
00:54:53.000 --> 00:55:00.599
production on a film called Die My
Love starring Jennifer Lawrence. Actually supposed to
763
00:55:00.599 --> 00:55:05.320
start filming a few weeks ago,
and it just sounds great. In a
764
00:55:05.360 --> 00:55:10.400
remote, forgotten royal area, a
mother struggles to maintain her sanity as she
765
00:55:10.519 --> 00:55:17.079
battles with psychosis I'm in sign up
Jennifer Lawrence. Think about what she did
766
00:55:17.119 --> 00:55:22.000
in Silver Lyon's Playbook or Mother.
Yeah, let's yeah, make it happen.
767
00:55:22.920 --> 00:55:25.519
Let's go. I know, I
know you know about this one.
768
00:55:27.039 --> 00:55:34.440
We talked about this briefly of off
air Stone Mattresses starring Julianne Moore and Sondra
769
00:55:34.519 --> 00:55:38.719
o is in pre production Mary Kay, a revenge thriller set on a cruise
770
00:55:38.719 --> 00:55:43.920
ship in the Arctic. Let's go. Also Sandra Oh and Julie I mean
771
00:55:43.920 --> 00:55:49.199
again, these actresses they sign me. Yes, that's two powerhouse performers going
772
00:55:49.239 --> 00:55:53.400
head to head. Definitely will be
great. Also definitely great is the film
773
00:55:53.400 --> 00:55:57.280
that she has in post production,
So we're definitely gonna see this one.
774
00:55:57.760 --> 00:56:02.119
Uh one, This one's called Polaris. She's back with Joaquin Phoenix and she's
775
00:56:02.159 --> 00:56:07.280
got Rooney Rooney Mara with her,
who I absolutely adore. Yeah. Wait,
776
00:56:07.360 --> 00:56:10.239
isn' Joaquin Phoenix married to Rooney Mora
or did I make that up?
777
00:56:10.440 --> 00:56:15.199
Is she? I don't know.
We might check that they might used to
778
00:56:15.280 --> 00:56:19.880
be married or are married, but
I think it's see it. I can
779
00:56:19.960 --> 00:56:23.679
see it. Uh, Ramsey must
have something for for the Arctic because this
780
00:56:23.760 --> 00:56:29.880
movie is set in Alaska during the
eighteen nineties. Oh and it's all about
781
00:56:29.880 --> 00:56:37.039
an ice photographer who meets the devil. Okay, I'm in yeah, Joaquin
782
00:56:37.039 --> 00:56:39.960
Phoenix, Runey Mara, who's the
Who's a photographer? Who's the devil?
783
00:56:42.000 --> 00:56:44.440
I mean, there's the other that
could go either way, right, but
784
00:56:44.519 --> 00:56:46.440
I think I think it could go
either way. I'd love to see him
785
00:56:46.480 --> 00:56:51.320
as the photographer. That's what I'm
thinking, because like part of me is
786
00:56:51.320 --> 00:56:53.960
thinking, Okay, she was a
photographer, she is a photographer. You
787
00:56:54.000 --> 00:56:59.320
know, Is Rooney Mara gonna channel
Lynn Ramsey or is this is it?
788
00:56:59.360 --> 00:57:01.039
Are we gonna have some with this
and Rooney mar is gonna be the devil?
789
00:57:02.679 --> 00:57:05.480
You can go either way with it. And I think it's great.
790
00:57:05.719 --> 00:57:07.639
So well, and that's great actually, I mean, riding on the heels
791
00:57:07.639 --> 00:57:10.760
of this last season A True Detective
taking place in Alaska, I feel like
792
00:57:10.840 --> 00:57:15.400
the people are really going to be
down for that, I think. So
793
00:57:15.480 --> 00:57:17.920
I gotta everyone's talking about this the
season four True Detective. I have got
794
00:57:17.960 --> 00:57:22.199
to get I gotta get a day
off so I can watch it because it
795
00:57:22.280 --> 00:57:24.639
just sounds amazing. It's a whole
thing, but it's good. Well,
796
00:57:24.639 --> 00:57:30.320
Mary Kay, let's talk about your
recommendation for this film. You were never
797
00:57:30.360 --> 00:57:36.760
really here. What's your thoughts?
You know you recommend this one. I
798
00:57:36.800 --> 00:57:39.159
would recommend this one, I think, you know, with a lot of
799
00:57:39.239 --> 00:57:46.719
movies, I sort of recommend with
hesitation to certain people and then you add
800
00:57:46.719 --> 00:57:52.079
disclaimers for the others. You know, obviously, if you're triggered by violence
801
00:57:52.079 --> 00:57:55.760
against women, if you're triggered about
violence against children, maybe it's not going
802
00:57:55.840 --> 00:58:00.519
to be the best movie for you. But also on what's great about it
803
00:58:00.559 --> 00:58:05.960
is you don't see it. You
know it's implied, and what you really
804
00:58:06.000 --> 00:58:08.440
see is you really see, you
know, a man who's struggling with his
805
00:58:08.480 --> 00:58:14.400
mental health, who's struggling with being
alive, who's struggling with who he is,
806
00:58:15.159 --> 00:58:21.400
and watching him slowly sort of crumble
and then be built back up is
807
00:58:21.599 --> 00:58:24.039
fascinating. But I you know,
when I think about it, I think
808
00:58:24.039 --> 00:58:27.920
I can think of specific people that
I would not recommend it to and specific
809
00:58:27.920 --> 00:58:30.400
people that I would recommend it to. So it's all my you know,
810
00:58:30.800 --> 00:58:36.119
UK true crime people, one hundred
percent, all those guys absolutely like you
811
00:58:36.119 --> 00:58:38.599
know, I would I would go
online and recommend this, But with a
812
00:58:38.639 --> 00:58:42.599
blanket statement that just says, hey, heads up, if any of those
813
00:58:42.639 --> 00:58:44.599
if any of these things are a
problem for you, maybe skip it.
814
00:58:44.840 --> 00:58:47.559
But if not, you know.
I have to say, though, one
815
00:58:47.599 --> 00:58:52.760
thing that I noticed, and I
just remembered this is remember a Joker,
816
00:58:52.800 --> 00:58:54.800
how he did that thing with his
shoulder where he can kind of double joint
817
00:58:54.920 --> 00:58:59.559
his shoulder. He did it in
this movie, and I'm like, that's
818
00:58:59.559 --> 00:59:02.159
the first time he did this.
Anyway, side note, that's how my
819
00:59:02.199 --> 00:59:07.760
brain works. But yeah, I
would say also, anybody who liked Joker
820
00:59:07.880 --> 00:59:10.920
or you know, anything else tho
Joaquin Phoenix does because he's great. Yeah,
821
00:59:10.960 --> 00:59:14.559
so I would say, yes,
I would recommend it absolutely. I
822
00:59:14.599 --> 00:59:19.880
mean when you see when you see
Joe versus Joker, and you see the
823
00:59:19.920 --> 00:59:25.519
physical transformation that he does because he
Joaquin's a bit of a chameleon. When
824
00:59:25.559 --> 00:59:30.639
he slips into these roles and he
goes he goes for it. You know.
825
00:59:30.320 --> 00:59:36.000
Todd Phillips never asked him to drop
forty five fifty pounds to play Arthur
826
00:59:36.039 --> 00:59:38.320
Fleck in The Joker. He just
did it because he thought that's who the
827
00:59:38.360 --> 00:59:43.159
character is. I mean, yeah, so hats off to him. This
828
00:59:43.199 --> 00:59:46.920
film. It is I Yeah,
it's so good. This movie is an
829
00:59:46.920 --> 00:59:52.559
intense, gripping thriller that hits you
as hard as the ballpeen hammer that Joaquin
830
00:59:52.599 --> 00:59:55.960
chooses to use as his preferred weapon. It's an Amazon original, so you
831
00:59:57.000 --> 01:00:00.199
will find it there streaming on Prime. I absolutely recommend it. It's not
832
01:00:00.239 --> 01:00:02.320
the feel good movie of you know, it's not Sunday Night with the family,
833
01:00:02.920 --> 01:00:07.599
and it's not for like the John
Wick or Bust type crowd either.
834
01:00:07.639 --> 01:00:14.119
It's somewhere in between because it's got
a lot to say. Yeah, speaking
835
01:00:14.159 --> 01:00:17.400
of a lot to say, listeners, what do you think of? You
836
01:00:17.440 --> 01:00:22.480
were never really here? Let us
know on social media. We're on Facebook,
837
01:00:22.639 --> 01:00:25.599
Instagram, and Twitter. You can
check out a Film by Podcast dot
838
01:00:25.599 --> 01:00:30.719
com for all of our film and
TV articles and our entire library, which
839
01:00:30.760 --> 01:00:34.559
is streaming free. And you can
write to us at a Film by Podcast
840
01:00:34.599 --> 01:00:38.639
at gmail dot com with your questions, comments and concerns. We may just
841
01:00:38.719 --> 01:00:42.960
read your response on the show and
send you some a film by swag.
842
01:00:43.159 --> 01:00:47.960
And this Friday, our limited series
nineteen ninety six returns with Mary Rightley.
843
01:00:50.039 --> 01:00:57.400
Wait, how did we not catch
that Mary Kay covering Mary Riley? I
844
01:00:57.400 --> 01:01:02.199
should have had you for that I
will come back anytime. You just tell
845
01:01:02.199 --> 01:01:05.280
me and I'm back, all right. You might have to you might have
846
01:01:05.320 --> 01:01:07.920
to cram that one in. Uh. I know Amber Lewis will be with
847
01:01:07.000 --> 01:01:10.760
us. We're going to discuss the
pros and cons, mostly cons of dating
848
01:01:10.800 --> 01:01:16.280
your employer, especially when he's doctor
Jekyl or is it mister Hyde. We'll
849
01:01:16.440 --> 01:01:22.639
find out Friday, and next time
on a film by we'll discuss a film
850
01:01:22.679 --> 01:01:29.039
by another incredible female director. When
the conversation focuses on Greta Gerwig's twenty seventeen
851
01:01:29.119 --> 01:01:35.079
comedy Lady Bird, Mary Kay,
I cannot thank you enough for joining me
852
01:01:35.119 --> 01:01:37.960
today to talk about this film.
I know, I know. I kind
853
01:01:38.000 --> 01:01:39.760
of shot this one to you,
said hey, I'd love to talk to
854
01:01:39.760 --> 01:01:45.559
you about this movie. And this
is before I mean we had I feel
855
01:01:45.559 --> 01:01:49.119
like we got to know each other
quite well on on your pop when we
856
01:01:49.199 --> 01:01:52.840
when we when we answered your your
famous questions. But at the same time,
857
01:01:53.159 --> 01:01:57.719
I really had no frame of reference
to what kind of movies you like,
858
01:01:57.760 --> 01:02:00.199
what kind of literature you like,
And as a watching this the first
859
01:02:00.239 --> 01:02:04.960
time after I proposed this to you, I was like, yeah, she
860
01:02:05.079 --> 01:02:07.400
might say, no, I don't
know this could this could go either way?
861
01:02:07.480 --> 01:02:10.480
I don't know. I hope she
enjoys it, but I can tell
862
01:02:10.519 --> 01:02:15.199
you this, I have enjoyed having
you with us today and definitely will hope
863
01:02:15.320 --> 01:02:19.280
that you'll come back and join us
for more. Oh, I'll come back
864
01:02:19.400 --> 01:02:22.960
anytime you want. This is literally
one of my favorite things to do is
865
01:02:22.000 --> 01:02:24.760
to talk about movies. I'm a
big nerd about this kind of stuff,
866
01:02:24.800 --> 01:02:29.559
so I'm in perfect. Well,
one more time, you got to tell
867
01:02:29.639 --> 01:02:31.760
us where we're going to find your
podcast? You know, are you on
868
01:02:31.920 --> 01:02:35.320
social media links? I know you're
on social media, so can you give
869
01:02:35.360 --> 01:02:39.159
us a quick rundown? Where where
do our listeners find your show? And
870
01:02:39.159 --> 01:02:45.880
and more about Mary Kay and shaff
Sandwich Sure Share A Sandwich podcast is everywhere
871
01:02:45.920 --> 01:02:47.880
that you listen to podcasts, Spotify, Apple, everywhere you want, so
872
01:02:49.039 --> 01:02:52.400
it's there anytime you need it.
We post weekly, so it's always a
873
01:02:52.400 --> 01:02:57.199
different person, always a different type
of person talking about different stuff. It's
874
01:02:57.239 --> 01:03:04.079
fun. My latest adventure has been
discussing TV shows and movies on TikTok.
875
01:03:04.119 --> 01:03:08.360
It's my newest adventure and got really
into it during True Detective. So if
876
01:03:08.400 --> 01:03:15.079
you are watching True Detective and want
to get into some seriously nerdy conversations,
877
01:03:15.119 --> 01:03:22.000
then come over to at Mary kay
Holmes on TikTok. Listeners please check out
878
01:03:22.000 --> 01:03:29.880
Mary kay Holmes on TikTok, check
out the Share a Sandwich podcast and How
879
01:03:29.920 --> 01:03:32.320
Did You Do? How to Do? How to Do? Had to drop
880
01:03:32.440 --> 01:03:37.280
me a letter. I had to
hire the band Grand Band him the land
881
01:03:37.440 --> 01:03:40.920
had to drop me a letter.
I had to hire the ban brand the
882
01:03:42.000 --> 01:03:45.360
welcome mat for you. Oh,
I don't know where you came from.
883
01:03:46.159 --> 01:03:47.800
I don't know where you been
1
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.640
This episode of a Film Buy is
brought to you by black Key Cooffee.
2
00:00:04.160 --> 00:00:08.359
Head over to black Keycoffee dot com
and get your favorite flavor this winter,
3
00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:12.720
I've been warming up with the Guatemala
Espresso. Not sure what you want,
4
00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:18.280
then build your own sample pack and
try several Black Key coffee. With enough
5
00:00:18.320 --> 00:00:24.079
coffee, anything is possible. Today
we're going to talk about a film by
6
00:00:24.160 --> 00:00:57.600
Lynn Ramsey, her twenty seventeen underrated
thriller You Were Never Really Here. Hello
7
00:00:57.640 --> 00:01:03.880
everybody, I'm Jeff Johnson and welcome
back to a Film by podcast. Before
8
00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:07.120
we get going, I do want
to shout out one of our listeners,
9
00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:12.840
Sarah Simons on Spotify. Uh left
us a really cool comment about a recent
10
00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:19.200
episode we did, our Lee Daniels
episode covering The Paperboy. Sarah says,
11
00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:23.959
so great of you to cover this. I watched it when it came out
12
00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:29.400
and since then probably five times,
the last time being today. It's in
13
00:01:29.480 --> 00:01:33.200
my top five. Still always shocks
me like I watched it for the first
14
00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:38.560
time. Laugh hell loud, Sarah. I'm already wondering, like what if
15
00:01:38.599 --> 00:01:42.040
this one is in your top five
and it is a very It's a very
16
00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:46.319
great movie. Sarah if you're listening, we gotta we gotta know what the
17
00:01:46.359 --> 00:01:51.200
other four are in this top five. Please email us at a film by
18
00:01:51.239 --> 00:01:55.480
podcast at gmail dot com because if
you do, uh, we got we
19
00:01:55.480 --> 00:01:57.400
gotta, we gotta let we gotta
let the listeners know, and we got
20
00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:01.879
we gotta send you some a film
by swag. Moving on, I'd like
21
00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:07.599
to remind to all of you back
in January, I had the privilege of
22
00:02:07.520 --> 00:02:14.639
being on the Share a Sandwich podcast, and the host and creator of said
23
00:02:14.680 --> 00:02:19.759
podcast is with me today, Mary
Kay Holmes. Welcome to a Film Buy.
24
00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:23.319
Thank you. I'm so excited to
be here. We are excited to
25
00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:28.039
have you, and I got to
ask you to do something for me.
26
00:02:28.439 --> 00:02:31.000
For our listeners who may not know
about the share Sandwich podcast, can you
27
00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:34.759
give us a little background on how
this came to be and what it is
28
00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:38.360
all about. Sure. On the
shaff Sandwich podcast, I have a guest
29
00:02:38.439 --> 00:02:43.800
every week and they vary from just
all different types of people that I've met
30
00:02:43.960 --> 00:02:47.319
or have gotten to know, and
I ask the same ten questions of everyone
31
00:02:47.960 --> 00:02:53.479
and it's been more of a social
experiment for me than anything else. I
32
00:02:53.719 --> 00:02:58.159
during COVID and coming out of COVID. I sort of go really tired of
33
00:02:58.199 --> 00:03:01.319
small talk and the basic questions that
adults ask each other. Oh you know,
34
00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:05.560
what do you do? Blah blah
blah. So I started getting really
35
00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:07.800
into icebreakers and asking people questions like, Hey, you know, what's your
36
00:03:07.840 --> 00:03:13.159
favorite dinosaur? Because it's just not
something that adults talk about. So I
37
00:03:13.199 --> 00:03:16.759
wanted to make a podcast that was
just grown people asking each other questions that
38
00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:22.280
we don't normally ask each other.
It is absolutely fantastic. It's actually one
39
00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:27.680
of my favorite new pods. Please
check out Mary Kay on the Share a
40
00:03:27.719 --> 00:03:37.520
Sandwich podcast. We have got ourselves
a pretty fantastic director to discuss today and
41
00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:39.919
a movie that I think a lot
of people have not seen and probably need
42
00:03:39.960 --> 00:03:46.599
to see. Mary Kay, can
you tell our listeners a little bit about
43
00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:51.599
you were never really here? Yes, I agree with you, and that
44
00:03:51.639 --> 00:03:54.800
I had never heard of it until
you sent it to me. But essentially,
45
00:03:54.840 --> 00:04:00.479
it is about a traumatized veteran who
is unafraid of violence and he tracks
46
00:04:00.479 --> 00:04:04.319
down missing girls for a living.
So when one of his jobs spins completely
47
00:04:04.360 --> 00:04:09.960
out of control, his nightmares start
to overtake him as a conspiracy as uncovered,
48
00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:14.800
leading to what could be his death
trip or his awakening. I like
49
00:04:14.919 --> 00:04:17.360
how you I like how you said
that. That's uh. I mean true,
50
00:04:17.480 --> 00:04:19.519
I've seen the movie. I love
the movie, and I'm already intrigued
51
00:04:19.560 --> 00:04:24.519
to watch it again just based off
of that synopsis. I mean, the
52
00:04:24.519 --> 00:04:29.160
internet is a great place to help
put together a synopsis. So it was.
53
00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:31.560
This movie was amazing. It was
different than what I was expecting.
54
00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:34.959
What were you expecting? I mean, did you watch a trailer or did
55
00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:41.000
you just go in completely like unaware. I watched the trailer and I was
56
00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:47.000
essentially braced for sort of your standard
action thriller, you know, a lot
57
00:04:47.079 --> 00:04:53.560
of gratuitous violence and you know action
and certain you know, very sort of
58
00:04:53.639 --> 00:04:57.800
hyper masculine activities happening. And the
fact that w Quing Phoenix was in it
59
00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:00.160
was should have been a little bit
of a tip off that it was not
60
00:05:00.199 --> 00:05:04.319
going to be like a John Wicker, you know, but it was very
61
00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:10.800
different than that. The trailer and
the movie itself were very different. I
62
00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:14.639
mean it's you know, as I
mentioned, it's neo noir. This is
63
00:05:14.680 --> 00:05:17.720
a it's a it's a haunting film. Yeah, and it's and it's visually
64
00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:23.160
yeah, you know, we're talking
about like city city landscapes, you know,
65
00:05:23.240 --> 00:05:26.839
New York. Mainly, it's not
like it's great to look at where
66
00:05:26.839 --> 00:05:30.839
where she's where Lynn Ramsey's shooting,
but it's still just it's it's visually stunning
67
00:05:30.920 --> 00:05:33.839
the way the way she shoots,
right, I mean it's like it's like
68
00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:38.759
slightly out of focus. Yeah,
cinematography, right, Yeah, cinematography is
69
00:05:38.759 --> 00:05:42.480
gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous. It's it's
you know, you can tell that she
70
00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:46.040
probably takes beautiful photographs. Her composition
and the way she puts everything together,
71
00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:53.639
there's there's energy put into every shot. Mm hmm, absolutely so. Jaquin
72
00:05:53.759 --> 00:06:00.959
Phoenix as Joe. During an interview
with Rolling Stone, he shared that Lynn
73
00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:08.120
Ramsey gave him an audio mix of
fireworks blended with gunshots to describe what's going
74
00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:13.040
on inside this character's head. And
when you when you know that and you
75
00:06:13.079 --> 00:06:16.720
watch this movie, because he's he's
got this this thousand yard stare through a
76
00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:20.439
lot of it, he's kind of
just like, is he is he is?
77
00:06:20.439 --> 00:06:25.519
He? Is he with us?
Or where's he at? And when
78
00:06:25.560 --> 00:06:28.199
you hear that, that's what's you
know, when you when you watch it
79
00:06:28.240 --> 00:06:30.959
again and you know, like that's
what's that's kind of like his inner monologue.
80
00:06:32.519 --> 00:06:34.560
For me, it put the movie
on a whole new level. So
81
00:06:34.600 --> 00:06:39.160
I'm like, this guy is really
troubled. Yeah, no, and that's
82
00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:41.959
intense. I did not read that
one. I read different things, and
83
00:06:42.040 --> 00:06:45.480
it was the same thing with you
know, as I was going through like
84
00:06:45.639 --> 00:06:49.360
different synopsis online and reading things about
it, and they always kick it off
85
00:06:49.480 --> 00:06:53.399
with the veteran right up front,
within the first few words. And yes,
86
00:06:53.480 --> 00:06:57.399
there are moments that tell you that
he is a veteran, but I
87
00:06:57.399 --> 00:07:00.800
don't feel like there was a huge
emphasis put on it. But I do
88
00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:04.319
think that when you've been through a
traumatic situation like he clearly has in combat,
89
00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:09.079
that that is always in your mind. So knowing that she sort of
90
00:07:09.079 --> 00:07:13.480
gave him that soundscape for his thoughts, that's really that's really interesting. I
91
00:07:13.480 --> 00:07:15.800
think it's brilliant, and you know, it just it speaks to what kind
92
00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:19.720
of artist she is, I think, because this character he is, he's
93
00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:24.240
very damaged, and this is something
that we're This is a point like you
94
00:07:24.279 --> 00:07:27.439
know, mid you know, like
twenty fifteen, twenty seven, sixteen seventeen,
95
00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:31.120
this is where Joaquin's starting to take
on roles where he's playing these traumatized
96
00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:34.600
people, these these damaged people think
of him and Joker, you know,
97
00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:39.439
Todd Phillips Joker, which he'll do
a couple of years after this movie.
98
00:07:40.439 --> 00:07:44.560
You can kind of see where he
gets his inspiration for Arthur fleckin in this
99
00:07:44.600 --> 00:07:48.560
movie with with the character Joe.
He's just so damaged and like you talked
100
00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:58.079
about, like his military background.
We get very very brief flashbacks that Lynn
101
00:07:58.199 --> 00:08:01.399
Ramsey is giving us to kind of
show so who he is and why he
102
00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:05.959
is so traumatized. You know,
you know, we know he's an abuse
103
00:08:05.079 --> 00:08:09.959
child. You know he has observed
the violence, the extreme violence that his
104
00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:13.639
father has has done against his mother. You know, we talked about the
105
00:08:13.639 --> 00:08:16.480
horrors of war. You know,
he sees some pretty messed up stuff.
106
00:08:16.519 --> 00:08:22.000
But we again we see just just
flashes, like just quick images, like
107
00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:24.519
some like one image I had to
stop. I had to pause to go,
108
00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:26.720
did I see what I just saw? You know, because we know
109
00:08:26.759 --> 00:08:30.639
he's got a military background, we
know he has a background with the FBI,
110
00:08:31.240 --> 00:08:35.480
and this kind of all speaks to
this all kind of builds to this
111
00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:39.960
new career he has where's he's basically
saving young girls from from trafficking. Yeah,
112
00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:45.799
and I have to say the way
that she sort of shows these flashbacks
113
00:08:46.279 --> 00:08:50.159
to his time in combat, it's
very different than any other combat flashback I've
114
00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:56.559
ever seen before. It's yeah,
moments, these really sort of poignant and
115
00:08:56.799 --> 00:09:01.279
powerful moments that aren't your traditional you
know, something blowing up or something this
116
00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:03.120
happening or this happening. It's like
there's this tiny little thing that happens here
117
00:09:03.159 --> 00:09:07.919
and this tiny little thing that happens
here, and they're very specific. Yeah,
118
00:09:07.960 --> 00:09:11.759
It's it's really powerful the way that
she does it. They're specific because
119
00:09:11.799 --> 00:09:16.639
they also they force you to ask
questions because it really puts you inside his
120
00:09:16.720 --> 00:09:20.799
headspace. You know. We get
a brief, like a one second shot
121
00:09:20.919 --> 00:09:26.840
of like two soldiers just playfully dancing
together, and you know, and you're
122
00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:28.960
like, what's what's going on there? And then you see like this quivering
123
00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:31.120
foot and you're like, wait,
who is that? What's going on?
124
00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:35.519
And then when you kind of put
and she has these extreme close ups that
125
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are slightly out of focus. So
it really puts you in this person's mind
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because like when you think, like
you know, when we when we experience
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trauma and we we think back or
were it kind of jamsus, you know,
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kind of jams us up, and
you know, we're kind of we're
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in our own headspace. It's it's
fuzzy, and maybe we don't remember things
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coherently. And I think what she's
doing here is brilliant, honestly, when
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she's explaining who he is. I
love it. Yeah, No, I
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fully agree with you on that.
I fully agree. And what's interesting is
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that that tiny moment of him dancing
in the desert with the other man,
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if it is even him, I
don't even know if it was him.
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I think it was just two men
dancing together. There is a moment later
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in the movie that if you sort
of like draw the straight line between those
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two moments, you can make an
assumption about him and something about him,
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you know, which is not overt
and it's not discussed, and it also
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is just a thing that happens,
but it gives you just that extra,
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tiny, little paper thin layer of
who he is, very subtle layers.
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I think, as we try to
unravel who Joe is and where he comes
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from, there's a lot of questions
that you and up asking yourself. Yeah,
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for sure, a lot is co
star fourteen year old Ekaterina sampson Off
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is in the role of the governor's
daughter or the Senator. I'm sorry,
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excuse me, the Senator's daughter.
Nina, this young lady. So she's
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born to a Ukrainian mother and a
Russian father. She's got dual citizenship,
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and she did a few indies before
this, but currently she's making her living
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as a model. Her performance is
a little creepy, am I am,
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I out align with that, like, I don't know, she feels kinda
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I don't know, eth rul,
like she's just I don't I don't trust
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her. I want I want him
to save her. I want him to
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help her. But she almost doesn't
seem like the quintessential victim, even though
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she is a major victim. Yes, right, does she carry herself like
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that? Is it just me?
Or what's your take? Mary? Kay?
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Well, it's really it's interesting that
you say that because there's sort of
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this first of all, just side
note. She reminded me a lot of
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Hunter Schaeffer from Euphoria. I don't
know if you ever watched Euphoria, but
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from and I'm like, wait,
wait, wait is that Hunter? And
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I look it up because very similar
sort of look But what's interesting is,
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you know, we get used to
in film and television seeing these abused women
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and girls in this certain way,
right, and so there are these assumptions
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that that is how it is.
And I think that there is sort of
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the vibe that I got from her
is that she's having this sort of out
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of body experience, right. And
you've heard that, you know, I've
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read that before from people who say, when you're in these horrific situations,
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all you can do is just leave
your body because there's nothing you can do
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otherwise. And so she's so young, and if she's been dealing with this
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horrific trauma for years, it's possible
that she is just so disconnected, you
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know when they go to her eating
at the end, sitting there, I
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mean, you know, but at
the same time, like she's probably hungry
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and you know, like there's food. So it's it's an interesting disconnect that
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kind of gives us this insight into
man, how how do you move forward
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from that? When you have been
so brutalized, you know, how do
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you put yourself back together and then
sort of you know, slide yourself into
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society and move forward. I mean, that's I can't imagine it's easy.
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Yeah, I mean people still have
to eat, they still have to sleep.
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You know, slipping throats makes you
hungry, right, Mary Kay,
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It's a lot of work. It's
a lot of work. Uh, you
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know, I listeners, I probably
suld have said this, but this movie
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is streaming on Prime if you you
know, if you want to spoiler free
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type of assessment, go see it. Come back to us. But you
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know, we're not worry I I
don't think we should only think back,
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do you, Mary Kay? No, I think we should go back.
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I also think that there's like a
huge, you know, trigger warning on
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this movie for many different reasons,
so, you know, triggered by that
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type of stuff. Then maybe this
will sort of give them the opportunity to
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say, you know, I'm not
going to watch this one. Maybe I'll
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just listen to the podcast and not
watch the actual film. Absolutely, and
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it's I love the I love the
point that you made with her at the
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end of the movie and you know, sitting there eating dinner with the bloody
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razor blade and her hands are covered. Yeah, because I remember the first
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time I watched this movie. I
never would have expected that moment because we
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see you know, we know that
Joe's gonna go save this girl from this
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this disgusting brothel that she's being held
in, and that that scene in itself,
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it's I don't think it's like a
pivotal moment, but I think it
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speaks volumes to the title of this
movie, you know, of the book,
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because he never lets himself be seen
on close circuit cameras. He never
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lets him he doesn't give his name, he's his head's always down, he's
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just he's never really here. Yeah, but when you watch that moment when
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he storms this place and he's just
dispatching these guys with this ballpen hammer,
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you just see like glimpses of it
on the on the monitors. So a
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lot of a lot of inferred violence. I mean, you know, we
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don't really see a lot of gratuitous
violence like you were expecting on this A
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lots implied and lots like it's it
happens, so like, did I just
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see what I thought I saw?
It's a it's quick, And I think
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that's part of the genius of this
movie, honestly, And one of the
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things that really blew me away about
it is I'm used to bracing myself.
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You know, you see someone walking
towards someone with a ballpeen hammer, You're
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like, oh boy, this is
going to be a whole thing. And
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you have the moment where he raises
the hammer and then you splash to the
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guy on the ground, and then
you have those beautiful moments in between where
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he's sort of catching his breath,
taking a moment, remembering why he's there.
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Okay, on to the next thing. You know, the moments when
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he's driving, or the moments when
he's sort of in between, you know,
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houses while he's going on this final
mission. It's it's amazing because we
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don't have to relive or I guess, live the initial violence of it.
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We know what happens. He's got
a hammer, that guy's gonna we know
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what's gonna happen. I don't need
to see it, and I what I
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want to know is how it's affecting
him afterwards, what's doing to him And
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and she does a really great job
with that. Yeah, I love her
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shots, nonviolent shots that tell you
something really violent just happened or is about
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to happen. The movie opens,
he's we see him kind of cleaning up,
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and he's cleaning a hammer that he's
just used. We don't we don't
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really know at that point. But
then when you see, like later down
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the road, when he's grabbing a
hammer, a new hammer, off the
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shelf at the local hardware store,
You're like, oh my god, he
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is about to unleash some some really
terrible things. You know. It's like
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it's like the senator who who hires
him? He has that question, he's
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you know, he says, uh, can you be brutal? And Joaquin's
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just like, I can be,
and then he just says, I want
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you to hurt them. It's just
like, oh yeah, like what is
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that? Well, and then you
discover how tangled the whole thing is,
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and it's like, ah, like
this is and the thing is that you
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see, you know, you see
Joaquin, you see Joe struggling with this,
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because I think it's easy for us
to assume, you know, like
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in a John wu type movie,
that like, oh, this guy is
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like hardcore, he's seeking revenge.
This is happening. He doesn't care about
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anybody that gets in his way.
This is what's going down, And you
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don't see necessarily those moments in between, now that there's anything wrong with that
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that's a completely different type of movie. But the fact that you see Joe
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doing these things or don't see him
doing them things, and then he goes
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home and he's taking his mom's glasses
off and putting them on the nightstand,
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and he's, you know, doing
these little things that show that he's trying
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and that he actually does have the
capacity to love and care for someone.
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He's not just this calculated robot.
Yeah, And speaking of caring for someone,
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I think what really turns this movie
on its head is the idea that
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you know, there's events that are
going to happen where she's going to be
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taken a second time. He's going
after her a second time, and you're
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just like, okay, I get
where we're going here, and to find
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out that it's really it's her that's
going to save him in a way,
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I thought it was brilliant writing because
let's not forget you know, Lynn Ramsey
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writes this, you know, she
adapts this from the novella, So the
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writing's brilliant here. The idea that
this fourteen year old girl ultimately becomes the
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hero of the movie. I absolutely
love it. I just love it.
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Yeah, because you see him the
entire time. I mean, he's he's
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struggling the entire time. You know, he's struggling with his history in combat,
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he's struggle with his childhood trauma.
He's struggling with his day to day
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he's struggling with how he feels about
himself, how his body feels, his
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aches and pains. You know,
it's just I mean, one of the
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greatest greatest moments is him, you
know, lying in bed and he's sort
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of you know, dangling this knife
over his throat considering doing something, and
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then the other room, his mom's
like Joe, and he's like, what's
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the knife down? It's like what
is happening? But it's so like he
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just goes back to being like,
Okay, I'm a beautiful son. I
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got to go home my mom with
this thing and then just toss my knife
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on the ground and go do this. Yeah. The way the way he
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the way he balances his suicidal tendencies
with the care he has to provide for
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his mother, and I love the
relationship by the way, you know this
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is it's so it warms you.
It's like you're like, you're like,
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Okay, this guy's brutal, he's
cold, blooded. No, he's not.
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Like, look, he's he's at
home. He's there to take care
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of his mom. You know,
they have they I love the banter that
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they have where they're they're kind of
like they're more like roommates, like old
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old roommates. You know. I
think it's fantastic. I love a Walter
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White. I mean I love a
complicated character. So he fits the bill
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right. You know, he's a
guy that does awful things, but he
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kind of doesn't for a good reason, and he kind of doesn't do bad
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people. And also he takes care
of his mom. So like you know,
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it's it's again like you said earlier, it's layered. Yeah, let's
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I want to ask you something.
So we got, you know, on
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the on the subject of brutal,
cold blooded mercenary type type guys that are
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that are out to take care of
people. This movie has a you know,
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critics kind of pointed this out,
this movie has a real taxi driver
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comparison happening. And I didn't think
about that until maybe the third or fourth
285
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time I watched it, and and
it's there because like you know, I
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think I think he's better than Travis
bickele I mean, and I don't mean
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better as a character. I mean, he's a better person than Travis Bickel,
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but they're you know, they're doing
the same thing, right, I
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can definitely see that. I have
not watched admittedly Traffic Taxi Driver in many
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years. So now, as soon
as you mentioned that earlier, I thought,
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oh man, I got to go
back and watch that now because I
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live for that, you know,
the comparison and sort of where the nuance
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is between the two different characters,
because yeah, I mean, nobody's all
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good, nobody's all bad, and
different people have different things that inspire them
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to make the world a better place
and a different place. Where the line
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is between what's good and what's bad
and what they're willing to do to make
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the world a better place in the
way that they choose. I'll tell you
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right now, Like, yeah,
watching this you met you kind of pointed
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out those those moments, those really
nice moments we have with Joaquin just sitting
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in his car waiting or observing or
you know, preparing. It really puts
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you in that that Travis Bickel frame
of mind where he's just driving the taxi
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and you're in his head for a
little bit and he's talking, you know,
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he's you know, Denaro's kind of
narrating, like what his thoughts are,
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what his feelings are, and the
idea that they're both out to save
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a young, damaged, you know, female that's that's been kind of forced
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into a world of prostitution, who
ultimately maybe doesn't need saving. It says
307
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a lot about about what this movie
is. Yeah, Yeah, and it's
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interesting, you know, it's it's
also it changes your definition of saving,
309
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right, So we initially think of
the hero sort of swoops in and is
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saving her. Obviously, yes,
she's being saved from an terrible, terrible
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situation that she maybe physically is not
capable of getting out of, right when
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you're you know, surrounded by giant
adult men. But then in the end,
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she's saving him from himself. She's
saving him from this dark hole that
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he's living in, especially after you
know, what's happened to his mom and
315
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what happens you know, from that
moment forward. I think I think that
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it's it's interesting how we can sort
of redefine saving. Yeah, I mean,
317
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just because someone's not trapped in a
building by by terrorists doesn't mean they're
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not trapped in their emotions and maybe
they need someone to save them emotionally or
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save them mentally. And I think
that's what this girl, you know,
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that's what this character Nina, that's
what she's all about. Especially at the
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end. It's it's so I mean, the way she takes care of him
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at the end, it kind of
washes over like a just an awesome wave
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of calm as far as but at
the same time, she's just so hardcore,
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you know, she's like, all
right, come buddy, here's what's
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happening. This is what we're doing, and time to get up. Also,
326
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like the song that's playing in that
diner at the end, the Cake
327
00:23:56.559 --> 00:24:00.720
song, while they're saying really dark
moment, it's sort of every you know,
328
00:24:00.759 --> 00:24:04.400
sort of processing everything that's happened,
and then there's this song about cake
329
00:24:04.519 --> 00:24:10.799
playing. It's genius, Yeah,
genius and a little discombobby lighting. For
330
00:24:10.839 --> 00:24:12.920
me, yes, yes, I
mean it's to me, it's similar.
331
00:24:14.119 --> 00:24:18.680
It's the same sort of interesting moment
like when he you know, goes home,
332
00:24:19.079 --> 00:24:25.400
discovers what's happened with his mother,
goes downstairs and he you know,
333
00:24:25.519 --> 00:24:29.359
attacks this man who's questioning and he's
laying on the floor with this man,
334
00:24:29.519 --> 00:24:33.359
knowing that this man is going to
die, and there's music playing. It's
335
00:24:33.559 --> 00:24:37.240
the whole you know, I've been
to Paradise song playing yea, and the
336
00:24:37.279 --> 00:24:44.480
guy who reaches over and holds Joe's
hand and he lets him and he sings
337
00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:47.519
the song to him and he holds
his hand, and it's like, you
338
00:24:47.519 --> 00:24:48.880
know, on the one hand,
you're sitting here going what is happening?
339
00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:52.799
But at the same time, you're
like, this is a real human moment,
340
00:24:52.119 --> 00:24:56.960
Like this is you know, two
humans, not two people fighting against
341
00:24:56.960 --> 00:24:59.480
each other, two people on the
opposite sides of things, but like two
342
00:24:59.559 --> 00:25:03.880
human be and one of them is
about to end his life and he just
343
00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:06.400
wants comfort and he wants someone there
with him, and this is the person
344
00:25:06.400 --> 00:25:08.799
who's laying next to him. And
so that's what's happening. And that's really
345
00:25:08.839 --> 00:25:15.039
interesting. It's an odd moment and
brilliant because when you find out that whole
346
00:25:15.039 --> 00:25:18.920
thing is ad libbed, with the
singing and the closeness that they have.
347
00:25:21.079 --> 00:25:25.039
I love the fact that the guy
is a obviously he's a terrible he's a
348
00:25:25.039 --> 00:25:27.680
scumbag, and he's he's dying.
He's dying out right there on the on
349
00:25:27.759 --> 00:25:34.240
the kitchen floor. But he also
reveals to Joe like it was in her
350
00:25:34.279 --> 00:25:37.880
sleep, she didn't feel a thing
right. And I kind of feel like
351
00:25:38.319 --> 00:25:42.240
that gives Joe comfort and maybe that's
why he is with this guy in his
352
00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:45.200
final moments, like you don't have
to die alone. I'm here for you.
353
00:25:45.680 --> 00:25:48.319
And he kind of because like when
you first see that that hand,
354
00:25:48.359 --> 00:25:52.720
that that hand, take that other
hand, and you're like what, and
355
00:25:52.759 --> 00:25:56.400
then I thought, wait a minute, it's kind of a mutual respect in
356
00:25:56.440 --> 00:26:00.039
a weird, really twisted way.
And a Lynn Ramsey, it's really it's
357
00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:03.880
messed up. It's a messed up
scene, but it works, especially when
358
00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:07.880
they're kind of sharing this moment where
they're singing the song together. Yeah,
359
00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:12.000
and I think Joe probably has guilt
that his mother died alone and that he
360
00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:15.359
wasn't there, and he probably,
because of her age and because of everything,
361
00:26:15.400 --> 00:26:18.960
always just envisioned that she would get
sick or she would get old and
362
00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:22.519
she would pass away and he would
be sitting by her holding her hand and
363
00:26:22.559 --> 00:26:26.319
she would die. And that is
not what happened. But that's what he
364
00:26:26.359 --> 00:26:30.519
did for this man, and so
it's it's just an interesting exchange that happens
365
00:26:30.599 --> 00:26:37.480
in that moment that's both bizarre and
yet heartfelt at the same time, very
366
00:26:37.640 --> 00:26:41.960
very heartfelt. We're gonna take a
quick break and when we get back gonna
367
00:26:41.960 --> 00:26:48.279
we're gonna talk a little bit about
this film's background. We are back with
368
00:26:48.599 --> 00:26:55.759
Mary Kay from the Sherry Sandwich podcast
talking about Lynn ramses, you were never
369
00:26:55.920 --> 00:27:03.160
really here, Mary Kay. It's
based on the Jonathan Ames twenty thirteen novella
370
00:27:03.200 --> 00:27:07.079
of the same name. He is
a big fan of the film, was
371
00:27:07.079 --> 00:27:14.200
one of the producers actually, and
Lynn writes and directs this adaptation. Now,
372
00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:18.799
we talked a little bit about the
score and the music. Obviously,
373
00:27:18.839 --> 00:27:22.880
we talked about that cake song just
being a weird choice but also kind of
374
00:27:22.880 --> 00:27:30.079
fitting. Something that kind of surprised
me. Was the guitarist for Radiohead,
375
00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:36.039
Johnny Greenwood scored this film, and
it just so happens it's the second time
376
00:27:36.039 --> 00:27:40.720
they've worked together because he also scored
her twenty eleven film. We need to
377
00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:45.799
talk about Kevin. Oh, that's
really interesting. I didn't know that.
378
00:27:45.480 --> 00:27:48.440
I'll tell you if you're a Radiohead
fan, first off, it's you know,
379
00:27:48.440 --> 00:27:53.640
they're a fantastic band. They are
truly a great band. This score
380
00:27:53.799 --> 00:28:00.599
has what I would call a chaotic
feel to it. It's messy, and
381
00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:06.160
when you realize that it's all about
being inside Joe's head, it makes the
382
00:28:06.200 --> 00:28:10.799
score perfect. Yeah, And you
know what's really interesting is in the very
383
00:28:10.880 --> 00:28:15.279
beginning there's sort of the sound mixing
of the whispers and the sort of talking.
384
00:28:15.400 --> 00:28:18.680
I had to go back and watch
it twice. It reminded me a
385
00:28:18.680 --> 00:28:19.519
little bit of zone of interest.
I don't know if you saw a zone
386
00:28:19.559 --> 00:28:23.640
of interest, but before I saw
a zone of interest, I hadn't ever
387
00:28:23.720 --> 00:28:29.720
really had a strong opinion about sound
mixing as far as like winning an award
388
00:28:29.720 --> 00:28:32.640
for sound mixing. After I saw
that movie, and I did see it
389
00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:34.160
in the theater, I left there
and I thought, this movie has to
390
00:28:34.160 --> 00:28:38.200
win something for sound mixing, like
the way that they sort of like juxtapose
391
00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:42.039
these awful sounds and birds tweeting and
whatever. And it was the same thing
392
00:28:42.079 --> 00:28:45.480
that was happening in the beginning of
this There's these moments of sort of like
393
00:28:45.240 --> 00:28:52.160
inaudible whispering and clearly terrifying music playing, which, now that you mentioned Radiohead,
394
00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:56.400
makes complete sense. Yeah, the
way that it blends together and you're
395
00:28:56.440 --> 00:29:00.519
kind of going whoa, what's happening? This is heavy. I'm already scared
396
00:29:00.559 --> 00:29:06.279
and nothing has happened, and that's
amazing. Like, I love kicking it
397
00:29:06.319 --> 00:29:10.200
off that way. Yeah, I'll
tell you what I love kicking off with
398
00:29:10.240 --> 00:29:14.240
this movie. We open in Cincinnati, Ohio, and you know, hey,
399
00:29:14.440 --> 00:29:18.640
I am a hometown since I kid
so uh. When that cab door
400
00:29:18.759 --> 00:29:22.279
shuts and I see Cincinnati, I
was like, all right, we're in
401
00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:26.240
Sinsey, you know, let's stop
at Skyline. But that's right, He's
402
00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:32.240
quickly on his way to New York. This film, this blows my mind.
403
00:29:32.279 --> 00:29:34.839
By the way. This film was
unfinished when it was submitted to the
404
00:29:34.920 --> 00:29:40.599
can Film Festival. Oh and it
still wins Best Actor for Waquin Phoenix,
405
00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:47.039
Best Screenplay for Lynn Ramsey, and
was nominated for the Palm Dure and almost
406
00:29:47.079 --> 00:29:51.200
took it. Wow. Yeah,
yeah, there's a lot going on here.
407
00:29:51.400 --> 00:29:55.680
Yeah. Yeah, I do want
to ask you this because I love
408
00:29:55.720 --> 00:29:57.839
the title of this film, because
it immediately when you hear the title,
409
00:29:57.880 --> 00:30:04.640
you're you're already asking questions. It's
released in France and Germany under the title
410
00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:11.000
A Beautiful Day, which is a
reference to the last line of dialogue given
411
00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:12.160
in the film. From Nina when
she says, Joe, wake up,
412
00:30:12.240 --> 00:30:18.240
it's a beautiful day. What what's
the better title here? Mary Kay,
413
00:30:18.480 --> 00:30:21.279
you're there, you're you're a writer. Let me know, like we go
414
00:30:21.319 --> 00:30:22.400
on with the book title, We're
going to go with a beautiful day.
415
00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:27.920
That's really interesting. And I you
know, I'm big on words and saying
416
00:30:27.960 --> 00:30:32.160
words that mean something and saying what
you're meaning. And I think that especially
417
00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:36.000
in a title, very carefully choosing
words, they all mean something. And
418
00:30:36.039 --> 00:30:38.920
I always think that's interesting when things
are translated and you read what the translation
419
00:30:40.039 --> 00:30:41.400
is versus what it is in English
or what you know, what it says
420
00:30:41.400 --> 00:30:47.319
in German or whatever. A beautiful
day, I think I think you were
421
00:30:47.359 --> 00:30:52.400
never really here as a better title, because I think that that reference is
422
00:30:52.839 --> 00:30:57.240
directly sort of Joaquin's life, right, or Joe's life. Joe was in
423
00:30:57.279 --> 00:31:02.880
combat and he was never there.
You know, we go in, we
424
00:31:02.920 --> 00:31:06.960
go out, we were never there. He goes into these situations, he
425
00:31:06.960 --> 00:31:11.039
helps these people, he was never
there. It's and it's also sort of
426
00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:14.799
this greater existential thing that I think
we all go through, right, which
427
00:31:14.880 --> 00:31:19.000
is we all come and go both
from people's lives and from life itself,
428
00:31:19.160 --> 00:31:23.759
and so it's it's kind of a
kind of a deep phrase. If you
429
00:31:23.799 --> 00:31:27.359
think about it. A Beautiful Day
can also do the same thing, but
430
00:31:27.640 --> 00:31:30.759
I feel like you were never really
here. It hits more for me.
431
00:31:32.519 --> 00:31:34.759
It definitely hits more, especially when
you think there's a there's a major theme
432
00:31:34.759 --> 00:31:41.400
of loneliness and isolation that I think
tracks through this film. And maybe it's
433
00:31:41.519 --> 00:31:45.920
it's it's Joe's character telling his father, his mother, the people in his
434
00:31:45.960 --> 00:31:51.960
world you were never really here because
he's so alone. Or again it's maybe
435
00:31:51.960 --> 00:31:55.559
it's the it's the people that hire
Joe and we know you were never really
436
00:31:55.559 --> 00:31:59.000
here. I think it's I think
it's way better if you told me,
437
00:32:00.039 --> 00:32:01.039
Hey, I need you to go
over and pick up this movie for me
438
00:32:01.240 --> 00:32:05.640
off the shelf. It's called A
Beautiful Day, and there were no titles
439
00:32:05.720 --> 00:32:07.200
and I just saw pictures. If
you told me to go pick up A
440
00:32:07.200 --> 00:32:10.359
Beautiful Day, I'm expecting to pick
up a box that has like George Clooney
441
00:32:10.440 --> 00:32:15.200
smiling at Joy Roberts or something of
that nature on it. You know,
442
00:32:15.279 --> 00:32:20.799
I'm not not what quing phoenix staring
menacingly at me, you know, from
443
00:32:20.839 --> 00:32:23.720
a thousand yards away, just like
and you you could go back to you
444
00:32:23.759 --> 00:32:28.319
know, life is beautiful, right, the movie about World War two?
445
00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:32.039
And you can. And that's also
I always wonder it actually reminds me.
446
00:32:32.039 --> 00:32:36.519
I wonder what that translates to in
other languages. I wonder what titles they
447
00:32:36.599 --> 00:32:39.680
used for that film and other languages. But I remember at the time thing
448
00:32:39.680 --> 00:32:43.799
and this is a really interesting title
for this movie because it's not what you're
449
00:32:44.200 --> 00:32:50.200
expecting when you're, you know,
getting a movie about Nazi war camps.
450
00:32:50.440 --> 00:32:52.880
But it's so you know, you
can make it work. But it's this
451
00:32:52.920 --> 00:32:55.759
one you were never really here,
you immediately know kind of what you're on
452
00:32:55.799 --> 00:33:00.680
board for. I think so too. Yeah, there are some really great
453
00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:05.480
moments in this movie. We've already
discussed several of them. But let's talk
454
00:33:05.519 --> 00:33:08.039
about the pivotal scene. Mary Kay. I'm not talking about the moment that
455
00:33:08.079 --> 00:33:10.839
you saw on the trailer. I'm
not talking about the climax of the film.
456
00:33:12.519 --> 00:33:15.359
I'm just talking about the scene that
you see it and you go,
457
00:33:15.400 --> 00:33:19.599
you know what, Without this moment, this movie is less. Is there
458
00:33:19.640 --> 00:33:22.079
a pivotal scene for you? Is
there something that comes to mind for you
459
00:33:22.759 --> 00:33:25.920
when you watch you were never really
here. Oh yeah, the moment that
460
00:33:27.000 --> 00:33:31.000
he walks into his mother's bedroom and
sees her with the pillow over her face.
461
00:33:32.359 --> 00:33:38.480
That like, I just gave myself
chills that moment. I audibly gasped
462
00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:46.920
because I thought they got him exactly
where it hurts, and this is the
463
00:33:47.079 --> 00:33:52.240
last thing he has. That's it. His mom is really if you think
464
00:33:52.240 --> 00:33:55.759
about it, she's the last thing
tethering him to this world. So now
465
00:33:55.799 --> 00:34:01.079
he's just totally unhinged. He's got
nothing him back. He's got no reason
466
00:34:01.119 --> 00:34:07.319
to hold back because who cares.
But then you get the beauty of him
467
00:34:07.319 --> 00:34:10.360
sort of taking care of the men
downstairs and then going back up and having
468
00:34:10.679 --> 00:34:15.199
this really beautiful moment where he's taking
his mom and he's putting on a suit
469
00:34:15.320 --> 00:34:21.039
and he's taking her to the car, and you know, taking a body
470
00:34:21.039 --> 00:34:24.480
out to a lake has never been
so moving. Honestly, it was really,
471
00:34:25.239 --> 00:34:29.760
you know, and I wrote it
down because it was amazing to me.
472
00:34:29.800 --> 00:34:31.239
Again with the sound mixing, you
know, his mom in the back
473
00:34:31.280 --> 00:34:35.519
of the car, she's wrapped in
bags, and he rolls the window down
474
00:34:36.039 --> 00:34:38.639
and he's driving and you can hear
the plastic rustling in the wind in the
475
00:34:38.639 --> 00:34:45.239
backseat, and I thought, oh, man, like, what imagine,
476
00:34:45.400 --> 00:34:50.320
you know, driving down the street
being the guy that you are, and
477
00:34:50.360 --> 00:34:53.679
you're doing this and this is this
is the last thing you ever wanted to
478
00:34:53.719 --> 00:34:58.840
do, the last thing that could
possibly have broken you. And that's why
479
00:34:58.840 --> 00:35:01.119
it's amazing, you know, when
he does fill his pockets with rocks and
480
00:35:01.159 --> 00:35:06.119
then he thinks about Nina and he
takes him out, you know, that
481
00:35:07.079 --> 00:35:10.679
big moment. Also, how does
how does such a morbid moment in the
482
00:35:10.679 --> 00:35:16.360
film become such a such a heartfelt
moment though, you know, I just
483
00:35:16.400 --> 00:35:21.639
don't get it, because like the
first time I watched this, I was
484
00:35:21.719 --> 00:35:23.840
I was really I was shocked,
and I was a little appalled that his
485
00:35:23.920 --> 00:35:30.480
mother is wrapped in black plastic and
duct tape in the back seat, and
486
00:35:30.519 --> 00:35:32.280
I was like, what what kind
of monster are you? But then when
487
00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:36.960
you see how tender he he is, you know, preparing her and then
488
00:35:37.360 --> 00:35:42.400
and then taking her out, it's
it's really it messes with your mind because
489
00:35:42.440 --> 00:35:45.360
you're like, this is this is
I think this is abhorrent, But at
490
00:35:45.400 --> 00:35:49.360
the same time, this is what
he knows and this is the best he
491
00:35:49.400 --> 00:35:52.039
can do. Yeah, And in
that and that, in that regard.
492
00:35:52.079 --> 00:35:55.119
It makes it a beautiful moment for
his character. Yeah, I mean,
493
00:35:55.159 --> 00:35:59.039
and there's a certain amount of professionalism
that comes with what he's doing, right,
494
00:35:59.079 --> 00:36:02.880
you know, it's sort of where
his expertise meets his emotion and he's
495
00:36:02.920 --> 00:36:06.000
like, the best way to take
care of this is to do X,
496
00:36:06.079 --> 00:36:07.599
Y and Z. So that's what
we're doing. But I'm gonna put on
497
00:36:07.639 --> 00:36:10.400
a suit while I do it,
and I'm going to take her to a
498
00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:15.599
beautiful place. And he very you
know, gently picks her up, and
499
00:36:15.639 --> 00:36:20.360
he is very delicate with her.
And I think that it's it's hard because
500
00:36:20.360 --> 00:36:22.440
it's the two parts of its his
brain fighting against each other. You know.
501
00:36:22.559 --> 00:36:27.599
He obviously can't call someone and have
a proper funeral for his mom after
502
00:36:27.719 --> 00:36:30.559
everything that's happened. It's just not
real. Who would he call. He
503
00:36:30.559 --> 00:36:35.800
has nobody who'd he call, no
one to call, so he has to
504
00:36:35.920 --> 00:36:39.480
make his own moment. And you
know, the thing that I thought was
505
00:36:39.480 --> 00:36:45.480
actually really beautiful that I think moved
me the most is he doesn't take her
506
00:36:45.519 --> 00:36:47.760
to the lake and drop her in. He walks her in, and he
507
00:36:47.840 --> 00:36:52.639
sinks with her, and then he
releases her at the bottom and comes back
508
00:36:52.719 --> 00:36:59.239
up and that is not something that
most people in a situation of disposing of
509
00:36:59.280 --> 00:37:04.480
a body would do. So it's
it's there's it's an extra layer because it's
510
00:37:04.480 --> 00:37:07.800
his mother and he needs to do
it in the best possible way he can.
511
00:37:08.039 --> 00:37:12.880
And I'll be honest, we're we're
actually this kind of this scene tethers
512
00:37:12.880 --> 00:37:16.519
to yours because this is my pivotal
moment, him bearing his mother and his
513
00:37:16.599 --> 00:37:22.679
attempt at suicide by intentionally drowning himself. Because up to this point we've seen
514
00:37:22.760 --> 00:37:25.679
we've been inside his head and we've
seen these these uh, these suicide fantasies
515
00:37:25.719 --> 00:37:30.360
that he's had, and this is
the point where he's like ready to go,
516
00:37:30.119 --> 00:37:32.440
all right, this is it.
I'm now, I'm me and my
517
00:37:32.480 --> 00:37:36.519
mom. I'm gonna go with her. Because when you're watching it, like
518
00:37:36.559 --> 00:37:37.760
the first time you see him picking
up these these stones, you're like,
519
00:37:38.320 --> 00:37:42.440
oh, is he gonna bury your
And then you know when you see him
520
00:37:42.440 --> 00:37:44.960
walking into the water, you're like, wait, what's the stones for?
521
00:37:45.360 --> 00:37:52.559
And he just kind of sinks this
this really slow, beautiful moment where he's
522
00:37:52.559 --> 00:37:54.800
sinking and just looks so at peace, and you got to think, like,
523
00:37:54.840 --> 00:37:59.159
this is the one time in his
in his in his world where there
524
00:37:59.239 --> 00:38:02.400
is no noise, right, there
is no there is no pain. But
525
00:38:02.440 --> 00:38:09.039
we get that brief glimpse of Nina
in his mind and then Okay, I've
526
00:38:09.039 --> 00:38:12.599
got more work to do. I've
got a purpose. And he takes the
527
00:38:12.679 --> 00:38:15.800
rocks out and he allows himself to
resurface, and then it's let's go get
528
00:38:15.880 --> 00:38:21.320
Nina. Yeah, because I think
originally his mom was his final purpose and
529
00:38:21.360 --> 00:38:25.199
then with this mission, he added
another one. And so he couldn't when
530
00:38:25.239 --> 00:38:29.360
he thought about it, like,
am I really going to leave this person
531
00:38:29.679 --> 00:38:34.719
out in the world to just fester
or whatever? Like he can't do it.
532
00:38:34.840 --> 00:38:36.840
He can't do it because at the
end of the day, he's a
533
00:38:36.880 --> 00:38:40.239
good person. He is. Let's
talk about another good person. Let's talk
534
00:38:40.239 --> 00:38:47.239
about Lynn Ramsay for a minute.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland. She studied
535
00:38:47.400 --> 00:38:51.519
fine art and photography. You mentioned
that her she would have been a great
536
00:38:51.519 --> 00:38:55.480
photographer. She studied it. And
here's here's what I love about her.
537
00:38:57.559 --> 00:39:04.000
She applies to film school on a
whim after seeing Maya Darren's film Meshes of
538
00:39:04.039 --> 00:39:07.639
the Afternoon. Mary Kay, I
have to I have to know, have
539
00:39:07.719 --> 00:39:10.559
you ever seen a film that that
inspired you, that moved you so much
540
00:39:10.639 --> 00:39:15.920
that you decided to change the course
of your career. Oh boy, that's
541
00:39:15.000 --> 00:39:21.840
a big question. That's a that's
a very good question. I would say
542
00:39:22.400 --> 00:39:25.519
there have been films, there have
been TV shows there. I mean,
543
00:39:25.559 --> 00:39:31.320
I would say there's a heavy emphasis. What's interesting about Lynn Ramsay is that
544
00:39:31.400 --> 00:39:35.719
because she is from the UK,
I have a special place in my heart
545
00:39:35.719 --> 00:39:42.639
for UK writers, because any UK
crime show is probably better than most American
546
00:39:42.679 --> 00:39:45.760
crime shows. And I know you're
not lying. It's a very controversial thing
547
00:39:45.800 --> 00:39:49.360
to say, and a lot of
people will argue with me about it,
548
00:39:49.880 --> 00:39:54.159
but it says something about her.
I mean, I can think back on
549
00:39:55.559 --> 00:39:59.519
I mean, look, I'm gen
X. I grew up watching cable when
550
00:39:59.519 --> 00:40:04.199
I wasn't. I saw The Shining
when I was probably seven, which is
551
00:40:04.320 --> 00:40:07.920
not great. But that moment when
I saw the Shining for the first time,
552
00:40:08.400 --> 00:40:13.239
I was like this, I want
to do this. And I've been
553
00:40:13.239 --> 00:40:17.400
a huge Stephen King fan ever since
then, And so I would say that
554
00:40:17.440 --> 00:40:23.039
I would say it should have ruined
me, but instead it sort of inspired
555
00:40:23.079 --> 00:40:25.199
me, like how did he come
up with this? You know? And
556
00:40:25.239 --> 00:40:29.199
over the years I would go back
to it, reading Firestarter and reading these
557
00:40:29.199 --> 00:40:31.719
other books and thinking, you know
how he crafts these worlds, and he
558
00:40:31.760 --> 00:40:36.840
does it so efficiently. So yeah, I'm going to say I'm going to
559
00:40:36.920 --> 00:40:40.519
go with the shining interesting that you
would pick a Stephen King project, because
560
00:40:42.360 --> 00:40:47.480
Stephen King will come up again here
later on in our conversation, but for
561
00:40:47.519 --> 00:40:51.880
now, let's talk about her.
We'll keep talking about Lynn. She graduates
562
00:40:51.920 --> 00:40:54.519
in nineteen ninety five from the National
Film and Television School in England. She
563
00:40:54.559 --> 00:41:00.480
goes on to direct several award winning
short films on the festival circuit, and
564
00:41:00.519 --> 00:41:06.559
she's known for using non chronological storytelling
and often chooses projects that center around children
565
00:41:06.679 --> 00:41:09.760
and individuals going through trauma. And
if you know anything about her filmography,
566
00:41:12.119 --> 00:41:17.079
that definitely tracks. So let's talk
a little bit about her filmography with this
567
00:41:17.159 --> 00:41:21.639
caveat. We haven't done this before, but I kind of want to talk
568
00:41:21.679 --> 00:41:25.280
about some several projects that she was
supposed to do and did not. Oh
569
00:41:25.360 --> 00:41:30.960
yes, please, because admittedly I
have not seen a lot of her catalog
570
00:41:31.719 --> 00:41:36.440
I want to now, but I
just haven't. So yeah, No,
571
00:41:36.519 --> 00:41:39.079
there's a short film on IMDb that
I was looking at that I was really
572
00:41:39.079 --> 00:41:43.840
hoping I would have time to watch, and I did not, so it
573
00:41:43.880 --> 00:41:45.599
will be one of the first things
that I watch, probably this week when
574
00:41:45.599 --> 00:41:52.400
I have time. So her feature
film debut, Rat Catcher in nineteen ninety
575
00:41:52.440 --> 00:41:58.199
nine, all about a naive young
lad navigating the dirty streets of nineteen seventy
576
00:41:58.199 --> 00:42:04.400
three Glasgow and the poor youth around
him. Definitely an independent film. I'm
577
00:42:04.440 --> 00:42:09.159
not familiar with anybody in it,
although it looks like she's got some family
578
00:42:09.159 --> 00:42:14.679
in it, so this this was
probably an indie But I don't know.
579
00:42:14.679 --> 00:42:15.519
No, I don't know a whole
lot about it. Have you did you
580
00:42:15.559 --> 00:42:20.079
happen to see Ratcatcher? I did
not know. I kinda I kind of
581
00:42:20.119 --> 00:42:24.559
feel like we're gonna move quickly through
dough her hormography and and and with apologies
582
00:42:24.559 --> 00:42:29.159
to to miss Ramsey, but you
know, but we're also gonna, you
583
00:42:29.199 --> 00:42:30.559
know, I feel like we're gonna
do we got some homework when this is
584
00:42:30.599 --> 00:42:36.880
all said and done. Two thousand
and two, she has another small budget
585
00:42:36.920 --> 00:42:43.079
film, Morvan Calor, and again
I'm gonna say these are probably like UK
586
00:42:43.920 --> 00:42:50.440
based projects without without digging too deep, I know Samantha Morton is the star
587
00:42:50.519 --> 00:42:54.960
of this one. After her boyfriend's
suicide. A morning supermarket worker and her
588
00:42:55.000 --> 00:42:59.559
best friend hit the road in Scotland
but find that grief is something that you
589
00:42:59.559 --> 00:43:05.280
can't run away from forever. So
here we go. We're talking about traumatized
590
00:43:05.320 --> 00:43:07.280
people and this, this is kind
of like her. This is kind of
591
00:43:07.320 --> 00:43:10.199
like her jam. You know,
she's I feel like she knows how to
592
00:43:10.199 --> 00:43:15.880
tell this kind of story and maybe
that's why she's she's sticking with it.
593
00:43:15.280 --> 00:43:19.199
What do you think? Yeah?
No, And I have to say,
594
00:43:19.400 --> 00:43:22.159
you know, when I was reading
sort of about the themes that she really
595
00:43:22.199 --> 00:43:27.480
focuses on, and I actually read
a quote by a British film critic named
596
00:43:27.559 --> 00:43:31.760
Jonathan Romney, and he says she
thinks not in concepts, but in images.
597
00:43:31.880 --> 00:43:36.000
She doesn't make intellectual films, but
ones that are close to music,
598
00:43:36.320 --> 00:43:39.119
taking visuals to the point of abstraction. And I read that sentence and I
599
00:43:39.199 --> 00:43:44.039
thought, ooh, And then I
watched it and then I learned that she
600
00:43:44.119 --> 00:43:45.320
was from the UK, and I'm
like, Okay, all of these things
601
00:43:45.400 --> 00:43:51.039
mean that probably I should watch every
single one of her movies. So let's
602
00:43:51.119 --> 00:43:55.239
we definitely got to talk about her
her next one, and this is a
603
00:43:55.440 --> 00:44:00.400
very powerful movie. This is one. If you haven't seen it, you
604
00:44:00.480 --> 00:44:02.280
probably need to know a little bit
about it before you get into it.
605
00:44:04.079 --> 00:44:07.039
Talk about twenty eleven's we need to
talk about Kevin Mary, Kay, did
606
00:44:07.039 --> 00:44:12.599
you see this one? I did
not, but I do remember hearing about
607
00:44:12.599 --> 00:44:16.159
it, but I don't remember.
I don't remember exactly what it was that
608
00:44:16.239 --> 00:44:19.320
I did hear about it, So
I'm gonna need to go back and do
609
00:44:19.360 --> 00:44:22.800
some research. Yeah, this is
the one. A lot of controversy around
610
00:44:22.840 --> 00:44:28.239
this one at the time. We
need to talk about Kevin. This is
611
00:44:28.239 --> 00:44:35.199
the one where we've got a mother
played by Tilda Swinton who's going through some
612
00:44:35.280 --> 00:44:43.239
extreme issues because her child is involved
in a mass shooting at school. Yes,
613
00:44:43.639 --> 00:44:51.320
it's very hard to watch, you
know, definitely has a lot to
614
00:44:51.360 --> 00:44:54.480
say about, you know, has
a lot to say Tilda Swinton, John
615
00:44:54.519 --> 00:45:00.960
c Riley, Ezra Miller pre flashes
here. There's a lot going on in
616
00:45:00.960 --> 00:45:07.119
this movie. And it's just some
serious, serious emotions in this one,
617
00:45:07.840 --> 00:45:12.559
and it's fantastic. And that's another
one where she She's one thing I love
618
00:45:12.599 --> 00:45:16.079
about her. She's directing and she's
usually writing or co writing all of her
619
00:45:16.119 --> 00:45:20.079
stuff. Yeah, I mean,
she really, really brings it in.
620
00:45:20.960 --> 00:45:22.079
Yeah, And I feel like if
you can, that would be ideal,
621
00:45:22.480 --> 00:45:27.840
right, because you either want to
be collaborating with someone that you know well
622
00:45:28.440 --> 00:45:31.079
or doing it yourself because at the
same time, like I don't know,
623
00:45:31.519 --> 00:45:35.719
and obviously there are many examples of
people who have done it where there's been
624
00:45:35.719 --> 00:45:39.280
separate writers and directors. But I
feel like writing it yourself and directing it.
625
00:45:39.320 --> 00:45:43.480
You know, in your brain as
you're writing something, you can see
626
00:45:43.480 --> 00:45:45.599
the light coming through the window,
and you can see how this character holds
627
00:45:45.639 --> 00:45:49.440
themselves and you can see, you
know, as you're putting the words on
628
00:45:49.480 --> 00:45:52.280
the page. So I think there's
something really special that happens when people do
629
00:45:52.360 --> 00:45:55.400
that. Absolutely. Now I did
mention. I do want to talk about
630
00:45:55.440 --> 00:46:00.679
several projects that she was supposed to
do and they never never came to fruition.
631
00:46:01.559 --> 00:46:06.360
Right before she does, we need
to talk about Kevin two thousand and
632
00:46:06.400 --> 00:46:13.679
four. She was the original director
attached to The Lovely Bones. Oh interesting,
633
00:46:14.400 --> 00:46:17.719
Yeah, Now, this is a
situation where she deals with a lot
634
00:46:17.719 --> 00:46:22.159
of frustration from the studio she does. And Mary, you're Mary Kay,
635
00:46:22.159 --> 00:46:24.320
You're a writer, so I know
you can relate to this kind of frustration.
636
00:46:24.960 --> 00:46:29.519
She is handling. She's handing in
draft after draft, and depending on
637
00:46:29.559 --> 00:46:35.079
which suit she's talking to, it's
can we get a happier ending? This
638
00:46:35.119 --> 00:46:37.679
didn't happen in the book. This
should have been in the book, but
639
00:46:37.719 --> 00:46:39.840
it's not. Can you put it
in? Back and forth, back and
640
00:46:39.880 --> 00:46:45.480
forth. She's trying to adapt this
novel. She ultimately steps away, thinks
641
00:46:45.519 --> 00:46:49.320
better of it. Peter Jackson takes
her place. And I got to say,
642
00:46:49.360 --> 00:46:53.239
this film, largely panned by critics, not what you expect from Peter
643
00:46:53.320 --> 00:46:58.719
Jackson, and I think that's one
of the reasons it failed. Yeah.
644
00:46:58.880 --> 00:47:02.159
No, I mean I think it's
frustrating because especially in an adaptation, and
645
00:47:02.199 --> 00:47:07.320
I think especially with these big budget
movies, and I kind of think that's
646
00:47:07.440 --> 00:47:10.599
why there's sort of a lot of
people that are moving away from sort of
647
00:47:10.639 --> 00:47:15.320
the bigger budget things. You can
read the original script, and I've done
648
00:47:15.320 --> 00:47:19.800
this online where you can go download
the original script for a movie and then
649
00:47:19.840 --> 00:47:23.159
you can just see how it was
just absolutely decimated as it went through the
650
00:47:23.159 --> 00:47:25.559
process, and you're like, oh, why didn't they keep this character?
651
00:47:25.599 --> 00:47:28.480
Oh, it would have been so
great if they'd done this, you know,
652
00:47:29.079 --> 00:47:34.800
And you can really feel for the
directors, as you can imagine the
653
00:47:34.800 --> 00:47:37.559
frustration that they were up against,
right, and then they're getting absolutely panned
654
00:47:37.599 --> 00:47:44.119
by the media for something that genuinely
was not their fault. So yeah,
655
00:47:44.280 --> 00:47:47.360
I could see walking away from something, and I can see why she's probably
656
00:47:47.480 --> 00:47:51.239
kept it. Indie, you know, you get your money, and you
657
00:47:51.239 --> 00:47:52.480
get people on board, and you
say this is what I want to do,
658
00:47:52.519 --> 00:47:55.400
and they go, okay, great, here you go. Enjoy.
659
00:47:55.559 --> 00:48:00.199
And I'm a big lover of an
indie film, you know, and I've
660
00:48:00.239 --> 00:48:06.159
seen many that I have loved that
made no money for anyone, and it's
661
00:48:06.199 --> 00:48:10.079
a real shame that they didn't because
they were beautifully executed, but because they
662
00:48:10.119 --> 00:48:13.519
don't have, you know, the
big industry behind them, you don't hear
663
00:48:13.559 --> 00:48:15.039
about them, or you don't get
the chance to see them. So I
664
00:48:15.840 --> 00:48:19.400
can see how that would be frustrating. It would be hard for me to
665
00:48:19.480 --> 00:48:23.559
take one of my books and watch
someone just chop it into pieces and change
666
00:48:23.599 --> 00:48:28.280
the ending and change the characters and
change the motivations, and it would be
667
00:48:28.400 --> 00:48:34.000
it would be excruciating. Well after
twenty eleven's we need to talk about Kevin.
668
00:48:35.320 --> 00:48:36.719
I mean, she's got a lot
of she's got a lot of a
669
00:48:36.719 --> 00:48:39.159
lot of heat. She's got a
lot of cred going for her. So
670
00:48:39.280 --> 00:48:46.559
she partners with Nallie Portman in twenty
thirteen, and she is originally slated to
671
00:48:46.599 --> 00:48:51.840
direct Jane Got a Gun. Now, this was originally this is the Nlly
672
00:48:51.920 --> 00:48:57.599
Portman movie where she's got to you
know, get revenge on some wrestlers that
673
00:48:57.760 --> 00:49:00.280
you know, she's got team up
with her ex, her ex, her
674
00:49:00.280 --> 00:49:07.320
to you know, avenger husband,
that kind of thing. Ramsey leaves the
675
00:49:07.480 --> 00:49:12.280
day before their first day of shooting. Wow, And this is all due
676
00:49:12.280 --> 00:49:16.800
to creative differences with a couple of
the producers. Now, depending on who
677
00:49:16.880 --> 00:49:20.800
who you listen to or what what
you what you listen to, Uh,
678
00:49:20.840 --> 00:49:23.960
there's some shady stuff going on with
these with these producers. She was sued
679
00:49:23.960 --> 00:49:29.000
for breach of contract and kind of
received a little bit of a backlash from
680
00:49:29.039 --> 00:49:34.760
Hollywood, but ultimately they dropped they
dropped the they dropped the lawsuit. But
681
00:49:34.800 --> 00:49:37.239
the damage is done at that point, you know, it's like, oh,
682
00:49:37.320 --> 00:49:40.159
okay, you know, creative differences
were difficult to work with. She
683
00:49:40.320 --> 00:49:44.599
just she bails on us the day
before and again, this is a movie
684
00:49:45.079 --> 00:49:46.800
that you know, even Jude Law
walked away from that one. It's I
685
00:49:46.840 --> 00:49:50.119
don't know if you've seen it,
it is it's not a good film.
686
00:49:50.639 --> 00:49:53.000
I have not seen it, but
I can tell you that as soon as
687
00:49:53.000 --> 00:50:00.599
a woman is labeled difficult in the
industry, it goes. It really takes
688
00:50:00.639 --> 00:50:02.159
things to an extreme. You know, you hear about that, you hear
689
00:50:02.599 --> 00:50:05.920
they direct one thing, and it's
like, well, she was kind of
690
00:50:05.920 --> 00:50:10.800
difficult. So meanwhile you hear about
people who are the absolute worst on a
691
00:50:10.840 --> 00:50:15.119
film set, who are just a
nightmare to work with. But like,
692
00:50:15.559 --> 00:50:17.519
but you know, he's the guy
that does X, so we've got to
693
00:50:17.519 --> 00:50:22.000
have him back to another film,
even though everyone hates him. So it's
694
00:50:22.760 --> 00:50:25.880
you know, I'm sure that it
didn't do her any favors, and I'm
695
00:50:25.920 --> 00:50:32.400
not trying to just you know,
obviously it's not There are many male directors
696
00:50:32.400 --> 00:50:37.679
that I love and respect, but
I think that it does go a long
697
00:50:37.760 --> 00:50:42.039
way when you label a woman as
difficult, because then everyone's like, oh,
698
00:50:42.079 --> 00:50:45.159
she was the one who was X, Y and Z, Like I
699
00:50:45.199 --> 00:50:46.639
can get my friend to direct this
and we won't have to deal with that
700
00:50:46.679 --> 00:50:51.320
problem. And then you get a
movie that's just a dumpster fire because of
701
00:50:51.360 --> 00:50:52.960
it. But it makes billions of
dollars, so everyone's like, no problem.
702
00:50:53.400 --> 00:50:58.320
I'm kind of glad that the situation
happens with Jang on the gun because
703
00:50:58.480 --> 00:51:00.840
her her fix, Like when she
was like, you know what, I'm
704
00:51:00.880 --> 00:51:06.400
out of here, she heads off
and she starts adapting the book, so
705
00:51:07.519 --> 00:51:09.360
you know, for you were never
really here. So I think she was
706
00:51:09.360 --> 00:51:14.039
taking a step in the right direction
because this movie is just amazing. It
707
00:51:14.119 --> 00:51:16.840
really is. It was very surprising
for me. I was expecting, like
708
00:51:16.880 --> 00:51:21.639
I said before, expecting one thing
and got something completely different, Like this
709
00:51:21.760 --> 00:51:24.159
is something now that I'm going to
be talking about for the next couple weeks.
710
00:51:24.800 --> 00:51:29.519
Well before we talk about what's coming
up next. For Lynn Ramsey,
711
00:51:29.920 --> 00:51:31.039
I want to talk. I want
to tell you about two more projects.
712
00:51:32.360 --> 00:51:38.239
You mentioned Stephen King and that was
your inspiration. In twenty twenty, it
713
00:51:38.360 --> 00:51:43.599
was announced that she was going to
be directing an adaptation of Stephen King's The
714
00:51:43.639 --> 00:51:46.559
Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon? Oh
did you happen to read that one?
715
00:51:47.079 --> 00:51:52.039
I did not, But that's all
my fun. It's not your typical Stephen
716
00:51:52.119 --> 00:51:57.199
King book, and it's such a
great it's such a great one. I
717
00:51:57.800 --> 00:52:00.840
really would recommend that to anyone that
loves Stephen King. You know, it's
718
00:52:00.880 --> 00:52:04.239
not for everyone. I get it. It's not it's not so much a
719
00:52:04.280 --> 00:52:09.039
horror based story that that he's known
for. It's it's just it's a little
720
00:52:09.079 --> 00:52:12.519
it's a little different, and uh, I would have loved to see it.
721
00:52:12.559 --> 00:52:14.760
I don't know. I went as
soon as I've found this out,
722
00:52:14.800 --> 00:52:16.159
I was like, Okay, well, what happened to it? Where's it
723
00:52:16.159 --> 00:52:21.480
at? It's been for it's been
four years, no other information about it.
724
00:52:21.480 --> 00:52:25.239
It's just interesting that I've heard that
he's pretty hands off with stuff.
725
00:52:25.280 --> 00:52:28.840
I've heard that he's kind of like, you'd take this and you make it
726
00:52:28.840 --> 00:52:31.559
your own. You know. He
has that whole program where you can buy
727
00:52:31.559 --> 00:52:35.199
the rights to one of his short
stories for a dollar. I don't know
728
00:52:35.239 --> 00:52:38.960
if you heard about this what I
know that. So it's certain stories that
729
00:52:39.079 --> 00:52:42.760
he's available, and you can sort
of write a pitch. If you're a
730
00:52:42.800 --> 00:52:46.000
student and around you want to make
a student film or something, yeah,
731
00:52:46.079 --> 00:52:49.400
you can pitch and he'll sell you
the rights and you can do it for
732
00:52:49.440 --> 00:52:53.840
a dollar. And because he thinks
it's fun to see people take something of
733
00:52:53.880 --> 00:52:57.440
his and turn it into something.
And I'm sure, there have been times
734
00:52:57.440 --> 00:53:00.599
he's had opinions and I'm sure you
know, but in general, from what
735
00:53:00.679 --> 00:53:06.719
I understand, he's not one of
the nightmares to work with when you're adapting
736
00:53:06.760 --> 00:53:08.840
something of his. Nice. I
dig that about him. Yeah, me
737
00:53:08.920 --> 00:53:12.920
too. Let me ask you what
you feel about this one? Off and
738
00:53:12.960 --> 00:53:20.000
on. She has planned to direct
a modern adaptation of Herman Melville's Moby Dick,
739
00:53:21.559 --> 00:53:25.360
but she wants to set it in
space, A good for her.
740
00:53:28.519 --> 00:53:30.840
I don't even know what that looks
like. But I have like you got
741
00:53:30.960 --> 00:53:35.440
you got you, you have my
you have my curiosity, you know.
742
00:53:35.599 --> 00:53:37.760
Yeah, I'm like, okay,
I'm in let's see, let's hear the
743
00:53:37.760 --> 00:53:39.920
pitch. You know, I think
at a certain point when you have classics
744
00:53:39.960 --> 00:53:43.159
like that, you know, I
mean, you know, I wrote a
745
00:53:43.199 --> 00:53:45.440
book a couple of years ago that
I can't sell to save my life.
746
00:53:45.519 --> 00:53:49.599
That's, you know, about Jesus
as an alien, and it's it's too
747
00:53:49.679 --> 00:53:54.039
much for most people brain's around.
But when you take something like Moby Dick,
748
00:53:54.559 --> 00:53:59.079
right that everyone knows and it's been
around, and you know the themes,
749
00:53:59.119 --> 00:54:02.119
and it's really a book that's more
about the themes than what actually happens,
750
00:54:02.559 --> 00:54:07.320
so you could take it and theoretically
turn it on its head and do
751
00:54:07.440 --> 00:54:12.159
something with it. You know,
It's there's a million different ways to do
752
00:54:12.199 --> 00:54:15.000
it. I mean, I don't
know if you saw Garama del Toro's Pinocchio
753
00:54:15.159 --> 00:54:17.800
a few years ago, but you
watch the Disney Pinocchio, you watch that
754
00:54:17.840 --> 00:54:23.280
Pinocchio. They're very different Pinocchios,
very very different videos. It's brilliant,
755
00:54:23.480 --> 00:54:28.880
but it wrecked me for a week. So it's I would be really interested
756
00:54:28.920 --> 00:54:30.119
to hear the pitch for that.
I would love to be in the room
757
00:54:30.239 --> 00:54:35.320
to hear about that. Well,
let me, uh, you know,
758
00:54:35.480 --> 00:54:39.239
let me tell you about the three
that she's got that that are happening,
759
00:54:39.559 --> 00:54:44.000
you know, all right, because
I'm excited. I'm looking at these three
760
00:54:44.039 --> 00:54:49.159
and I am actually excited about them. So she's got two in pre production
761
00:54:49.360 --> 00:54:52.960
and she's got one in post production. So right now, she's in pre
762
00:54:53.000 --> 00:55:00.599
production on a film called Die My
Love starring Jennifer Lawrence. Actually supposed to
763
00:55:00.599 --> 00:55:05.320
start filming a few weeks ago,
and it just sounds great. In a
764
00:55:05.360 --> 00:55:10.400
remote, forgotten royal area, a
mother struggles to maintain her sanity as she
765
00:55:10.519 --> 00:55:17.079
battles with psychosis I'm in sign up
Jennifer Lawrence. Think about what she did
766
00:55:17.119 --> 00:55:22.000
in Silver Lyon's Playbook or Mother.
Yeah, let's yeah, make it happen.
767
00:55:22.920 --> 00:55:25.519
Let's go. I know, I
know you know about this one.
768
00:55:27.039 --> 00:55:34.440
We talked about this briefly of off
air Stone Mattresses starring Julianne Moore and Sondra
769
00:55:34.519 --> 00:55:38.719
o is in pre production Mary Kay, a revenge thriller set on a cruise
770
00:55:38.719 --> 00:55:43.920
ship in the Arctic. Let's go. Also Sandra Oh and Julie I mean
771
00:55:43.920 --> 00:55:49.199
again, these actresses they sign me. Yes, that's two powerhouse performers going
772
00:55:49.239 --> 00:55:53.400
head to head. Definitely will be
great. Also definitely great is the film
773
00:55:53.400 --> 00:55:57.280
that she has in post production,
So we're definitely gonna see this one.
774
00:55:57.760 --> 00:56:02.119
Uh one, This one's called Polaris. She's back with Joaquin Phoenix and she's
775
00:56:02.159 --> 00:56:07.280
got Rooney Rooney Mara with her,
who I absolutely adore. Yeah. Wait,
776
00:56:07.360 --> 00:56:10.239
isn' Joaquin Phoenix married to Rooney Mora
or did I make that up?
777
00:56:10.440 --> 00:56:15.199
Is she? I don't know.
We might check that they might used to
778
00:56:15.280 --> 00:56:19.880
be married or are married, but
I think it's see it. I can
779
00:56:19.960 --> 00:56:23.679
see it. Uh, Ramsey must
have something for for the Arctic because this
780
00:56:23.760 --> 00:56:29.880
movie is set in Alaska during the
eighteen nineties. Oh and it's all about
781
00:56:29.880 --> 00:56:37.039
an ice photographer who meets the devil. Okay, I'm in yeah, Joaquin
782
00:56:37.039 --> 00:56:39.960
Phoenix, Runey Mara, who's the
Who's a photographer? Who's the devil?
783
00:56:42.000 --> 00:56:44.440
I mean, there's the other that
could go either way, right, but
784
00:56:44.519 --> 00:56:46.440
I think I think it could go
either way. I'd love to see him
785
00:56:46.480 --> 00:56:51.320
as the photographer. That's what I'm
thinking, because like part of me is
786
00:56:51.320 --> 00:56:53.960
thinking, Okay, she was a
photographer, she is a photographer. You
787
00:56:54.000 --> 00:56:59.320
know, Is Rooney Mara gonna channel
Lynn Ramsey or is this is it?
788
00:56:59.360 --> 00:57:01.039
Are we gonna have some with this
and Rooney mar is gonna be the devil?
789
00:57:02.679 --> 00:57:05.480
You can go either way with it. And I think it's great.
790
00:57:05.719 --> 00:57:07.639
So well, and that's great actually, I mean, riding on the heels
791
00:57:07.639 --> 00:57:10.760
of this last season A True Detective
taking place in Alaska, I feel like
792
00:57:10.840 --> 00:57:15.400
the people are really going to be
down for that, I think. So
793
00:57:15.480 --> 00:57:17.920
I gotta everyone's talking about this the
season four True Detective. I have got
794
00:57:17.960 --> 00:57:22.199
to get I gotta get a day
off so I can watch it because it
795
00:57:22.280 --> 00:57:24.639
just sounds amazing. It's a whole
thing, but it's good. Well,
796
00:57:24.639 --> 00:57:30.320
Mary Kay, let's talk about your
recommendation for this film. You were never
797
00:57:30.360 --> 00:57:36.760
really here. What's your thoughts?
You know you recommend this one. I
798
00:57:36.800 --> 00:57:39.159
would recommend this one, I think, you know, with a lot of
799
00:57:39.239 --> 00:57:46.719
movies, I sort of recommend with
hesitation to certain people and then you add
800
00:57:46.719 --> 00:57:52.079
disclaimers for the others. You know, obviously, if you're triggered by violence
801
00:57:52.079 --> 00:57:55.760
against women, if you're triggered about
violence against children, maybe it's not going
802
00:57:55.840 --> 00:58:00.519
to be the best movie for you. But also on what's great about it
803
00:58:00.559 --> 00:58:05.960
is you don't see it. You
know it's implied, and what you really
804
00:58:06.000 --> 00:58:08.440
see is you really see, you
know, a man who's struggling with his
805
00:58:08.480 --> 00:58:14.400
mental health, who's struggling with being
alive, who's struggling with who he is,
806
00:58:15.159 --> 00:58:21.400
and watching him slowly sort of crumble
and then be built back up is
807
00:58:21.599 --> 00:58:24.039
fascinating. But I you know,
when I think about it, I think
808
00:58:24.039 --> 00:58:27.920
I can think of specific people that
I would not recommend it to and specific
809
00:58:27.920 --> 00:58:30.400
people that I would recommend it to. So it's all my you know,
810
00:58:30.800 --> 00:58:36.119
UK true crime people, one hundred
percent, all those guys absolutely like you
811
00:58:36.119 --> 00:58:38.599
know, I would I would go
online and recommend this, But with a
812
00:58:38.639 --> 00:58:42.599
blanket statement that just says, hey, heads up, if any of those
813
00:58:42.639 --> 00:58:44.599
if any of these things are a
problem for you, maybe skip it.
814
00:58:44.840 --> 00:58:47.559
But if not, you know.
I have to say, though, one
815
00:58:47.599 --> 00:58:52.760
thing that I noticed, and I
just remembered this is remember a Joker,
816
00:58:52.800 --> 00:58:54.800
how he did that thing with his
shoulder where he can kind of double joint
817
00:58:54.920 --> 00:58:59.559
his shoulder. He did it in
this movie, and I'm like, that's
818
00:58:59.559 --> 00:59:02.159
the first time he did this.
Anyway, side note, that's how my
819
00:59:02.199 --> 00:59:07.760
brain works. But yeah, I
would say also, anybody who liked Joker
820
00:59:07.880 --> 00:59:10.920
or you know, anything else tho
Joaquin Phoenix does because he's great. Yeah,
821
00:59:10.960 --> 00:59:14.559
so I would say, yes,
I would recommend it absolutely. I
822
00:59:14.599 --> 00:59:19.880
mean when you see when you see
Joe versus Joker, and you see the
823
00:59:19.920 --> 00:59:25.519
physical transformation that he does because he
Joaquin's a bit of a chameleon. When
824
00:59:25.559 --> 00:59:30.639
he slips into these roles and he
goes he goes for it. You know.
825
00:59:30.320 --> 00:59:36.000
Todd Phillips never asked him to drop
forty five fifty pounds to play Arthur
826
00:59:36.039 --> 00:59:38.320
Fleck in The Joker. He just
did it because he thought that's who the
827
00:59:38.360 --> 00:59:43.159
character is. I mean, yeah, so hats off to him. This
828
00:59:43.199 --> 00:59:46.920
film. It is I Yeah,
it's so good. This movie is an
829
00:59:46.920 --> 00:59:52.559
intense, gripping thriller that hits you
as hard as the ballpeen hammer that Joaquin
830
00:59:52.599 --> 00:59:55.960
chooses to use as his preferred weapon. It's an Amazon original, so you
831
00:59:57.000 --> 01:00:00.199
will find it there streaming on Prime. I absolutely recommend it. It's not
832
01:00:00.239 --> 01:00:02.320
the feel good movie of you know, it's not Sunday Night with the family,
833
01:00:02.920 --> 01:00:07.599
and it's not for like the John
Wick or Bust type crowd either.
834
01:00:07.639 --> 01:00:14.119
It's somewhere in between because it's got
a lot to say. Yeah, speaking
835
01:00:14.159 --> 01:00:17.400
of a lot to say, listeners, what do you think of? You
836
01:00:17.440 --> 01:00:22.480
were never really here? Let us
know on social media. We're on Facebook,
837
01:00:22.639 --> 01:00:25.599
Instagram, and Twitter. You can
check out a Film by Podcast dot
838
01:00:25.599 --> 01:00:30.719
com for all of our film and
TV articles and our entire library, which
839
01:00:30.760 --> 01:00:34.559
is streaming free. And you can
write to us at a Film by Podcast
840
01:00:34.599 --> 01:00:38.639
at gmail dot com with your questions, comments and concerns. We may just
841
01:00:38.719 --> 01:00:42.960
read your response on the show and
send you some a film by swag.
842
01:00:43.159 --> 01:00:47.960
And this Friday, our limited series
nineteen ninety six returns with Mary Rightley.
843
01:00:50.039 --> 01:00:57.400
Wait, how did we not catch
that Mary Kay covering Mary Riley? I
844
01:00:57.400 --> 01:01:02.199
should have had you for that I
will come back anytime. You just tell
845
01:01:02.199 --> 01:01:05.280
me and I'm back, all right. You might have to you might have
846
01:01:05.320 --> 01:01:07.920
to cram that one in. Uh. I know Amber Lewis will be with
847
01:01:07.000 --> 01:01:10.760
us. We're going to discuss the
pros and cons, mostly cons of dating
848
01:01:10.800 --> 01:01:16.280
your employer, especially when he's doctor
Jekyl or is it mister Hyde. We'll
849
01:01:16.440 --> 01:01:22.639
find out Friday, and next time
on a film by we'll discuss a film
850
01:01:22.679 --> 01:01:29.039
by another incredible female director. When
the conversation focuses on Greta Gerwig's twenty seventeen
851
01:01:29.119 --> 01:01:35.079
comedy Lady Bird, Mary Kay,
I cannot thank you enough for joining me
852
01:01:35.119 --> 01:01:37.960
today to talk about this film.
I know, I know. I kind
853
01:01:38.000 --> 01:01:39.760
of shot this one to you,
said hey, I'd love to talk to
854
01:01:39.760 --> 01:01:45.559
you about this movie. And this
is before I mean we had I feel
855
01:01:45.559 --> 01:01:49.119
like we got to know each other
quite well on on your pop when we
856
01:01:49.199 --> 01:01:52.840
when we when we answered your your
famous questions. But at the same time,
857
01:01:53.159 --> 01:01:57.719
I really had no frame of reference
to what kind of movies you like,
858
01:01:57.760 --> 01:02:00.199
what kind of literature you like,
And as a watching this the first
859
01:02:00.239 --> 01:02:04.960
time after I proposed this to you, I was like, yeah, she
860
01:02:05.079 --> 01:02:07.400
might say, no, I don't
know this could this could go either way?
861
01:02:07.480 --> 01:02:10.480
I don't know. I hope she
enjoys it, but I can tell
862
01:02:10.519 --> 01:02:15.199
you this, I have enjoyed having
you with us today and definitely will hope
863
01:02:15.320 --> 01:02:19.280
that you'll come back and join us
for more. Oh, I'll come back
864
01:02:19.400 --> 01:02:22.960
anytime you want. This is literally
one of my favorite things to do is
865
01:02:22.000 --> 01:02:24.760
to talk about movies. I'm a
big nerd about this kind of stuff,
866
01:02:24.800 --> 01:02:29.559
so I'm in perfect. Well,
one more time, you got to tell
867
01:02:29.639 --> 01:02:31.760
us where we're going to find your
podcast? You know, are you on
868
01:02:31.920 --> 01:02:35.320
social media links? I know you're
on social media, so can you give
869
01:02:35.360 --> 01:02:39.159
us a quick rundown? Where where
do our listeners find your show? And
870
01:02:39.159 --> 01:02:45.880
and more about Mary Kay and shaff
Sandwich Sure Share A Sandwich podcast is everywhere
871
01:02:45.920 --> 01:02:47.880
that you listen to podcasts, Spotify, Apple, everywhere you want, so
872
01:02:49.039 --> 01:02:52.400
it's there anytime you need it.
We post weekly, so it's always a
873
01:02:52.400 --> 01:02:57.199
different person, always a different type
of person talking about different stuff. It's
874
01:02:57.239 --> 01:03:04.079
fun. My latest adventure has been
discussing TV shows and movies on TikTok.
875
01:03:04.119 --> 01:03:08.360
It's my newest adventure and got really
into it during True Detective. So if
876
01:03:08.400 --> 01:03:15.079
you are watching True Detective and want
to get into some seriously nerdy conversations,
877
01:03:15.119 --> 01:03:22.000
then come over to at Mary kay
Holmes on TikTok. Listeners please check out
878
01:03:22.000 --> 01:03:29.880
Mary kay Holmes on TikTok, check
out the Share a Sandwich podcast and How
879
01:03:29.920 --> 01:03:32.320
Did You Do? How to Do? How to Do? Had to drop
880
01:03:32.440 --> 01:03:37.280
me a letter. I had to
hire the band Grand Band him the land
881
01:03:37.440 --> 01:03:40.920
had to drop me a letter.
I had to hire the ban brand the
882
01:03:42.000 --> 01:03:45.360
welcome mat for you. Oh,
I don't know where you came from.
883
01:03:46.159 --> 01:03:47.800
I don't know where you been
















