Latest news with #TheVirginSuicides
Cosmopolitan
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Sorry, Baby: How Eva Victor, Naomi Ackie, and Lucas Hedges Created 2025's Best Movie
Forgive me for what is about to be a bit of a sentimental beginning to this story. As a person who covers movies for a living, I've often heard stories of critics or editors going to film festivals and seeing the start of a legendary career. People speak with reverence about seeing Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs at the Sundance Film Festival in 1992, for example, or Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides at Cannes in 1999. Those stories are always accompanied with a sense of wonder, like they can't believe they were lucky enough to be in that place at that time to witness that thing. I've always hoped to have a moment like that myself. And this year, with Sorry, Baby premiering at Sundance, I finally got the chance. Eva Victor's beautiful directorial debut, which comes out in limited release today, follows Agnes, (played by Victor) a grad student who experiences something traumatic at the hands of a person they trust. The story focuses less on the traumatic event itself and on all the ways Agnes tries to cope and heal after the fact, especially as the people around them start to move on with their own lives. It blends a sharp poignancy about grief with moments of humor and light, relying on the comedic sense Victor used in the front-facing videos they became known for. Naomi Ackie (Blink Twice, Mickey 17) plays Lydie, Agnes's best friend and anchor, and Lucas Hedges (Ladybird, Manchester by the Sea) plays Gavin, Agnes's neighbor. They both try to keep Agnes grounded as she moves through her own healing. The movie earned glowing reviews out of Sundance and is produced by Barry Jenkins, the Oscar-winning director of Moonlight. Cosmopolitan sat down with the movie's three leads to talk through making the movie in less than four weeks, how Victor got both Ackie and Hedges to hop on board, and why the friendship at the center is the real romance. Eva Victor: It did influence the setting of the film. I felt very inspired by it, and I felt that it was both upsettingly cold and dreary and lonely, and also at the same time very romantic. I loved that. It's a very personal story, but I found a lot of joy in creating parts of it. Maine was a huge part of the creation of the story. I grew up in San Francisco and there's no seasons. Seasons tell time in a way that feels so weird, and you feel time differently, and winter is so weird in terms of loneliness. When we finally decided to shoot near Boston, it was about finding locations that felt sort of analogous to the places I had imagined them taking place in Maine. EV: The whole shoot was supposed to have snow, and we scheduled it at that exact time to try to capture snow, and it snowed the weekend before, and then the last shot of the film, there was a little snow coming down. We couldn't even use that because it didn't match. Then I found out that happened to Certain Women, Kelly Reichardt's movie, and I was like, okay, so it's a good thing. Eva: Always non-linear. It was always starting with the friendship weekend away, the joy of that. You have to fall in love with them in order to later care. In the edit, we experimented with many versions of how that beginning moved. And our final realization is that if you don't have this moment where Naomi does this thing where she's like, you're fucking your neighbor, Gavin, waving her arms around, the film doesn't work. I want to start the film with the joy and the love, because then there's something you lose. And I also wanted to give Agnes this fighting chance of being a whole person. As a society, we often flatten people who've been through that sort of trauma. Naomi Ackie: It's what I love about filmmaking. Every film feels like a student film. Every single one. Lucas Hedges: Even Mickey 17? Naomi: To an extent, yeah. You're always conscious of time, and you're always running around. It's like a house. No matter how big it is, you'll always feel it. Eva: No matter the budget, time is time. Lucas: Every human is mortal and every film is mortal. There's no amount of money you can do to make something immortal. Eva: And sometimes time is a constraint that's beautiful. Naomi: It's like when you watch a toddler and they start making their first words. You're actually watching someone build the language for the first time. That's really, really cool. And usually that language evolves over time. With Eva, with Zoë, the film you make is who you are. And then if you're a part of that first creation of that first language, then you have the privilege of getting to watch how that evolves over time. When I'm going to watch Eva's next movie, I can see how they stretched. Naomi: Yeah, I did actually. It was even in feedback that we got about their friendship, this reminds me of me and my best friend. It also made my job very easy, to enact that idea of a really strong bond and a friendship. Friendships are romantic. They're the loves of your life. And you get to choose it. Eva: When I was looking for this partner on the film, I would always say, Agnes is the moon and Lydie is the sun. Naomi: And I'm a Leo, so that makes sense. Eva: Then I met Naomi, and she was so awesome. And then we read together. I fell in love with her, honestly, and it really elevated the film. The film doesn't work if this friendship doesn't work. And it was this huge exhale from everyone, we found this person who makes the film. I feel like God touched me in sending me Naomi. Naomi: Oh, don't you dare! That's very nice. Eva: It was just right. That she wanted to do the movie is crazy. I'm still not over that she wanted to do it. Lucas: The letter mattered more after I read the script, because the letter takes on the context of the script. I read the letter, and then I read the script, and then I was like, Oh, I can't wait to read the letter again, because now I know who this person is. I got to read something and fall in love with the story, and then immediately connect with it as Lucas. It was a cherry on the top. Immediately I wrote my response, but it was 11 p.m. so I couldn't send it until I got up. I got up early the next day to reach out to my manager. And I sleep in, so... I woke the fuck up. Lucas: I pictured him being an opera singer. The film is operatic almost, in terms of the emotions. Even the sets, it feels like somebody could just start singing. He also felt big, in a way that was full and yet also inherently silly. And there's something about an opera singer that's inherently kind of laughable. What they do is so earnest. They're stuck in a gesture so large that you can't help feeling bad for them. Eva: The experience Agnes is having is the classic thing of being left behind. Lydie shows up with their partner, who is a funhouse mirror, evolved version of Agnes. Agnes has been the baby, and Agnes is like, I'm not the baby anymore. And so the baby takes on this pain of, I'm not gonna get all the love anymore, which is inherently selfish. In moments after trauma, the way to survive is to just think about yourself, which is selfish to people around you, but it's also necessary for survival. Though Lydie has done all this generous loving and care, the end of the film is the first time Agnes is able to see outside herself and see Lydie's need, which is wanting to go on a walk with her partner. Agnes watching the baby for 20 minutes is obviously a super small thing that doesn't balance anything out, but is a moment of, this isn't about me. And I think for Agnes, that's huge. And then Agnes seeing the baby, that's the moment when Agnes is like, I'm going to be able to give you what Lydie gave to me. It's really small, and it's not at all balanced. But I think that is the small change of going from FOMO to, I am of use, just not how I used to be.
India.com
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Director Sofia Coppola Hates Violent Films, Applauds Old Cowboy Movies
Washington : In an era of action cinema, the 'Lost in Translation' director, Sofia Coppola, says that she doesn't prefer watching "overdone" violent films as it is quite "upsetting" for her, reported Variety. While speaking at a masterclass at the Biarritz' Nouvelles Vagues Festival, as quoted by Variety, Coppola explained her lack of affinity for the action cinema. She said that watching violence in cinema "upsets" her due to the gun violence in the US, her birthplace. "There's so much gun violence in my country. It's really hard to see [those] movies. Old cowboys are cool, but just the way [violence] is overdone now is upsetting," said Sofia as quoted by Variety. Coppola, who flew from New York to be the guest of honor at the third edition of Nouvelles Vagues Festival in the picturesque south-western town of Biarritz, cited Martin Scorsese as a filmmaker whose movies have violence that serves a narrative purpose, reported Variety. "I love Scorsese, so there are moments for it," she said, adding that "violent themes can be interesting or insinuating. But really, gory, not so much for me," as quoted by Variety. At the masterclass, the director also reminded us about her childhood, her early passion for fashion, photography and the making of 'The Virgin Suicides'. She said a male director was initially developing the adaptation of Jeffrey Eugenides's novel "The Virgin Suicides" before she came on board and had a much different take on the book, reported Variety. "When I read the book, I loved it, and I heard that a guy was going to make it. He was going to make it very dark and sexual. I was like, 'That's not how I see it. I hope they don't make it like that," said Sofia Coppola as quoted by Variety. The director shared that she started adapting a few chapters to "learn how you adapt a book into a screenplay," and later on, when she felt confident enough, she asked the producers to consider her script "if it didn't work out with the guy they had," she said, reported Variety. Eventually, Coppola directed the film, which world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999 and became a cult classic.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Director Sofia Coppola doesn't "like violent films", praises old cowboy movies
In an era of action cinema, the 'Lost in Translation' director, Sofia Coppola , says that she doesn't prefer watching "overdone" violent films as it is quite "upsetting" for her, reported Variety. While speaking at a masterclass at the Biarritz' Nouvelles Vagues Festival, as quoted by Variety, Coppola explained her lack of affinity for the action cinema. She said that watching violence in cinema "upsets" her due to the gun violence in the US, her birthplace. "There's so much gun violence in my country. It's really hard to see [those] movies. Old cowboys are cool, but just the way [violence] is overdone now is upsetting," said Sofia as quoted by Variety. Coppola, who flew from New York to be the guest of honor at the third edition of Nouvelles Vagues Festival in the picturesque south-western town of Biarritz, cited Martin Scorsese as a filmmaker whose movies have violence that serves a narrative purpose, reported Variety. "I love Scorsese, so there are moments for it," she said, adding that "violent themes can be interesting or insinuating. But really, gory, not so much for me," as quoted by Variety. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo At the masterclass, the director also reminded us about her childhood, her early passion for fashion, photography and the making of 'The Virgin Suicides'. She said a male director was initially developing the adaptation of Jeffrey Eugenides's novel "The Virgin Suicides" before she came on board and had a much different take on the book, reported Variety. "When I read the book, I loved it, and I heard that a guy was going to make it. He was going to make it very dark and sexual. I was like, 'That's not how I see it. I hope they don't make it like that," said Sofia Coppola as quoted by Variety. The director shared that she started adapting a few chapters to "learn how you adapt a book into a screenplay," and later on, when she felt confident enough, she asked the producers to consider her script "if it didn't work out with the guy they had," she said, reported Variety. Eventually, Coppola directed the film, which world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999 and became a cult classic.
Mint
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Director Sofia Coppola doesnt 'like violent films', praises old cowboy movies
Washington DC [US], June 26 (ANI): In an era of action cinema, the 'Lost in Translation' director, Sofia Coppola, says that she doesn't prefer watching "overdone" violent films as it is quite "upsetting" for her, reported Variety. While speaking at a masterclass at the Biarritz' Nouvelles Vagues Festival, as quoted by Variety, Coppola explained her lack of affinity for the action cinema. She said that watching violence in cinema "upsets" her due to the gun violence in the US, her birthplace. "There's so much gun violence in my country. It's really hard to see [those] movies. Old cowboys are cool, but just the way [violence] is overdone now is upsetting," said Sofia as quoted by Variety. Coppola, who flew from New York to be the guest of honor at the third edition of Nouvelles Vagues Festival in the picturesque south-western town of Biarritz, cited Martin Scorsese as a filmmaker whose movies have violence that serves a narrative purpose, reported Variety. "I love Scorsese, so there are moments for it," she said, adding that "violent themes can be interesting or insinuating. But really, gory, not so much for me," as quoted by Variety. At the masterclass, the director also reminded us about her childhood, her early passion for fashion, photography and the making of 'The Virgin Suicides'. She said a male director was initially developing the adaptation of Jeffrey Eugenides's novel "The Virgin Suicides" before she came on board and had a much different take on the book, reported Variety. "When I read the book, I loved it, and I heard that a guy was going to make it. He was going to make it very dark and sexual. I was like, 'That's not how I see it. I hope they don't make it like that," said Sofia Coppola as quoted by Variety. The director shared that she started adapting a few chapters to "learn how you adapt a book into a screenplay," and later on, when she felt confident enough, she asked the producers to consider her script "if it didn't work out with the guy they had," she said, reported Variety. Eventually, Coppola directed the film, which world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999 and became a cult classic. (ANI)
Daily Record
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
'Absolute masterpiece' period drama filmed in real historic royal palace
Sofia Coppola's 2006 period drama might not be historically accurate, but it's an absolute "masterpiece" in the eyes of many viewers, who are still raving about the film There's no disputing the visual appeal of this film, with audiences captivated by its "pastel-colour" scenes and lavish costumes, all set against the grandeur of the Palace of Versailles. Whether you appreciate the film for its historical context or not, Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette is undeniably stunning. Since its release in 2006, fans of period dramas continue to explore the world that the director crafted to narrate the tale of the Austrian princess. Writing on Rotten Tomatoes, one viewer described the film as "An absolute masterpiece". "Sofia Coppola built an entire cosmos; the external world is an expression of the interior of the character and vice versa," they said. "Marie Antoinette is not a historical figure; she is an epiphany of the rococo, the excess, the separation between the reality of France and her royal experience." Marie Antoinette was the final queen of France before the French Revolution erupted in 1789, having married into the royal family when she wed Louis XVI. The film portrays her tumultuous time as Dauphine of France, which began when she was just 14 years old, and follows her through her reign as queen when her husband took the throne. Another viewer commented: "This is, above all, an image over substance movie. Don't expect a typical period film, because this movie is the tale of a doomed queen in beautiful pastel colour shots and a couple of phrases," reports the Mirror US. Although this movie has its shortcomings, particularly with a two-hour runtime with very little dialogue, its ability to evoke sympathy for a girl who seems to have everything but lacks self-control remains intact. While the pacing may be slow at times, it is consistently visually stunning. Kirsten Dunst stars as the Queen of France, revisiting her partnership with Sofia Coppola after her role in The Virgin Suicides. Her impressive Hollywood resume includes notable films such as the 2000s trilogy of Spider-Man films, Jumanji, and Mona Lisa Smile. She is joined on screen by Jason Schwartzman, who portrays her royal husband, and Rose Byrne, who plays the Duchess de Polignac. The film received mixed reviews upon its release; however, its visual appeal was universally praised, culminating in an Academy Award for Best Costume Design at the 79th ceremony. One reviewer concurred that the film's aesthetic qualities are its true standout feature. They said: "The film, beautiful to stare at, features stunning costumes, a remarkable set (it was shot at the actual Palace of Versailles), a surprisingly solid performance from Dunst, and countless beautifully framed shots. Why the divisiveness? "The film has little in the way of a narrative arc, and the soundtrack/score swings between classical music and modern rock. If you can get past its faults, if they are indeed faults, the film is a visual wonder from start to finish." If you fancy diving into Sophia Coppola's dreamy pastel universe, Marie Antoinette is available for rent on Amazon Prime.
