Yorgos Lanthimos and Ari Aster on ‘Poor Things,’ Sex Scenes and Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Beau Is Afraid’ Reaction: ‘Why Would I Do This?’
18.12.2023 - 18:29
/ variety.com
Ari Aster and Yorgos Lanthimos, who helmed “The Favourite,” have each developed an unmistakable filmmaking voice. But this year, both stretched into brand-new cinematic territory. With “Beau Is Afraid,” Aster crafted a nearly three-hour fever dream chronicling the mental unraveling of its profoundly neurotic title character, played to the hilt by Joaquin Phoenix.
Meanwhile, Lanthimos partnered with frequent collaborator Emma Stone for “Poor Things,” adapted from the Alasdair Gray novel about Bella Baxter, a grown woman implanted with the brain of an infant. In their first ever conversation, they discussed how they work with their leading actors and bringing a new, expansive visual palette to their movies. ARI ASTER: I love “Poor Things.” It’s so great.
How did you discover the book? YORGOS LANTHIMOS: It was around 2011, I think. I was starting to make English-language films, so I was reading a lot, and I came across Alasdair Gray. I actually went up to Glasgow and met him.
He was very, very generous. He took me around Glasgow, and then he sent me off and gave his blessing to make the film. And that was it.
We never really spoke since. Unfortunately, he’s now dead, so he never got to see the film. But he was a very special person and artist.
How long did it take for you to write “Beau Is Afraid”? ASTER: I wrote the first draft over 10 years ago, and I think I wrote it over the course of a month. Then rewriting it in 2019, that took nine months or so. LANTHIMOS: Why didn’t you make “Beau Is Afraid” when you first wrote it? Is it because you didn’t want to or couldn’t? ASTER: There was a period during which I thought it would be my first film.