Sundance Reactions to Kristen Stewart’s Lesbian Who Loves to Bleed Photo – The Hollywood Reporter
Katie O’Brien (left) and Kristen Stewart in “Love Lies Bleeding”
Courtesy of the Sundance Institute
The official description of Rose Glass Love lies bleeding On the Sundance Film Festival website, A24 describes the pic as an “off-kilter lesbian love story” that “collides with its darkest family drama in this muscular thriller.” It is also cited for “violent content, graphic sexual content, and other adult content.”
It’s a pretty accurate description — plus some surprising scenes better saved for the film’s March 8 release — and the audience seated inside Park City’s Eccles Theater on Saturday night’s world premiere received an enthusiastic response and partial applause. A man sits next to him Hollywood Reporter Passing one adjective on to a friend after the credits roll: “Crazy.” Other times, during the action, there were cheers and awe and fidgeting when a character’s face was destroyed in an act of violence, and perhaps some laughter at unintended moments.
Written by Glass with Weronika Tovelska, the film follows reclusive gym manager Lou, played by Kristen Stewart, who falls in love with Jackie, an aspiring bodybuilder, played by Katie O’Brien, who hopes to make it to Las Vegas for a competition. . . After a domestic violence situation erupts between Lou’s sister, played by Jena Malone, and her evil husband, Dave Franco, the plot accelerates as Jackie’s violent tendencies bring out the worst in her.
The cast also includes Ed Harris as Lou’s father, and Anna Baryshnikov as a local woman obsessed with Lou. The A24 and Film 4 pic is produced by Andrea Cornwell and Oliver Cassman. The glass is previously directed Saint Maudwhich premiered in the Midnight Madness section of the Toronto International Film Festival.
The world premiere at Sundance was also a first for the cast, and Malone, a festival veteran, took some time to offer her reaction during the Q&A. “I’m having a hard time acting normally. I’m still incredibly affected by the movie,” the actress said. “I think it blew (me) away. She is very beautiful and strong. It was the best script I had ever read, it really was. I mean, hands down. I know things change, but it’s a beautiful movie. It’s really going to sink in, and it’s going to take a while (because) I’m exhausted. “I’m in awe.”
Harris used the same word as Malone to describe his reaction, going so far as to target Stewart and O’Brien. “I’m in awe of you guys and what you’ve accomplished,” Harris said of the two quirky lovebirds. “Very beautiful. I’m really proud to be part of the film. He also went into detail about how to get extensions for the film that extended down the middle of his back, an option that Glass approved of. “I put these extensions on, and I thought I’d show up on set, and she’d tell me how long you wanted them to last. And she said, ‘That’s good.’
Glass praised her actors for taking risks to work on the film. “I’m glad you guys like it,” she told the crowd before turning her attention back to the talent. “Because to do some silly stuff, I knew it had to be grounded in performances that felt very real and lived to balance out the craziness. Everyone agreed with that and never looked at me, ‘Really?’, which is a beautiful feeling.
This certainly applies to Stewart, as the role offers something audiences have never seen before from the 33-year-old star. Not only does her character Lou fall head over heels for a bodybuilder, but the two also have some passionate and intimate lesbian sex scenes that include oral sex, brief toe sucking, and one encounter finds Lou ordering Jackie to masturbate While watching from inches away. . She was also seen for the first time in the film opening the toilet with her bare hands, and in the end she was covered in blood more than once. Needless to say, this is not Holo Happiest seasonthe last time an openly gay actress played a queer role on screen in a dramatic drama of some sort.
“The scenario is completely different,” Stewart said, describing Glass as a sculptor. “I definitely trusted her when she was like, ‘Get in, go berserk,’ or, like, ‘Be real in the moment.'” I think it all came from a place of discovery and love, and you tell yourself any story to justify loving something. We all have it. These horrible little monsters here.
Glass said she initially wanted to shoot the film in Scotland, but once the setting changed to the United States, she had Stewart in mind very early on. “I was so hoping she would say yes, and thank God she did.”
The final question and answer was directed to O’Brien, who made her film debut and landed the role after competing as a professional bodybuilder. She was asked about her exercise regime. As one of the competitors, she said, “It wasn’t that difficult.” She explained that it was easier than doing it alone thanks to the help hired from production.
She had a nutritionist, a trainer, and even the support of a producer who rang bells with her. “What was really cool was that (Oliver Cassman) would come and train with me sometimes and my friend George. I had the support of people from the group too, because they wanted to come and train with me. One of our girls was a crazy weightlifter,” she explained. “It was really cool to have There are people (who have been) working as hard as me, if not harder on set, who come and train as well. It was a really great and supportive environment. “I didn’t do it alone.”
Sundance has been big for Stewart so far. The festival veteran has already premiered and promoted her work opposite Steven Yeun in Loved Me by husband-and-wife filmmakers Sam and Andy Zucchero, and was honored during the opening ceremony with a Visionary Award for previously bringing 10 films to Park City. She said at that event THR On why she loved Sundance.
“My biggest takeaway is that when I hear that a film I’ve been in has been accepted here, I’m thrilled,” she said. “There are so many ways to reach the masses. There are so many ways to reach out to fellow human beings. Reaching people here is something deep and tangible and real and personal. The first time I came here I was about 14 years old, and I’ve been back several times, and it’s not Never like this.
She continued, “Sundance seems to be the best. I wish I had a better word for it, but I’ve always wanted to be in the land of[Evan Rachel Wood]and Jena Malone and Natalie Portman. I’ve always said, if I could go hang out there, I’d be very happy.” And I got to do this a lot. I love this place so much.
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