Jessica Chastain on the Zero Dark Thirty shoot talks about how difficult the shoot was for a variety of reasons. But she also says that the script by Mark Boal is aces:
“It was a very stressful shoot. Maybe that’s all I should say,” Jessica told MTV News. “It was a very stressful shoot, but how could it not be when you’re dealing with that kind of material and you’re in that part of the world? We were shooting part of it in Chandigarh, India, which is on the border of Pakistan.”
“It’s such great responsibility in the story we were telling. It was a lot of pressure. I think the script is one of the best scripts that I have ever read, and my part is awesome. I’m excited for it to come out at the end of the year.”
Good info. Lucky me I ran across your blog by accident (stumbleupon).
I have book-marked it for later!
rufussondheim: How about the Hollywood propaganda machine? We’re swimming in propaganda every time we watch a political thriller, or anything political.
I’m sure members of the military are trained to not commit suicide, to not attack fellow female soldiers, to not murder civilians in cold blood. But all of that stuff happens.
Now I am not speaking about the truth or inaccuracies in The Hurt Locker, nor am I downtalking the average American Soldier. So don’t misconstrue my words.
What I am decrying is the military propoganda machine.
Interestingly, while we haven’t really seen her in light comedies or musicals, her misses seem also to be in thrillers/horror/sci-fi : Texas Killing Fields, and Mama which probably isn’t very good since it’s released in january 2013. This seems a pattern when it comes to female actors, see the more famous redheads Julianne Moore (The Forgotten, Next) and Nicole Kidman (The Invasion, Trespass). But I give her credit for not choosing only straight dramas and I hope she’ll follow the career of Moore and Kidman who try to mix it up. Now Chastain has to be in a lightweight comedy or a musical to show another side of her talent.
Is her role the one Rooney Mara passed on?
rufussondheim: The Hurt Locker was NOT accurate. No bomb squad captain would ever go rogue. These people are evaluated and checked and trained to act cool under pressure and to FOLLOW orders. That’s among the reasons that made The Hurt Locker just an “average” movie for me (GHASP!!!).
But Zero Dark Thirty is based on a true story, so that eliminates that obstacle from the film.
Great to see Jessica Chastain getting lead roles in prestige films, the simple fact that she delivered 5 outstanding and completely different performances within a year (Take Shelter, The Help, The Debt, Coriolanus, The Tree of Life) not only makes her a remarkably deserving late bloomer but also one of her generation’s best…I mean, how many actresses under 35 have 5 (!) critically acclaimed performances all together, let alone in ONE year ? I can’t wait for ‘The Heiress’, I’ll spend some time in NYC in the next few months, so hopefully I can catch a show.
And to be fair the other scripts she read before that probably were The Help and Iron Man 3, so yeah of course anything would look amazing after that, even a Boal’s script.
Well, I read in EW that the President doesn’t have a speaking role. So that’s a +1 for me.
Boal seems to have a richer background in journalism than in scriptwriting. I think that’s a good thing. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a Hollywood movie that’s actually accurate?
Jessica Chastain is wonderful but let’s face it, actor’s give these B.S. interviews all the time about their CURRENT project having the best script, their CURRENT co-star giving the best performance of his or her life. It’s all P.R. hype to sell their film. The proof will be in the pudding.
Mmmm… Pudding.
And she’s doing Broadway this fall in The Heiress. That would be magnificent to see.
She should look at a map.
Chastain is aces – I’m happy for her and excited about this movie. Can it possibly be a major player (winner?) so soon after Hurt Locker? Few directors have had winning years so close together. Oliver Stone won 2 statuettes in the same amount of time – can Bigelow?
I have the slightest of reservations for this film. I know comparisons to The Hurt Locker will be inevitable. After that movie it’ll be harder to make something just as good. Kind of how I felt about Green Zone after Paul Greengrass made United 93 and Bourne Ultimatum. I had high hopes for that and it led me to be let down. I’m still holding on to the hope that Zero Dark Thirty will be a great film in its own right. I’m so happy to see Jessica Chastain getting the parts she deserves. I remember being at the 2011 Sundance fest. Seeing her on stage after Take Shelter, I knew she would be wanted by more studios. I didn’t foresee this type of stardom!
I agree and my favorite part of the whole story is that she peaked at 34! I mean, Hollywood is getting better for real actors.
Also, once you’ve turned in so many great roles, directors will want to work with you and you’ll get those cool+unbelievable+difficult to digest direct offers.
I love how Annette Bening always takes so much time off and returns with big roles.
How Blanchett, despite her grueling theater engagements far away from America, continues to be pursued by the best directors.
I’m guessing it’s great to be in these people’s shoes.
I love Jessica Chastain. Already, in one very successful breakout year, she’s become a top actress to watch with such great turns in such diverse roles (‘The Help’, ‘Tree of Life’, ‘Take Shelter’, and ‘The Debt’ were four very diverse and different roles and films). I can’t wait to see this film, and to see where Chastain goes next. What’s most exciting is that it could honestly be anywhere.
let’s start the Oscar nomination conversation LOL