Kelly Mulligan, 20, plays the little sister in “Pride and Prejudice” Keira Knightley. Only four years later, she won her first Oscar nomination for “Education”. Later, the Londoner caused a sensation with films such as “Driving a Car”, “Shame”, “The Great Gatsby” and “On the Green Edge of the World”. This year, the 36-year-old actress is now back strongly. The movie “Excavation” has been on Netflix for several months, and “Promising Young Woman” has finally been released in German cinemas. Mulligan won her second Oscar nomination for this, and director Amurad Fennell (known as Camilla Parker Bowles in “The Crown”) won the best original screenplay award. The Londoner is currently standing in front of the camera shooting Maria Schrader’s film “She Says” in the New York Times about Harvey-Weinstein’s revelation (She Said).
Ms. Mulligan, your new movie “Promising Young Woman” works best when you don’t know what you are doing in advance. But at least it can be revealed that this is a very unexpected and humorous revenge story. What attracted you?
I am mainly interested in true stories. It is not necessarily about real events, but about stories that feel true. “Promising young women” is about harassment and sexual violence against women-this is a topic that cannot be more real in our world, and unfortunately, it is everywhere. The way this movie handles it is undoubtedly unusual. But in terms of content, no aspect of this movie is truly fictional. Every woman I know has experienced these things firsthand in some form. Or know another woman they happened to meet.
It is also associated with toxic masculinity, general misogyny and trauma. However, these problems are not solved in the traditional way that people expect.
My favorite movies have always been those that ask questions but don’t give answers. I think there is nothing more boring than chewing everything in front of me and almost directly telling me what to think. If a movie allows people to think, talk, and argue for weeks, that would be great. Of course, there are also good arguments for movies that just want to entertain and escape reality. But at least from the actress’s point of view, I am hardly interested in them.
So must a good movie be provocative?
He doesn’t necessarily have to offend anyone. But if it stimulates the thought process and discussion, then I think it’s worth it. This is why I never think that it is important that all reactions and comments to my films are positive.
You said that the script of a promising young woman made you nervous. What do you mean?
It’s not that I worry that the screenwriter and director Emerald Fennell doesn’t know what she is doing. On the contrary, after we met each other, I have no doubt that this will be an exciting movie. But the role I played made me feel uneasy, albeit in an appealing way. Cassie is unpredictable and not always personable. I didn’t really figure out her-this is rare in the script. I often read stories that involve the role of a one-dimensional wife or girlfriend. On the other hand, Cassie seems to be a very difficult psychological puzzle, I don’t know if I can solve it.
In the movie, someone called her a sociopath. you agree?
No, even if I can understand why this person says that Cassie. The characteristic of anti-socialists is that they do not feel any empathy. Cassie is the opposite, because she is full of empathy. This is not only their motivation. Just because she didn’t cry all the time doesn’t mean she has no emotions.
Would you say “Promising Young Woman” is a movie that might never have been made without the #MeToo movement?
