Natalia Cordova-Buckley & Ryan Kwanten talk to The Inside Reel about tenacity, the essence of trauma and redemption of grief in regards to their new thriller from Saban Films: “The Portrait”.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00 (dramatic music)
00:02 - We always come back.
00:19 (dramatic music)
00:21 - I always talk to actors about the aspect
00:29 there's an intimacy, there's a brutality of intimacy.
00:32 You know, you hurt those that you are closest with.
00:35 And that's what really comes through
00:37 more than anything else in this,
00:39 the character work on the aspect of, you know,
00:41 how much crap she's willing to put up with,
00:44 but how much she still loves this man.
00:47 - Oh, and also you asked-- - And then in reverse.
00:49 - I remember now, she's seeing the things.
00:51 She's definitely seeing things, things are happening,
00:54 but it's that break.
00:56 She's questioning herself constantly on those three things.
00:58 Is it a supernatural thing?
01:00 Is it my husband or am I losing my mind?
01:02 So yeah, that answers that question for sure.
01:06 She's seeing-- - But this other part
01:09 keeps it grounded.
01:10 That's-- - I believe she's seeing
01:13 the things, meaning when she goes to reach
01:15 and it jumps, it jumps.
01:17 Like, if I was in that body, I was seeing these things,
01:21 but the real question is, are you just seeing them
01:24 and no one else would see them, right?
01:26 That's the whole ethos of the piece.
01:29 - Yeah. - Art is in the eye
01:30 of the beholder, all of that.
01:32 So yes, I definitely think she's seeing it.
01:34 I just think she's constantly, even if she's seeing it,
01:38 whether it be in her mind or not,
01:40 questioning herself between those three
01:43 and she doesn't quite know until the end,
01:46 that last scene with Virginia,
01:48 where she says what she says about Calvin
01:52 being there for her.
01:55 - Their stories aren't true.
01:57 You know that, don't you?
01:59 1937.
02:09 So it did happen.
02:12 And Calvin did it all.
02:20 - She loves this shit.
02:23 (gentle music)
02:26 - 1942, why am I looking at this?
02:33 - There was a war then, right?
02:36 And there were soldiers up here, the sick one.
02:38 - Yeah, that's a really fantastic point, Tim.
02:42 And you sort of targeted something
02:48 that was very much at the hearts of both of us.
02:53 Like we, Natalia alluded to it earlier,
02:57 we're masochists at heart, both of us.
02:59 And so there was a certain amount of going to those places
03:03 that we were really looking forward to,
03:05 but to do it in a connected way
03:07 where it wasn't out of a, it wasn't a streak,
03:11 but we were still connected to something
03:12 that was moving our story forward.
03:15 That was what was most kind of potent for me personally.
03:19 And to see her play this role, sometimes broken, hopeful.
03:24 What she did and her-
03:28 - And heart-wrenching, it's heart-wrenching
03:30 seeing those finally, you know.
03:33 - But, and having said all that,
03:35 and what a fine actress, being number one on the call sheet,
03:38 knowing everyone's name, it didn't matter
03:40 if you were only there for a couple of hours,
03:42 she knew your name.
03:44 (indistinct)
03:48 She was so unbelievably like inspiring
03:51 beyond what you see on the screen.
03:53 So it was a real treat to be a part of that.
03:57 And, you know, you don't, she's smart
04:00 because in opening yourself up to the crew,
04:03 who you're going to be opening up your rib cage to
04:06 and saying, "Hey, this is who I am
04:08 and I'm not afraid to show it."
04:10 She's smart to kind of do that because it really,
04:12 you have brothers and sisters at arms with you
04:16 if you do that.
04:17 - Um, yeah.
04:19 - But it was an accident she fell down the stairs.
04:23 - The attic stairs.
04:24 This one is a family friend,
04:29 ran in here screaming one night.
04:32 They found her at the bottom of the cliff
04:35 and called it suicide.
04:37 - Just four years ago, that's all?
04:46 - She said there was more, the family kept him quiet.
04:48 Money can do that.
04:51 You've seen them, haven't you?
05:04 - And my last question, I'll leave this with you, Natalia,
05:06 'cause, you know, genre, well, you know this too, right?
05:09 It's like genre gives us the ability to talk about
05:12 sort of deep things.
05:14 And this movie is no different.
05:17 Can you talk about the power of that,
05:19 of telling these very human stories
05:22 within sort of the wrapper of genre
05:25 and how it allows us to sort of talk about
05:27 difficult subjects as this is
05:29 and still make it entertaining?
05:32 - Yeah, part of what I love about our job is
05:37 living other lives, is putting other lives out there,
05:41 other points of view, you know?
05:44 And I love the idea of
05:45 telling stories that are difficult for humans
05:53 to even have a conversation about, you know?
05:56 Grief is something that for years with grief and guilt
06:01 and shame are something that have been used against us
06:04 and they're emotions that are natural to us all.
06:07 And to speak of them with humanity
06:10 and to represent them with humanity,
06:12 it's human.
06:14 It's giving grief its place too,
06:19 'cause I mean, maybe it's as Ryan said,
06:22 because I'm a masochist, but I love the process of grief.
06:27 I've been through it.
06:28 I've lost people I love and nothing has taught me more.
06:32 You know, when we finished this film,
06:35 that's what I told the crew.
06:39 I said, you know, grief has taught me the most
06:43 in this world and I wouldn't have been ready to play Sofia
06:46 if I hadn't gone through it.
06:47 So I think it's just like it's important
06:50 to have the tough conversations with others
06:52 about our political differences
06:54 or belief systems differences.
06:56 It's very important to put out there as artists
06:59 or whether it be important or not,
07:01 I don't know, significant or not.
07:03 But for me, it's comforting when I see a film
07:07 that makes me look at such a complex idea
07:12 or nature of humanity in such a,
07:15 just in a real and vulnerable and naked way.
07:21 - The self portrait you found it.
07:23 - What can you tell me about Calvin?
07:25 - Why do you ask?
07:27 - I mean, they're exactly the same.
07:28 He was a genius in this world and beyond.
07:34 (dramatic music)
07:37 My mind's playing tricks on me.
07:39 - You're out there all by yourself.
07:40 - I'm not here by myself.
07:42 - You've seen him, haven't you?
07:48 - Seen who?
07:51 - Calvin.
07:52 - Brian and I were fortunate enough to get these characters
08:00 and that had such love for each other,
08:03 but also such intense sort of,
08:06 like not a grudge, but pain and anger between each other
08:11 for what has transpired.
08:13 But at the same time, when you said the brutal intimacy,
08:18 it reminded me of the last scene between Alex and Sophia
08:23 and that willingness.
08:25 When you put someone,
08:27 when you disconnect someone you love from a machine
08:30 and you let them go or you put your dog down or something,
08:35 there's a lesson of holding of space that I find it to be,
08:39 to me it was the most wonderful, magical
08:42 and impactful moment in my life was to be honored.
08:47 So it was such an honor to be able to hold the space
08:51 for someone that's leaving
08:53 and take away your own selfishness
08:55 and realize that sometimes people are happier dead or gone
09:00 than in the cage they've been living in.
09:03 I've had a friend commit suicide when I was really young
09:07 and I never understood when people call suicide selfish
09:11 'cause I think it must be the most difficult thing to do.
09:14 And this film has those hairs about it,
09:17 it's got the fabric about it.
09:19 Sophia is sacrificing a lot and at the end,
09:25 I think she sacrifices what she really wants
09:28 in wanting to free her husband.
09:32 And I find that brutal intimacy in that humanity of saying,
09:37 I want you here, I want you for myself,
09:40 I can't live without you,
09:42 but you and your path is more important
09:47 than anything I want.
09:48 So I will hold the space
09:50 and I will be the one that sets you free.
09:52 I think it takes a lot of humanity and guts to do that.
09:56 - He liked to hurt women.
09:59 - Babe.
10:01 - He loves his wounded birds.
10:07 - Loves.
10:09 - Alex!
10:11 - He'll be back.
10:12 That's the thing about our family.
10:16 (woman screaming)
10:20 (dramatic music)
10:23 ♪♪