From a script penned by Wentworth Miller
and directed by acclaimed Korean filmmaker Park Chan-Wook comes “Stoker,” a
sexy and dark thriller starring Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode and Mia
Wasikowska.
The
first English-language feature of director Park, “Stoker” introduces India
Stoker (Wasikowska) when she loses her beloved father and best friend Richard
(Dermot Mulroney) ) in a tragic auto accident on her 18th birthday, her quiet
life on the family’s secluded estate is suddenly shattered. Exquisitely sensitive, India’s exhibits an
impassive demeanor which masks the deep feelings and heightened senses that
only her father understood.
India
finds herself drawn to her father’s long-lost brother, Charlie (Matthew Goode),
who unexpectedly arrives for the funeral and decides to stay on with her and
her emotionally unstable mother, Evie (Nicole Kidman). While India initially
mistrusts her charming but mysterious uncle, he fascinates her as well, and she
begins to realize how much they have in common.
As Charlie reveals himself to her little
by little, India becomes increasingly infatuated with her charismatic relative
and comes to realize that his arrival is no coincidence. With her uncle to
guide her, she is about to fulfill her unusual destiny.
Academy Award® winner Nicole Kidman
plays Evie, India’s fragile, affection-starved mother. “I never expected that I
would have the good fortune to be working with an actor of Nicole’s caliber on
my first English language film,” says Park. “But this dream-like situation
became a reality. Her presence had a synergizing effect and I was able to
expand the role of Evie and shape a character that comes across as almost a
fairytale stepmother. But in fact, she is the character in the film with the
most humanity.”
A glance at Kidman’s extensive resume
reveals that she has a long history of signing on to ambitious projects helmed
by auteur directors, from Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!) and Gus Van Sant (To Die
For) to John Cameron Mitchell (Rabbit Hole). “I thought the combination of
Director Park with this material was really exciting,” she says. “He is a
filmmaker who is particularly revered amongst other filmmakers. I love
supporting artists who have a unique way of expressing themselves and are
willing to take chances. I certainly have done many mainstream movies, but to
be able support filmmakers who embrace a different way of looking at the world
is my greatest joy as an actor.”
Although Park used a translator to
communicate with the actors on set, he felt that Kidman instinctively
understood what he needed from her. “Nicole can modulate the tone and quality
of her performance at will,” the director says. “I would say only a few key
words and she would readily adjust her performance. She is an actor who truly
showed me what being a pro is all about.”
STOKER’s eerie elegance and complex
relationships made the film an irresistible proposition for the actress.
“There’s nothing generic about it,” Kidman says. “It’s got an unusual cadence
to the dialogue. The pacing is not typical. When I read the script, I was
unsure of what was going to happen next, which I liked.”
The desperate, needy Evie was a
character Kidman felt she hadn’t played before. “We start the film with her
husband’s funeral,” she says. “It’s obvious the mother-daughter relationship is
already fraught with resentment and anger. She’s in a very raw state when we
meet her, and Charlie fills the void.
“Matthew is compellingly attractive as
Charlie,” she adds. “That’s really such a good thing for Uncle Charlie to be.
You believe that Evie would desire him and want his attention. He’s the first
person for a long time to give her attention. And then Matthew, of course, has
such talent. I expect to see him become a huge star.”
“Stoker” will open in cinemas on March 1
from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.
Check out “Stoker’s” video on making its
international teaser poster here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZK0hQEyXtc&list=PLcZs6n5iZPx8Os-FsifOZ6C8ixCdTMVIcLike this post? Subscribe to Manila Life by Email
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