[Entrevues] “Smile, everything is fine”: the hell of Zoë Kravitz with Channing Tatum | JDM

For her very first feature film behind the camera, Zoë Kravitz took all the possible risks, one of the biggest being to give the main role to Smile, everything is fine to Channing Tatum, her future husband.

Frida (Naomi Ackie) and her best friend, Jess (Alia Shawkat), are waitresses. One day, they are hired by a caterer to officiate at the party of Slater King (Channing Tatum), a Silicon Valley billionaire who has become a kind of benefactor of humanity. Frida and Slater start talking, like each other, flirt and he invites her to join him and his friends. Their destination? His private island, a heavenly place of relaxation where champagne flows freely. But disturbing things soon begin to happen… and shh! We must not tell anything or we will spoil the fun. But yes, it is violent.

Naomi Ackie and Channing Tatum in “Smile, Everything’s Fine.” PHOTO BY CARLOS SOMONTE PROVIDED BY WARNER BROS.

Roller coaster

It’s violent, entertaining… and the subtext is serious, especially regarding power relations and the excesses of our society. The script, perfectly crafted, has all the elements that keep you hooked during the movie. Suspense, mystery and surprises are therefore there.

“The current era is surreal. Maybe it’s the feeling of every generation, but the way the world works, the way people communicate with each other, what we see… The place that fantasy occupies in everyday life, whether in social networks or looking at people who flaunt their excesses and those who lack basic necessities… All this is a reflection of our times and Smile, everything is fine “It is also,” explains Alia Shawkat in an interview with the QMI Agency.

Naomi Ackie and Adria Arjona in “Smile, Everything’s Fine.” PHOTOGRAPH BY CARLOS SOMONTE PROVIDED BY WARNER BROS.

“If we don’t start talking about these excesses, these power relations, today, when will we be able to do so? And I believe that the cinematic conversation of Smile, everything is fine “It’s done in an extremely entertaining way, without being heavy. It’s a roller coaster ride that generates a different reflection after seeing it,” she adds.

For Simon Rex, who plays Cody, King’s friend and leader, “reality is increasingly looking like The fourth dimension. Nothing surprises me anymore, he told us. It’s getting harder and harder to make a work of art that gets noticed, because reality is getting weirder and weirder. Today, in the public square, we’re talking about topics that weren’t talked about 10 or 15 years ago, starting with mental health. So yes, why not, why not start that conversation? And that’s why this film is important, because it’s talking about topics that make us uncomfortable. And that’s what art does.”

Naomi Ackie and Alia Shawkat in “Smile, Everything’s Fine.” PHOTO PROVIDED BY WARNER BROS.

“Even though we had a lot of fun on set, even though some scenes were hard to shoot,” says Christian Slater, who plays Vic, Slater King’s right-hand man. “And Zoë, as an excellent director, was able to create an atmosphere in which everyone felt safe.”

A story of title…

The film was originally supposed to be called Pussy Islandin other words Kitty Island (and no, we’re not talking about cats). But, much to the dismay of the screenwriter and director, no one was ready for a title like that!

Naomi Ackie in “Smile, Everything’s Fine.” PHOTOGRAPH BY CARLOS SOMONTE PROVIDED BY WARNER BROS.

“I was really made to understand that pussy is a word that we are not ready to accept as a society. There has been a lot of blockage. The MPAA [la Motion Picture Association, l’organisme qui représente les studios et qui décerne les cotes aux films, NDLR] “didn’t want that word on a poster, on a marquee or on advertisements. Cinemas didn’t want to print it on a ticket,” Zoë Kravitz explained to Entertainment Weekly.

“I did my homework. I realized that women were shocked by the word to the point of saying they wouldn’t go see a movie with a title like that. That’s why I wanted to use PussyI wanted us to try to reclaim that word, to make it a word that wouldn’t make us uncomfortable anymore. But we’re not there yet. And I think it’s my responsibility as a filmmaker to listen and hear those opinions. I care about people going to see the movie and I care about their feelings.”

L’excellent Smile, everything is fine hits theaters on August 23.