In this new action film directed by Martin Campbell, Monica Bellucci co-stars with Liam Neeson and Guy Pearce. She embodies a character to say the least trouble. An element that particularly interested the actress of The Matrix Revolutions, Ville-Marie et 007 Spectre. Maintenance.
Alex Lewis (Liam Neeson) is a killer working for a trafficker. But he suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, which makes him question his every move. Vincent Serra (Guy Pearce), he is an FBI agent on the trail of Alex, who will also cross paths with Davana Sealman (Monica Bellucci), a real estate magnate whose designs are extremely dark. This role constitutes a first in the filmography of the Franco-Italian, revealed in the unforgettable Irreversible by Gaspar Noé.
“I wanted to work with Martin Campbell. He is a director who knows how to create emotion,” said Monica Bellucci during a telephone interview with the QMI Agency. “I have a lot of respect for Liam Neeson, a great actor and great humanity.”
“The role of Davana was a challenge, because it opened the door to something different for me, to play a duality, a woman with many aspects. On the one hand, she’s a monster and on the other hand, she’s just human. And it hasn’t happened to me often, in my career, to play an antagonist. This woman is described as a sociopath. I wanted to play this role to break the mold through which I was often chosen. For murderous memory, I gained some weight. And the light and the make-up helped create a different character. Getting older has certainly helped to open up new possibilities for me.”
Age, a liberation?
“James Bond woman” the year of her 50th birthday, mistress, twice, of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Cannes Film Festival, Monica Bellucci finally climbs on the stage of the theater in France in 2019, for Letters and Memoirs of Maria Callas which she is regarding to present in London following a delay due to the pandemic.
“Having matured and getting older gives me access to the psychology of Maria Callas which would have been difficult to understand if I had been younger. Suddenly, the fact of maturing as a woman also allows me to mature as an actress, ”said the one who celebrated her 57th birthday last September.
At an age when many actresses find it difficult to get roles, hide or resort to cosmetic surgery, Monica Bellucci continues to pursue her career, alternating between American and European feature films, blockbusters and independent productions, diversifying her experiences professionals.
“Age gives freedom,” she said. In murderous memory, Davana is a “control freak” who wishes to have control over the passage of time and it is not possible. The obsession that we humans have, this fear of dying, of getting old… these are things that we cannot control.
“Having access to other things means that we get out of known patterns, people and the public look at us differently. We see ourselves differently. It’s no longer plastic, there’s something else that comes out and that’s liberating,” she said.
In addition to acting, she is part of the cast of Mafia Momwhose filming begins in Italy in a few weeks.
“It’s a hilarious comedy from Catherine Hardwick with Toni Collette. It’s going to be another completely new register. I haven’t acted in many comedies – yes, of course there are Ten percent -, but you have to find well-written comedies, which is not always easy.
murderous memory hits our screens on April 29.
