What is it about?
Lou, a single gym manager, falls madly in love with Jack, an ambitious bodybuilder. Their passionate and explosive relationship leads them, despite themselves, into a spiral of violence.
Hot on the heels of great word of mouth, Love Lies Bleeding finally arrives in French cinemas! Noted especially at Sundance, this atmospheric thriller starring an already iconic couple (Kristen Stewart and the revelatory Cathy O’Brien) proves that filmmaker Rose Glass is one to watch!
An iconic couple
Love Lies Bleeding marks Kristen Stewart’s big return to film in a role that fits her like a glove! With an 80’s look, mullet cut and grunge outfit, the actor finds one of his finest roles here. He lives in a lesbian affair with Cathy O’Brien, an affair that quickly unravels in the film, full of twists and turns.
Love Lies Bleeding examines the toxic aspects of love and how it can cause both excitement and fear.
Director Rose Glass explains: “Saint Maud and Love Lies Bleeding address characters seeking change and power dynamics in intimate relationships. Love is often thought of as a goal that you can get better at, but the reality is much more complicated. Love Lies Bleeding examines the toxic aspects of love and how it can lead to both excitement and fear.“
Love Lies Bleeding follows the tradition of movies with criminal couples like Thelma and Louise or Bonnie and Clyde.
Body location
Love Lies Bleeding questions the place of the body in cinema, the representation of female characters, and especially what is often grouped under the generic term of the strong or “bad” female character. Rose Glass’s film invites you to question yourself by showing a strong character.Both mentally and physically“, and”How one can harness and manipulate one’s powers.”
To embody this complex and charismatic character, the director found a rare gem in the person of Cathy O’Brien, who is most notably seen in Ant-Man 3 (and will soon appear in Twisters). Rose Glass initially wanted to choose a real bodybuilder, but eventually found Katie O’Brien.
“I exercised three hours a day, followed a strict diet and went through a dehydration cycle before the shoot”
As indicated in the film’s press kit, Cathy O’Brien previously competed in bodybuilding competitions and continued to train. However, he was not yet at his peak. “I’ve been working with trainer Steve Zim, who has put me through rigorous training and improved my fitness significantly.“, – explains Cathy O’Brien.I exercised three hours a day, followed a strict diet and went through a dehydration cycle before the shoot. I loved the chance to do a full bodybuilding pose routine in the movie.
In a way, I felt like Jack, training for this competition, and I didHe adds:It was important to show that there is nothing shameful or unusual about a woman building muscle. There can be real beauty in that.”
Cinematographic references
Love Lies Bleeding is a rich, surprising genre-bending film. Ross Glass’ direction is very subtle, playing with the audience’s perception, playing with sounds, blurred vision, hallucinations. The film is sometimes between fantasy and reality, between dreamlike and nightmare, and everyone is free to come up with their own interpretations.
Clint Mansell’s music contributes greatly to the film’s dreamlike atmosphere
The movie seems to be full of many references. The director also asked his team to watch several films before shooting. “Rose asked me to watch movies like Showgirls, Paris, Texas, Barfly, Federal Police, Los Angeles and Mystery Train.explains director of photography Ben Fordesman. We wanted our film to be steeped in American culture. That’s why I was particularly inspired by cinematographer Robbie Muller’s work in Paris, Texas, and William Friedkin’s work on the FBI in Los Angeles. I like using them with natural light and especially the lighting from the street lamps which produce a blue/green tint that really surprised me. We wanted to recreate this effect using modern LED lighting combined with the blue light of the last hour of the day. It was truly magical, so we took advantage of the conditions to shoot as much as possibleFinally, be on the lookout for credits that have groundbreaking merit.
Love Lies Bleeding by Rose Glass is released this Wednesday, June 12, 2024.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
