Jessica Chastain Reveals How ‘The Beguiled’ and ‘Okja’ Moved Her At Cannes
Cannes jury member Jessica Chastain raised some eyebrows during a festival press conference in May when she castigated the competition films depiction of women characters as “quite disturbing.” She added, however, that her comments did not apply to the entire festival selection, and now we know at least two films Chastain did like. The actress suspended her self-imposed social media hiatus to recommend two Cannes favorites to see this holiday weekend: Sofia Coppola’s “The Beguiled” and Bong Joon Ho’s “Okja.”
“The Beguiled takes a typical male fantasy and changes it up. The power is with the women in this remake,” she said of the film that earned Coppola the award for best direction out of Cannes. She was even more enthusiastic about “Okja,” which struck a personal chord for Chastain, who is vegan. “Okja!!! As a vegan its impossible for me to be objective about this film. I [love] it. Had me in tears,” she said.
“The Beguiled” stars Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning as women at a Virginia boarding school at the height of the Civil War. Coppola’s remake indeed flips the script of the 1971 original starring Clint Eastwood, giving the women much more agency and focusing the drama around the complicated dynamics between women. “Okja” features yet another finely tuned Tilda Swinton performance as the CEO of a nefarious corporate meat company, as well adorable newcomer Ahn Seo-hyun as the little girl heroine trying to save her beloved pet from the slaughterhouse.
READ MORE: Jessica Chastain Explains How She’s Fighting Hollywood’s Gender Pay Gap
A proud feminist, Chastain has an active Twitter presence and often uses the platform to champion feminist causes and women-focused films.
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) July 3, 2017
THEATRE: The Beguiled takes a typical male fantasy and changes it up. The power is with the women in this remake.https://t.co/IKEfKk4Muu pic.twitter.com/Ntcfvo7Y5K
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) July 3, 2017
STREAMING: Okja!!! As a vegan its impossible for me to be objective about this film. I ❤ it. Had me in tears.https://t.co/7oC8tL32M0 pic.twitter.com/iwiWY0man5
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) July 3, 2017
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