An action movie based on a series of graphic novels is not where you would expect to find an uneven, surprising and open discourse on love, much less one that occurs between two men. But halfway to Netflix The old guard, once immortal warriors Joe and Nicky, played by Marwan Kenzari and Luca Marinelli, have been captured by enemy soldiers in the back of a truck, Joe launches into a full poetic monologue. “He is not my boyfriend,” he announces. “He is everything, and he is more.”
The scene, shot in intimate close-up on Kenzari’s face before he and Marinelli hugged and kissed, is a sign of the many ways director Gina Prince-Bythewood managed to lend depth to the film’s material, but it is also an achievement of Kenzari. , which has enough directness with Joe’s purple language that he doesn’t feel over the top. Kenzari is a Dutch actor with a solid background in his theatrical world that erupted in the United States thanks to his thirst-sharing as Jafar at Disney’s Aladdin Redo. To play Joe on The old guard, he drew on much of the physical training he had used in other roles, mixed with some heady thinking about Greek mythology and the characters in A little life. Furthermore, there was the benefit of what he described as real and natural chemistry between him and Marinelli. On the phone, Kenzari captured Vulture on how he approached that great speech, the importance of contact in Joe and Nicky’s relationship, and the secrets of their fighting style.
We have to start with the scene where Joe launches into this complete declaration of love for Nicky. It is such a serious and emotional moment in the middle of this action movie. How was shooting it? It was extremely important to me, since that scene is the heart of the character. Right at the beginning, I had conversations with Gina about it, and I was touched, there is so much depth in those words. And it was also complicated, because it can quickly become sentimental. But Luca and I talked about it, and there is a moment that may not have made it to the final cut, where I asked Luca’s character if he thinks my words are too bloated, and we discussed our own behavior. But he was determined to do it right and he was happy with the result. We had fun in that van and laughed a lot. It was a long night shoot, but it was well set up as the camera was so close that it was a good way to show this bit.
