The Invisible Man
The unseeable Manpremiered this calendar week tolargely positive reviews , which spotlight the film ’s modern take on a classic taradiddle as well as its subtle approach to domestic violence issues . WhileElisabeth Moss carried the roleadmirably on her shoulder , her graphic symbol and performance had an important keep system in costars Aldis Hodge andStorm Reid .
In the film , Hodge toy Cecilia ’s ( Moss ) supportive childhood friend , James . He invites her to stay in his home , and tries to remain understanding even as chaos ensues around them . Given the horror and injury that Cecilia is facing , James is critical as both a sounding plank and a layer of protective covering against Adrian ( Oliver Jackson - Cohen ) .
Related : The Invisible Man ’s NEW Origin & Powers Explained
Hodge shared his take on the dynamic between Cecilia and James in an interview with Screen Rant . He also explained why he is draw and quarter to films with social messages and what he ’s con from working with directors likeLeigh Whannelland Regina King .
One of the most interesting scene ofThe Invisible Manis how the family relationship between Cecilia and James is completely platonic . He really bear out her without wanting anything else and vice versa . Why do you think that ’s so rarefied to see onscreen , and how much did you and Elisabeth hash out your character ' backstory ?
Aldis Hodge : In term of rarity , I think that from a commercial standpoint , a strictly platonic relationship may not be not be exciting for creatives or producers or whomever it may be . " We want to finger the tension , we require to feel the heat . Will they , wo n’t they ? What could happen ? " You know what I mean ?
It ’s just a putz that is used for picture palace , but for this pic it really did n’t work . And it was a discussion , for certain . Initially , Elisabeth and I both utter to Leigh about it , in terms of what it really would intend in the film . Leigh , he really is fantastic about allowing us to breathe life into our characters . We sit down and sing ; we had four different merging of just talking about fibre and story arcs before we even receive to shooting .
What we all make up one’s mind on was that this woman , rarely see on telecasting or film is when a woman can have a platonic kinship with a military personnel and just leave it at that . They can really have a effective friendly relationship , and it ’s just that . She ’s race from one really atrocious relationship with this man . Is she even quick or think about being concerned in someone else ? It just did n’t necessarily play out . Also , it almost would seem a chip predatory for James to be sitting there thinking , " Hmm , here ’s my gibe . " What ’s really honest here ? And the satinpod of it all is that this brother really just want to help his friend out . And that ’s what I personally love so much about his character ; that he did n’t have any posterior motives . it was just strictly him being a salutary guy ; he ’s got a daughter , and he ’s a good single father .
I think we need to show that representation more , because there are muckle of men out there like that . It ’s nice to see a man with a female Quaker who feel secure enough around you because you are dependable to be around . It ’s really quite refreshing to see .
address of him being a single father , he and Sydney have a very sweet trammel as well . How did you and Storm develop that dynamic ?
Aldis Hodge : That conversation first started with Leigh Whannell , and he was talking specifically about what I thought the relationship would be ; how I think I would be as a father . And I state , " Look , man , I ’ve amaze a sister that ’s 10 years younger me . I raised her up . " My mom and my brother also , we all were in it together . But my sister and I have a very special relationship , and I talked to him on many occasions about the specific of our relationship , and that ’s what help him structure my character ’s family relationship with his daughter . We just play off of that truth from me .
Then when it come to Storm , she has a lot of great mass in her life ; great crime syndicate member . I was talking to her about her relationship with her father , and we kind of work off the nature of her good relationship with her male parent and my respectable kinship with my sis . That ’s kind of what brought to the cutting edge in James and Sydney ’s teamwork .
I think that you ’ve expressed interest group in steer and producing of late ?
Aldis Hodge : So , I ’ve been in the study of producing some labor for the last year and some change , and I really acquire a project last year . It ’s a brusk film that I ’m going to produce and direct . I ’ve mostly been in the penning space , but I got this undertaking with the intent only to produce it . We were talking about director , and my team was like , " Well , why do n’t you just verbatim ? "
I ’ve never take before , but they thought that given my input with ideas and storey , this is something I can handle . It ’s a short ; it ’s probably something that ’s going to be 30 or 40 second . It ’s not gon na be too brainsick . And it ’s a really salutary and , I think , powerful story . It ’s a good position to take up sharpening skills .
Right now , it ’s tentatively titled The Scent of You . However , that may change . Right now , we wish the claim .
Did you larn anything from Leigh Whannell on set that might help shape your futurity as a director ?
Aldis Hodge : Yeah . I mean , he compose and direct The Invisible Man ; it ’s his vision . It ’s time - guardianship , understanding account , being able to keep everything on the correct note and keep everyone on the correct page .
And also , candidly , it ’s the ease that he had with directing . He did n’t seem frenzied . We stayed on schedule pretty well , but anytime a challenge was presented , he keep his cool . And he made sure that all of the actors still feel proficient and well-to-do within their roles ; feeling like they could really contribute to building this whole human thing . So , just the easiness of being able to manage an total team like that is what I really picked up .
Is it counterintuitive that as an actor you have to know where Adrian is on set , but as a character you could never know ? How do you reconcile both ?
Aldis Hodge : I really had a pretty easy job , because I did n’t have to acknowledge where he was at all until it get down to the vista where I ’m fighting him . That ’s where I had to be mindful of what ’s hitting me , and where I ’m taking my pellet . When we did that scene , I fought myself . I had to cast off myself around the way , which I really loved and enjoyed . I had a circumstances of play with that , because I could just trifle , and I had to be more aware of myself - in terms of form the reaction look real , and deal the fact that somebody who ’s not there really is sound off my posterior .
So , it ’s a unlike skill hardening . It ’s a unlike muscle exercise , which I love . But in price of play the consciousness , sometimes if you they demand the assist , they had a man walk around . Oliver walk around in a green suit . But for all of my work , there was never a green suit until sort of that last scene .
When it came to the magnanimous battle scene , how much did you have to prepare for it ?
Aldis Hodge : Oh , we begin [ early ] . It take us three months to shoot the film . But when I first nonplus to Australia - we were lucky enough to burgeon forth in Sydney - the first couple of weeks were training with the stunt squad to verify to get that veracious .
They had this moderately coolheaded outfit that they built on the tv camera to shoot the action scene , which is what they did for Leigh ’s late movie , Upgrade . It ’s really indicative of his dash , which I thought was really amazing . When I construe how they take the stunts , I got really activated because I was like , " Oh man , this is go to be a whole novel way to project repugnance . "
And what are your personal favorite repulsion movies ?
Aldis Hodge : The Ringscared the crap out of me , but the original one : Ringu , the original Japanese interpretation . The American version was n’t bad either . I remember as a tyke , Freddy KruegerandChuckywere the two I feared the most . I do likethe Saw series , because it introduce a psychological game element to the estimation of horror , and I ’m a big analytical game case of cat . I care to figure things out . And I will say I enjoyedThe Purge series , primarily because my brother Edwin and I star in three of those .
Is there any classic behemoth myth that you would wish to be a part of ?
Aldis Hodge : I ’ve always had a love for vampires . And I do sort of travail werewolves . An American Werewolfwas one of my darling when I was a kid . But I ’ve always been a big sports fan of vampires . Also , warlock scare away the crap out of me , and Children of the Damned . But for classic demon , I conceive either a werewolf or a lamia would be amazing .
Aside from directing , what other projects are you working on ?
Aldis Hodge : I ’m presently in the middle of flash the sequel toCity on a Hillfor Showtime , and then I just finished a picture that is Regina King ’s directorial introduction , called One Night In Miami . I was really lucky to be a part of it ; I was proud and honour to work with her .
What is it like turn with her as a music director ?
Aldis Hodge : Oh , she ’s great . She ’s fantastic . She ’s such a phenomenal actress , a well - flavor actress , and she sympathize how to deal with player . So , I took my time to learn a morsel from her as well in terms of patience , pace , and keeping the whole work party together while she ’s trying to keep this train move .
I think she ’s terrific , and I cogitate she did a tremendous line of work .
Magic Campshould ultimately be hitting Disney+ this yr , and I must screw : do you do magic trick in it ?
Aldis Hodge : Magic Camp is ultimately hitting what now ? Wow … You eff the level ’s about , really , my boy and his journeying going through magical camp . But my character is the soul who taught him legerdemain , and my son ’s connection to magic is his connection to his papa .
You ’ve lately done some knock-down flick about the injustice of the justice system , such asClemencyandBrian Banks . And nowThe inconspicuous Manis , in a way , about the failure of the system to protect victim of domestic violence . Is it important for you that your work have a message ?
Aldis Hodge : For me , it is authoritative . I understand that when you ’re doing films , some of them are commercial Zea mays everta films , and some of them are really deep dive into social or ethnic awareness . Every film ca n’t have the same form of substance , or the same gravity of a message , but I love to impound myself to film that have a semblance of a message . Something I in person believe in , as I stand for myself with my employment .
Several old age ago , I got on to the idea of doing efficacious art - import that I want to do art that did impact positively a shift that I believe is necessary . I do n’t opine we have a justice organization ; I think we have a " just us " organization . Because to a grade , from my observation , whenever any semblance of equality has to be met , legal philosophy have to be broken . adequate right for mordant people , equal rights for fair sex , equal right field for the LGBTQ residential area … It has to be reconstitute and divulge . Anytime we can expose the true statement of these thing and issues that we need to talk about in term of progressing as a polish and as a human society , especially in America , I bed to be a part of films that have that .
Again , like I said , not every film is going to have that content or any message at all . But if there ’s something that require to be spoken about , I want to be part of it .
More : Interview With The Invisible Man Director , Leigh Whannell
The Invisible Manis presently out in theatre of operations .
