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She has the classic charm of those English women in love with the continent. Along with Jacqueline Bisset and Jane Birkin, Charlotte Rampling is the most admired British actress in France. She has lived in Paris for several years and gives us an interview on the phone in Molière’s language.
Charlotte Rampling has made a name for herself in cult series (Dexter, Broadchurch) and Hollywood blockbusters like Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. In daring auteur films, the actress mainly played the roles of strong women. With Cavani (night porter), as with Ozon (Under the Sand) or Ōshima (Max my love, that remains one of his favorite films).
In Juniper, the first feature film by Matthew J. Saville, we find her in the skin of Ruth. An alcoholic grandmother confined to her wheelchair after an accident. An upset woman gradually grows closer to her grandson Sam, a suicidal teenager. And weave a strong bond of friendship against the background of drama and sadness.
PHOTO JEN RAOULT PROVIDED BY TVA FILMS
Charlotte Rampling in Juniper (Found the Past)
“It’s a beautiful story, very personal because it’s linked to the director’s childhood,” explains the actress in an interview.
The film shows us this connection between Ruth and Sam, two loneliness in a broken family. Despite the difference in age and life experience, these two beings will recognize each other in their deep wounds. And end up falling in love. Love is often recognizing yourself in the other’s wounds.
Charlotte Rambling
How does she choose her roles? “It’s like a phone call. With each new role, it’s like I find a part, an extension of myself in the character. I recognize character traits that are mine. I don’t think I can change to the point where I morph for a role or lose myself in a character. That’s why I refuse to play real characters. My game would be less interesting, a copy of the person that existed. »
For Juniper, the actress initially turned down the filmmaker’s proposal, also because she didn’t want to shoot on the other side of the world, in New Zealand. But the director traveled to Europe to woo her. He told her that the role of Ruth was written for her: “Since my debut, I’ve always worked with the desire for others,” says Rampling. I’ve never asked a director to do a film. It’s great to feel that you’ve been chosen! »
She also felt this feeling when she first met Denis Villeneuve. The Quebec filmmaker entrusted him with the role of Reverend Mother Mohiam in the first two parts of Dune. “Dennis [Villeneuve] Directing blockbusters, but working on the set as if he were directing a small auteur film. He is a director who is very close to his team, his actors. For me, the acting in Dune is no different than my previous films. It’s just the machine around it, which is much bigger. »
Aging is a big thing
On screen, Charlotte Rampling still has the class and beauty of a woman of character. A woman who takes on her age. The actress, who turned 77 in February, does not want to hide the passage of time: “I’m not exemplary, but I try to show younger actors the way. This way is that of nature. A performer cannot cheat on authenticity. It’s not believable to play a 70-year-old grandmother when you appear to be half your age on screen. »
PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, PRESS ARCHIVE
Charlotte Rampling, as part of the PDA International Literature Festival, 2014
“Of course, aging is not happy,” she continues. The idea that we will lose the luster of our youth is frightening. But you have to be realistic. We’ll all go through this. I prefer to stay natural and recognize myself in the mirror despite my wrinkles. »
Juniper (The Past Found) hits theaters on March 3rd.