Best known for his roles such as his breakout performance in “Submarine,” the television series “Red Oaks” and then supporting roles in comedies such as “Neighbors,” Craig Roberts has quietly been carving out a space for himself behind the scenes as a director. His first feature film, “Just Jim,” was loosely inspired by his own life and drew mainly positive reviews. It’s his latest though, the Sally Hawkins-led “Eternal Beauty” that begins to shine a light on his full potential with a powerful story, tremendous performances, and distinct imagery.
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“Eternal Beauty” tells the story of Jane, a woman who is spiraling as she deals with her schizophrenia and learns to find love, discovering new aspects of her life. The film also stars David Thewlis, Billie Piper, and Penelope Wilson.
We spoke to both Roberts and Hawkins about how the story came to be, the film’s influences, and working on their third film together.
What first inspired you to tell this particular story and what drew you to the film?
Craig Roberts: It was inspired by a real person that I grew up with. I knew that she was living with this condition but I didn’t know until I got older just how strong and powerful she was in dealing with this and navigating her life. I just started to explore it and thought it was the right time to introduce her to the world.
Sally Hawkins: I think it was because of Craig Roberts. He’s a dear friend of mine and he happens to be a very brilliant actor, an amazing writer, and now a fantastic director which seems like a pretty natural transition for him actually. So because of all that, when he told me what it was about I sort of knew that it had been inspired by someone incredibly dear to him and I knew it was a big piece of his heart as soon as he talked about her and what he wanted to do. We have similar tastes in film, comedy, tone, and music so I knew that it would be something great. You just want to work with your friends and the character was totally unique; she’s like nothing else. I knew it would be very scary to get into that character and as an actor how important it is to play to get it right, and that would take a lot of leaping into the unknown so to do it with a friend made it feel like we were in it together. So knowing we trusted each other one hundred percent gives you the ability to go there. You’re only as good as the people you are working with, and you’re never truly alone and we had a great cast and crew that really felt like a family and that was really important. I felt incredibly flattered to just be asked, given how important it was for Craig.
You mentioned that you worked with him before, is there a difference now working with Craig Roberts as a director as opposed to acting alongside him?
Hawkins: I never had the feeling that it was something we had already been through before, and it’s pretty funny because I’d never had that thought; it felt like “well now, of course, he’s a director.” The feelings of working with him in both ways felt like they overlapped, you know for me collaboration is key and that’s when it really means something to me, when I feel engaged and can really be part of that creative process and the director is excited about that. It all just felt incredibly right. Because of who he is, he’s so special as a creator and he’s so humble with it. What he is doing is extraordinary and he is still so young! I never thought as a child when we were all working together and he was playing my son that he would be a highly talented professional who at this point has probably been working for more of his life than I have! It’s so natural to him that I think he came out fully formed as a director, he was just built that way.
Were these actors you always knew you wanted to have on board, especially Sally as the lead?
Roberts: Yeah 100%. She has played my mom twice before so we are very good friends and I wrote the script with her mind and she read half the script and said she’d do it. So then I was extremely worried she’d read the second half and find it not good [laughs]. She’s just fantastic. I felt very lucky because if you get the cast right there’s not much more that you really need to do – just make sure it’s recording and everyone turns up.
This is the second feature that you’ve directed, how do you think you’ve grown as a filmmaker since your first film, and what are some of the differences?
Roberts: I think it’s just time. Time is everything really and being able to write the script for two to three years and be able to redraft and really live in the world and put detail into it was something very special and I felt very grateful to do it. The first one was like I wrote the script and then all of a sudden it was happening. A lot really. You watch more films and you grow as a person and you have a different outlook on life. I suppose I’ve always kind of loved cinema and I knew what type of film I wanted to make but I’ve become a different person so my stories are going to change.
Was there a greater sense of confidence in coming into your second film as a director or is there still that underlying stress?
Roberts: It’s always scary. With the first film, I filmed it like it would be my last. That’s the way I looked at it so to get to make another one was a real treat and felt like a gift. But it’s very daunting of course and you feel like you’re wasting people’s money all the time but you just have to think about what story you wanted to tell and try and get people talking about a certain topic.
You’d mentioned that the role appeared daunting at first, with portraying somebody with a mental illness is there a concern or need to tread delicately about how to play this role, or was it more about jumping straight into the material and trusting what you are given?
Hawkins: I felt that every single person who is going through a similar thing has a singular experience unique to that person, and it’s the same with Jane. Her experiences were very different from the outset, but it’s the same for any of us as humans; we all experience things in very different ways and that was why I was interested. I’m fascinated by what different people see and what their stories are. But yes, to do it well you have to be careful and you do as much research as you can. You always want more and more time to sink into it, but the fact that it is a personal experience, especially for Craig as someone who had a direct connection. Of course, you worry at the end of the day, but when you’re in it, you’re in it and you have to trust that what you are doing is right. He lived with this person for his whole life and he filtered that into this unique story, so he knew just how she pushed the boundaries of what is right, which is not an easy line to walk and she is not an easy energy to live or deal with. It’s the same as a child on the edge of a tantrum and that is how she is, sometimes deliberately and sometimes not; she’s unpredictable and unreliable, especially when she’s off her medication.
The way we see the film through her eyes is her vision of her world and we see the ground shift all the time and that is terrifying to be in that situation. The people that deal with this and can keep going are so incredibly brave, and I find it really moving to be in those shoes. I think films like this can hopefully shine a light and make you see in a different way, and you can never have enough of those stories. You want to change people and influence society, and helping people think about those dealing with the extreme cases of mental illness in a different light can be an extremely good thing.
There are some really distinct visual flourishes to the film that gave it a dream-like quality. Were there any influences that you drew from and how important are those visual aspects to you as a filmmaker?
Roberts: I feel like if you’re not adding anything visually or anything offering iconography than it might as well be a radio play. The visuals definitely have to push it forward and add something else to it. In terms of references, there were certainly references and movies that I watch over and over again so that’s going to be in my head. The likes of Paul Thomas Anderson. The dream-like thing is really interesting because critics will review films and whenever anything is “dream-like” they either go to like, David Lynch or Terry Gilliam, I suppose, which are strange points of reference for this film because they certainly weren’t at all. It was more like I said Paul Thomas Anderson and “Magnolia” specifically or “Punch Drunk Love” with the movement of the camera. And though we were making a very real film, a very British film, we tend to use a lot of handheld in the UK and I wanted to kind of go against that and move the camera quite a lot.
How do you go about balancing different tones or is it even something you think about while writing?
Roberts: No you definitely think about it because you get worried. If you pitch it as something like a drama, comedy, or dramedy it would be hard to pitch it as anything vaguely comedic because it is a dark movie that deals with some heavy drama and that makes some people very uncomfortable. That is totally fine, but it was something I really wanted to have in there because I think it is wrong to think that just because somebody has a serious mental health condition that they can’t crack a joke or be funny, and I think the intention of the movie was never to laugh at Jane but to laugh with her. Whether you’re against her at the beginning, by the end of it if you managed to get through it and haven’t turned it off hopefully you end up on her side and realize she’s the one you’re riding with and I think humor plays a big part in that. Life is very dark and can be very depressing sometimes so we have to be able to make some jokes.
I found Jane to be incredibly moving and complex of a character. I don’t think we often see that level of depth in female characters living with more severe cases of mental illnesses. Can you talk about that experience and why it compelled you?
Hawkins: I just found the tale of someone dealing with such an extreme and terrifying condition and then taking a throughline back made me understand her in a way that was profoundly human. I hope that people can be inspired by that and that despite being trapped by that terror in this already terrifying world makes it because having both that and the joys of life going on at the same time is what makes life beautiful. I found her courage remarkable and it is that she is in the present moment but is so exposed. She plays people from different worlds and takes on different roles, but our vulnerability is wearing it openly. When you see that vulnerability in life is just simply inspiring and strong. Ultimately we all worry about being good enough or impressive enough, and we really are just all the same and trying to do the best we can every single day in our jobs and relationships.
What do you hope people take away from the film?
Roberts: I hope people come out of it checking if they’re being kind to people – they don’t have to be people close to you. Because I think a lot of problems in the world would be solved just by being kind. Nobody knows what anyone else is going through and I just think we need to open the looking glass and be kinder to people.
“Eternal Beauty” is available on Digital and VOD now.