I loved that The Commuter disguises a morality tale as a genre, says Vera Farmiga
After working on The Conjuring 2 and the hit series Bates Motel, Vera Farmiga is gaining attention worldwide for her film, The Commuter, the thriller alongside liam Neeson and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.
Farmiga plays a mysterious woman who boards a commuter train and proposes an enticing opportunity to Neeson’s character, one that has dire circumstances if he accepts. The film also has Hitchcockian elements prevalent in North By Northwest and Strangers On A Train.
How would you define your characterIJ
Well, I wanted to infuse the character of Joanna with a kind of a supernatural mischief. I don’t see her as a good guy or a bad guy, I see her as this avatar of vice and virtue. For me, she is literally shaking up his otherwise mundane existence. We all come to a fork in the road at times where we’re quizzed on morality versus need, and she’s that quiz master. I don’t think she’s the devil.
You have Collet-Serra on Orphan, how was the experience this timeIJ
We picked up where we left off. I have a really good working relationship with him. But what makes him so unique as a director is that once he gets behind the camera and he’s visible all the time, he’s always right there with you. So even if the film is huge with a huge production that comes with that, it feels as though we’re making a home movie with a camcorder. It makes the filmmaking such an intimate process.
How were you approached to board the projectIJ
It was Jaume who sent me an email asking “Do you want to spend some time on a train with liam NeesonIJ” and I replied “I thought you’d never ask…but do I have to pay for the ticketIJ”
What struck me about this film is that it is a morality tale. To me, it is “The Devil and Daniel Webster” disguised as a full-throttle, high-octane, action-packed thriller. I loved that the film disguises a morality tale as a genre. Michael strikes a Faustian pact with this mysterious woman and, once he’s agreed, the film plays out his deep regret. Joanna is the catalyst, a temptress who entices him, coaches him and pulls his strings throughout.
This was the first time you and liam Neeson have shared the screen space. How was the experienceIJ
I didn’t know liam before this film. He was just a myth and he is grace on two feet.
He’s everything I anticipated — strong, steadfast, kind and open. But at the same time very curious. You just want to wrap your arms around him and climb him like a big tree and swing from him.