The Art Of Self-Defense Interview: Mindy Kelly On Toxic Masculinity
Alita's stunt double talks 2019's most surprising gem...
Though you may not have heard an awful lot about it, you need to see Jesse Eisenberg's new film, The Art Of Self-Defense. It is a brilliant, pitch-black comedy that reannounces its star as a great talent, as well as offering interesting insight into toxic masculinity.
It's hilarious and absurd and deeply charming in a way that deserves a huge audience and the more people who see it, the better.
We had some time to sit down with stunt coordinator Mindy Kelly - who has previously worked on Alita: Battle Angel, The Dark Knight Rises and fight game Injustice 2 to talk about this year's answer to Fight Club, which has just been crowned one of WhatCulture's best films of 2019 so far...
How did you get involved with The Art Of Self-Defense?
I met Riley thru Michael Ragen. He’s the cinematographer for Riley’s short The Cub, Faults and The Art of Self-Defense. Riley wanted to hire women department heads to balance out the energy on set and Michael knew my work as a stunt coordinator... Just an added bonus that I’ve been studying martial arts since I was 4. So this August will be 30 years of training in Martial Arts. So I guess I fit what Riley was looking for.
What would you most like the audience to take from The Art Of Self-Defense?
My personal goal is to inspire an entirely new generation of martial artists around the world by being unique, different and original is what’s going to set this film apart from old remakes of stories that don’t resonate with the same existing demographic of martial artist or film fans. When I was competing in martial arts as a child there was no separation between boys/girls. Because of this, I believe that rooted a strong foundation that I didn’t know there was a difference in gender. I feel it’s important for boys and girls to not grow up with these broken traditional gender roles stuck in their head.
Is there a different vibe to directing stunts for a comedy?
I like to consider movement as an extension of one’s psyche. Riley created this unique world that is still grounded in a gritty reality which provided the perfect platform to work with the actors in a way that they could tell even more of the story through their body movement and action. I didn’t approach my work on this film as if it was a “comedy” film.
Do you think there should be more of a conversation about screen violence and traditional ideas of masculinity?
The issue of toxic masculinity is all around us. People accept is as normal. I loved that Riley saw this as an issue and wanted to shine a light on it in an extremely creative way. I’m not a violent person. I don’t watch real fighting or boxing. Martial Arts isn’t about violence, but a way to connect with yourself through the mind, body and spirit. To know oneself. I’m a filmmaker and use the medium of action to story-tell.
What sequences are you most proud of?
Anna’s fight scene with Thomas!
Did any of the cast surprise you with their ability?
All of them. Incredible humans with such pure hearts and truly the most talented individuals I’ve had the honor to work with.
Did you spend a lot of time with them all working on it?
I worked with them each separately during preproduction to train them in martial arts to a level that made sense for their characters, but also in a way that would complement each of the unique personalities they would portray in the film. After we had the foundation we moved on to the specific stunt choreography they would need for scenes in the film. I had one week to work with Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots. 24 hours with Alessandro Nivola.
In your experience, do actors push to do more of their own stunt work?
In this film, I never wanted to have the audience be taken out of the film by feeling like it was a stunt double. I feel the imperfections in art is what makes things interesting and unique. I wanted the audience to experience Jesse journey. We designed the action in a way that kept the actors and stunt performers safe and to story-tell through movement. We worked as a team, so no one pushed for anything.. we all worked together with the ultimate goal of bringing Riley’s vision to life. Teamwork makes the DREAM work ;)
You’ve obviously worked on a number of superhero projects - if you could play one comic book character, who would you go for?
Wonder Woman, she symbolizes something bigger than just one individual, she loves mankind despite our flaws and believes in our ability to be great.
What was it like working on The Dark Knight Rises?
I can’t capture this experience into words. It's THE DARK KNIGHT RISES!
Do you think there should be more acknowledgement for stunt performances and choreography in film-making? Perhaps in terms of “big awards” recognition?
What we do is an art and science. So many different variables in every film. It’s a group of extremely talented individuals, that takes years of hard work and dedication to their craft. It’s teamwork, trust, respect and something not everyone can do. So, I leave that question up to others. What do you think?
What sort of projects do you have coming up?
My entire life is one big NDA, but the Art of Self-Defense goes to theaters July 19.. so that’s my work coming up in the way movies should be seen... AT THE MOVIE THEATERS!