In a brand new romantic thriller, Charlotte Hope stars alongside the likes of Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard in a flick that grossed $120 million in the worldwide box office upon cinematic release. Now, Allied is coming to home release, and we’ve got a fantastic, exclusive new interview with Charlotte Hope to find out a little bit more about the flick…
Allied, on DVD and Blu-ray from April 3
What’s interesting for you about this film?
This film’s really interesting to me, because it’s a, it’s a political thriller, but also it has a, you know, love story and a relationship story, and anything where it juxtaposes intrigue and tension and excitement alongside the human aspects always excites me. Um, and to be honest, I’m having the best time just because I’m working with the most amazing people, and I’m sitting there like a little sponge and just soaking it all up. Uh, they’re a pretty incredible bunch.
What makes this unique and different from what we’re not used to seeing these days?
Ooohhh, um, I think what makes it refreshing is it feels like a really modern story and it doesn’t feel like a period drama. I think a lot of the time in cinema at the moment, you get period dramas that feel like perfume adverts and actually I think this is much more of a, it has more, more heart and more depth to it than that, yeah.
Who do you play? What is she like?
I play a character called Louise who is Bridget’s girlfriend and she’s Polish and I think she’s very bohemian. I imagine that she’s come to London. Social mores are kind of by the wayside, and she’s allowed to do whatever with whomever she wants, and so she’s in a relationship with a girl in a time where that would probably not be allowed if it weren’t wartime, but because the bombs are falling, no one cares. So everything’s very heightened.
Lizzy was saying actually the other day that she read some survey where people who, like when a, when a bomb had fallen, people who were in like super close vicinity were terrified, and then people who could hear it, but weren’t directly involved, it just created this kind of heightened atmosphere that everything became much more exciting and it’s a thrill, you know. It’s... It’s like working in the film industry.
Uh, yeah, with like less waiting and more passion, yeah. No, but it’s, it, it’s interesting to me to have a character who was so modern, but in a time that is, you know, um, without the war would have been very buttoned up and proper.
And you play an instrument in this film. Why?
And I play the cello. I don’t really know why. I think it kind of adds to the whole bohemian vibe. She’s just, she’s playing a cello. She’s dressing in whatever clothes she finds. It, she probably finds it quite sexy so.
But you [personally] also play the cello.
Yes. Coincidental. Yes thank you, mom and dad. Yeah, uh, no, I play the cello. I played it, when, a lot when I was younger and it’s one of those such a beautiful instrument. It’s kind of the few things I’ve kept up.
Is the voice work accent or you’re actually speaking Polish?
It’s just accent and actually, my, my boyfriend is Polish, so that has helped somewhat. I’ve had his mum kind of recording lines for me, which is very sweet of her. So no, it’s been, it’s just kind of accent. I know a bit of Russian, so that kind of ties in, um, but also I think it’s a sensibility, like Louise in the film is suspicious and, of Marianne and I think that, it has that kind of Eastern European caution that she doesn’t completely trust her, and she says everything as she sees it and is quite blunt.
Polish is not an easy language.
No, it’s really not. It’s also one of those ones that you have to try and not just be general sweeping European and make it specific to Poland. Otherwise, they get cross, because they don’t much like the Russians.
Talk about Louise’s relationship with Bridget?
I think they feel pretty passionately. I spend pretty every scene kissing or fondling but I think that’s it’s quite exciting that they get to, to be that intimate with each other in public. I think that’s probably quite a thrill to them in itself, because it, it is more be expected, but I think ultimately, they’re two people that have found each other in the chaos and love each other very much.
Who does Max come back to England with and what do you think Bridget and Louise feel about her?
Well, I think, Bridget is, because she’s kind of, well, she has her own story and I think Louise, Louise suspects something, because she’s just got an intuition. I think women, especially women, have, can sometimes just feel something that isn’t quite right, and I think she just is on, she has her shackles up. She doesn’t know anything, but I think she’s very suspicious and that’s why she doesn’t want to go to the party.
She doesn’t want to associate really with Bridget, um, but, yeah. I think it’s, it’s, what’s exciting is there so many different levels of injury that you never really know who’s a goody and who’s a baddy.
Who is directing this film and what is your impression of this man?
Rob Zemeckis is an incredible director. I was in awe of him before I even met him, but in person, he’s so kind and giving and warm, that it, it has made the most amazing environment to work in and, yeah, he’s, he’s a very supportive, kind man, and everyone’s having a nice time, which I think will show in the film. Those things matter.
From your perspective as an actor, any interesting things that you’ve seen that they’re doing camera-wise or look-wise?
Uh, I think the shots are beautiful that, that I’ve seen, even just the sets. I’ve never worked in a studio before, so it all looks pretty incredible to me. I have zero technical knowledge, so at no point have I been like, oh, that’s a cool-- I couldn’t even tell you what the word is, ‘cause I know nothing, um, but it, it, yeah, the, the, the cinematography looks pretty stellar.
Talk to me about your wardrobe.
Yeah, I think Louise has the best wardrobe actually. Everyone else is in kind of really buttoned-up uniforms and I basically just get beautiful bohemian flowing dresses. We’ve just tried to layer a whole bunch of stuff, um, but, yeah, Joanna, who’s the costume designer, we were talking about the idea that Louise has got a big trunk of clothes, and she just pulls out whatever she fantasies in the morning.
So a lot of it doesn’t match, but it’s just flowing and layered and bohemian. Um, yeah, there’s some pretty cool like period underwear, where like I’m just going to have, yeah, like, with like kimonos and stuff. It’s, it’s beautiful, really beautiful.
What’s the relationship like between actor and stylist and how does that inform you?
I, uh, well, it’s the first thing that you do when you go to a job, you go out and do the footings and you see all the clothes, and for me, that really helps kind of create a sense of who that person is and what she wears and it, yeah. It’s really integral part and I did like three costume fittings, so I was constantly like trying on clothes and seeing what I thought fitted Louise, and what Joanna thought fitted Louise.
And it’s an, it’s a quite a nice practical way of creating a sense of character before you even get on set. Like, sometimes when you’re just doing that in your imagination, it can be quite limiting, but when you can feel it on you, then, yeah.
What’s your impression of the sets that you’ve been on production design-wise and artistry-wise?
No, the sets are, are beautiful and amazing and intricate, and I would really like to live in a house like the one currently. So that would be nice, but it’s just the, I, yeah, like I was saying before, this is my first time working in a studio, so it’s pretty amazing for me to walk into a whole, like, warehouse, and then there are all these beautiful little houses. It’s pretty cool.
What do I have to look forward to when I see this film?
A pretty epic story that’s going to be full of suspense and love and a lot of-- It’s just, it’s, it’s beautifully shot and I think it will be really romantic and thrilling at the same time.
Allied is available on digital now, and is released in the UK on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday, April 3, 2017.