Home / Arts and Entertainment / Meta Thriller 'Bravado' Redefines Film-Within-Film
Meta Thriller 'Bravado' Redefines Film-Within-Film
1 Jul
Summary
- Bravado is a meta thriller about a screenwriter and her demanding mentor.
- The film features multiple versions of a key scene being revised.
- Actors used improvised scenes to develop characters before filming.
The meta thriller 'Bravado' explores a complex film-within-a-film narrative, centering on screenwriter Amy Erickson and her manipulative mentor, Patrick Lombardi. Erickson's promising script, set in the UK, undergoes intense revision sessions, drawing parallels to the high-stakes dynamics of 'Whiplash'.
The film juxtaposes these mentorship sessions with evolving versions of a mafia scene from Erickson's screenplay. Director Alex Hanno and co-writer Luca Malacrino aimed to show the script's progression, a challenge requiring each iteration to be better than the last.
To prepare, actors Caitlin Morris and Luca Malacrino participated in improvised scenes outside the script. Malacrino, who also plays a mobster in the film-within-the-film, noted this helped him embody his characters. Morris found filming the montage sequences of Amy's script revisions particularly demanding.
'Bravado' also incorporates direct-to-camera interviews with screenwriters, offering insights into the craft's struggles and rewards. The filmmakers intended this layered approach to resonate with anyone driven by passion, regardless of external validation.
