Emily Blunt Says 'The Tides Are Turning' For Women In Action Films

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

There've been a number of movies about the war on drugs, but the new film "Sicario" takes the war part of that phrase very seriously.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "SICARIO")

CORNISH: Emily Blunt plays the lead in this movie about an FBI agent recruited into a U.S. anti-drug operation that works with Mexican security forces to take down drug cartel kingpins, but it crosses physical and moral borders to do it. And she's here to talk more about it.

Emily Blunt, welcome to the program.

EMILY BLUNT: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

CORNISH: So going into this, what was your image or idea when you heard the phrase, you know, war on drugs? How much did you know about it?

BLUNT: I mean, I think I was fairly naive about it, to be very honest with you. You know, we hear about ISIS every day of the week, and yet we don't hear about this war right at the border. And it's exponentially bigger, and it's just as brutal, and yet we don't hear about it. And so as soon as I started to research it, to Google it, to speak to people who understand that part of the world, including our screenwriter, who has a brother who is a journalist in that part of the world, it was shocking and definitely a revelation.

CORNISH: And we should say this is very different from a movie that people are most talking about probably because of the participation of Benicio del Toro, who is your co-star in this - the movie "Traffic," way back when which had agents, it had people on the border. But this is seeing people in camo, right? Like, these are guys in this operation who have been to Afghanistan and Iraq, and there's intelligence operations. Talk about the scope of it.

BLUNT: Yeah, I think this is really, really capturing the reality of the situation, which is that it is a war. It is an all-out war. You see the gray matter of the situation. I think that you see that America has some complicity in it, as does the rest of the world, that it's coming from both sides. It's not just them and us. Who's the good guy? Who's the bad guy? I think it's a film that asks a lot of questions.

CORNISH: And your character, Kate, this FBI agent who's drawn into this, I guess she is the closest thing to a moral center, right?

BLUNT: She is. I mean, I think she represents that image for the audience. I think she's also the audience's surrogate in many because she's dragged into this incoherent world, even though she's a highly-skilled FBI agent. And it's daunting and incoherent to her.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "SICARIO")

BLUNT: (As Kate Macer) I'm not a soldier. This is not what I do.

JOSH BROLIN: (As Matt) Well, this is what happens when they dig in. This is it.

CORNISH: This is a very tense and unnerving drama, and you play this character with a lot of vulnerability.

BLUNT: Yeah.

CORNISH: And what's behind that decision for this person who, you know, out of the gate, is coming off as tough?

BLUNT: Well, I think - I think it's important to show different layers. Nobody is just tough, and nobody is just vulnerable. And so you try and peel back the layers, try and make it interesting, but also play the reality, which is that, really, even though she's highly skilled at running a kidnap-response team, it's - she's limited to that. She's never really done any investigative work, and she also is pulled into a world that is completely alien to her, that she disagrees with, that she resents and tries to rage against.

CORNISH: And she takes some hits...

BLUNT: She takes some hits.

CORNISH: ...And they're not the kind of hits where she jumps up after.

BLUNT: No, I mean, I think we've all - you know, I think there are few films - and I've been in one - where you play an action heroine who could take down any guy, and she's always got the perfect thing to say. I did this film called "Edge Of Tomorrow" where that was the part. You know, you're playing a hardened warrior. And yet, in this case, she does take some hits. She still throws a punch, but...

CORNISH: She does (laughter). You threw a punch (laughter).

BLUNT: ...I wouldn't say that she bounces back as quickly.

CORNISH: You definitely threw that punch, I recall. But I thought, oh, like, I feel like I felt it when she went down. When she tried to speak up, when she tried to threaten people, I didn't necessarily feel she was in a position of power making those threats.

BLUNT: That's what you want to see, is, you know, this duel between morality and amorality and idealism and realism and how does that work? And what is the definition of strength? Is it somebody who has a gun and does bad things, or is strength actually strength of character and strength of maintaining your ideals?

CORNISH: So this whole conversation about whether or not women should or can be the lead in action films and...

BLUNT: Yes.

CORNISH: ...Why there aren't more - from your position as an actress, what's the thing we're all missing here?

BLUNT: Well, I think what happens often in Hollywood and the business is that they crunch numbers on a film that has previously brought in a lot of money. And so you've got art versus commerce here. And usually, a film is geared towards the opening weekend. And it's decided whether it's a good or bad film based on its opening weekend, which I think is also a terrible thing. And also, a film, when it's being made, is usually geared towards teenage boys, as they are the ones who seem to be going out and, according to the numbers, buying tickets. But as my mother would say, well, I'm not a teenage boy...

(LAUGHTER)

BLUNT: ...And I don't want to see, you know, a film about robots and aliens. And so I think there's a huge majority of people who are not in that age group or that gender group, necessarily. I just believe that we've got to just keep writing fantastic roles for women and keep forwarding this fight because I think the tides are turning, actually.

CORNISH: Before I let you go, I want to say congratulations on your U.S. citizenship.

BLUNT: Thank you so much, I appreciate it.

CORNISH: And I understand you've also been baptized in the American political arguments (laughter) as well. I should - just for people who have not heard this, this is about a quote you gave to The Hollywood Reporter where you joked after the Republican debate. You said, (reading) I became an American citizen recently, and that night we watched the Republican debate, and I thought, this was a terrible mistake - what have I done?

BLUNT: Right.

CORNISH: And the folks at "Fox & Friends" took this very personally, and I want to give you a chance to respond. Here's what they had to say.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "FOX AND FRIENDS")

STEPHEN DOOCY: You know what Emily Blunt just did? She just Dixie Chicked herself. She has alienated half the country that, now, will think twice about going to one of her movies.

BRIAN KILMEADE: Right, I didn't actually know who she was. I've got to go to more movies.

DOOCY: You've seen her in movies. You've seen her in movies.

KILMEADE: I'm sure she - OK, well, congratulations. You're an American citizen, and you're very unhappy. Do you believe that - will Emily Blunt's feelings about American citizenship blunt the way you feel about her movies?

CORNISH: Oh, boy.

BLUNT: Wow.

CORNISH: OK, so welcome to America.

BLUNT: Yes, thank you. Thank you.

CORNISH: (Laughter).

BLUNT: I really enjoy the freedom of speech. But - no, I - obviously, I think it offended some people. It was definitely not intended that way. It was very much a joke.

CORNISH: But it sounds like - I mean, you were watching the debate. That's a good thing, right?

BLUNT: Yeah.

CORNISH: Like, you're engaged (laughter) in the process.

BLUNT: Yes, absolutely. And I am. I mean, actually becoming an American was such a meaningful day for me. And I was thrown an American party by my husband. He sent an invites to my American party.

CORNISH: Is that spelled M-U-R-I-C-A-N? (Laughter).

BLUNT: Yes, it was, yeah.

CORNISH: OK, OK.

BLUNT: And I made sloppy joes, which I'd never made before...

CORNISH: (Laughter).

BLUNT: ...Which were really fun (laughter). And some mac and cheese, which he made, which was fantastic.

CORNISH: This is very impressive (laughter).

BLUNT: Thank you.

CORNISH: Diving in head first.

Well, Emily Blunt, thank you so much for speaking with us...

BLUNT: Thank you very much.

CORNISH: ...And best of luck with the film.

BLUNT: I appreciate it. Thank you.

CORNISH: "Sicario" opens today in New York and Los Angeles. It will be in more theaters October 2. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.