Relatable antagonists can win over audiences, leading viewers to question whether they should be supporting them in the first place. Unlike villains, who are simply on the wrong side of the coin, these characters work against the interests of those we want to see protected, but aren’t entirely ruthless. Dave Bautista’s role of Leonard in call the booth is definitely that of an antagonist, and when I was shooting the 2023 new movie release Bautista struggled, but ultimately succeeded, with poise that comes with such a figure.
Leonard remains an utterly commanding character in the traditional sense, especially with the built figure of Bautista inhabiting the role. But under his massive exterior flows a stream of willing, but also moderate authority. During universal call the booth Press day this past weekend, I sat down with Dave Bautista to discuss his performance in director M. Night Shyamalan’s adaptation of author Paul Tremblay’s book. The cabin at the end of the world. Speaking on the subject, he told Gossipify how to overcome the fatigue of such a delicate role:
That’s what I struggled with, because sometimes my gut was telling me to be more emotional, or be more vocal, more aggressive, or crumble a little bit. And he always reminded me to remember that Leonard feels a responsibility to be in charge. He has to be, he’s responsible for all these people. He’s in charge of making sure that he works, that these people really believe he’s there out of sincerity and that he really means it, he believes what he’s saying, so he can’t crack. So that was kind of my battle.
When we are introduced to Leonard and his classmates a call the booth to discard , is a decoration halfway between the sinister and the soft. Soon, Dave Bautista’s character is collecting grasshoppers with Wen (Kristen Cui), the young adopted daughter of Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and Eric (Jonathan Groff).
They bond over friendly and innocent matters until the rest of the group shows up in the woods. As the energy of the scene becomes more menacing, with Leonard warning Wen that he needs her parents to let them into the cabin, he’s never fully menacing.
Collectively, the four horsemen of the possible apocalypse have weapons and some fighting skills. Even as we watch them progress through the drama that lies at the heart of call the booth, we learn more about each team member. Another good example of this premise at work is Rupert Grint’s performance as the Redmond hothead that also surfaced during this press event.
As Julian, his character in the Apple TV+ series M. Night Shyamalan/Tony Basgallop Waiter, Redmond is another Grint role that is “ugly, with caveats.” Obviously the most passionate of the four-person test team, we still see Redmond breaking down and explaining himself as one person to get Andrew and Eric to choose sacrifice.
Rupert Grint described a similar fight as Dave Bautista mentioned with his performance. From your point of view, this is the challenge call the booth Provided playing Redmond:
So yeah, that’s interesting, but we see a little bit of vulnerability. He’s someone reforming himself, trying to be a better person. Just the fact that he’s there. There’s a lot of interesting stuff going on and a little bit of a rage too, because it can always feel like a one-note thing. So it always finds colors, which is good. …it’s such a difficult challenge for me to tackle, I really don’t know where to start. And he’s also the worst person to have in this kind of situation. You would really feel a little defensive around him. Because it’s about negotiating and trying to get these people to understand and believe, and it’s impossible. So it’s a very interesting dynamic.
Balancing the tone between frantic concern and cool, focused action, Dave Bautista and his co-stars are compelling antagonists. You can see this energy everywhere call the booth trailer , but is also shown in some short clips that were used to market the film. Here’s a moment from the beginning of the film, when Ben Aldridge and Jonathan Groff have the opportunity to sacrifice a member of their family for the first time:
With call the booth Already garnering enthusiastic reactions from its first screenings, the work of Dave Bautista and his co-stars seems to have paid off. You can experience the horror and anguish for yourself at a theater near you as the latest M. Night Shyamalan airs this weekend. While you’re at it, watch Mr. Bautista buzz Dune: second part, another film sure to get moviegoers into theaters later this year.
Source: Cinemablend
