Warning: Spoilers for Caught StealingBy most accounts, Caught Stealing has proven that director Darren Aronofsky can bring a past-paced crime thriller to the screen with as much competence as he can handle deeper and more unsettling dives into the human condition. The film, about a man caught up in New York City’s criminal underbelly, has earned favorable reviews from critics and audiences alike.
It tells the story of Hank Thompson, played by Austin Butler, who gets much more than he bargained for after agreeing to watch a neighbor’s cat. But the story is full of colorful characters like Zoë Kravitz’s Yvonne, Hank’s girlfriend. Their relationship is easily one of the movie’s most compelling, as Hank has precious few people on his side.
ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley interviewed Austin Butler and Zoe Kravitz about their work on Caught Stealing (check out our review). The pair dissected meaningful moments between their characters and shared their experiences working on Aronofsky’s latest film.
Zoë Kravitz Explains Yvonne & Hank’s Relationship Shift
In Caught Stealing, Yvonne, a paramedic, dates Hank Thompson, a bartender. Their banter is specific, with Hank saying “I’ll call you later” and Yvonne responding “You’ve got my number.” It’s different the last time they interact, however, with “You’ve got my number” replaced with a single “Mhm-hmm.”
There was a reason for this, Zoë Kravitz revealed. “I feel like she’s really questioning if he’s going to be okay–I think she’s worried about him in general–but I think she also realizes tha they’re not on the same page, and maybe won’t be on the same page.”
“Even the concept of ‘Call you later, you have my number,’ I think, is Yvonne saying ‘The ball is in your court. I’m not going to call you. You call me. You know how I feel. When you get there, let me know.’”
In Kravitz’s mind, “That’s kind of her being a little bit fed up with that dynamic.”
Austin Butler Reveals How He Got Into Character In Caught Stealing
Austin Butler’s Caught Stealing character is less of a physical departure than some of his best-known roles. His looks as Feyd-Rautha in Dune: Part Two and Elvis Presley in Elvis, for example, required very specific changes to the actor’s look. Hank Thompson was a different story.
To get into Thompson’s mindset, Butler said, “I approached him just trying to understand him as much as possible; what really makes him tick.” And that wasn’t always easy, he revealed: “There were certain things that he does that I felt I would go, ‘Why are you doing that, man? This is the right way to do it.’”
“I even almost wanted to approach the writing and change things,” Butler continued, “but then I realized those are human things. Those are the messiness of us as human beings.”
“[It made me] look at myself and go, ‘Oh, man, I’ve had so many times where I’ve done stupid things, or made mistakes, or been imperfect.’”
Caught Stealing Stars Reflect On Their Origins
Hank Thompson is a former high school sports star, who had huge potential in the world of baseball before a career-ending injury. His character is partially defined by those formative years and, in that spirit, Kravitz and Butler were asked about their most consequential early career moments.
“I still feel that I have so much to learn,” Butler said, “so I look back and I just see each thing as a learning experience.”
“I look back and I see each thing as a learning experience where, at the time, I know I was doing my best, but … you have to make mistakes in order to learn, and I’ve made so many of those on camera.”
“All of it is documented,” Butler continued, “moments of not having truth or whatever, and then it’s like nails on a chalkboard. And you go back the next day, and you’re trying to find it more.”
Kravitz didn’t disagree. “I think [with] all your early jobs, it’s not necessarily just about what you see on screen. It’s also about taking that risk, getting the experience of being on a set, and deciding who you want to be as an actor, and how you work with directors and all of that.”
“I think you learn so much in those early jobs,” she added, “even if you’re a day player with one line, you’re learning a lot.”
Caught Stealing is in theaters now.
Source: ScreenRant Plus
