John Krasinski & Natalie Portman star in ’80s-style action-adventure romp Fountain of Youth
When starring in a Guy Ritchie movie, there is no mistaking the English director for any other filmmaker. “Guy comes dressed to set as if he’s a character in the movie,” says Fountain of Youth star Natalie Portman. “He wouldn’t wear his life preserver when we were on the water, so they made him one that was houndstooth or plaid so it would go with his outfit.” It was Ritchie’s involvement — more as a director than a fashion-maker — that also played the largest part in John Krasinski coming onboard the action-adventure film. “A key ingredient is to have someone have a vision of, ‘Why is this different and why is this fun?’ and bring his own personality to every single shot in every single location,” says Krasinski. “To be in a Guy Ritchie version of this genre is what made it so unique and fun for me.”
Another key factor for the actors was the relationship between brother and sister, in the film about estranged siblings Luke and Charlotte Purdue reluctantly joining forces to help a wealthy corporate raider with a terminal illness (Domhnall Gleeson) find the fountain of youth. But for Krasinski to be paired up with Portman for the ride, was a dream come true. “A very key ingredient is chemistry between actors, which was super easy with Natalie,” he says. “She’s one of my favourite actors of all time. And then to get to laugh with her as much as I did was so much fun.”
It is a good thing these two were able to see the humour in their collaboration, as both were tasked with some wet and wild stunts that were career-firsts. “For me it was very, very different because anything I’ve done on this scale has had so much CGI and this was in real places with real people,” says Portman. “When we were in the car in Liverpool doing stunt sequences, that was genuine screaming terror from me, because we were really whipping around corners in a chase. It was really exciting to get to experience those sequences.”
Krasinski had the added challenge of turning many of his action sequences into flirty foreplay with sexy antagonist Esme, played by Eiza González, who wants to get the fountain first. “Eiza is amazing,” raves Krasinski. “It is very hard to do action sequences, period, but fight scenes are very difficult because you don’t know how the other actor’s going to react. She trained so hard for all those action sequences, and is also incredibly talented as an actress. What was really fun about the fight scenes is that you very rarely get the fight scenes being the most romantic parts of the movie, so to have all these moments where the real love story was in these near-death fight scenes was really fun.”
The theme of eternal youth is something the media tackles daily, but for Portman, their quest in the film is not appearance-based. “One of the things the movie talks about, that I love, is the metaphor [of youth], which is looking for that wonder that we have as young people,” she says. “That passion, curiosity and sense of adventure, that’s what we’re actually looking for. I like to think that the external search for it is actually a misplaced internal search. What we really want is to feel that awe of the world and put it in a cosmetic way.” The pursuit of youth was a conversation the cast had daily, on set. “What it really came down to for me, is this idea of enlightenment, that you realize now that you’re living in a moment that is potentially the most joyful of your life, so act accordingly,” says Krasinski. “I thought that was really inspiring.”
For Portman, having a thriving career in her 40s, where she is still learning new skills, is something that has taken her by surprise. “I definitely thought I would’ve retired by now,” she says. “But I still like it. What’s been the big surprise is how exciting, fun, interesting, meaningful filmmaking still is to me. The opportunity to create with other people is so magical. I haven’t found anything else quite like it in terms of creative expression.”
Since their height in the 1980s, action-adventure films have had a hard time living up to the standards of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Goonies. Krasinski hopes this film will reignite that trend. “They don’t make them very much anymore,” he muses. “These were the movies I got into movies for — I used to pretend to be in movies like this. To actually be in a movie like this is thrilling. And I do hope that they keep making them because there’s definitely a need for them. Now, more than ever, you want to be transported, to go someplace you’ve never been and meet people you’ve never met. That’s the exciting part of this movie.”
Fountain of Youth, streaming on Apple TV+