Lucas Bravo attends the Ami Alexandre Mattiussi spring/summer men’s show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 22, 2023.
François Durand/Getty Images
It’s one of those perfect mornings in Cannes. The sun is shining, there is a light sea breeze, and the streets are not yet filled with pedestrians rushing to screenings or official festival business. Lucas Bravo captures the calm energy of the city when he emerges from the back of a spacious second-floor apartment, a stone’s throw from the Croisette. He sits on the sofa opposite The Hollywood Reporter for what will be his first conversation about his selection at the Cannes Film Festival, The balconies.
The writer, filmmaker and actress Noémi Merlant, known for Portrait of a lady on firedirected Balconies, which focuses on a Marseille district in the middle of a summer heatwave. Three roommates gleefully meddle in their neighbors’ lives from their balcony until a late-night drink turns into a bloody affair. Bravo – who turned out to be a dashing lover, Gabriel, on Netflix Emilie in Paris opposite Lily Collins – plays the role of a neighbor of the women and says he is very proud of the film, which he describes as “bold” and totally creative. His work might surprise his Emilie in Paris fans since the French actor spends the entire film covered in sweat, eyeliner and nothing else.
Below, Bravo explains why he said yes to getting naked, grew up in nearby Nice, and rose to the top spot on the call list by playing a notorious jewel thief in the upcoming film. Sulak for another actress turned director, Mélanie Laurent.
Having grown up in France, what is it like to be at the Cannes Film Festival with a film?
You grow up with the image of Cannes and all the new wave filmmakers, these extraordinary actors and all the films you grew up with. The first images you have are of the red carpet. In pictures it seems endless and you don’t know what it really looks like, or how big it really is, or where it is located in the city. Finding out what it really looks like from the outside is interesting. Being French, I am from Nice, I was born one hour from Cannes. I haven’t spent much time here but it kind of feels like coming home. There is an excitement and a curiosity, but at the same time, coming from Nice, it’s an air that I know how to breathe.
Talk to me about The balconies …
In fact, you’re the first person I’ve told about this. I saw the film three days ago. You always know what you shot and the experience you had, but you never know what the director is going to do with it. This was the first time I watched a film where I felt like it completely overstepped the plot. She created something very creative in every aspect: the outfits, the soundtrack, the way the camera moves, the way she directed us. Everything is unique. Everything is bold. I’m quite proud of it. I’m glad it’s showing up at midnight, when people have had a few drinks and are ready to applaud.
I read a description that said it was very Euphoria-as?
I don’t want to speak for Noémi, but what I feel is that there is a kind of dystopia in there. It’s not in the future, it’s not far away. It’s not Black mirror, but there’s something otherworldly about it. I guess in terms of Euphoria, the outfits are expensive and the makeup is crazy. This is the first time I’ve done an entire film with a lot of eyeliner. It was fun. It takes place in Marseille during the summer, so there was a lot of sweat. We sweated in every scene and they kept saying, “More sweat.” No more sweat. This created an atmosphere that one couldn’t help but become absorbed in from the start.
What was it like working with Noémi?
At her age and with the expectations placed on her, she put everything on the line. She also followed through on her ideas. As a director it can be difficult because the cinematographer has an idea and everyone wants to influence you. As a woman, you may not always feel confident or respected to the level that you should be, and she stood up for her ideas and went all the way. She really described her mind and how it works.
You have worked with several actor-directors. Is it easier to perform when you’re working for someone who knows what it’s like?
Yes, I think the answer is in the question. When you’re in an actor’s shoes, you know exactly how to talk to them. I think the actors understand that you can’t apply the same direction to all the actors. Noémi knows that each actor has a different process, so she adapted her notes and her way of directing each of us. Some need to be encouraged, some need to be pushed, some need to be tricked. I got to witness it and it was so interesting.
What was your favorite day on set?
My favorite day was also the worst day. I don’t want to give up on the film too much but there’s a scene where we’re all in blood. We filmed for two days with blood on the floor. To make fake blood they use a lot of sugar and it was 42 degrees Celsius that day. No air conditioning, nothing. We shot in an old chocolate factory converted into a studio at the last minute. Staying in that kind of goo was crazy. It was such a struggle that I think it bonded us all.
And your favorite scene?
After seeing it for the first time, it’s too hard for me to choose. The film is made up of many iconic scenes. There are five scenes that I love where she invites you to dream while tackling important subjects like the discovery of freedom and nudity. …I realize how crazy it is to talk about it for the first time, I don’t know what to say…
How is nudity factored into the story? Are the women naked? You?
Well, you’ll see. Are you going to see it here in Cannes?
Yes, I will go tomorrow evening.
OK, you’ll see. There was a moment when Noémi called me mid-shoot. I was already undressed a lot in the film because it’s summer and we’re sweating. It was a very funny phone call because it was 2 a.m. and she said, “I thought about this movie and the girls are naked a lot. It would be fair for you to show more, but I wanted to call you to see if you’re okay with this? Are you OK ? There’s nothing I’m less comfortable with than being naked on screen. But I think fear is an indicator of which direction to take. She’s right. It’s only fair in this day and age, if everyone is playing this game in the movie of showing more skin, I should step up and show more skin too.
How much skin?
Just the right amount. If I tell you this, I also have to tell you one of the main plots of the film.
How did you prepare?
I knew about the movie two months in advance, so I called a trainer and went to the gym every day in the morning. Then I started boxing at the same time and did yoga with another coach. I wanted to be present while filming my scenes, so I thought if I was too scared and felt too self-conscious about my body, I wouldn’t be able to give my all in the scenes. So I wanted to eliminate that by feeling more athletic. Everyone has different trauma and mine is my body. I don’t always feel in touch with that. So I try to eliminate that as much as possible by exercising.
Everyone places such importance on what women wear at Cannes. What will you wear? I know you have relationships with brands like Ami and Zegna. How did you decide?
That’s a good question because it’s not very organic. When you’re an actor and you see all these beautiful people on screen and rocking beautiful outfits, behind closed doors you realize that it’s quite a circuit. It’s hard for me to try things because I’m dealing with my situation and my body and everything. I found a great relationship with Zegna and they made me a beautiful costume. I like sobriety. I like elegant, a little Italian. I don’t want to make a fashion statement. It’s important to stay who you are in this kind of dynamic. There are flashes. There are a lot of things that make the brain feel unsafe in this kind of environment, so it’s important to have some nice armor to help you cope with such an intense moment.
Besides, this seems like a good time for you in your career. You have a film in Cannes, the fourth season of Emilie in Paris arrives and you have just finished your first leading role in a film as the main character in Mélanie Laurent’s film Sulak. What did you know about this man, one of the most famous criminals in French history?
I didn’t know about him. Mélanie brought it to my attention in a very clever way. She knows I like poetry, being weird, sitting alone and looking at trees. She sent me some little poems that he had written while he was in prison. He was an incredibly sensitive writer. He had this sense of observation and contemplation that I really connect with. I read the poems and asked him, “Who wrote that?” It’s absolutely incredible. She told me it was a criminal from the 80s and she wanted me to play that role. It’s hard to imagine that he was a criminal, so to speak, and I don’t even like to use that word because he was a messenger of freedom, of freedom at the time when supermarkets were starting to exist and make capitalism evolve. He was the messenger of an older and better world, probably one of the last messengers of the 70s and he inspired many people. He was not a violent, armed man. It was the best role I ever had to play.
What did you learn from being number one on the call list?
Like I said, it’s still hard for me to feel legitimate. My hair and makeup artist always joked about it because they saw how…
Gn entert
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