Fran spends her days isolated and contemplating her own death.
The movie stars Daisy Ridley, Dave Merheje, Parvesh Cheena, and Marcia DeBonis.
Screen Rantinterviewed director Rachel Lambert along withstar and producer Daisy RidleyaboutSometimes I Think About Dying.
Lambert discussed bringing the story to life on screen and how much freedom the actors had to improvise.
Actually, the whole cast I connected with, and also their interactions are just wonderful.
Daisy, what was it that you connected with when you first read the script?
I had just shot something in Toronto and Toronto was super lockdown, so I was super isolated.
It was just wonderful.
But I read the script and I loved it and I loved Fran, but I loved the world.
Sometimes I Think About Dying is a romantic drama/comedy based on the short film by Stefanie Abel Horowitz. Daisy Ridley stars as Fran, an awkward, introverted office worker who spends her idle time daydreaming about death. When Robert (Dave Merheje) arrives at the company, starts working, and begins to force his kindly nature onto Fran, she finds her bubble slowly being breached - and may even find romantic potential in him.
And I feel like what Rachel made is representative of what I felt when I first read it.
Rachel Lambert: The challenge.
Well, the challenge of it is what you just said.
I totally agree with you.
It’s such a subtle but beautiful moment that comes from that as well.
And Daisy, you deliver that line perfectly.
Can you talk to me about that moment?
I was like, that is the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.
And like you say, there’s poetry in the line, do you wish you could unknow me?
It’s just true.
How will you receive me?
How will you receive this?
And Robert receives her in the most wonderful, warm way possible, which is embracing her.
Now, Rachel, I love these characters because they do feel so real.
And that conference room scene felt like it was taken out of a part of my life.
I had a group interview that was exactly like that conference room scene.
Rachel Lambert: Well, I think everyone had the license to play as much as they wanted.
And so as a result, they were very undaunted by that permission slip.
Let’s come here.
Let’s go to this personality.
I wanted to also create a good atmosphere.
Daisy Ridley: Okay.
To that, Meghan Stalter, queen.
She was talking about texting at the wheel or being at the wheel.
Everyone was literally wetting themselves laughing.
Rachel Lambert: I think that five to 10 minutes did more for building the office.
Daisy Ridley: Yeah.
Rachel Lambert: You have to make those calls.
Daisy Ridley: Mm-hmm.
Rachel Lambert: When Meg went on that tear, I was like, this is just glue.
Daisy Ridley: Yeah.
Rachel Lambert: We’re being given glue.
Rachel Lambert: And as they said, the crew to the performers, it was was lovely.
Now, Daisy, what did you learn about yourself through playing Fran?
Daisy Ridley: Interesting.
And there were times where I was like, are we getting enough coverage?
But I remember thinking, oh, I have to give this up to the breeze.
This is Rachel’s film, this is Rachel’s view of what this film is.
I remember going, oh my f-cking God.
She knew exactly what it was she needed and she knew exactly what it was she wanted.
And every take and every setup was totally intentional.
And the reason we didn’t do tons of different coverage is because Rachel knew what she wanted.
It’s not prescriptive.
And what Rachel did is very individual to her.
And watching the film, I was like, oh, this was perfect.
All the coverage was exactly what it needed to be.
It was so intentional.
Now the only thing standing in their way is Fran herself.
Sometimes I Think About Dyingwill hit theaters on January 26.
