| Ticking Clock |
BORED TO DEATH
SOMETIMES I THINK ABOUT DYING
Daisy Ridley dreams of her own demise in Rachel Lambert’s poetic drama…
With Sometimes I Think About Dying, director Rachel Lambert sets out to accomplish a sensitive task: chronicling the lengthy bouts of melancholy that lead Fran (Daisy Ridley) to constantly daydream about her death. ‘I really wanted the film to be not cynical, to be radically sincere,’ said the director of navigating themes of suicide with her adaptation of the 2013 play Killers.
Fran is an office clerk who lives a life as dull as cottage cheese, her favourite food. This tedium has the young woman staring at windows and contemplating her death, the morbid visions poetically brought to life by Lambert. ‘I wanted [Fran’s] visions to not be tormenting or punishing, but to propose a retreat and for her imagination to be a place that could give her a sense of escape – it could be comforting, even.’
She pauses and furrows her brow. ‘It’s my suspicion that when we are consumed with thoughts of dying, what we really are is tormented about living in a way that feels connected. When there is a distance between myself and the world around me, my imagination takes a lot of residence. This only exacerbates the problem with connection.’
According to the director, Ridley, who is of course best-known for her role as Rey in the Star Wars universe, needed no help to flip the switch into such a different character. ‘You don’t need to explain anything to Daisy when it comes to filmmaking. I’m thrilled people are seeing what a true talent and powerhouse she is, in this Old Hollywood style. She’s an actress with innate instincts for understanding the camera, and a wonder of a performer.’
Ridley shares most screentime with Dave Merheje, who plays new office addition Robert. The movieloving newcomer offered not only a fresh outlook on life to Fran, but the chance for Lambert to explore how one’s love of cinema can act as a balm to loneliness. ‘One of Robert’s coping mechanisms is cinema. Perhaps he doesn’t have as rich an inner life as Fran and he seeks that in films. We wanted to highlight the inner spaces we visit when we go to the movies, like when we are getting popcorn and imagine what it’ll be like to go into this dark room with a person.’
‘I really wanted the film to be radically sincere’
RACHEL LAMBERT
This tactile aspect is key for Lambert, who went to lengths to ensure she built walkable sets reflecting the nature of the characters. ‘Exploring the five senses is really the difference between great writing and fine writing,’ she says. ‘I got the script for the film at the end of 2020, and during lockdown there was tension about the things we touched.’ She smiles. ‘By the time the project was ending, it became about celebrating it.’