“Collateral Beauty,” directed by Oscar-winner David Frankel (“The Devil Wears Prada”), opens nationwide Dec. 16. The film could be described as a holiday drama that puts a new spin on the iconic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” because on the surface, the story focuses on themes that touch us all—love, time and death—but without the nostalgic, innocent charm of the aforementioned classic.
“Collateral Beauty” keeps it real and therefore modern. On the deeper level it’s about a soul trying to reconstruct his life after unforeseen events shattered his dreams into a trillion pieces, all being scattered by a hurricane-like wind force, flinging them into the very fabric of the universe —beyond the reach of time as we know it.
When Howard (Will Smith), a successful New York advertising executive, suffers an unthinkable tragedy, he retreats from his personal life and running his successful company. Everything around him seems to wither and his closest colleagues and longtime business partners, Whit (Edward Norton), Claire (Kate Winslet) and Simon (Michael Pena) are desperate to help him reconnect. When they discover that Howard has been writing letters to Love, Time and Death, they decide to create a unique approach to intervention. The movie also features Naomie Harris as a woman who organizes meetings for those dealing with the impact of grief.
Once Love, Time and Death literally pay Howard a visit, things begin to heat up as he ponders whether what he’s experiencing is real or a sign that he’s finally losing his slippery grip on reality.
Love is played by Keira Knightley (“The Imitation Game”), Death by Helen Mirren (“The Queen”) and Time by Jacob Latimore.
Howard feels the most cheated by Time, and his letters to Time are the harshest, aiming his anger and accusations and asking what we all feel deeply inside and would ask, Time, if we had an opportunity: “Why do you go so fast, and why can’t we go back and change time?”
When Latimore first came on the scene he was identified as a “breakout star” by the AmNews, Variety, IndieWire and the Wrap. As one of the rising actors of his generation, he just completed work on Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow’s untitled drama and will also been seen in the dramatic comedy “Krystal,” which will mark William H. Macy’s directorial debut.
Here is what Latimore had to share about playing Time in Frankel’s thought-provoking supernatural, family drama “Collateral Beauty.”
AmNews: How did you get this role, Jacob?
Latimore: I had to audition for David [Frankel] and I was nervous because I really loved the script because it has so many twists. I was walking out of the door and David said, “Hey, do you know how to skateboard?” And inside my head, I said “no” but as an actor, we’re taught to say yes to everything. Once I booked the film, I learned how to ride a skateboard.
AmNews: What did you learn while working with Will, Edward, Kate, Michael, Keira and Helen Mirren?
Latimore: What did I learn? What didn’t I learn. As an actor this was a tremendous learning opportunity and on the set, I would watch all of them. I soaked up so much. It was fascinating watching how they could take a scene, observe it, break it down and explain it to me in a more simplified way. It opened the story for me, and I was able to look at the screenplay from many sides.
AmNews: What do you think about time, your character? How was he shaped?
Latimore: Will had a lot to do with what my character, Time. How he dressed and what he had to say, and how he delivered the lines. Will is a very creative soul. He is fun but very spiritual deep. So, again, he was very influential with shaping what I [Time] had to say. I think my favorite line is, “Love is creation, Death is destruction and I [Time] am just the terrain in between.”