The Better Angels marks the directorial debut of A.J. Edwards, a long time protégé of Terrence Malick. Filmed in beautiful black and white, it focuses on the childhood of one of America’s greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln.
In the harsh wilderness of Indiana, we see how the hardships and the people closest to Abraham came to shape his life. His father, Tom (Jason Clarke), proves to be a strict disciplinarian, but his mother, Nancy (Brit Marling), and later his stepmother, Sarah (Diane Kruger), come to give him the love and guidance he needs. Like many of Malick’s films, Edwards’ first effort sweeps over beautiful landscapes with subtle narration and aims to leave a lasting impression on audiences everywhere.
The press day for The Better Angels was recently held at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, and while there I landed an exclusive interview with Clarke, Marling and Wes Bentley, who plays Abraham’s schoolteacher, Mr. Crawford. It was fascinating to hear them speak about how making this movie proved to be very different from other projects they’ve worked on in the past, and also what it was like playing characters that live in a world without technology.
Check it out in the video above and be sure to catch The Better Angels when it opens in theatres this Friday!