Ralph Ineson believes women directors make better film sets: Here's why

Hindustan Times

2 hours ago

Ralph Ineson is no stranger to transformation. Beloved in the United Kingdom for his role as Chris 'Finchy' Finch in The Office, the 55-year-old actor recently ascended to Marvel supervillain status as Galactus in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which has taken the box office by storm with a $230 million collection. Ralph Ineson played Galactus in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.(Instagram/@ralph.ineson)
Ineson, weeks later, is now at the Edinburgh Film Festival for the world premiere of Two Neighbors, an indie directed by Ondine Vinao. Inspired by Aesop's fable Avaricious and Envious, the dark comedy stars Euphoria breakout Chloe Cherry, The Witcher's Anya Chalotra, and Ineson himself as devilish 'Genie' who thrives on manipulating greedy partygoers, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Speaking to the publication, Ineson joked that his role in Two Neighbors was a 'hellish role'. He added that his character is a dark entity who is also kind of bored. 'He is very good at his job but working below his level,' Inseson told The Hollywood Reporter.
The budget drop: Marvel vs Indie
The actor, laughing at the financial whiplash, said that he does not think anybody has a budget drop from film to film as he had with The Fantastic Four to Two Neighbors. Ralph Ineson added that despite the remuneration, the job is pretty much the same for him.
Ineson said the size of the production does not define the work for him; he elaborated that the budget only matters if it either compromises on safety or makes it financially untenable.
'Doing a Marvel film gives you the financial freedom to then take on smaller, riskier projects,' Ineson told THR.
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Ineson describes Two Neighbors' script as 'weird and dirty'
Talking about what appealed to him about Two Neighbors, Ineson said Viñao's screenplay was intriguing. He said that he did not understand it entirely and added that the filmmaker has a strong vision and the script was 'fascinating, weird, and dirty'.
The Genie, Inseon told The Hollywood Reporter, was built in collaboration with the filmmaker on Zoom. The Office actor said they leaned into the character's boredom, his sense of doing something beneath him. 'He is like a once-great performer now doing low-rent gigs. Manipulating mortals is not even that fun for him anymore but it is what he does,' Ineson said, further talking about his character.
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Ralph Ineson on why female directors create better sets
One of the most potent impressions from the film, Ineson felt, was that it has a woman's perspective. The Fantastic Four actor told the media outlet that when he watched the film as a viewer, he could tell that it was written and directed by a woman. 'The dialogue on beauty standards and double standards rang true,' Inseson told the publication.
He added that he enjoyed the working atmosphere created by women filmmakers; he said sets of such films are calmer, more reflective, and have less untamed aggression. I
neson said, 'I really enjoy working with women directors… I often find the sets are calmer, a nicer place to be, but also full of reflection. There's less untamed aggression, as there sometimes can be with men directors.'
FAQs
Q1: What role does Ralph Ineson play in Two Neighbors?
He plays the Genie, a devilish, manipulative figure inspired by Aesop's fables.
Q2: How did he describe the film's script?
Ineson called it 'fascinating, weird, and dirty,' praising director Ondine Viñao's vision.
Q3: How does Ralph Ineson compare Marvel to indie projects?
He says the work is the same, but Marvel's big paychecks provide freedom to choose riskier indie projects.