STACK #145 Nov 2016

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DVD&BD FEATURE

THE SWEDISH STARLET

The Swedish

Alicia Vikander seems to be showing up more and more of late – and we just can't get enough of her. Ex Machina As the sensuous and robotic Ava, Vikander took the Turing Test to determine if Artificial Intelligence is in fact intelligent.

Girl

Rising star Alicia Vikander was in Sydney earlier this year to promote the release of her new film, Jason Bourne . STACK was lucky enough to talk with her about what it means to be a part of the Bourne franchise, and how the films remain relevant to the state of the world. Words Alesha Kolbe

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. As the daughter of a Nazi scientist, and a mechanic to boot, Vikander caught the eye of rival spies Armie Hammer and Henry Cavill.

J ason Bourne is director Paul Greengrass’s third film in the franchise, following The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum , and Matt Damon's fourth round in the title role. It also introduces Swedish actress Alicia Vikander to the franchise as the CIA’s head of cyber ops. Vikander is quick to admit she’d always wanted to be a part of the series – “I was so happy that they were making a new one. Matt [Damon] and Paul Greengrass teaming up again was big news”– and was thrilled to meet with the director in London to discuss the possibility of being involved. “I got to sit there and tell him how big a fan I was of his work, and what he’s done with these films – I even brought up that he said years ago that he’d

time: “I was just walking around and suddenly I see this guy with a cap on, and I immediately got that thrill – I thought to myself, ‘that’s Jason Bourne!’, and then as soon as I saw him he was gone.” In researching the role of a CIA operative, Vikander watched YouTube clips of other hackers, and paid close attention to the conferences they attended. “The Deep Dream convention we attend in the movie is basically another name for a similar convention held in Vegas every year. It was cool to watch, because most people in that tech industry are all very young, but have important positions in their work.” Vikander acknowledges how far the tech revolution has come, and the advantage people who can manipulate it have, particularly the ability to compromise security. “The people with knowledge of computer and IT nowadays are the ones in power," she says. "It was pretty extraordinary watching a person who is 25 years old hold a speech about something I don’t know anything about. They’re remarkable people.

The Danish Girl As the wife who helps her conflicted husband discover his feminine side, Vikander deservedly received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Alicia Vikander

Tomb Raider As Lara Croft, Vikander will boldly venture where Angelina Jolie has gone before, while her current boyfriend plays an assassin. Game on!

we did were never really in the same room.” She does confesses to being starstruck, however, when she finally got to shoot a scene with him. “One of the first scenes we filmed was in Vegas. There were a bunch of hidden cameras everywhere, because they wanted people to be walking around and not having to worry about them looking into the lenses. We had lived and worked in this casino for about five weeks – I was in full makeup and costume and everything, and I managed to walk straight into and out of a shot without even knowing.” The fangirl inside her also recalls the moment she saw him

and everything in America at the moment, it’s all very representative of the times.” The prolific actress believes portraying global issues in an accesible “popcorn movie” medium is what the Bourne films do best. “It’s part of the franchise to be able to bring up issues that are accurate and a real threat in the real world – it helps audiences to enjoy it. Jason has become this action hero that I genuinely believe could be out there in the world today.”

never do another one,” she laughs. “I was so happy that he decided to in the end.” As a fan of the Bourne films, Vikander found it somewhat surreal to be working alongside the man himself – Matt Damon. “I’d met Matt backstage, but the scenes that

“I think in one way, with everything that’s going on now, and with the politics

• Jason Bourne is out Nov 23

in character for the first

NOVEMBER 2016

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