“I Want Someone to Surprise Me”: Jennifer Lawrence Discusses Die My Love, Lynne Ramsay’s Assurance, and the Directors She Hopes to Collaborate With.

      In Die My Love, Jennifer Lawrence portrays Grace, a writer whose life is thrown into chaos with the arrival of a baby, prompting a move to rural Montana to be closer to her husband Jackson's (Robert Pattinson) family. Whether it's a result of a lack of intimacy, postpartum depression, writer's block, mental health issues, or the anxiety that comes from such a sudden change––or a mix of these factors––Grace begins to behave increasingly erratically, raising concern from Jackson and his relatives, including sleepwalking aunt Pam (Sissy Spacek) and Jackson’s father Harry (Nick Nolte), who suffers from dementia. Spacek’s performance as Pam is particularly noteworthy as she is the only one who genuinely tries to understand Grace, despite her shortcomings.

      After reading the book in his book club, Martin Scorsese envisioned Lawrence as the ideal choice for the passionate and frustrated Grace and forwarded the novel to her production company, Excellent Cadaver. Upon securing the film rights, Lawrence reached out to the one director she believed could handle such challenging material: Lynne Ramsay.

      Ahead of the film’s wide release from MUBI this Friday, I had a Zoom conversation with Lawrence about preparing for her role alongside Pattinson, the necessity of filming on 35mm, and the two renowned directors she hopes to collaborate with in the future.

      The Film Stage: When considering a potential role, do you prefer discovering commonalities that connect you to a character, or is it more thrilling to explore a character's mysteries through your performance?

      Jennifer Lawrence: It doesn’t matter much either way. If I find a commonality, I'm surprised, but I don't require it, and I don't mainly draw from my own experiences. The way I would cry over my dog's death would be quite different from how Grace reacts to a similar event. It’s not relevant. You’re simply looking for compelling characters with depth. This book isn’t a traditional narrative; it resonated with me and felt impactful. When I thought about who could execute something so complex, only Lynne Ramsay came to mind. She’s a poet, and I’ve wanted to work with her for a long time. I wasn’t sure if she would agree, but then she said yes.

      What was the on-set process like with Ramsay? She's known for being location-dependent and often alters scenes on the day of shooting, transforming dialogue-heavy moments into silent ones. Were there any specific instances that stood out during production?

      There were countless such moments—like when we were crawling in the grass. We were supposed to be flipping burgers according to the script, but then she stepped into a field, looked at the light, and said, "Let's do this." The way she blocked scenes was amazing; for example, if the script called for "Jackson drops Grace off at the psych hospital," she'd creatively position Rob in the foreground and me in the background while having him squat and smoke a cigarette. She has an incredible talent for cinematography.

      I want someone to catch me off guard. I want someone with the vision and confidence to assert, “No, this should be done differently” at the last minute. If everything were done strictly by the script, it would become monotonous. That reassures me that I’m placing my trust in the right direction.

      The 35mm cinematography enhances Ramsay’s vision. Did securing that aspect pose any challenges with your production company?

      We were immediately on board with it, but since we weren't covering the cost, we knew it would be a hard sell to the financier. Nonetheless, that’s one of Lynne’s greatest strengths, and we wanted her to have every tool available to her.

      As the story is non-linear and showcases Grace's relationship with Jackson pre- and post-baby, how did you manage to separate these two distinct phases as an actor?

      Costumes were incredibly helpful. When Jackson and Grace first arrive in Montana, they clearly stand out from the locals. As time goes on, Grace begins to blend in, adopting clothing that resembles those around her, like the pink cardigan. When I arrived on set, seeing the costumes hanging in the trailer helped ground me.

      What was the preparation process like with Robert Pattinson? You mentioned dancing as part of rehearsal—were there any additional practices that helped define your relationship on screen?

      We didn’t rehearse in the traditional sense; we didn’t read through scenes. Instead, we discussed them. Rob and I are at similar life stages, both being partners and parents. Having that shared experience, although not literal, informed our portrayal and was really beneficial.

      You've admired Ramsay for years, but did anything about her process surprise you in a way that made you think, “Wow, that’s something new”?

      I was taken aback by how hands-off she was, and her confidence in moving on after one good take. That shows a lot of assurance, and rightfully so—if I envision an auteur,