Martin Freeman has come to the defense of his new film, Miller’s Girl.
The erotic thriller follows the story of an affair between a student, played by Jenna Ortega, and a teacher, played by Freeman. The movie has been mired in controversy for that exact reason—for its illicit plotline and the 31-year age difference between its two lead actors.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Freeman explained that the movie is “grown-up and nuanced.” He continued, “It’s not saying, ‘Isn’t this great?’"
“And that’s a shame,” the 52-year-old added, pointing to the many films that depict difficult subject matter without endorsing it, like Schindler’s List. “Are we gonna have a go at Liam Neeson for being in a film about the Holocaust?”
Miller’s Girl was written and directed by Jade Halley Bartlett, and produced by Mary-Margaret Kunze and Seth Rogen. The cast also includes Dagmara Domińczyk, Bashir Salahuddin, and Gideon Adlon.
The film’s intimacy coordinator, Kristina Arjona, previously commented on Ortega’s involvement in mapping out the intimate scenes.
“There [were] many, many people throughout this process, engaging with [Ortega] to make sure that it was consistent with what she was comfortable with, and she was very determined and very sure of what she wanted to do,” Arjona told the Daily Mail earlier this year. “I’m hyper-aware of both of my talent and making sure that we’re consistently checking in and that at no point are any of their boundaries being surpassed.”
Miller's Girl is now streaming on Netflix.
