Chloe Moretz’s silver screen coming-of-age

Chloe Grace Moretz is amazingly self-possessed for being all of 17 years old. She virtually grew up in front of a camera before shooting to international acclaim as the lethal, katana-wielding Hit Girl in 2010’s Kick-Ass. The films that followed showcased her tremendous versatility and commitment to bringing complex characters to life, such as the 12-year-old vampire Abby in Let Me In; the curious, intrepid Isabelle in Martin Scorsese’s Hugo; and the disturbed, psychokinetic Carrie White in the latest reimagining of Stephen King’s Carrie.

Her latest movie, If I Stay, represents something of a departure for Moretz as she brings to life the coming-of-age journey of Mia Hall, the gifted young cellist at the heart of the story. In some ways, Mia’s journey parallels Moretz’s own.

“I found acting when I was five and Mia found the cello when she was eight,” she said. “I love playing a character who is independent, strong and with so much drive to pursue her dreams. She’s really a teenager for the 21st century. So, I really connected with her on that level emotionally.”

The film is based on Gayle Forman’s New York Times best-selling novel of the same name — a moving, emotional story about first love, conflicting passions and the unpredictability of fate — which has been translated into 30 languages and riveted teens, tweens and young adult fiction fans the world over. Given the novel’s history and dedicated following, Moretz knew her portrayal of Mia would be critical to fulfilling its promise to a generation of readers. Though she’d met If I Stay director RJ Cutler before, the two formed an immediate bond over their shared love of Forman’s novel and the role music plays in the story as well as in both their lives.

“I loved everything about this project,” she said. “I think RJ is an amazing director and Gayle Forman is a fantastic writer. Also, I love making movies for teenagers; a movie that my friends and their mums can go see.”

Her cast-mate in the film, Jamie Blackley, is a rising young British star with a number of credits under his belt, including Bill Condon’s The Fifth Estate and the blockbuster Snow White And The Huntsman. In If I Stay, Blackley plays Adam, a rock musician and singer who falls in love with Mia and helps the shy cellist come out of her shell. “I think he sees himself in her and her interest in music,” Blackley said of his character. “What attracts him more than physically is just her level of interest in her instrument and her music.”

Though they crack jokes and banter throughout the interview, on screen their chemistry is palpable, which was clear from Blackley’s first “chemistry read” with Moretz.

“The minute Jamie walked out of the room, I looked at R J and said, ‘There’s no one else for this role,’” Moretz remembers. “He was just Adam. He brings charm and a real soulfulness to the film. He can also sing and play guitar like a rock star.”

Blackley demurred: “I can play some basic chords and get by. And I’ve watched a bunch of frontmen. So it was just taking little bits from guys whom I liked, like The Strokes. I wanted to just bring loads of energy to the concert scenes. That was so much fun. Eventually, the crowd started singing the songs, which was such an adrenaline rush.”

Moretz practised on the cello twice a day in Skype sessions with her coach, but beyond the technical aspects, the real challenge was relating to the instrument itself. “The cello is a very intimate instrument, especially for a woman,” she explained. “I mean, you’re fully embracing this instrument with your whole body. I had to really get comfortable with that idea. It’s an extension of Mia’s body. And it breathes with you; it moves with you; it dances with you. But I also had the benefit of an amazing performance double in Haigen Day. She made me look really good.”

Music itself is like a third main character in the storyline, whether through Mia’s love for Beethoven or Adam’s punk rock roots and the spirited performances. Said Cutler: “As I would often tell the cast and crew, in the world of If I Stay, music is the air that people breathe.”

The emotional layers Cutler expressed through the music even affected the book’s author who, after watching the finished film, was quoted as saying: “One of the best things about the movie is getting to hear all the great music you don’t get to hear when you read the book. The way they brought the music to life gives the story a whole new dimension.”

The young actors hope the film checks all those boxes for fans of the book as well as those encountering Mia and Adam’s story for the first time. “Hopefully, the film will evoke the feeling that the audience is going on this journey with us, and that they’ll come away with a little bit of hope and heartbreak,” said Blackley. “And I hope fans of the book will come out of the cinema thinking, ‘That’s the movie I wanted to see.’”

“The book reached out to me and touched my heart in the same way a lot of people discovered it,” Moretz added. “And books are so personal. They’re like your babies. I’ve had friends say, ‘I really love this book. I hope you do it justice — don’t mess it up.’

“So, it’s a little nerve-racking — but also such an honour.” Interview transcript courtesy of Warner Bros Singapore

If I Stay opens in cinemas tomorrow.