In Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters, Corvette (Keke Palmer), Sade (Naomi Ackie), and Mariah (Taylour Paige) are the Velvet Gang, boosting clothes from Bay Area stores and reselling them. As fashion mogul Christie Smith (Demi Moore) comes after them, they expand their operation, looping in Jianpu (Poppy Liu) and Violeta (Eiza González) as they realize this is much bigger than their personal battle.
Awards Buzz spoke with Palmer, Ackie, Paige, Liu, and González about the incredible and unique experience of being part of this film and working with director Boots Riley. Liu used a food metaphor that got everyone distracted thinking about lunch:
“With Boots, it’s very much like, trust the process. There are so many things that are explained in the stage directions, but it’s actually just in his mind. So it’s kind of giving a big spaghetti meal, we’re all just an individual noodle and you don’t know the bigger thing that you’re a part until the dish is made.”
Paige echoed how his writing is deliberate but then the actresses get to run with it and leave their imprint on these characters:
“There was so much freedom. It was on the page. Everyone was specific but then you got to take it and cut it and make it your own. And he really invited it. Oh, that’s an interesting way of saying that. Lots of improv, lots of your own interpretation of the character, which was really nice.”
This conversation with these five women is just a snapshot of what this color-heavy satire is like as a film. Watch the video above to hear about which colors defined each character and what made-up things from the film these actresses would like to see exist in real life.
NEON will release I Love Boosters in theaters on Friday, May 22nd.
