Written by Jesus Figueroa
Actress Yvette Yates took a brilliant approach to her role in "Inherent Vice" by doing adequate research and finding a way to make her small role stand out.
Luz, played by Yates, is one of the prominent Hispanic role in "Inherent Vice." Luz is not on screen too much, but Yates uses her stunning appearance and great acting skills to make her presence known.
"When I first read for it (the part of Luz) for Cassandra Kulukundis, it was a cold read, no script or anything. All I had was, I could do research about the book and the time period, especially for a young Chicana," Yates said. "When I got the role, I got the book right away and I delve into it. Then talking with Paul (Thomas Anderson) about her character and not making it stereotypical just because she is a Chicana, but she is in the United States. It was important to make her an American girl."
Yates took a strong role which interacted with Doc, played by Joaquin Phoenix, and still drew in much attention while up on the screen. Her presence popped out of the screen and became eye catching and memorable.
Yates said that there were multiple takes of each scene and each take was done a different way so that everyone could get their input on what would finally end up on screen.
"He (Paul Thomas Anderson) allows for the creative flow to happen naturally," Yates said.
She enjoyed the fact that Anderson not only stayed true to the book by Thomas Pincher, but also allowed it to take its own form and its own life.
Yates said that although the content of the book was different, Anderson had a vision and was true to that vision. The scenes were done so many different ways it was unclear to her which one would end up being on screen.
"There was definitely no apprehension. I welcomed being part of something like this," Yates said.
The excitement of working with such a spectacular cast and crew was a thrill for Yates. She said she was able to share the excitement with her parents who were thrilled when she got the part.
For Yates, it was so easy going on set.
"To work with someone like Joaquin Phoenix, he's done such amazing and there was just such ease to him," Yates said.
As Yates prepared to create this character from a time where things were changing she tried to take as much of the time period in. She created her character and brought her own ideas to it.
"I think that when I was delving into Luz, I really felt home. She is a Chicana. I kind of layered that into who she is," Yates said. "She's a free spirit, but she's very grounded. Family is very important in our culture (Chicano). I looked into the background and there were a lot of boundaries being set. She wasn't necessarily following those lines. Luz is almost the next generation of that time."
Yates said that she has see. The movie three times, and her parents were about to go see it too, what made the movie so good for her is,
"I think it's the journey, you just have to enjoy the moment. It's a movie about where he (Doc) is heading towards. Just enjoy the beauty of every moment and you will be able to absorb it. Each time you watch it you'll be able to figure out something else, just discover something else."
