Anna Paquin sinks her teeth into a meaty, complex protagonist in Flack, writes George Fenwick.
In the opening scene of Flack, we find Robyn (Anna Paquin), our protagonist, in full crisis mode. She saves lives in the scene – literally and metaphorically – trying to control what could become a major drug and sex scandal for her footballer client. Her work done, she exits the hotel room, stopping briefly to take some of the drugs for herself.
At once, we're introduced to the complicated, morally questionable character of Robyn, an American-born, London-based publicist, who spends her days dousing fires for clients desperate to retain their fame and status. She's strict but empathetic, and very, very good at her job. But her personal life is another world entirely; she's a recovering addict, continually falling behind because of her impulsive, self-destructive choices.
"Every time you get on an aeroplane, they tell you to put your own oxygen mask on first before assisting others. That is fundamentally a lesson Robyn has never learned," says Paquin. "She has completely neglected to take care of her personal life in any meaningful way."
She's the sort of meaty, complex character Paquin is continually hungry for and, frustratingly, the kind that's more scarce for actresses. "It's more of a new thing for female protagonists in film and TV to be complicated and flawed and emotionally truthful," she says.