STACK #212 June 2022

MOVIE FEATURE

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A charismatic career criminal, Danny instead offers him a score: the biggest bank heist in Los Angeles' history: US$32 million. But when their getaway goes spectacularly wrong, the desperate brothers hijack an ambulance with a wounded cop clinging to life and Gonzalez’ paramedic onboard. Gyllenhaal and Abdul-Mateen II found it easy to create a brotherly bond. “He is a wonderful guy who has incredible energy and is humble, so it was easy,” says Abdul-Mateen. “I opened my heart to him and vice versa. We both come from very strong families and our siblings mean a lot to us, so we fell into that sibling relationship very easily.” As the paramedic trying to keep everyone alive, Gonzalez reckons she learned a few new tricks. “I could totally do CPR and administer an IV. But I don't know if I would allow myself to cut someone open,” she laughs. “I learned a lot and definitely these are very important things to know that actually could help my life or someone else's. I wouldn't say I'm a paramedic, but I feel very honoured that this role enabled this for my life.” Ambulance utilises a fleet of more than 30 police cars – black and whites and undercover – plus multiple ambulances, as well as many other crash cars and vehicles for stunts, presenting a challenge for the cast. “My stunt driver, Sli Lewis, told me when to brake and how to turn, and he let me get aggressive,” says Abdul-Mateen. “From the first day, they put us out in the open lot and let me drive fast and drive reckless. Every day, we’d buckle up and I’d look at Jake, who had his head in his hands, and we’d hit the road. It was fun.” Adds Gyllenhaal, “We were able to drive 80 miles an hour around closed-off streets, some of which were 15 blocks from where I grew up. That’s a kid’s dream. Growing up, my friends and I would play cops and robbers in our backyards. Now I’m doing it again in an actual movie!” BAYHEM DOWN UNDER?

After a six-year absence, director Michael Bay is back in action with the hyperactive heist-thriller, Ambulance . Words Gill Pringle H aving directed just three movies over the past decade – Transformers: The Last Knight , Transformers: Age of

Extinction and 13 Hours – it took the pandemic to entice filmmaker Michael Bay back behind the camera. After relocating to Miami about 15 years ago, Bay recalls the scary early days of lockdown. “It was bizarre when you think back. It just gives you chills to think, ‘Is that possible? The world shut down?’ But weirdly, it was a time to reflect and relax a bit, even though we were watching the news every single day. I think our lives are very fast, and I think it gave us a time to chill out a little bit, even though it was very, very hard for many people,” he tells STACK . “I was writing a big script and I was tired of staying home, so I said to my agent, 'I just want something that's small and intense’, and he sent me this,” recalls Bay, referring to Chris Fedak’s

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jake Gyllenhaal

Danish thriller Amublancen . While Bay enjoys shooting in his Miami hood, he was eager to get back to his LA roots with this new action-packed heist-thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eiza Gonzalez. “I've done many movies in Miami, but I grew up in Los Angeles and I know it very well. I had not shot a movie there in nine years, and I wanted fresh scenery.

Michael Bay tells us he’d love to shoot a movie in Australia

script for Ambulance , a reimagination of Laurits Munch-Petersen and Lars Andreas Pederson’s script for the 2005

at some stage. “The next one, I might go there. The crews are very good down there and you’ve got some amazing locations. I’m producing a movie,

“LA's got its sexy and shiny, but it's got a seedy underbelly, and I wanted to make a very LA-centric movie. I haven't seen an LA-centric movie in a while,” he adds. At the centre of Ambulance ’s heist is Abdul-Mateen’s decorated war veteran, Will Sharp, who, desperate for money to cover his wife’s medical bills, asks for help from the one person he knows he shouldn’t trust – his adopted brother, Danny (Gyllenhaal).

The Raid , with one of your directors, Patrick Hughes, and he’s going to be shooting it down there. So yeah, I definitely want to shoot down there.”

• Ambulance is out on June 22

16 JUNE 2022

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