Chris Evans Opens Up On Directing His First Movie

Lately, Chris Evans has been known for wielding his vibranium shield in a stars-and-stripes-clad uniform as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Recently, though, Evans traded his superhero status for a jazz-playing leading man in the low-key romantic comedy, Before We Go. Fans who are used to seeing him in movies like Avengers: Age of Ultron and Snowpiercer, be warned: watching him in a more romantic setting takes some getting used to. Sure, he was in the indie comedy Playing it Cool just last March, but he hasn't done a rom-com truly meant for the masses since What's Your Number with Anna Faris back in 2011. So it's safe to say that Before We Go is a total 180 from Evans's action-packed movies like Ultron and The Winter Soldier.

Still, the film — which Evans directed, as well — isn't exactly a brightly lit, saccharine-laced, boy-meets-girl movie for the Cosmo-chugging crowds. It's more of an intimate, cinéma vérité-style fare where trumpet-toting Nick (Evans) and the harried Brooke (Alice Eve) run into each other in Manhattan's Grand Central late at night. She's stranded and in need of a ride home to Boston after her purse has been stolen. He's looking to do something to take his mind off of his ex-girlfriend. As the night unfolds, they have mini-adventures throughout the city. They trek through the streets, learn personal details about each other's lives and develop an unexpected bond.

As Evans's directorial debut, Before We Go vibes with other "strangers-meet-and-connect-instantly" movies like Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise series. The movie took its first bow at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, but will be released in theaters on Sept. 4, and it works well as a palette cleanser to the CGI-packed movies of the summer (including Evans' own Ant-Man and Age of Ultron). Check out my interview with Evans as he talks about why he chose to direct Before We Go, his experience as a first-time filmmaker and being, in his words, a total "control freak."

Image: Radius-TWC