Harry Potter Director David Yates Leaves Fantasy Behind For Brutal Reality Of Pain Hustlers

You say there are no real villains in «Pain Hustlers,» although Chris Evans’ character, Pete Brenner … He’s pretty despicable. But the amazing thing is, you’re still engaged by him as an audience member, although his behavior is abhorrent. That must have been an enormously difficult thing to balance for both you and Chris, and it’s pretty impressive, the way you find that balance.

The thing about Chris’ portrayal of Pete Brenner is he relished that opportunity to flex those kinds of sleazy muscles in pursuit of a character who’s, on one level, incredibly unpleasant — but on another, you can’t help but feel for him. All his relationships are transactional. There’s a lovely scene Chris plays with Emily [Blunt] on a balcony, and the lines that [screenwriter] Wells [Tower] wrote were so poignant in a way when he says, «We finally got there. We won.»

He represents this group of people who have always been undervalued [and] underappreciated, and he’s had to fight. He’s had to take this course he’s taken because it’s tough in that business he’s in. You weirdly [embrace him], and Chris has so much natural charisma, so he can get away with being sleazeball and yet still keep us with him. That is all down to Chris’ ability to find — even in that human being that he’s betraying — a bit of humanity.