‘Motor City’ Stars Shailene Woodley and Ben Foster on Method Dressing and New (Dialogue-Free) Film

The press notes for filmmaker Potsy Ponciroli’s Motor City — a selection of both the Venice and Toronto film festivals — describe it as a “boldly original revenge-driven crime thriller” that delivers an “unmatched cinematic experience.” The surprise is how it attempts to do that — by delivering 103 minutes of a movie that is virtually dialogue-free.

The story follows John Miller (Alan Ritchson), a former Army Ranger turned criminal who falls for Sophia (Shailene Woodley), the girlfriend of a powerful local gangster named Reynolds (Foster). Framed by the gangster through corrupt police connections, Miller is sent to prison only to seek brutal revenge upon his release. The day after the film’s Venice world premiere, Woodley and Foster gave The Hollywood Reporter 20 minutes of their time on a sunny afternoon on the Lido to talk about why they signed on for the indie experiment, their fashion strategy of method dressing while promoting…