LaKeith Stanfield, Eiza Gonzalez & Poppy Liu interview: Building the world of 'I Love Boosters'

Writer-director Boots Riley has always called the Bay Area home and that connection has extended to his music and more recently, his feature films. Beginning with 2018’s “Sorry to Bother You” and now to his latest, the fashion satire “I Love Boosters,” Riley has a knack for creating distinct cinematic worlds to get lost in. The film focuses on a group of Bay Area shoplifters who dispense their own Robin Hood-inspired brand of justice by stealing from department stores and selling the expensive goods at a heavy discount to customers in need.

Adding to the connective tissue between both Boots Riley films is lead actor LaKeith Stanfield, who along with co-stars Eiza Gonzalez and Poppy Liu, recently traveled to San Francisco for the film’s Bay Area premiere.

We spoke about filming with Boots, the meditative state of the city and why LaKeith didn’t mind playing a sex demon onscreen. The following is a transcription of our conversation.

Q: This film has some wild and imaginative ideas in it. How easy or difficult was it to wrap your head around what Boots wanted to accomplish?

Eiza Gonzalez: We just had to jump on the joy ride, at least for me. It was hard to keep up with the concept itself, the world building and it only exists in Boots’ brain. What I love about Boots is that he’s always been radical in the sense that he portrays and creates these worlds. But even though they’re quirky and out of the box, they’re different. “I Love Boosters” is different from “Sorry to Bother You,” but they’re both unique worlds. I was just thrilled to see what that would turn into and the moment I stepped on set, it just sparked something in me that was very inspirational.

Poppy Liu: As someone whose background is in experimental theatre, it was awesome. The world is surreal and there are all these sci-fi and fantastical elements to it but the story is still grounded. I felt emotionally moved reading it because it was a story about class struggle and solidarity. I love that a lot of my film and TV work has been in comedy but I didn’t know I was funny before this movie.

Gonzalez: You don’t realize you’re being really funny while you’re being funny.

Q: LaKeith, when Boots Riley pitches you the idea of playing a sex demon, are you immediately onboard or does it take you a bit to let the idea sink in first?

LaKeith Stanfield: (laughs) Both. Boots told me the idea of it before I read it in the context of the script. So I was a little taken aback but I know Boots so I knew the idea would be woven into something beautiful.

Q: It’s exactly what you just described because you both have worked together before so you feel safe and comfortable in his hands.

Stanfield: Exactly.

Q: Your characters go through major transformations halfway into the film. Did you shoot “I Love Boosters” in sequence and if so, how did that affect your process?

Gonzalez: A lot of it was shot out of sequence. For my big scene, I was lucky that we had already been shooting for two weeks. So I felt comfortable with the girls and I really understood who my character was by then. Otherwise I would’ve been terrified to jump into that monologue scene. It’s a very pivotal part of the film. There’s a lot of responsibility with that and you don’t want to screw it up.

Q: Your characters go through major transformations halfway into the film. Did you shoot “I Love Boosters” in sequence and if so, how did that affect your process?

Gonzalez: A lot of it was shot out of sequence. For my big scene, I was lucky that we had already been shooting for two weeks. So I felt comfortable with the girls and I really understood who my character was by then. Otherwise I would’ve been terrified to jump into that monologue scene. It’s a very pivotal part of the film. There’s a lot of responsibility with that and you don’t want to screw it up.

Liu: What I can say without giving away too much, when my character meets the girls she’s already gone through her own transformation and is in this stage of execution. She shows up with a mission.

Q: What do you look for in your collaborators in order to feel more comfortable on set?

Stanfield: A director’s ability to maintain stasis and normalcy on set when it can be chaotic and have a lot of moving elements. That’s a marker of someone who has great resolve and is able to balance themselves, therefore making the entire set balanced. It’s not an easy thing to do so I really admire that, which Boots does. He decompresses really well.

Q: How do you decompress after a long day on set?

Stanfield: Breathing, mindful meditation and my kids. That helps me smooth things out.

Q: You’ve obviously been on many different sets with many different actors. What ideas or methods have you boosted from working with them that have brought your skills to another level?

Stanfield: Chiwetel Ejiofor has a great way of breaking down scenes and characters. I like his method of distilling meaning from scenes. I did a movie with him called “Come Sunday.”

Q: I interviewed you at Sundance for that movie.

Stanfield: Yeah, I remember you. I have a great encyclopedic memory. I think you’re wise.

Q: Thank you. Since you’ve done so many interviews over the years I wasn’t expecting you to remember that.

Stanfield: Well, you leave an impression.

Q: Does the Bay Area leave an impression on you?

Stanfield: Yes. It’s right next to the water which I like because it gives you an opportunity to reflect. Water makes me think about context so being here makes me think about my life and career. I also feel nostalgic since I haven’t been here since “Sorry to Bother You.” I think about the good times and the more interesting times like when my car got broken into.

Q: Is there a film in your body of work that you feel has been undervalued and should be rediscovered?

Stanfield: I do hope that people get a chance to see “The Book of Clarence.” There are some central themes in there that I identify with and have always wanted to share with a mass audience. The film is also a good time.

Q: What about “Short Term 12?”

Stanfield: Of course! When I hear about that movie I picture a baby version of me, Brie Larson and Rami Malek working together. That movie will always have a special place in my heart, it was my first set.

“I Love Boosters” is now playing in theaters nationwide.