This Forgotten Star-Studded Christian Bale Drama Featured Joel Kinnaman In A Small Role

Few people took much note of Terrence Malick's 2016 film "Knight of Cups," a movie overflowing with well-known actors, like Joel Kinnaman, in confusingly bit parts. Malick himself was a beloved arthouse darling in the 1970s, having released his debut feature "Badlands" in 1973 and the Oscar-winning "Days of Heaven" in 1978. Then, he famously took a 20-year break in filmmaking before returning with 1998's "The Thin Red Line," which was itself nominated for several Oscars. Malick was back, baby. From there, his 2005 movie "The New World" became widely celebrated, while his 2011 film "The Tree of Life" proved to be a moving ode to the importance of every person.

But then, Malick entered a weirdly fallow critical period. Although his 2012 film "To the Wonder" is almost as impressive as "The Tree of Life," many critics began writing off Malick as a one-trick pony. It didn't matter that the one trick was capturing the awe and mystery of the human heart, folks became tired of his schtick. So, by the time "Knight of Cups" arrived, many critics had written him off entirely (see: its 47% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes).

"Knight of Cups" is a Hollywood critique that concerns the romantic and sexual misadventures of a lascivious screenwriter named Rick, portrayed by Christian Bale. He attends parties, hobnobs with louts, and floats aimlessly through a cloud of hedonism. Cate Blanchett, meanwhile, plays Rick's ex-wife Nancy, with Natalie Portman portraying his married girlfriend Elizabeth. Many celebrities also float through background party scenes.

He's only briefly on screen, but Kinnaman similarly drifts through the frame at one point. In interviews, the "For All Mankind" actor has described his bizarre experience working on the movie. It seems he had a 17-page monologue that was cut from the film.

You'll be able to spot certain celebrities in "Knight of Cups" right away. Fabio, for instance, is pretty hard to miss, while Antonio Banderas, Clifton Collins, Jr., Teresa Palmer, Imogen Poots, Ryan O'Neal, Thomas Lennon, and Joe Lo Truglio pop up here and there. Brian Dennehy and Wes Bentley, on the other hand, play more significant roles, whereas Joel Kinnaman plays a background character named Errol.

It should be noted that Terrence Malick shoots his films in a very unusual fashion. He often relies on improvisation and shoots whatever he feels like in group scenes. In a 2015 interview with the Standard, Christian Bale explained that he was never actually handed a script for "Knight of Cups". Rather, he was instructed to improvise his character's scenes on the day of shooting. Presumably, Malick found the film in editing.

Speaking with Collider in 2014, Kinnaman revealed that he only filmed "Knight of Cups" for a single day despite being handed a 17-page monologue. As he recalled:

"I shot one day on 'Knight of Cups,' and I had a 17-page monologue. And Christian Bale, who I was playing opposite — who had a lot of lines that would lead me into the next three pages — he hadn't seen his pages. So, when we started shooting, he'd just walk off, and I'd be chasing him saying all this stuff, when he was actually the one who was supposed to be interested! And that's the reason that I was talking."

"And then, into page nine of my monologue, I'd turn around and see Terry, like, 150 yards away, shooting some pink dog running around," Kinnaman added. He later admitted to having "no idea" what the film is even about.

After "Knight of Cups" debuted on the film festival circuit in early 2015 (a year ahead of its theatrical release), Uproxx asked Joel Kinnaman how he felt about the film. The actor replied that he hadn't seen it and figured he had probably been cut from the movie. That wouldn't have been unusual for a Malick film, either. Even big names like Mickey Rourke and Bill Pullman were cut from "The Thin Red Line" during post-production. 

When the Uproxx interviewer expressed their condolences, Kinnaman said that he wasn't sorry about being potentially cut. "I didn't feel too comfortable," he clarified, adding: 

"[Malick] films in a very different way. He has a very detached way of shooting his films where you don't feel very involved. I guess some people like it, and some people like it less." 

It seems that Kinnaman was one of the people who liked it less.

"Knight of Cups," as mentioned, wasn't well-received by audiences or critics. Reviews, including Justin Chang's for Variety, noted a great deal of Malick burnout in "Knight of Cups." As Chang wrote, "Those who have had their fill of the director's impressionistic musings will find his seventh feature as empty as the lifestyle it puts on display." 

Those of us who are Malick fans, however, still appreciate watching the maestro at work, whether he's crafting the poetic grandeur of an incredible film like "The Thin Red Line" or merely faffing about. You may already know if "Knight of Cups" will be your bag.