‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Star Pom Klementieff Talks Balancing Big Studio Movies and Indies, French Homecoming With ‘Mi Amor’: ‘I Had Forgotten That Part of Me’

Pom Klementieff was in her trailer during reshoots for “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” when she first got her hands on the script for Guillaume Nicloux’s “Mi Amor.” She knew almost immediately that the film was “exactly the kind of project” she wanted to shift into after a major studio production. Now, the actor is landing at the Rotterdam Film Festival for the first time to celebrate a much-awaited homecoming to French cinema. 

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“Mi Amor” sees the “Guardians of the Galaxy” star play Romy, a rising DJ touring the sun-drenched club haven of the Canary Islands. Her work trip turned vacation spirals into a nightmare when her girlfriend mysteriously disappears after a night out. Romy’s search for her friend will see her come across a charming club owner played by “The Taste of Things” actor Benoît Magimel, as well as a series of increasingly seedy and shady characters. 

Speaking with Variety ahead of the film’s Rotterdam world premiere, Klementieff emphasizes how thrilled she is to return to French cinema after 13 years working in the U.S. “When I moved to the U.S., I started doing American movies and just kept doing them,” she says.

“I had forgotten that French part of me, which is a big part of me, of course,” she goes on. “So it was beautiful to get back to a French movie, and to do so with such a talented director whom I have admired for many years.”

Klementieff says “Mi Amor” also offered her the opportunity to play a character she had “not done before” in terms of emotional range. Plus, Romy is a lead character who is on screen for virtually every shot. “It was also interesting being the lead role. You get to explore so many facets of the character and to really dance with the idea of the character.”

But returning to her home cinema also came with new challenges and learnings, most curiously the realization that her accent and voice had changed after spending over a decade living and working in the U.S. “I’ve been spending so much time in the U.S. these past years that sometimes French people say I have an accent when I speak French, which is annoying because it’s my first language [laughs]. It’s kind of frustrating. So I was a little self-conscious of that, but I think it works for the movie.”

Nicloux says both Klementieff and Magimel were “deeply committed and highly inspired.” “It is always beneficial for a film when the protagonists identify so strongly with their roles that they influence the characters’ journeys. I enjoy relinquishing control, and I always expect actors to fantasize part of the narrative. This process of appropriation fascinates me greatly. It crystallizes during the shoot and becomes one of the most exciting creative driving forces,” he adds.

“Benoit is an iconic actor who has made such incredible choices throughout his career and is so lovely to work with,” adds Klementieff. “So nice, warm and funny. He made everything so much easier, and it was a quick shoot, so we had to get it right quickly. But I think you can feel the connection that we had, the chemistry, and it works. I loved working with him.”

Music is a driving creative force in “Mi Amor,” not only because of Romy’s profession as a DJ but also Nicloux’s choice to have the throbbing electronic score present throughout almost the entire film. The director, who collaborated with techno duo Irène Drésel and Sizo Del Givry on the film’s music, says he wanted the score to play a “significant role” but could never have imagined that they would end up with 1 hour and 53 minutes of material. 

“Irène composed the pieces performed by Pom ahead of the shoot, as they needed to be played live during the mixing scenes,” he recalls. “Then, during the editing process, she resumed the composition in sequence, following the script… little by little, the film took shape around—and with—this richly structuring musical framework. The music motivated some of my choices, guided moods and dictated a rhythm.”

Klementieff, who has often immersed herself in different activities such as martial arts when preparing for a role, took up DJing to play Romy. Drésel and Del Givry gave her lessons, on top of extensive research. “I got a DJ table from a friend and was experimenting. I asked many DJ friends if I could train at their homes and just learn. But I do more air DJing than DJing in the movie [laughs]. Editing is everything! Movie magic, you know?”

The actor also collaborated on other creative details that helped shape Romy, from her wardrobe to her manicure. “I had a lot of fun bringing my own clothes, going shopping, mixing it up… It was a process of making it work. I love fashion, and for me, even the colors of my character’s nails are very important. I do my own nails. I love the details. Everything matters. Everything tells a story.”

As for the future, Klementieff would love to be able to balance major American blockbusters like the “Mission: Impossible” franchise and smaller indie films. “It would be the dream to be able to do that. But, for me, it is all about the director. Whether it’s a big budget, a small budget, an indie, or a big production… It’s all about the director, the character and a gut feeling of wanting to be part of this creative process with these people. It’s a human experience.”