The Unforgivable filming location in the bustling city of Vancouver, Canada, gives the film a lot of its urban backdrop and stand-in for Seattle, Washington, where much of the story is set.
The Unforgivable is an emotional drama that takes the audience on a journey of a fresh-out-of-jail convict, who tries to get in contact with a younger sister she left behind when she was sentenced.
The poignant story, which is actually set in Seattle, that symbolically depicts a cruel apathetic urban area, is filmed primarily in Vancouver, Canada.
As the protagonist navigates her fallen-to-pieces life in the movie, it also serves viewers the picturesque countryside, which provides a calming effect.
The Unforgivable is a 2021 drama film that is based on the 2009 British miniseries Unforgiven written by Sally Wainwright. The emotional drama, written by Peter Craig, Hillary Seitz, and Courtenay Miles is directed by Nora Fingscheidt.
The storyline of the film revolves around Ruth Slater, a woman who tries to rebuild her life by attempting to fit back into society after serving time in prison for committing a violent crime, portrayed by Sandra Bullock.
It also features Vincent D'Onofrio, Viola Davis, Jon Bernthal, Richard Thomas, Linda Emond, Aisling Franciosi, and Rob Morgan as cast members.
The American-German co-production, produced by Bullock, Graham King, and Veronica Ferres was released for streaming on Netflix on December 10, 2021. Prior to that, it was theatrically released on November 24, 2021.
In the drama, Ruth Slater, the protagonist's effort to create a new life for herself becomes ineffective because she is unable to leave behind her shady past as she continues to be harassed and mistreated by society even as she seeks to reconnect with her younger sister.
The cruel journey that Ruth is embarked upon is set in Seattle, an indifferent urban environment that is a convenient and fitting backdrop, with scenes from the countryside giving brief but a soothing respite.
Fans are naturally curious about the filming location of The Unforgivable. So, where exactly was the movie shot? Let's find out.
The Unforgivable Filming Location: The Movie is Filmed in Seattle!
Although The Unforgivable was primarily filmed in Canada across multiple locations, it also features a considerable chunk of studio filming.
Even though the story is set in Seattle, Washington, it was shot in a variety of filming locations in the bustling city of Vancouver, which supplies the film heaps of its urban background.
The Unforgivable was also filmed at the scenic Queen Elizabeth Park, situated at 4600 Cambie Street. The Bloedel Floral Conservatory, which is situated in the park, is said to be one of the spots where filming took place.
The nearby city of Surrey, located on the Lower Mainland on the southern end of the Fraser River also served as the filming location for the cast and crew, who worked at Surrey City Hall, at 13450 104 Avenue. A few scenes of the drama were also apparently shot on location in different spots in the city.
The production team also shot the drama at the Canadian Motion Picture Park Studios. The Sandra Bullock-starrer is said to be one of the first Netflix-produced films to utilize this facility. The production facility is situated just outside of Vancouver at 8085 Glenwood Drive.
Incidentally, Burnaby is known for its exceptional studio facilities, with the gigantic Bridge Studios also located in the city. Most of the interior shots of The Unforgivable were believed to have been shot inside the grand-scaled Canadian Motion Picture Park.
A few scenes also were filmed in the city of Coquitlam, located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. The bristling urban center was presumably used as a background while filming in the city.
Besides that, scenes featuring Ruth’s family farmhouse were seemingly shot in and around the picturesque countryside nearby.
The Unforgivable: Timing of Filming
Principal filming began in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on February 3, 2020, and was scheduled to end on April 9. Cinematographer Guillermo Navarro shot the film with Red Digital Cinema Helium cameras and Arri Ultra Prime lenses, which he had earlier used on Dolittle.
On March 13, the shooting was halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the date to wrap filming was postponed. Production continued on September 2 and ended on October 15.
The Unforgivable: A Brief Overview on Production
Graham King was announced to be producing Unforgiven, a feature film adaptation of the 2009 British miniseries of the same name, with his GK Films banner in August 2010, and Christopher McQuarrie was recruited to write the screenplay, which was being customized for Angelina Jolie to play the lead role.
As McQuarrie could not give time to this project as he was busy directing Jack Reacher, Scott Frank was hired to rewrite and direct Unforgiven in November 2011. However, in June 2013, McQuarrie returned to the film as writer and director, and it was also reported that he would serve as a producer with King.
In November 2019, Sandra Bullock, who would also serve as a producer through her company Fortis Films, was reported to be starring in the then-untitled film.
Veronica Ferres would also be involved in production through her company Construction Film. Nora Fingscheidt replaced McQuarrie as director, and Netflix would distribute.
In December 2019, Viola Davis, Aisling Franciosi, and Rob Morgan were added to the cast of the film. Vincent D'Onofrio, Jon Bernthal, Richard Thomas, Linda Emond, and Emma Nelson joined in February 2020.
How is The Unforgivable Received?
The Unforgivable has an approval rating of 39% based on 64 reviews, with an average rating of 4.9/10 on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
The website's critics consensus reads: "The Unforgivable proves Sandra Bullock is more than capable of playing against type, but her performance is wasted on a contrived and unrelentingly grim story."
The film holds a score of 41 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews" on Metacritic.
The movie garnered three nominations, one from Alliance of Women Film Journalists 2022 'EDA Special Mention Award' for 'Most Daring Performance' by Sandra Bullock, and two from Women Film Critics Circle Awards, including 'Best Movie by a Woman' for Nora Fingscheidt and 'Best Actress' for Bullock.
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