Over the past few days, more behind-the-scenes videos from the set of Asymmetry in New York have appeared across social media. Once again, Richard Gere and Diana Silvers have become the center of online debate after footage showed the two actors filming a brief kiss.
Predictably, the comments followed. Some people focused almost exclusively on the significant age difference between the characters, questioning Richard Gere’s decision to take on the role. Others criticized the story itself before the film has even been completed.
Personally, I see things very differently.
A film is not real life
One of the most important distinctions we should never forget is that actors are not the characters they portray.
Richard Gere is not living his own life on screen, he is interpreting a fictional character created by an author, adapted into a screenplay, and brought to life by a director.
Asymmetry, based on Lisa Halliday’s acclaimed novel, explores complex human relationships, power, intimacy, and moral ambiguity. Whether viewers ultimately embrace or reject the story is entirely their choice. But judging it from a few seconds of footage taken during filming seems unfair.
Art should never fear difficult subjects
Throughout history, cinema has told stories about war, crime, betrayal, addiction, political corruption, forbidden love, and countless other uncomfortable realities.
If filmmakers avoided every controversial subject simply because someone might be offended, many of the greatest films ever made would never have existed.
Art does not exist only to comfort us. Sometimes it exists to challenge us. Sometimes it asks uncomfortable questions instead of offering reassuring answers.
That is one of cinema’s greatest strengths.
For me, telling a difficult story is not the same as endorsing its characters’ choices. The audience is perfectly capable of watching a film, reflecting on it, and forming an independent opinion.
That freedom should never be replaced by censorship.
Richard Gere has never chosen the easy path
One of the reasons I have admired Richard Gere for so many years is precisely because he has never been afraid of difficult roles. Throughout his career, he has repeatedly stepped away from the image of the charming romantic hero.
He has portrayed corrupt policemen, morally conflicted doctors, mysterious strangers, lonely husbands, political idealists, and deeply flawed human beings. Again and again, he has preferred characters who ask difficult questions over those who simply seek applause.
That artistic courage has always distinguished him. Rather than protecting his image, he has consistently chosen to explore the complexity of human nature.
Let the audience decide
I understand that Asymmetry may provoke discussion. That is exactly what meaningful cinema often does.
Some viewers will appreciate it. Others may dislike it. Some may even reject its themes entirely.
All of those reactions are legitimate. What concerns me is the growing tendency to condemn a film before anyone has actually seen it.
A few seconds of behind-the-scenes footage cannot explain the emotional journey of an entire story. Judging a work of art before it reaches audiences leaves no room for context, nuance, or reflection.
My personal view
As someone who has followed Richard Gere’s career for decades, I see Asymmetry as another example of the artistic courage that has always defined him. He has never been interested in choosing only safe, comfortable roles. Instead, he has consistently challenged himself with characters who provoke discussion and invite audiences to think beyond appearances.
That is exactly what I admire most.
Whether Asymmetry becomes a critical success or divides audiences remains to be seen. But I sincerely hope people will judge it only after watching the complete film—not after a few seconds on social media.
Cinema should remain a place where every story can be told. Not because every story is easy, but because the freedom to explore even the most uncomfortable aspects of humanity is one of the things that makes cinema truly meaningful.
Asymmetry, Richard Gere, and the freedom to tell difficult stories
