Mind control. Telekinesis. Spies. Secret government agencies. Push is a superhero thriller that involves anything a college student would want from a movie: evil organizations, explosions, a hot chick and people shooting guns with their minds. The movie centers around Nick Gant (Chris Evans), a "mover," someone with the ability to manipulate inanimate objects at will by identifying the object's atomic frequency and alter the gravity waves around it. Following his father's murder at the hands of Division-an evil agency that captures psychics-Nick escapes to Hong Kong to live in hiding. However, he soon meets another psychic, Cassie Holmes (Dakota Fanning), who, as a "watcher," has the ability to see the future. Gant is forced out of hiding as he and Holmes search for Kira (Camilla Belle), who is the only person to escape from Division and who holds the power to defeat the organization. With her powers as a "pusher," Kira can push certain thoughts into others, forcing them to act at her command. With Division on their tail, the three must find a way to stop the agency's plan to build an unstoppable militia of psychics.

JustArts attended a conference call with Push's Chris Evans and Camilla Belle, during which the actors gave insight into their experience with the movie.

Evans, a Boston local, has previously been in films such as Fantastic 4 and Sunshine.

Question: Tell us about your character, Nick Gant.

Chris Evans: I think there's a lot that I can relate to, personally, to the character. He's afraid and insecure. He's hiding from the world and pain from the past. Unlike Johnny Storm in Fantastic 4, who loves the spotlight, Nick is a guy who's on the run and would just as soon shed his powers.

Q: Speaking of Fantastic 4, do you worry about being typecast in movies with similar content?

CE: There's always worry [about] being typecast. It's something to be aware of, but if the pieces of the puzzle fit, you just go for the role. If a role looks really good, it would be hard to say no. You don't want to be typecast, I suppose, but it's really tricky sometimes. And I really don't want to avoid a role because I've done a role similar to it.

Q: What about the process of getting roles in general?

CE: For me, it wasn't that one role that would shoot me to stardom or something. It's been a slow and steady pace since Not Another Teen Movie. I think one of the main things that apply is luck. You just keep on trying to work with the right people and keeping doing it. And I'm almost embarrassed to say it, but it's strange that I've been sucked into sci-fi. My favorite genre of movies would have to be simple, human stories involving simple characters. You know, a father and a mother and a sister, and what can happen just in a family.

Q: How do you think the story of Push compares to others in the sci-fi genre?

CE: Well, for example, I liked that in X-Men mutation was a known thing. But in Push, no one really knows the superpowers exist. The general public is completely unaware that it exists, and to me it just makes the stakes higher.

Q: So you're from Boston. Do you come back a lot?

CE: I just love meeting people from Boston. In fact, I'm just back from Boston for three months. Three months is, like, unheard of, but I went back for Halloween, and I thought, I might just stay back in the east coast. So I actually just got back to LA two days ago.

Q: Why do you think a college student from Boston, for example, should spend the $10 to see your movie, considering the current economic crisis?

CE: Well, I think movie tickets are still pretty cheap. You know, everything's getting affected but fortunately movie tickets are still pretty much the same price and I think Push is just a fun movie that college students can relate to. There's so much that's enjoyable about it. Our director, Paul McGuigan, really tried to rely on skilled stuntmen and clever camerawork for the special effects, rather than the CGI.

Q: How was the filming experience for Push, especially with the other actors?

CE: Well, Dakota and Camilla are both so amazing. Dakota always puts a smile on my face. And Camilla, I love to joke with her, but she hates my jokes. She thinks I'm so unfunny. Actually, they both think I'm the lamest thing in the world. [Laughs] And it was tough to get Camilla to come drink with us.

Q: Sounds like it was a good time. What was the biggest challenge of filming in Hong Kong?

CE: The food. Hong Kong has a different cuisine [than] America. It's just hard to find a nice piece of white chicken meat. It's a different world, a different process. And the local workers there have such a good work ethic. When they show up n the morning they're ready to work. All the actors have to pick up the pace because back home we're not used to that. You know, it was the first time I've been in Hong Kong. But overall, it was a really great experience.

Belle, who plays the role of Kira, was interviewed next. She is an L.A. local and recently starred in When a Stranger Calls and 10,000 B.C.

Q: Tell us about your character.

Camilla Belle: Kira is really mysterious. I think my favorite thing about her is that you're always guessing if she's good or bad. The whole role, it's very character-driven, and it stays true that she always keeps you guessing.

Q: Tell us a little about you. As an actress, as someone college-aged.

CB: Well, my favorite acting inspirations are Kate Winslet, Liam Neeson and Cate Blanchett. Even though I'm acting instead of going to college, all my friends are in college. So I guess when I hang out, I'm hanging out with college kids and I act like a college kid. In a way, my friends bring the vibe to me, but I've never been a person to go out and party.

Q: Push is your first sci-fi film. What did you think of it?

CB: I think Push also has so many other aspects such as thriller and drama and some romance. I wasn't used to powers and abilities, so I approached it more with a human approach. It was so much fun, you know, all the big fight scenes and shooting guns and running around Hong Kong. Even the bruises and cuts I got from it, I wear with pride.

Q: Chris said that you like to make fun of him a lot. What was it like filming with him and Dakota?

CB: [Laughs] I didn't know he'd say that. I think I make fun of him because he's like this tough guy from Boston, and he's really confident, but he's actually really sweet at heart and gentle and will break into song and dance. I think we really connected because we both love musical theater. And I connected with Dakota too because we both grew up in the business. She's also one of my favorite actresses. I had to remind myself that I was going to dinner with a 13-year-old, she's just too mature. We all got along really well. The cast was lucky because we all became part of a family.

Q: Did you have any new or different experiences while shooting?

CB: The number one thing was being in Hong Kong. I've never been to Asia before. Being able to go to Hong Kong opened so many doors to me. And we got a few days off so I got to go to Beijing and now I can say I've been there. Reading the paper in Hong Kong, seeing the locals there was just such a new experience. Hong Kong's also so different than mainland China. I'd go to temples and try to blend in as much as I could and experience all the Asian cultures there; it was amazing. And working with the cast, we are all different and Paul McGuigan is so much different than any other director I've worked with, he can just talk on hours and he'll say, we have to work now, and we'll get a little thrown off!

Q: Why do you think college students should see this movie?

CB: One reason is that Chris and I are the same age, and it really appeals to our age. Push is different and edgy. It's young, it's fun, and more of an escape than anything else.

Push is rated PG-13 will be released in theaters Feb, 6, 2009.