It’s always exciting when there’s a new feature film being shot in St. Louis! We Are Movie Geeks was recently on the set of THE IMPORTANCE OF DOUBTING TOM, a romantic comedy set in the world of dart throwing where the “competitions play out echoing and mirroring the games that lovers play”. It’s loosely based on the classic Oscar Wilde play, The Importance of Being Earnest.
THE IMPORTANCE OF DOUBTING TOM is written and directed by Vanessa Roman, who has been actively working in the local theater and film industry for 15 years. Her first film, Play Dead, won Best Horror Short and Best Juvenile Actress at The St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase and her second, The Inheritance won Best Experimental film at the Toronto Female Eye Film Festival.
Vanessa has assembled a first-rate cast and crew for THE IMPORTANCE OF DOUBTING TOM.
Director of Photography Chris Benson has shot many commercials, music videos, documentaries, and features including THE TOMB, 23 MINUTES TO SUNRISE, FATAL CALL, and THE MAKINGS OF YOU.
Vanessa Roman and Chris Benson
Amy Holland stars in THE IMPORTANCE OF DOUBTING TOM as Gwen. Ms Holland is a former Captain of the Saint Louis Rams Cheerleaders and has appeared in the films I AM (2010), LOST ANGELS (2014) and the INTERNS (2011). Brandon Davis, who plays Tom, has appeared in WHO’S YOUR DADDY? (2004), UNDRESSED (1999) and FIRST MONDAY (2002)
Amy Holland and Brandon Davis
St. Louis native Julie Piekarski plays Sally. You may recognize Julie from her role on the TV show The Facts of Life and from her stint on the late-70’s revival of The Mickey Mouse Club. Greg Sporleder plays Joe and has been a busy actor for decades, with roles in such films as BLACK HAWK DOWN, SAY ANYTHING, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, and TRUE ROMANCE.
Julie Piekarski and Greg Sporleder
Bryan Daniel Porter plays Mike and has been seen in DEAR WHITE PEOPLE (2014),THE PUBLIC DOMAIN (2015) and SMALL STEPS (2013) and Sari Sanchez is an actress who appeared in ALONE (2010), ASSASSIN ORIGIN (2014) and KILL GAME (2015).
Bryan Daniel Porter and Sari Sanchez
Much of THE IMPORTANCE OF DOUBTING TOM takes place in the dart room at Blueberry Hill, the popular nightclub on the U City Loop. Some of the exteriors were shot there but the dart room itself was recreated inside a mammoth banquet hall attached to the Stratford Inn in Fenton. I stopped by the busy set last Friday, took some photos, and was given a bit part as a dart thrower. Watch for me! I was good – two bullseyes!
Other shooting locations include Melt Restaurant on Cherokee, The Moonrise Hotel on Delmar, and Landmark’s The Tivoli Theater.
For more information about THE IMPORTANCE OF DOUBTING TOM visit:
Look for more coverage of THE IMPORTANCE OF DOUBTING TOM in the coming months here at We Are Movie Geeks and here are some photos I took at the Stratford Inn set and again when I ran into the crew at Blueberry Hill while having lunch there:
Photo by Alan Markfield, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Catch a first look at Tom Hiddleston as Hank Williams in Sony Pictures Classics’ I SAW THE LIGHT.
I SAW THE LIGHT, the story of the legendary country western singer Hank Williams, who in his brief life created one of the greatest bodies of work in American music. The film chronicles his meteoric rise to fame and its ultimately tragic effect on his health and personal life.
Written and directed by Marc Abraham, I SAW THE LIGHT is based on Colin Escott’s award-winning biography and stars Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, Bradley Whitford, David Krumholtz and Cherry Jones.
RatPac Entertainment’s Brett Ratner and Bron Studios’ Aaron L. Gilbert produced the film, with G. Marq Roswell and Abraham. James Packer of RatPac Entertainment and Jason Cloth of Creative Wealth Media Finance executive produced. Dante Spinotti iss the cinematographer for the film.
The film opens on November 27, 2015 in limited release, followed by a national rollout.
When Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A mix up with The Farmer, a caravan, and a very steep hill lead them all to the Big City and it’s up to Shaun and the flock to return everyone safely to Mossy Bottom Farm.
SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE powers through visual puns, sight gags and rollicking plot twists to arrive at a hard-won realization: there’s no place like home.
As there is no dialogue from any of the characters, the music plays such an important role in the movie. That’s where the fantastic, colorful score from composer Ilan Eshkeri comes in.
Complete with the Shaun the Sheep theme, lively cues, and songs, including the award-friendly “Feels Like Summer” song, Eshkeri score is a wonderful soundtrack for a very funny film.
Eshkeri’s recent film work includes STILL ALICE, for which Julianne Moore won an Oscar, Kevin Macdonald’s BLACK SEA starring Jude Law, 47 RONIN starring Keanu Reeves, and the Oscar nominated THE INVISIBLE WOMAN, Ralph Fiennes’ second outing as a director. Ilan continues to write the music for SIMS, one of the world’s largest video game franchises. Other films include Oscar winning THE YOUNG VICTORIA, KICK-ASS and STARDUST.
Amongst his awards and nominations are a BAFTA for THE SNOWMAN & THE SNOWDOG, an Ivor Novello for THE YOUNG VICTORIA, a Wildscreen Panda Award for the score to David Attenborough’s NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM ALIVE, an International Film Music Critics Association ‘Best Original Score’ for STARDUST and a ‘Discovery of the Year’ from the World Soundtrack Awards for his first film score, LAYER CAKE. Eshkeri is currently commissioned to compose a ballet, and is completing his score to AUTOBAHN starring Anthony Hopkins, Ben Kingsley, Nicholas Hoult & Felicity Jones.
Read more on what the British composer and songwriter had to say about his latest score.
WAMG: In seven years, Shaun has gone from being this little TV series to a global phenomenon. It’s been quite extraordinary. Fans will love that the theme music from the TV show can be heard throughout the film. Was the melody an obvious cue?
Ilan Eshkeri: I always thought that doing Shaun without Mark Thomas’ Shaun theme would be like doing Bond without the Bond theme. The fans, me included, know it and love it. It’s part of the world and the enjoyment of Shaun The Sheep so it would be disappointing if it wasn’t in there. I felt it was especially important to use it on the farm at the start because the film begins in the world of the TV series. As it expanded into a larger world I brought in other instruments and as it needed to become more cinematic I brought in the orchestra.
WAMG: How did you approach the score to musically tell the story of this loveable little hero without dialogue?
Ilan Eshkeri: I think it’s important to take the characters seriously. They may be sheep and dogs but their struggles and emotions are every bit as real as ours. If you don’t take them seriously on an emotional level you can’t get the audience to empathize with them. I also didn’t hold back for the children. Where music is concerned they respond to emotion in the same way as a grown up. I gave the characters strong melodies and distinct instruments. The directors and I also had this idea that characters from the farm should be played with acoustic instruments and those from the city with electric instruments; so, Trumper is an Electric Guitar, Slip an Electric Piano, Bitzer an Accoustic Guitar. I think this helps support the narrative.
WAMG: “Le Chou Brule” is a funny track and went perfectly with the restaurant scene. It has a Charlie Chaplin/Buster Keaton feel to it – right down to the piano player. What made you go with the music that combines slapstick and deadpan themes?
Ilan Eshkeri: That scene more is an homage to the silent era, so the reference is deliberate. I looked at a lot of Keaton and Chaplin films to try and get the feel for it. It was enormous fun to write, but difficult to perform because of the sheer speed of it, nevertheless the musicians had fun playing it which I hope comes out in the music.
WAMG: As Shaun is being hauled off to jail, the track for “Gaol House Blues” couldn’t have been more spot on, right down to the harmonica, and received a lot of laughs at our initial screening. How much discussion did you have with directors Mark Burton and Richard Starzak for that particular scene?
Ilan Eshkeri: They said from the start that they wanted it to be like a scene from any famous prison scene, The Shawshank Redemption, The Silence of the Lambs, so it seemed clear what to do. The harmonica was hard to get right but was performed brilliantly by Tim Carter, who is in fact the guitarist from Kasabian.
WAMG: Tell me about “The Baa Baa Shop Quintet” song where the other sheep are trying to cheer up Baby Timmy? How did the melody on that adorable scene come about?
Ilan Eshkeri: It’s the sheep singing the title song “Feels Like Summer.” The idea is that the song is from their past and is comforting to Timmy, so when the cassette breaks, Shaun tries to whistle the song and the rest of the sheep come in baa-ing it. We tried lots of different ways of doing it. More sheep like, less sheep like…we spent many hours laughing in the studio. We had to finish it early on so that the animators could animate the mouths to the recording of us singing. You can see me singing on it in the making of the music behind the scenes video.
WAMG: Your previous scores – STILL ALICE starred Julianne Moore, a potent drama about Alzheimer’s disease and how her family deals with her illness and the submarine thriller BLACK SEA set on a claustrophobic vessel. Did you write these prior to SHAUN and how do you shift composing gears between all these different types of genres?
Ilan Eshkeri: I wrote Still Alice during Shaun the Sheep, which I worked on for more than a year. It was very difficult to shift gears because when I write I take on the emotions and then express them through music, so that gear shift was tricky. I don’t know how I did it, it took a while and I can remember thinking, “how am I going to do this? Have I taken this too far this time?” But then it just happened. I guess that’s the magic of being a creative artist. Black Sea came after Shaun, although there may have been some overlap. It wasn’t emotionally as intense as Still Alice, so even though it was a completely different style, it wasn’t as difficult to take on.
Q: Among the many blink-and-you-miss-it sight gags including a Silence of the Lambs homage involving an imprisoned cat in a restraining collar that licks its lips like Hannibal Lecter and a Wolverine movie homage involving The Farmer at the hair salon. There are a lot of jokes that run through the film. What was your favorite part in composing for the movie?
Using the Brahms’ lullaby for the sheep jumping over the fence was a musical gag that I came up with. I’m really happy with that. There are lots of other small musical quotes. In the Panto Horse chase Trumper ends up skiing and I quote the theme tune from a well known British skiing show and at the end of the film when the Pigs are watching TV you can hear the theme from Aardman’s first ever programme called Morph. There’s quite a few musical gags, and although most people won’t ever notice them, they give the score a fun spirit, and that’s important for the film as a whole.
Tracklisting:
1. Feels Like Summer (performed by Tim Wheeler)
2. Humdrum Day
3. Shaun’s Plan
4. You’re Mine
5. Shaun’s Farm House Party
6. Runaway Caravan
7. Anarchy on the Farm
8. Shaun’s Mission
9. Doctor Bitzer
10. Trumper
11. Big City (performed by Eliza Doolittle)
12. Le Chou Brulé
13. Gaol House Blues
14. Beauty Parade
15. Gaol Break
16. Finding the Farmer
17. Feels LIke Summer (Baa Baa Shop Quintet)
18. Building The Horse
19. Trumper on the Scent
20. Go To Sleep Counting Sheep
21. Panto Horse Chase
22. Caravan Ride Home
23. Showdown At The Quarry
24. Goodbye Slip
25. Feels Like Summer (Instrumental)
26. Life’s A Treat – Shaun The Sheep Theme (Rizzle Kicks Mix)
Production is now underway on location in New York City on the New Line Cinema comedy GOING IN STYLE, directed by Zach Braff (“Garden State”) and starring Oscar winners Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”), Michael Caine (“The Cider House Rules,” “Hannah and Her Sisters”) and Alan Arkin (“Little Miss Sunshine”).
Freeman, Caine and Arkin team up as lifelong buddies Willie, Joe and Al, who decide to buck retirement and step off the straight-and-narrow for the first time in their lives when their pension fund becomes a corporate casualty. Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, the three risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money.
The film also stars two-time Oscar nominee Ann-Margret (“Tommy,” “Carnal Knowledge”) as Annie, a grocery cashier who’s been checking Al out in more ways than one; Peter Serafinowicz (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) as Joe’s former son-in-law, Murphy, whose pot clinic connections may finally prove useful; John Ortiz (“Silver Linings Playbook”) as Jesus, a man of unspecified credentials who agrees to show them the ropes; Joey King (“Wish I Was Here”) as Joe’s whip-smart granddaughter, Brooklyn; Christopher Lloyd (“Back to the Future” trilogy) as the guys’ lodge buddy, Milton; and Oscar nominee Matt Dillon (“Crash”) as FBI Agent Hamer.
Braff will direct from a screenplay by Theodore Melfi (“St. Vincent”), based on the film by Martin Brest. The original film starred George Burns, Art Carney, Lee Strasberg and Charles Hallahan.
GOING IN STYLE is being produced by Donald De Line (“The Italian Job”). The executive producers are Tony Bill, who was a producer on the 1979 film GOING IN STYLE, Jonathan McCoy, and Andrew Haas.
The creative filmmaking team includes Emmy-nominated director of photography Rodney Charters (“24”), production designer Anne Ross (“Lost in Translation”) and costume designer Gary Jones (“New Year’s Eve”).
Scheduled for release on May 6, 2016, the film is a New Line Cinema presentation of a De Line Pictures Production. It will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
In celebration of STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, Lucasfilm and HP proudly present “Art Awakens.”
“Art Awakens” is an exciting new program for Star Wars fans old and new, across the country to revitalize creativity by “Bending the Rules” of the Force, themed around a galaxy far, far away.
“Art Awakens” kicks off today (August 11) with the launch of a two-month-long nationwide fan art competition across the US. Amateur artists can submit their STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS inspired art on ArtAwakens.com for a chance to be showcased in an upcoming professional art exhibit later in the year.
Additionally, coming this November to Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles is a three-day STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS art exhibit featuring top professional and emerging contemporary artists. All new original pieces will be auctioned off in the name of Star Wars: Force for Change to benefit UNICEF Kid Power, which gives kids the power to save lives. By getting active with the UNICEF Kid Power band, kids earn points which unlock food packets for malnourished children around the world.
Five lucky winners of the STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS Fan Art Contest, chosen by a judging committee that includes members from Disney, Lucasfilm and the legendary visual effects house Industrial Light & Magic and others, will have their art showcased in the professional gallery exhibit. The winners will also have the opportunity to be flown out to Los Angeles to attend the VIP opening night, among other prizes from HP.
Additionally, an HP “Bend the Rules” Award will be granted to one of the five grand prize winners upon completion of a questionnaire with the highest score in the Innovative Use of Technology category. The HP “Bend the Rules” Award winner will receive an HP Notebook Computer to help them push the boundaries of art and creativity.
No Purchase Necessary. Void where prohibited or restricted. Open to legal residents of the 50 US and DC, who are at least 18 years old at time of entry with a Tumblr account in good standing. Ends October 11, 2015 at 11:59:59 am PT. Subject to Official Rules at: ArtAwakens.com. Sponsor: ABC, Inc. d/b/a Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Burbank, CA
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS IS IN THEATERS DECEMBER 18TH, 2015
“You have no power here! Begone, before somebody drops a house on you, too!”
THE WIZARD OF OZ screens midnights this weekend (August 14th and 15th) and at Noon on Saturday (the 15th) at The Tivoli Theater as part of their ‘Reel Late at The Tivoli’ Midnight Series.
I certainly can’t remember the first time I saw THE WIZARD OF OZ. I just seem to have always known what it was, how the songs go, and each and every character. It rightfully ranks on the list of most folks’ most beloved (if not best) of all time. I grew up with it on annual re-runs that were a big deal every Easter. THE WIZARD OF OZ is full of ironies. It was released in August 1939 to a somewhat indifferent audience and was not a success. Producer Mervyn LeRoy was so financially damaged he swore never to put another cent of his own money in another movie. The film didn’t achieve it’s classic status until it was recycled on TV in the 50’s (more irony: the vast majority of the first TV audiences viewed it in blazing black & white, taking out much of its color-transforming wallop). Unlike so many movies of our childhood, WIZARD OF OZ remains as delightful as ever and this weekend (August 14th and 15th), you’ll have the chance to see it on the big screen when it shows at The Tivoli Theater as part of the Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight show. And if you can’t handle staying up that late, I have good news. THE WIZARD OF OZ will also be screening at noon on Saturday August 15th.
Admission is $8. Hope to see everyone this weekend at The Tivoli!
Here’s the rest of the Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight schedule for the next few weeks:
Aug. 21-22 SPACE JAM
Aug. 28-29 INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE
Sept. 4-5 SPIRITED AWAY
Sept. 11-12 HAROLD AND MAUDE
The Facebook invite for this weekend can be found HERE
https://www.facebook.com/events/1017139274985758/
The Midnight at the Tivoli Fans Facebook page can be found HERE
Opening in select theaters on August 14, here’s a look at the second trailer for director Noah Baumbach’s MISTRESS AMERICA.
In MISTRESS AMERICA, Tracy (Lola Kirke) is a lonely college freshman in New York, having neither the exciting university experience nor the glamorous metropolitan lifestyle she envisioned. But when she is taken in by her soon-to-be stepsister, Brooke (Greta Gerwig) – a resident of Times Square and adventurous gal about town – she is rescued from her disappointment and seduced by Brooke’s alluringly mad schemes.
MISTRESS AMERICA is directed by Noah Baumbach from a script written by Baumbach and Greta Gerwig.
Gerwig says, “I’m a fan of the kind of ’80s movies in which some amazing girl drags “the square” into a crazy underground. They go on a big adventure and all this happenstance tumbles in. We wanted that feeling. I love the energy of those movies and I felt like I hadn’t seen one for a long time.”
“Movies like SOMETHING WILD, AFTER HOURS and DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, in which the protagonist is taken on a wild ride by an alluring stranger, were an influence. These were movies I saw when I was a teenager and they had a big effect on me,” adds Baumbach.
Director Noah Baumbach on the set
According to producer Lila Yacoub, Baumbach has taken an increased interest in telling female stories in recent years, especially since the success of FRANCES HA. “Noah really loves women,” she says. “There’s usually a strong woman in his stories, which is one of the things that attracts me to his work. I’m thrilled that he’s writing characters like Tracy and Brooke. I completely respect him as a filmmaker and as a writer. I’m so proud to be part of this little family that we’ve created. He brings a unique perspective to filmmaking.”
MISTRESS AMERICA focuses squarely on the evolution of the friendship between two women, says Gerwig. “It is unusual to see a story about women that has nothing to do with their relationships with the men in their lives. That was a parameter we very deliberately set for ourselves.”
This weekend the biggest gathering of twins in the world is happening in Twinsburg, Ohio, for the 40th Annual Twins Days.
Here’s a few sinister twin facts to share with you.
If you’re seeing double today, Bughuul promises twice the terror…
In honor of National Twins Day today, check out this SINISTER 2 motion poster, featuring the movie’s twins:
Sinister Sundays also continue this weekend. This Sunday, August 9th, look out for the weekly scavenger hunt on the SINISTER 2 Official Twitter Page. Watch a Sinister Kill Film for a chance to win a filmmaker starter pack.
You could be terrifying the world with your own movies in no time!
To participate, follow @SinisterMovieon Twitter and watch an exclusive piece of content from the movie every Sunday, beginning this week for the next three Sundays.
Follow the instructions at the end of the video and you can win various prizes to help you create your very own Sinister Kill Films.
One Grand Prize Winner will receive a $1900 filmmaker starter pack that can go towards a laptop, camera and software. Four runners-up will receive one tablet, valued at $400 each. For official rules, please visit:
In the aftermath of the shocking events in SINISTER, a protective mother (Shannyn Sossamon of “Wayward Pines”) and her 9-year-old twin sons (real-life twins Robert and Dartanian Sloan) find themselves in a rural house marked for death as the evil spirit of Buhguul continues to spread with frightening intensity.
Directed by Ciaran Foy (“Citadel”) and written by Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill (“Sinister”), the cast includes Shannyn Sossamon, James Ransone, Robert and Dartanian Sloan.
In one week from today, the extraordinary film, STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON, opens in theaters.
In 1987, five young men, five young men—Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, DJ Yella and MC Ren – using brutally honest rhymes and hardcore beats, put their frustration and anger about life in the most dangerous place in America into the most powerful weapon they had: their music.
Taking us back to where it all began, STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON tells the true story of how these cultural rebels—armed only with their lyrics, swagger, bravado and raw talent—stood up to the authorities that meant to keep them down and formed the world’s most dangerous group, N.W.A.
And as they spoke the truth that no one had before and exposed life in the hood, their voice ignited a social revolution that is still reverberating today. (Trailer)
On Sunday, WAMG attended the press conference for STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON, the new biopic from director F. Gary Gray (FRIDAY, THE ITALIAN JOB) about the rise and fall of rap group N.W.A.
Joining Gray were the film’s young cast Corey Hawkins (Dr. Dre), Jason Mitchell (Easy-E) and O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Ice Cube), as well as original N.W.A members Ice Cube and DJ Yella.
The film so far has been well received by critics and fans at early screenings, and Sunday’s conversation with the filmmakers and cast provided a great look inside what it took to bring this story to the big screen.
From the perspective of the actors, these were intimidating “roles of a lifetime” and they spent a lot of time preparing for their performances. Said director Gray, “not only did I have these guys spend time getting to know each other and bonding, I also had them go into the studio and actually record the entire Straight Outta Compton album. I wanted the story and the music to become part of them – we needed that authenticity.”
As for how the young actors prepared, they each had their own methods. O’Shea Jackson Jr. is the real life son of Ice Cube, but grew up with the solo career of his famous father. “I didn’t grow up with the N.W.A. Ice Cube, so I really knew nothing about that part of his life. I did a lot if research and watched a lot of old N.W.A. videos and interviews to study his style and mannerisms back then.” In speaking to Dr. Dre, Corey Hawkins got the advice “don’t worry about looking like me or sounding like me. There are tons of guys who look and sound like me. Just play the role and feel it. Then you will look like me and sound like me.” The preparation was a bit different for Jason Mitchell. “Because Easy-E is no longer with us, I couldn’t get that direct feedback. I was constantly watching videos of him to get it right.” As it turned out, as soon as Mitchell stepped in front of the camera, he was so spot-on that many told him it was as if they were seeing a ghost – “for me, that was the highest compliment and it meant so much to me.”
In a brief conversation I had with director Gray, I was dying to ask him about the film’s obvious villain, Suge Knight and the irony of where he is now and where they are now. “We shot the movie over a year ago, and at that time, we had no idea how things were going to turn out.” (Suge Knight is currently facing a very long prison term for violent crimes he has committed and is completely bankrupt.)
While friendship, talent and ambition brought these five guys together, the greed that can so easily accompany fast money ultimately tore them apart.
The anniversary of the album ‘Straight Outta Compton’ is August 8th.
Almost 20 years later, the friendship among N.W.A has been repaired and is stronger than ever, which was more than evident throughout the filmmaking. The accomplishments and legacy of the group were celebrated daily, as Cube, Dre, Yella and Ren remembered their time together so many years ago with Eazy-E.
“The film looks back at the record and it’s a piece of art. It’s okay to love the movie and still have a problem with the group. We’ve been in the business and doing films for 20 years and to deliver this kind of movie shows a different creative level – it’s all about being real,” commented Ice-Cube.
Dr. Dre said, “N.W.A was a perfect starting point for all of us to meet and to be able to collaborate. It is the root of this incredible tree of life. For me, it’s all about inspiration. I was having a conversation with Cube recently about how this filmmaking process has inspired me to return to the studio. I want to get back to the core of what I love to do. Everything about me is music-based, even the headphones. In retrospect, I wouldn’t change anything, the bad or the good.”
Here’s a first look at the new trailer for BY THE SEA from actress/director Angelina Jolie Pitt.
Read the in-depth article over on PEOPLE where Jolie said about working again with husband Brad Pitt, “It was hardest [when] I was directing our fight scenes. I understand and appreciate his creative process and his work ethic even more than before.”
BY THE SEA opens in theaters November 13.
Written, directed and produced by Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie Pitt, BY THE SEA serves as her directorial follow-up to Universal Pictures’ epic UNBROKEN. The dramatic film stars Brad Pitt and Jolie Pitt, who are supported by an international ensemble led by Mélanie Laurent, Melvil Poupaud, Niels Arestrup and Richard Bohringer.
By the Sea follows an American writer named Roland (Pitt) and his wife, Vanessa (Jolie Pitt), who arrive in a tranquil and picturesque seaside resort in 1970s France, their marriage in apparent crisis. As they spend time with fellow travelers, including young newlyweds Lea (Laurent) and François (Poupaud), and village locals Michel (Arestrup) and Patrice (Bohringer), the couple begins to come to terms with unresolved issues in their own lives.
In its style, and its treatment of themes of the human experience, BY THE SEA is inspired by European cinema and theater of the ’60s and ’70s.
Jolie Pitt is joined behind the scenes by a key crew that includes cinematographer Christian Berger (The White Ribbon), who used his Cine Reflect Lighting System to shoot the film; production designer Jon Hutman (Unbroken); editor Patricia Rommel (The Lives of Others); and costume designer Ellen Mirojnick (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps). Pitt joins her in production duties, while Chris Brigham (Inception), Holly Goline-Sadowski (Unbroken) and Michael Vieira (Unbroken) serve as executive producers.
