By the Sea

My wife and I opted to watch this film, despite the many negative reviews, as we had just returned from a wonderful holiday in Gozo, Malta, where this "French set" film was actually filmed and thought it would be nice to see familiar scenery and locations.

We were both surprised at how much we ended up enjoying the film and the narrative. It is beautifully shot with great attention to detail, especially regarding the interiors and the fashion.

It plays like a subtle, engaging, independent French movie, that, for better or worse, has two Hollywood stars in lead roles. Had it not, I am convinced it would have earned much more positive attention. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt play their roles well, but if you dislike either, it may cloud your judgement and you will not like this film.

Watch with a positive mind :)

"If you really love someone, you want more for them than you want for yourself. Do you understand?" Michel (Niels Arestrup)

By the Sea nobly tries to explicate the above quote by the wise bar keep, Michel. Vanessa (Angelina Jolie Pitt) and Roland (Brad Pitt) are visiting the central-casting beautiful Malta to work on their marriage, albeit through the media of drink and voyeurism. It's the '70's and they're celebrities, he an unproductive writer and she a retired dancer.

They're not Burton and Taylor, and the film lacks the passion for any imitation of that famous duo. What it does have are a stunning production design and incomparably romantic location. The first half of the film labors over the small parts of their life—he places her large frame glasses upright because she puts them glass-side down; she digs him about his lack of writing and constant drinking.

However, once the newly-married couple, Lea (Melanie Laurent) and Francois (Melvil Poupaud) arrives, the story gets energy and more eye candy as Brangelina look through a peep hole at the couple's sexual antics. Apparently, this is all that is needed to rekindle the marriage of the older couple.

Well, more action is to come with the big reveal, not much of a revelation I must say. The disconcerting part of that not-so-mysterious surprise is the straight-forward explanation, hardly elegant, a bit too prosaic for a film that regularly intercuts with symbols, e.g., a fisherman in his boat, forcing you to think of the figurative implications and then unnecessarily explicating it.

Although Vanessa is a beauty whom the camera loves and who seems to preen for every shot, I can't help but think Angelina as writer and director has framed a character much like herself. That narcissism gets boring quickly. The prominence of Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg's Jane B. on the soundtrack reinforces Jolie Pitt's infatuation with herself.

Like me you'll be booking passage to Malta soon, but you're unlikely to take away from this film any hints about saving your marriage or finding places in the Oscar nominations for this mediocre work(except, of course, for cinematography!).

I won't say what everyone else has said about this film. What I will say is that it was a beautiful portrayal of some of the darker emotions in life.

Maybe others hate to see their own loneliness on screen, by two actors they've deemed unworthy before they've even watched it, or they have never experienced themselves the emotions portrayed in this film.

Melancholia is the last film I can remember portraying depression accurately. This film is the same, though it's not as simple as, she has depression or she is lonely. Her character was real to me and Angelina portrayed her well.

If you've ever met someone and loved them more than they love themselves and despite their own thoughts of themselves then maybe you will feel something when you watch this. If not, there are plenty more films out there for you that require a lot less emotional range.

"By The Sea" (2015 release; 122 min.) brings the story of married couple Roland (played by Brad Pitt) and Vanessa (played by Angeline Jolie). As the move opens, we see them driving in a gorgeous 1960s Citroen convertible somewhere in the south of France, while Jane Birkin's "Jane B" is blasting on the radio. Roland and Vanessa find an agreeable spot close by the sea and decide to stay there. Eventually another married couple (some years younger, though) ends up in the hotel room next to Vanessa and Roland, not aware that Vanessa found a peep hole, allowing them to look in the other room. To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the third movie in the last 3 years directed by Angelina Jolie (she also wrote the script), but the first one where she directs herself (and Brad). It's been exactly 10 years since Angelina and Brad co-starred (ironically also in a struggling marriage, but of a very different kind!). If it sounds from my introductory lines that a lot is happening in the movie, think again. This is an ultra-slow moving film. You would think that this would allow us to get to know these characters, but alas, that is not the case either. We know virtually nothing as to why the marriage is in trouble, and can only speculate why Vanessa seems depressed, if not worse, and why Roland is experiencing writer's block. Despite all that, the movie does find some traction in the second half, just in the nick of time, frankly. The movie's photography is drop-dead gorgeous (filmed in Malta, that stood in as the south of France). The movie features a number of big French movie stars, including Melvil Poupaud and the beautiful Melanie Laurent (as the other married couple) and Niels Arestrup (as the café tender). There is a ton of great music featured in the movie, both in the musical score, as well as French songs from that era (think Serge Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin, Jacques Dutronc, Sheila, etc.).

"By The Sea" opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and since I don't expect this to play in theaters very long, I went to see it right away. The Saturday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended dismally (4 people, including myself). I can't say it surprised me as the vibe around this movie has not been great. I nevertheless was curious about it (due to a clever trailer, frankly). If you are interested in catching a slow-moving relationship drama that is way off-center, I encourage you this give this a try, be it in the theater (better hurry!), on VAD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray.

In the 70's, writer Roland (Brad Pitt) and former dancer Vanessa (Angelina Jolie) are in a tired marriage. They hope to rekindle their relationship and his writing in a small seaside town in the south of France. She finds a peep hole and obsesses over their next door neighbor especially Léa (Mélanie Laurent).

Angelina Jolie continues to try to be a real filmmaker. She seems competent as a director. I don't see any outstanding style but her work is functional. The acting is tired although that's their characters. Her depression needs to be over-dramatized. When depression is depressed, it's depressing to watch. That's mostly in the writing and I don't think Jolie is a good writer. She may have fair concepts but her dialogue does not sing. The flow is stuck in mud. The plot could have gone somewhere compelling. She needs to collaborate with a better writer who could help her work. This has potential but Jolie lacks the skills to exploit.