Swapping the grand spectacle of her World War II effort Unbroken for a more intimate drama in By The Sea, Angelina Jolie’s latest directorial effort will have her star opposite real-life husband Brad Pitt for a poignant drama about the pulse-pounding highs and crashing lows of marriage.
Having also written and directed the low-key feature, By The Sea represents something of a passion project for Jolie, and today’s featurette underlines the creative freedom that the pair enjoyed whilst filming the feature. Centering on the tumultuous relationship between Roland and Vanessa – Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, respectively – the movie will see their once steadfast relationship begin to slip through their fingers.
Set against the idyllic backdrop of 1970s France, the serene setting is juxtaposed by the tension bubbling between the pair, and from the pill popping and late-night drinking sessions, it’s evident that there’s something deeply wrong with their marriage. Marital violence and abuse have an always will be powerful, universal themes, but whether the general audience can get past Pitt and Jolie’s status as one of Hollywood’s power couple and actually engage with the troubled characters is another question entirely.
Angelina Jolie’s venture behind the lens continues when her intimate marital drama By The Sea docks in theaters on November 13.
By the Sea follows an American writer named Roland (Pitt) and his wife, Vanessa (Jolie), 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.
