Older gentleman, down in the dumps and contemplating his purpose, crosses paths with a sprightly young female who upends his mid-life crisis and puts his life back into perspective. Sound familiar? It should. Boasting universal themes that appeal to a whole host of demographics, it’s a template that Hollywood has revisited on numerous occasions, and one that will also underpin Woody Allen’s upcoming romantic drama, Irrational Man.
With Joaquin Phoenix stepping into the shoes of the cantankerous, seemingly impotent professor, Allen’s latest genre piece will center on his own journey as he continually tries to pull himself out of his despair, but to no avail. Enter Emma Stone’s breezy young student, who helps to get Phoenix’s life back on track with a mix of charm and puppy-eyes, and it isn’t long before the pair develop a close-knit relationship.
Despite its hackneyed conventions, from the footage above, it’s evident there’s a palpable chemistry between the leading actors, and that star power might be enough to prevent Irrational Man from dwelling in mediocrity.
Set to be distributed in North America under Sony Pictures Classics, it’s understood the studio is gearing up to release the film late next month, shortly after it premieres at the Cannes film festival in a few weeks’ time. We’re holding out hope that Allen’s astute directing can steer Irrational Man away from cliché when it arrives.
Woody Allen’s Irrational Man will set up shop at the Cannes film festival next month before its debut in select theaters on May 24, 2015.
