Chris Messina’s directorial debut, Alex Of Venice, stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as a young mother faced with a huge life change when her husband steps out on the family. After its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, early buzz orbiting the pic has complimented Messina’s confident transition behind the camera.
Pegged as a “fresh slate” style of indie, the film traces the story of Winstead’s go-getter career woman, Alex, who is dumbfounded when her husband (played by Messina) decides he’s had enough of playing house. Co-starring Don Johnson, Derek Luke, Katie Nehra, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Skylar Gaertner, the movie packs a weighty dramatic punch by the looks of this first trailer.
Winstead has surfaced in recent years as a truly stellar character actress. Able to deftly switch between schlocky genre roles (Quentin Tarantino’s Deathproof) and weightier subject matter (Smashed), the actress is on a roll with this latest turn. It would be worthwhile checking in to catch Messina’s debut for Winstead alone, but luckily there’s a crop of sterling talent surrounding the entire movie.
Alex of Venice will open in theaters on April 20. Check out the trailer above and let us know what you think.
In Alex of Venice, workaholic environmental attorney, Alex Vedder (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), is forced to reinvent herself after her husband (Chris Messina) suddenly leaves the family. Dealing with an aging father (Don Johnson) who still aspires to succeed as an actor, an eccentric sister (Katie Nehra) and an extremely shy son (Skylar Gaertner), Alex is bombarded with everything from the mundane to hilariously catastrophic events without a shoulder to lean on. Realizing she will thrive with or without her husband, Alex discovers her hidden vulnerability as well as her inner strength as she fights to keep her family intact in the midst of the most demanding and important case of her career.
