Paul Haggis has had an interesting and varied career as both a screenwriter and a director. He’s had some hits, including winning an Oscar for his 2004 film Crash, and some misses, but he always makes an interesting film. His latest directorial effort, Third Person, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and despite an excellent cast, it has still not managed to get a U.S. release date. It does, however, have an international trailer.
The film centers around three couples across the world; or rather, in three iconic capital cities: New York, Paris, and Rome. James Franco and Mila Kunis are a young couple in a nasty battle over their son; Adrien Brody saves a stranger’s daughter from human traffickers; and Liam Neeson and Olivia Wilde have an affair. I’m sure that all these stories are intertwined somehow, but the trailer does not reveal all the connections.
I wish I could say that some of the negative buzz on Third Person is contradicted by what we see in the trailer, but I really cannot bring myself to lie. Overwrought and overemotional, the footage shown here showcases a bevy of great actors screaming, throwing things, and crying. While that sometimes passes for drama in current cinema, it does not necessarily make for a great film. Nor does intertwining and complex storylines, if not backed up with really excellent storytelling. Although every single actor has proven themselves more than capable of brilliant performances, and although Haggis is himself a fine director, this one looks like a total misfire.
You may decide for yourself, of course, by watching the first trailer for Third Person below. The voiceover is not in English, so you’ll just have to imagine the film description.
