And While We Were Here

Last updated

And While We Were Here
And while we were here t.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Kat Coiro
Written byKat Coiro
Produced by
  • Lauren Bratman
  • Kat Coiro
Starring
CinematographyDoug Chamberlain
Edited byAdam Catino
Music by Mateo Messina
Production
companies
  • 1821 Pictures
  • Dead Serious Films
Distributed by Well Go USA Entertainment
Release dates
  • April 22, 2012 (2012-04-22)(Tribeca)
  • September 13, 2013 (2013-09-13)(United States)
Running time
80 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

And While We Were Here is a 2012 American romantic drama film written and directed by Kat Coiro and starring Kate Bosworth, Jamie Blackley and Iddo Goldberg. It was filmed on the island of Ischia. The film premiered at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival and showed at the Locarno Film Festival. It released to Ultra VOD on August 13, 2012, and to theaters on September 13, 2013. [1] [2]

Contents

Plot

Jane and her husband, Leonard, travel to Naples, where Leonard has been hired to teach and perform with his instrument of choice, the viola. Jane and Leonard have a strained marriage, with Leonard, in Jane's belief, not being a supportive or caring husband. Jane is writing a sort of memoir about her grandmother's experiences in the world wars while her husband is at work. Jane visits the island of Ischia to avoid the isolation she faces alone in the couple's hotel room. While out on a walk, she meets the young and outgoing nineteen-year-old Caleb, with whom she strikes up an acquaintance. The two spend the afternoon together and share a dinner later that night. Caleb and Jane run away from the restaurant without paying making Jane feel alive, before Caleb confessing to her that he paid the bill when he went to the bathroom. Caleb asks for Jane's phone number but she refuses and catches a ferry back to her hotel room.

The following day Jane and Leonard share a lunch in which further strain is shown, with Leonard not understanding why Jane has such a fascination with and envy of the life of a 'young, care-free' teenager. As she is saying this, Caleb suddenly arrives at the restaurant and sits with the couple at Jane's invitation. Leonard shows signs of suspicion of the two and promptly asks for the check. The three walk towards Leonard's work and Caleb leaves them but not before writing his address on Jane's hand despite Leonard pointing out that he has a piece of paper. Jane and Leonard say goodbye to each other and Jane walks away and runs into Caleb again. Jane asks Caleb if he is following her to which he asks whether that would be weird. The two walk together and Caleb confesses to Jane that he couldn't sleep after meeting her and actually planned to bump into her so he could see her again. The two share a passionate kiss. However Jane soon pulls away and questions Caleb's motives before leaving and telling him not to follow her. Jane goes home to have a shower but writes down Caleb's address in her notebook so she doesn't lose it when it washes off.

Jane tries to reignite the spark in her marriage and tries to initiate intimacy between the two but Leonard rebuffs her, instead concentrating on his work. Once again, Jane begins to see the cracks in her marriage and soon follows the address in her book to find Caleb. The two share a day of walking, dancing and swimming around the island before the two have sex in his home. Jane goes back to her hotel room and husband the following morning where he scolds her for allowing him to worry about her, especially when she claims she was just walking all night. Jane tells Leonard that they need to talk but he insists that he needs to go to work.

That night, when Leonard arrives home they fight and Jane confesses her affair to him. Leonard is angry at first, throwing a glass at the wall, but soon asks Jane to do what she needs to do. He also asks her to meet him at the train station at four the following day so that can depart the country together and re-patch their marriage, no guilt and no questions asked.

Jane spends the next morning with Caleb but decides to leave him and reject his offer to travel with him. Jane appears at the train station where Leonard is waiting. Leonard smiles but also points out that she is on the wrong side of the tracks and needs to cross over so they can leave together. Jane smiles back with a hint of sadness and a train comes and blocks Leonard's view of Jane. When the train departs, Jane is gone also, implying she got on the train and left both Caleb and Leonard, leaving the latter alone in the train station.

Cast

Production

Coiro chose to shoot on the island of Ischia because one of her producers had a home there where they could film parts of the movie. While writing the script she used Google Earth to find interesting locations and one on Ischia she and the crew would arrive and illegally film in those locations without asking for permission. [3]

The film was shot in color but director Coiro and her cinematographer ultimately wanted it to be shown in black and white. The film had a successful festival run in black and white but Coiro ultimately decided to release the movie in color so as not to limit her potential audience. [4]

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 43% based on 21 critics, with an average rating of 4.7/10. [5] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 48 out of 100 based on reviews from 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [6]

Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote "The marital crisis at the [film's] heart has lost its allegorical weight. Jane and Leonard are just another unhappy couple with problems that have nothing to do with the direction of Western civilization". [7]

Annlee Ellington of the Los Angeles Times had a different take on the film. Her reaction to it was "It's to Coiro's credit that no one emerges as a villain - and that, however painful, on the other side lies hope". [8]

Nick Schager of The A.V. Club had compared the film to Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise , calling And While We Were Here derivative. [9] He also praised lead actress, Kate Bosworth, calling her "committed", but also stating that "there's ultimately no real role for her to play-like her male co-stars", adding that "she's simply stuck embodying a series of cliched poses". [9]

Wes Greene of Slant Magazine gave And While We Were Here one star out of four and compared the film to another romantic drama, Voyage to Italy by Roberto Rossellini. [10]

While attending Tribeca Film Festival, Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter said that "[the film is u]nfortunately, this tale of an illicit romance between an unhappily married woman and a younger man traffics in far too many genre clichs, beginning with its idyllic locale". [11]

According to John Anderson of Variety , "Between the architectural pillars of Renaissance Italy and Kate Bosworth, helmer Kat Coiro hangs a gossamer tale of ruined love and liberation with While We Were Here. [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>Seven Brides for Seven Brothers</i> 1954 film by Stanley Donen

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a 1954 American musical film, directed by Stanley Donen, with music by Gene de Paul, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, and choreography by Michael Kidd. The screenplay, by Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich, and Dorothy Kingsley, is based on the short story "The Sobbin' Women", by Stephen Vincent Benét, which was based in turn on the ancient Roman legend of the Rape of the Sabine Women. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, which is set in Oregon in 1850, is particularly known for Kidd's unusual choreography, which makes dance numbers out of such mundane frontier pursuits as chopping wood and raising a barn. Film critic Stephanie Zacharek has called the barn-raising sequence in Seven Brides "one of the most rousing dance numbers ever put on screen." The film was photographed in Ansco Color in the CinemaScope format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Birkin</span> British actress and singer (1946–2023)

Jane Mallory Birkin was a British and French actress and singer. She attained international fame and notability for her decade-long musical and romantic partnership with Serge Gainsbourg. She also had a prolific career as an actress, mostly in French cinema.

<i>10 Things I Hate About You</i> 1999 American film by Gil Junger

10 Things I Hate About You is a 1999 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Gil Junger and starring Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Larisa Oleynik. The screenplay, by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, is a modernization of William Shakespeare's comedy The Taming of the Shrew, retold in a late-1990s American high school setting. The film follows new student Cameron (Gordon-Levitt) who is smitten with Bianca (Oleynik) and, in order to get around her father's strict rules on dating, attempts to get bad boy Patrick (Ledger) to date Bianca's antisocial sister, Kat (Stiles). The film is named after a poem Kat writes about her romance with Patrick. Much of the filming took place in the Seattle metropolitan area, with many scenes shot at Stadium High School in Tacoma, Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfie Moon</span> Fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders

Alfie Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Shane Richie. He made his first appearance on 21 November 2002, and left on 25 December 2005. He returned on 21 September 2010, following the return of his on-screen wife, Kat Slater, two episodes previously, and they continued to feature until 22 May 2015. Alfie appeared in a guest stint between 26 December 2015 and 25 January 2016, before starring in the six-part drama spin-off series Kat & Alfie: Redwater in 2017. Richie returned for two short stints in 2018, concluding with his exit on 22 January 2019. Richie then made a virtual cameo appearance on 12 July 2022, followed by a permanent return from 12 September 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Rosenthal</span> American film producer

Jane Rosenthal is an American film producer. She is co-founder, CEO, and executive chair of Tribeca Enterprises, a media company that encompasses Tribeca Productions, the Tribeca Film Festival, Tribeca Studios, and non-profit offshoot the Tribeca Film Institute. She and Robert De Niro founded the Tribeca Film Festival in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks to help revitalize downtown Manhattan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iddo Goldberg</span> Israeli-British actor (born 1975)

Iddo Goldberg is an Israeli-British actor, known for his roles as Ben in Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Freddie Thorne in Peaky Blinders, Isaac Walton in Salem, and Bennett Knox in Snowpiercer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Bosworth</span> American actress (born 1983)

Catherine Anne Bosworth is an American actress. Following minor roles in the films The Horse Whisperer (1998) and Remember the Titans (2000), she had a leading role in the box-office hit Blue Crush (2002).

<i>Straw Dogs</i> (2011 film) 2011 American film

Straw Dogs is a 2011 American action thriller film directed, produced, and written by Rod Lurie. It is a remake of Sam Peckinpah's 1971 film Straw Dogs, itself based on the Gordon Williams novel The Siege of Trencher's Farm. It stars James Marsden and Kate Bosworth.

<i>A Good Old Fashioned Orgy</i> 2011 film by Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck

A Good Old Fashioned Orgy is a 2011 American comedy film written and directed by Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck. It stars Jason Sudeikis, Leslie Bibb, Lake Bell, Michelle Borth, Nick Kroll, Tyler Labine, Angela Sarafyan, Lindsay Sloane, Martin Starr, Lucy Punch and Will Forte. The main plot follows Eric, who, having thrown parties at his father's house for years, decides to have one last party when the house is to be sold: an orgy.

<i>A Case of You</i> (film) 2013 American film

A Case of You is a 2013 American romantic comedy film. The film was directed by Kat Coiro and produced by and starring Justin Long, who wrote the script with his brother Christian and Keir O'Donnell, who also stars in the film. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2013 and was released in the United States by IFC Films in November of the same year. It received mixed to negative reviews from critics.

<i>Life Happens</i> 2011 American film

Life Happens is a 2011 American comedy film directed by Kat Coiro and written by Coiro and Krysten Ritter. The film stars Ritter, Kate Bosworth, Kristen Johnston, Geoff Stults, Jason Biggs, and Rachel Bilson. Ritter plays the main character, Kim, who lives with her two roommates, Deena (Bosworth) and Laura (Bilson), in Los Angeles. Kim becomes pregnant after a one-night stand so she turns to her friends for help. Life Happens was released theatrically on April 13, 2012.

Kat Coiro is an American filmmaker known for directing Marry Me, a romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, and Maluma for Universal Pictures in 2022. She directed and executive produced She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, co-executive produced and directed the pilot episodes of the television series Girls5Eva, Florida Girls, and many other television shows.

<i>Before I Wake</i> (2016 film) 2016 film by Mike Flanagan

Before I Wake is a 2016 American dark fantasy horror film directed and edited by Mike Flanagan and co-written by Flanagan and Jeff Howard. The film stars Kate Bosworth, Thomas Jane, Jacob Tremblay, Annabeth Gish, Topher Bousquet and Dash Mihok. Before I Wake premiered at Fantasia on July 31, 2016, and Netflix released it in the United States on January 5, 2018. The film grossed over $4.9 million worldwide and received positive reviews from critics.

<i>About Alex</i> 2014 American film

About Alex is a 2014 American drama film written and directed by Jesse Zwick. The film stars Nate Parker, Jason Ritter, Maggie Grace and Max Greenfield. It had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 17, 2014. Screen Media Films released it on August 8, 2014.

<i>She-Hulk: Attorney at Law</i> 2022 Marvel Studios television miniseries

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is an American television miniseries created by Jessica Gao for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics featuring the character She-Hulk. It is the eighth television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It follows Jennifer Walters, a lawyer specializing in cases involving superhumans, who also becomes the green superhero She-Hulk. Gao serves as head writer with Kat Coiro leading the directing team.

<i>Marry Me</i> (2022 film) American film by Kat Coiro

Marry Me is a 2022 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Kat Coiro, with a screenplay by John Rogers, Tami Sagher, and Harper Dill. Based on the 2012 graphic novel of the same title by Bobby Crosby, it stars Jennifer Lopez as Kat Valdez, a superstar, who decides to marry Charlie Gilbert, a math teacher holding a "Marry Me" sign, after learning that her on-stage bridegroom Bastian (Maluma) has been having an affair.

<i>The Immaculate Room</i> 2022 film by Mukunda Michael Dewil

The Immaculate Room is a 2022 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Mukunda Michael Dewil. The film stars Emile Hirsch, Kate Bosworth, Ashley Greene, and M. Emmet Walsh.

"Is This Not Real Magic?" is the fourth episode of the American television series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character She-Hulk. It follows lawyer Jennifer Walters / She-Hulk as she tries to begin dating. The episode is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It was written by Melissa Hunter and directed by Kat Coiro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ribbit and Rip It</span> 8th episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

"Ribbit and Rip It" is the eighth episode of the American television series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character She-Hulk. It follows Jennifer Walters / She-Hulk joining Matt Murdock / Daredevil in looking for a fashion designer who was kidnapped by one of Walters' clients. The episode is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It was written by Cody Ziglar and directed by Kat Coiro.

"Whose Show Is This?" is the ninth episode and series finale of the American television series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character She-Hulk. It follows Jennifer Walters as she deals with the consequences of the previous episode while attempting to obtain information about Intelligencia. The episode is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It was written by head writer Jessica Gao and directed by Kat Coiro.

References

  1. ↑ Toro, Gabo (April 22, 2012). "Tribeca Review: 'While We Were Here' Delivers The Sensuality Of The Sun-Kissed Shores Of Naples". The Playlist. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Well Go Acquires 'And While We Were Here'". Deadline Hollywood . April 26, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  3. ↑ Topel, Fred. "Exclusive Interview: Kat Coiro on And While We Were Here Director Kat Coiro describes her personal connection to her latest drama". Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  4. ↑ Coiro, Kat (September 11, 2013). "Kat Coiro Explains Why She Listened to Her Distributor and Changed 'And While We Were Here' From B&W to Color" . Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  5. ↑ "And While We Were Here (2012)". Rotten Tomatoes . Flixster . Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  6. ↑ "And While We Were Here (2013)". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  7. ↑ Holden, Stephen (September 13, 2013). "Loveless Marriage on a Lovely Island". The New York Times . p. C13.
  8. ↑ Ellington, Annlee (September 12, 2013). "Review: 'And While We Were Here' deals with marriage honestly". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  9. 1 2 Schager, Nick (September 12, 2013). "And While We Were Here". The A.V. Club . The Onion . Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  10. ↑ Greene, Wes (September 8, 2013). "Review: And While We Were Here". Slant Magazine .
  11. ↑ Scheck, Frank (April 27, 2012). "While We Were Here: Tribeca Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  12. ↑ Anderson, John (April 24, 2012). "While We Were Here". Variety .

And While We Were Here at IMDb

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.