By the Sea (2015 film)

Last updated

By the Sea
By The Sea Teaser.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Angelina Jolie Pitt
Written byAngelina Jolie Pitt
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Christian Berger
Edited by
Music by Gabriel Yared
Production
companies
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release dates
  • November 5, 2015 (2015-11-05)(AFI Fest)
  • November 14, 2015 (2015-11-14)(United States)
Running time
122 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • French
Budget$10 million [2]
Box office$3.3 million [2]

By the Sea is a 2015 American romantic drama film written and directed by Angelina Jolie (credited as Angelina Jolie Pitt), and produced by and starring Jolie and Brad Pitt. Shot in August 2014 during Pitt and Jolie's honeymoon in Gozo, Malta, the film was released by Universal Pictures on November 14, 2015.

Contents

The film received mixed reviews and grossed $3.3 million against its $10 million budget.

Plot

In 1960s France, an American couple, Vanessa and Roland, arrive at a coastal resort for a vacation. They have rented an elegant suite at a local hotel, where Roland, a successful author suffering from writers’ block, hopes to find the inspiration to write a new book.

The two are barely on speaking terms; Vanessa, a former dancer, is withdrawn and grieving for an unknown reason, whereas Roland spends his days drinking in a local bar, where he strikes up a friendship with the manager, Michel.

One day Vanessa notices that a disused radiator pipe has left a hole in the wall adjoining the next apartment. Through this, she spies on a newlywed couple, Lea and Francois, who have just moved in.

Vanessa becomes friendly with Lea, and she and Roland socialise with the couple, going sailing with them. But on a night out, they deliberately get Lea and Francois drunk, so that together they can watch their behaviour through the spy hole.

Gradually their voyeurism leads to Vanessa and Roland rekindling their sexual relationship. However, Vanessa goes further and attempts a sexual liaison with Francois in his hotel room. Roland witnesses this through the hole in the wall, bursts in on them, and attacks Francois.

Back in their own room, the pair have a showdown, which exposes the root of their problem; after several miscarriages, Vanessa has been forced to accept that she can never have children.

Lea and Francois leave the hotel after Francois confesses his infidelity to his wife. Roland goes after them and explains the reasons for Vanessa’s behaviour. The couple decide to try to save their marriage, not least because Lea is pregnant.

Having finally come to terms with the reality of their life together, Vanessa seems to achieve a measure of peace and Roland is able to finish writing his book, which he tells Vanessa is all about her.

As Vanessa and Roland leave the hotel and drive away, their future together appears more optimistic.

Cast

Production

In May 2014, it was announced that Angelina Jolie would co-star with Brad Pitt in a film titled By the Sea, to be written and directed by Jolie. [3] The Hollywood Reporter speculated it would be a relationship drama that Jolie wrote several years ago, centering on a couple with issues who take a vacation in a last-ditch effort to save their marriage.

This was the first cinematic collaboration between the two since Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005). [4] Prime Minister Joseph Muscat of Malta confirmed the project, stating that it would be partially filmed at Mġarr ix-Xini. [5] [6]

Jolie stated that the film "at its core, is about grief" further noting that the loss of her mother in 2007 caused a great deal of sadness for her. [7] To that end, the movie resembles movies of the 1960s and '70s; Jolie stated that her mother "loved films of that period". [7] Christian Berger is the cinematographer; he used mostly natural light throughout filming, [8] while Jon Hutman is the production designer. [9] Principal photography and production began on August 19, 2014, in Gozo, Malta, and ended on November 10, 2014. [10] [11]

Release

In May 2015, the film was slated for a November 13, 2015 release. [12]

Marketing and promotion

Stills from the film were released on September 15, 2014. [13] On August 6, 2015, a teaser trailer for the film was released. [14]

Home media

By the Sea was released on DVD & Blu-ray in Australia and Germany on June 9, 2016, in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2016, [15] and in Canada and the United States on July 5, 2016.

Reception

Box office

By the Sea opened theatrically in ten venues, earning $96,250, and ranking number 38 at the domestic box office. [16] As of December 10, the film has grossed $538,460 in the United States and Canada, and $2,796,467 overseas for a worldwide total of $3,334,927. [2]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 34%, based on 135 reviews, with an average rating of 4.8/10. The site's consensus reads, "By the Sea may intrigue celebrity voyeurs or fans of a certain type of arthouse cinema, but for most viewers, its beauty won't be enough to offset its narrative inertia." [17] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 44 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [18]

Justin Chang, chief film critic for Variety said: "By the Sea always offers something to tickle the eye and ear, even as it leaves the heart and mind coolly unstirred." [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Pitt</span> American actor (born 1963)

William Bradley Pitt is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. One of the most influential celebrities, Pitt appeared on Forbes' annual Celebrity 100 list from 2006 to 2008, and the Time 100 list in 2007.

<i>Troy</i> (film) 2004 epic historical war film directed by Wolfgang Petersen

Troy is a 2004 epic historical war film directed by Wolfgang Petersen and written by David Benioff. Produced by units in Malta, Mexico and Britain's Shepperton Studios, the film features an ensemble cast led by Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Sean Bean, Diane Kruger,Brian Cox, Brendan Gleeson, Rose Byrne, Saffron Burrows and Orlando Bloom. It is loosely based on Homer's Iliad in its narration of the entire story of the decade-long Trojan War—condensed into little more than a couple of weeks, rather than just the quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon in the ninth year. Achilles leads his Myrmidons along with the rest of the Greek army invading the historical city of Troy, defended by Hector's Trojan army. The end of the film is not taken from the Iliad, but rather from Quintus Smyrnaeus's Posthomerica, as the Iliad concludes with Hector's death and funeral.

<i>Gone in 60 Seconds</i> (2000 film) 2000 American action film directed by Dominic Sena

Gone in 60 Seconds is a 2000 American action heist film starring Nicolas Cage, Angelina Jolie, Giovanni Ribisi, Christopher Eccleston, Robert Duvall, Vinnie Jones, Delroy Lindo, Chi McBride, and Will Patton. The film was directed by Dominic Sena, written by Scott Rosenberg, and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. The film is a loose remake of the 1974 H. B. Halicki film of the same name.

<i>Mr. & Mrs. Smith</i> (2005 film) 2005 film by Doug Liman

Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a 2005 American action comedy film directed by Doug Liman and written by Simon Kinberg. The film stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as a bored upper middle class married couple, who are surprised to learn that they are assassins belonging to competing agencies and that they have been assigned to kill each other. Incidentally, the filming marked the beginning of Pitt and Jolie's real-life personal relationship, which would later result in a romantic relationship, marriage, and children from 2005 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angelina Jolie</span> American actress (born 1975)

Angelina Jolie is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award and three Golden Globe Awards, she has been named Hollywood's highest-paid actress multiple times.

<i>A Mighty Heart</i> (film) 2007 drama film directed by Michael Winterbottom

A Mighty Heart is a 2007 American drama film directed by Michael Winterbottom from a screenplay by John Orloff. It is based on the 2003 memoir of the same name by Mariane Pearl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mġarr ix-Xini</span> Bay on the Maltese island of Gozo

Mġarr ix-Xini, is a bay close to Għajnsielem (southwest), Xewkija and Sannat (southeast) on the Maltese island of Gozo. It lies in a gorge to the west of Mġarr Harbour, accessible mainly from the nearest village of Xewkija as well from Sannat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Orloff</span> American screenwriter, television creator, and producer

John Orloff is an American screenwriter, television creator, and producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mélanie Laurent</span> French actress, director and singer (born 1983)

Mélanie Laurent is a French actress and filmmaker. The recipient of two César Awards and a Lumières Award, she is an accomplished actress in the French film industry. Internationally, Laurent is best known for her roles in Inglourious Basterds (2009), Now You See Me (2013), Operation Finale (2018) and 6 Underground (2019).

<i>Salt</i> (2010 film) 2010 film by Phillip Noyce

Salt is a 2010 American action thriller film directed by Phillip Noyce, written by Kurt Wimmer, and starring Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Daniel Olbrychski, August Diehl and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Jolie plays CIA operative Evelyn Salt, who is accused of being a Russian sleeper agent and goes on the run to try to clear her name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gozo</span> Island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea

Gozo, in antiquity known as Gaulos, is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago.

<i>The Tourist</i> (2010 film) 2010 film by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

The Tourist is a 2010 American romantic thriller film co-written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and starring Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany, and Timothy Dalton. It is a remake of the 2005 French film Anthony Zimmer. GK Films financed and produced the film, with Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions releasing it in most countries through Columbia Pictures. The $100 million budget film went on to gross $278.3 million at the worldwide box office.

<i>In the Land of Blood and Honey</i> 2011 film by Angelina Jolie

In the Land of Blood and Honey is a 2011 war drama film written, produced, and directed by Angelina Jolie, and starring Zana Marjanović, Goran Kostić and Rade Šerbedžija. The film, Jolie's first commercial release as a director, depicts a love story set against the background of the Bosnian War. It opened in the United States on December 23, 2011, in a limited theatrical release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Pitt filmography</span>

Brad Pitt is an American actor and producer. His acting career began at age 23 in 1987 with roles in the hit Fox television series 21 Jump Street. He subsequently appeared in episodes for television shows during the late 1980s and played his first major role in the slasher film Cutting Class (1989). He gained recognition in Thelma & Louise (1991) A River Runs Through It (1992) and Cool World and (1992) Kalifornia (1992). He later took on the role of vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac in the horror drama Interview with the Vampire (1994) and for his performance in the epic drama Legends of the Fall (1994), he earned his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor nomination.

<i>Maleficent</i> (film) 2014 Disney film

Maleficent is a 2014 American fantasy film starring Angelina Jolie as Maleficent in a live-action retelling of her villainous role in Walt Disney's 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty, itself an adaptation of Charles Perrault's 1697 fairy tale. The film is directed by Robert Stromberg from a screenplay by Linda Woolverton. It also stars Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville in supporting roles.

<i>Fury</i> (2014 film) 2014 American-British war film directed by David Ayer

Fury is a 2014 American war film written, directed, and co-produced by David Ayer. It stars Brad Pitt with Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Peña, and Jon Bernthal as members of an American tank crew fighting in Nazi Germany during the final weeks of the European theater of World War II. Ayer was influenced by the service of military veterans in his family and by reading books such as Belton Y. Cooper's Death Traps, a 1998 memoir that underscores the high casualty rates suffered by American tank crews in combat against their better-equipped German counterparts.

<i>Unbroken</i> (film) 2014 American war film by Angelina Jolie

Unbroken is a 2014 American war drama film produced and directed by Angelina Jolie and written by the Coen brothers, Richard LaGravenese, and William Nicholson. It is based on the non-fiction book by Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (2010). The film stars Jack O'Connell as Army officer Louis "Louie" Zamperini, an American Olympian, and Miyavi as Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) corporal Mutsuhiro Watanabe. Zamperini survived in a raft for 47 days after his bomber ditched in the ocean during the Second World War, before being captured by the Japanese and being sent to a series of prisoner of war camps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angelina Jolie filmography</span>

American actress Angelina Jolie made her screen debut in the comedy film Lookin' to Get Out (1982), acting alongside her father Jon Voight. Eleven years later, she appeared in her next feature, the low-budget film Cyborg 2 (1993), a commercial failure. She then starred as a teenage hacker in the science fiction thriller Hackers (1995), which went on to be a cult film despite performing poorly at the box-office. Jolie's career prospects improved with a supporting role in the made-for-television film George Wallace (1997), for which she received the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Television Film. She made her breakthrough the following year in HBO's television film Gia (1998). For her performance in the title role of fashion model Gia Carangi, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mġarr ix-Xini Tower</span> Watchtower in Malta

Mġarr ix-Xini Tower is the largest of the coastal watchtowers that the Knights of Malta erected on the island of Gozo. It watches over the entrance to the bay of Mġarr ix-Xini, limits of Għajnsielem, which lies on Gozo's south-west coast.

References

  1. "BY THE SEA (15)". British Board of Film Classification . November 24, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "By the Sea (2015)". Box Office Mojo . Internet Movie Database . Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  3. Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 18, 2014). "Universal Buys Angelina Jolie-Brad Pitt Pic Deadline Broke In May". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  4. "Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Teaming Up for Mystery Movie Project". The Hollywood Reporter. May 2, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  5. Kauri (July 14, 2014). "Brangelina are headed to Malta". onlocationvacations.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  6. "Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt blockbuster to be filmed at Mgarr ix-Xini - timesofmalta.com". Times of Malta. July 3, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  7. 1 2 Galuppo, Mia (November 6, 2015). "'By the Sea' Premiere: Angelina Jolie Pitt on Making a Movie For Her Mother". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  8. Chitwood, Adam (September 15, 2014). "By the Sea Images Reveal Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt as a Married Couple". Collider. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  9. Caranicas, Peter (October 2, 2014). "Below the Line Bookings". variety.com. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  10. "Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's By the Sea Starts Filming Today". Collider. August 18, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  11. "On the Set for 11/10/14: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Along with Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt's By The Sea Wraps & More". ssninsider.com. Archived from the original on March 13, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  12. Sneider, Jeff (May 7, 2015). "Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt Movie 'By the Sea' Lands Awards Season Release Date". TheWrap.com. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  13. Breznican, Anthony (September 15, 2014). "First Look: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt swept away in romantic drama 'By the Sea'". ew.com. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  14. "By the Sea TRAILER 1 (2015) - Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Movie HD". YouTube. August 6, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  15. "By the Sea". Amazon UK.
  16. "Weekend Box Office Results for November 13-15, 2015". Box Office Mojo . Internet Movie Database. November 16, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  17. "By the Sea (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  18. "By the Sea reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  19. "'By the Sea' Review: Angelina Jolie Pitt, Brad Pitt Star in Marriage Drama". Variety.com. Los Angeles, California: Penske Media Corporation. November 6, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2018.