| The Letter | |
|---|---|
| Promotional poster | |
| Directed by | Jay Anania |
| Written by | Jay Anania |
| Produced by | Vince Jolivette Marni Zelnick Jeff Kalligheri |
| Starring | Winona Ryder James Franco |
| Cinematography | Bradley Schmidt |
| Music by | Arvo Pärt |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Wrekin Hill Entertainment |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Letter, previously called The Stare, is a 2012 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Jay Anania, starring Winona Ryder and James Franco. Franco is a former student of Anania's, who teaches directing at NYU. [1] The pair previously collaborated on Shadows and Lies . In 2012, it was announced that Lionsgate purchased the distribution rights to the film, which was retitled The Letter. [2] [3] The film got its first theatrical showing at the Cincinnati Film Festival on September 9, 2012. [4]
A playwright, Martine (Ryder), suffers from paranoia and hallucinations as she attempts to stage a new production. She is uncertain over whether she is deluded or if there is a plot against her. Tyrone (Franco) is an actor in Martine's new play. [5]
In his review in Slant Magazine , Nick Schager said that "the film utilizes its familiar premise for little more than wannabe-profound aesthetic masturbation, leaving its cast to vainly attempt to energize scenarios without purpose." [6]
Writing for 7MPictures, Liam Carr said that "The Letter is not a thriller. It is barely a film. It's a boring, self-important, disjointed and pointless pile of tripe masquerading as a movie." [7] [8]