Storyline
Set in France during the mid-1970s, Vanessa, a former dancer, and her husband Roland, an American writer, travel the country together. They seem to be growing apart, but when they linger in one quiet, seaside town they begin to draw close to some of its more vibrant inhabitants, such as a local bar/café-keeper and a hotel owner.
Directors
Cast
Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Niels Arestrup, Frédéric Dessains, Melvil Poupaud, Richard Bohringer, Sarah Naudi, Marika Green, Aldo Buontempo, George Camilleri, Philippe Martinet, Francis Xuereb, Malcolm Beethans, Kathleen Beethans, Bjorn Kubin, Penny Dix, Arcadia Vodka, Indi Marceau Coppola, Anna Cachia
Trailer
Reviews
75
Jolie Pitt’s insistence on creating a piece that reflects the harsh inner state of a person suffering to understand herself as a wife and as a woman in the world is commendable, and fascinating in her growth as a filmmaker.
75
It sounds far sexier, just based on the synopsis, than it actually plays, though, so hopefully people aren't sold the wrong movie. For those in the mood for a throwback to the doomed romanticism of mid'60s art films, this feels like about as sincere an homage as anyone could produce.
63
Slant Magazine
If it stumbles when it seeks our sympathy, it thrives when it's exploiting our fascination with the surface of things, and all that's unknowable underneath.
60
By the Sea’s uncompromising nature is its most admirable asset. It’s a vanity project that’s difficult to love, but alluring to unpack.
58
Jolie Pitt, who also wrote and directed, shows a lot of skin (her own and her cast’s) without ever really getting under it. Misery doesn’t just love good-looking company; it needs an emotional center and a satisfying narrative arc, too.
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