Thoughts I Had...While Admiring the Beauty of Brangelina in "By the Sea"
Monday, September 15, 2014 at 11:38PM abstew here with some random thoughts on the just released new stills from the newest directorial effort of Oscar winner Angelina Jolie, By the Sea. EW received the exclusive pics (hence the magazine's watermark on the photos) and a mini-interview with the writer/director/producer and star that pairs her up on screen with new husband Brad Pitt (their first on-screen partnering since the film that brought them together and launched a million tabloid magazine covers, Mr. and Mrs. Smith). Set in the 1970's, Jolie stars as a former ballet dancer travelling France with her American husband (that would be Pitt, naturally). Their marriage is beginning to show signs of strain and they find themselves drawn to the inhabitants of a small costal town on their journeys...and comedy ensues! (But probably not):
- Damn. I feel like they just announced this film was in the works and we already have photos after one week of shooting...and just three weeks after a super secret marriage? Beautiful, talented, and hyper-organized. That Jolie-Pitt household must run like a well-oiled machine. Which I guess it would have to considering how many children there are to juggle as well.
- I love that instead of going on a traditional honeymoon, Brad and Angelina chose to spend 8 weeks filming a domestic drama together. Apparently Angie's calling it a "Workingmoon". Ugh.
- God, they're both so pretty. Just look at that face. If Madonna were singing about movie stars of today it would be, "Angelina: Gave Good Face."
- I'm getting serious Sophia Loren vibes from Angie in this pic.
- Everyone is always complaining that Angie is a movie star without the movies to back it up. After the commercial success of Maleficent, could this be the critical hit that boosts her film legacy?
- Film about a failing marriage, starring Hollywood's biggest real-life couple - is it too much pressure to already compare this to Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
- Although the last time we had Angie in a lush European setting we got everyone's favorite Musical or Comedy The Tourist, so...yeah, maybe too much pressure. I should settle for something in between the two.
- But how great would it be if Brad and Angie were both nominated for acting Oscars in the same year for the same film? Maybe throw Jon Voight in there too just to make it a complete family affair.
- Honestly, can we get Brad Pitt an acting Oscar already?! They can keep it on a separate shelf away from the producing Oscars and give Angie's Best Supporting Actress acting statue some company. And Zahara, Shiloh, and lil Vivienne can dress them up in doll clothes.
- Sideburns, creepy sunglasses, and pornstache? Yep, this is definitely set in the 70's.
- Although staring into that mirror, I half expect him to reenact the final scene in Boogie Nights. "I am a star..."
- Isn't Mélanie Laurent in this as well? I want a picture of her, too! God, she's so good in Beginners and Inglorious Basterds (with Pitt!).
- I actually didn't like Brangelina's last on-screen pairing, but there was no denying their combustible chemistry. I'm curious if after almost 10 years together they'll still be able to make that spark between them light up the screen. And I know we generally wait for an actual trailer before utilizing Yes, No, Maybe So, but I'm already a Yes...
Universal is releasing By the Sea sometime next year (most likely in the Fall). But in the meantime, we'll have countless red carpet and awards show appearances this season for both stars as Pitt has Oscar hopeful Fury opening October 17 and the Angelina Jolie-helmed Unbroken opens Christmas Day.
Reader Comments (21)
For a moment I thought you meant she's calling the movie "Workingmoon" and I was horrified.
The kids already have three Oscars to doll up and play with...Angie has her Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Oscar!
I realize she is playing a bunhead, but girl needs to eat. I really like her and enjoy her films, but I'm uncomfortable with how thin she is. A little more zaftig and a lot less waiftig would be nice. A Sophia Loren like body would be a good goal to go along with the (admittedly beautiful) pose.
Nicki Minaj did a rap in a song called Fall Like Dominoes she name checks Madonna & Jolie,the lyric goes"if i needa bad bitch call Angelina Jolie!."
I get Antonioni vibes, and her hair is not Sophia Loren, is Monica Vitti.
But Angie, why so skinny?
Jolie has a 2 Oscar noms, recently 1 for Changeling, and 1 win for Girl interrupted (she has another Oscar but that is for her almost 14 years of humanitarian work) .
She also has:
6 GoldenGlobes noms, 3 wins;
4 Screen Actors Guild noms, 2 wins;
1 BAFTA nom;
3 BFCA noms 1 win;
2 EMMY noms;
1 Independent Spirit Awards nom etc.
I don't think she has any need for a "critical hit ". Critics and her peers always loved her performances. Her performance in Maleficent was a"critical hit ", critics love it, even if they didn't love the film.
All of that and Jolie hasn't even work that much in the last 10 years. She hadn't been in screen for 4 years before Maleficent. She rather direct and write now.
When is too soon to never mention Maleficent again?
BD - lol!
Megan, it's not that people don't enjoy Jolie onscreen, but like, she's never been in what one can call a "desert island movie", as in, you were only allowed to take a select number of movies with you. (Of course, this is a weirdly contrived scenario where you're on a desert island, but have a working dvd player) She's never been in a Best Picture nominee. (or even a movie that was widely considered to be robbed of one) She's been in runaway summer blockbusters, but never THE summer blockbuster. She's not primarily known for comedy. Her popularity is almost a current circular logic of "I enjoy movies Angelina Jolie is in, because I enjoy Angelina Jolie".
rabartlett - that's exactly it. I have seen a ton of them cuz i LOVE her onscreen. But they aren't very good, the movies.
Yeah, a lot of her movies suck but I bet her name is screamed during sex, either silently or aloud more than just about any other woman in the world (his too).
Not that I would know anything about that.
They are a perfect Hollywood coupling. No one can look at either and say "They could do better."
aaron - maybe i'm being greedy trying to get the Jolie-Pitt household more than 3 Oscars, but for some reason I always picture the acting Oscars as more anthropomorphic and thus more inclined for dress-up. perhaps in a replica of the costumes the character wore in the movie?!?
I love Angie as an actress since the beginning (I've even seen PLAYING BY HEART and PUSHING TIN...in the theaters) and she'll definitely be remembered as a movie star, but she has that problem that Meryl has where she's so much better than the films she's in. what films will she even be remembered for?
henry - haha! angie and brad are cinematic viagra.
I love that they're doing something glamorous and period.
I'm worried if she has an accent though -- she famously cannot do accents well.
Is it just me, or does she not look a lot like late-era Michael Jackson in that pic?
Only in that MJ was trying to sculpt himself an incredibly beautiful high cheekboned full lipped white woman's face. You could say he looked like a lot of piquant pert nosed big eyed brat doll beauties, including Natalie Portman.
I've always thought Aniston looked Dustin Hoffman in tootsie though.
Also, weren't Brad and Angelina both nominated together for best actor and best actress in 2009 or 2010? Him for Benjamin Button, her for Eastwood's Changeling?
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Since when have people been complaining about Angelina's films? That's some bullshit anti campaign probably run by that vindictive PR flack of Brads ex. 750 plus billion for Maleficent, even the tourist made 350 mil, Salt was a hit, Wanted was a hit, she got nominated for everything under the sun for Changeling, and nominated for everything under the sun but Oscar for A Mighty Heart - girl interrupted won her her first Oscar, she became the first woman to ever open an action film....
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I don't see people fretting about the lack of Nicole Kidman films in their library, or Halle Berry, or before Gravity last year, Sandy Bullock.
So what's with trying to shame one of the biggest movie stars around who has stated many times she's not even that interested in acting (recently said it was her moms dream for her) she'd rather direct, write and produce - and be the influential humanitarian and mom she is. Isn't there someone else, who does stupid shite that's a total waste of space and doesn't make movies people actually buy tickets to, and who hasn't won Oscars, and who hasn't tried to make the world a better place...maybe someone who's desperately putting in an effort to be all Oscar baity every year.....instead of someone trying to save her own life and be here for her children...
Nicole Kidman was in "Moulin Rouge!" a pretty iconic movie, and credited with reviving the musical. Whether or not Bullock had a library-must before "Gravity" (And one could seriously make the case for "Speed"), she does have "Gravity". Halle Berry has a pretty weak resume, but she's on TV now, so I'm not sure the comparison is flattering. And not even an Premium Cable TV. CBS TV.
And what I'm assuming is shade being thrown at Jennifer Aniston is pretty funny--at the end of the day, they're not too dissimilar. Forgettable hits in their wheelhouse, and little-seen indie vehicles proving "I can act, dammit!" But Jolie fits the movie star "Look" more.
I would take "Mr & Mrs Smith" and "Wanted" for my deserted island scenario. Angie's is an excellent actress and some of her movies are really enjoyable, like Girl Interrupted which should count as a memorable movie. It's just that she was in some really bad moves (not her fault, blame the director or whoever) that overshadow her great work, like Alexander and Changeling. I hated Alexander and Changeling, but her performance in them was great and the best part of the movies.
Bob - Nicole Kidman has an amazing filmography. Halle Berry and Sandra Bullock don't have great ones, but there strong films still seem to be a lot stronger than Angelina's good movies for the most part. Also, Halle Berry has a different struggle as a black actress so that comparison isn't even fair.
"A Sophia Loren like body would be a good goal to go along with the (admittedly beautiful) pose."
Things like this make me sick... we don't compare men like this and constantly talk about them looking either too big or too thin. Another woman's body is not a goal. Perhaps she looks so thin for the role? There was no mention of Pitt's appearance. So you're saying the beautiful pose would look much better if her body was a bit more voluptuous (but still up to society's standards for skinniness), a la Sophia Loren. I just think people should think about comments on women's appearance that they make and really ask themselves why they're saying what they say.
Amen Phillip!!! It's so true how quickly we are willing to critique ones physique when realistically (male or female) we all wish we could change things about ourselves... Most of us would rather hate someone out of envy then love them for their inspiration. Lets all be honest, every critic in the world could give this movie a bad reviewbut that's not gonna stop us from watching. Her movies may not always be poetic, moving masterpieces... Yet we will sit and endure because watching her is like watching a baby being born. She brings something to the world that even if seen a million times never falls short of being beautiful. Lets face it..."I will never watch another Angelina or brad movie again"...said no one, ever.
angelina jolie is a mediocre actress and is a very overrated star