Review of By the Sea (2015) by Orlando O — 11 Aug 2016

By the Sea is at times difficult to see it as a romantic drama film about an American married couple, which there relationship has been spiraling out of control. The setting takes place in the 1970s, an American couple are going on a private getaway in France. Roland (Brad Pitt) is a failed writer, does a lot of day drinking, and spends his time in a bar contemplating on his book and his marriage. His wife Vanessa (Angelina Jolie Pitt) is downright depressed, keeps herself hidden and avoiding people, spends most of her time in the hotel room, and peeping through a hole into the other room with a newlywed couple. By the Sea is a two hour movie, watching a couple that is struggling, by being unhappy and despising each other. Roland is trying his hardest to reconnect there passion and love for each other, while Vanessa's is been having a lot of set backs that's been affecting her psychologically from being close to her husband.

Angelina Jolie Pitt direction tries to be some kind of art film, seeing a couple who is relying on voyeurism on watching over a newly wed couple make love every day in the hotel. Roland tries to reconnect with Vanessa by sharing their interest in watching through a peephole. Vanessa's obsession worsens which worries her husband when he is considering she is wanting the other guy. Angelina and Brad Pitt both did okay with their performances. Seeing them both in a film together, wonder what took so long for them to do a project together since Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Unlike there previous film together, By the Sea is more of a depressing approach of a romantic drama film. The direction was quite dull, and the characters are uninteresting when it came to them showing a couple that's been going through a difficult time and them trying to use the getaway as a solution to rebuild their marriage.