Review of By the Sea (2015) by Jei P — 08 Dec 2015

Well, so much for Angelina Jolie as the next big actor-turned- director. Don't get me wrong, I really liked Unbroken from last year, though it was a bit underwhelming and way below expectations. I have yet to see In the Land of Blood and Honey, her first film, but By the Sea is not a good film. I'll give her and Brad Pitt for experimenting and I think Jolie deserves to have a voice as a director in the future, but By the Sea fell completely flat.

The one thing this film has going for it is its two leads. Knowing that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are married in real life adds to the realism of the story, but their performances alone accomplish that. The film is also absolutely gorgeous to look at. I think if you were learning how to be a great cinematographer, this would be a good film to watch without the volume on. It's use of almost all natural light is a thing of beauty. Unfortunately, the story itself is obscure and unproductive. I understood the story but I don't know that I understood exactly what the film was trying to say.

The film revolves around a 1970's couple struggling to rekindle their marriage and they take to a small town in France for one last shot. Unfortunately, the film takes a few strange twists and turns that are so unnecessary and out of the ordinary that at times you feel like you're watching something fake or even a Lifetime movie. Whatever the film was trying to say about marriage or grief, it should have taken a different route to get to that message.

The first half of the film was somewhat interesting, mostly because of Jolie and Pitt, but once it takes a turn for the worse and brings in a second couple the film goes off the rails and turns into a mess.

+Pitt and Jolie's chemistry.

+Cinematography.

-What is it trying to say?

-Strange second half.

-Gratuitous nudity.

4.3/10.