"By the Sea" is written and directed by Angelina Jolie (going by Angelina Jolie Pitt), who also stars opposite her real husband, Brad Pitt. They play a couple that goes on vacation during a difficult time in their marriage.
And based just on that description, you've likely made a judgment about whether you're going to see this movie or not.
For some, the Pitts in a melodrama about a marriage at a speed bump is intriguing enough to ignore the blockbusters and CGI fodder that's also in theaters. Others will ignore it because it's a vanity project made by two super-famous, super-rich celebrities who may be looking for a pat on the back for being so creatively brave.
Neither party is wrong, but for a second let's take the stars out of the picture and focus on the story. Set in the late 1970s, it follows Vanessa, a former dancer, and Roland, a struggling author, vacationing in a small town in France and, in the process, playing mind games with one another while drinking and smoking a lot. Emotional defenses are knocked down as quickly as they are built, while the two try to find the drive in their relationship with the backdrop of a gorgeous French village.
Without mention of the Pitts, that sounds similar to many independent films that have been released in the last two decades. That doesn't mean Jolie Pitt shouldn't have written the script, but when stars who are married, especially A-list couples, take on a film themselves, judgments are instantly made, however unfair.
"By the Sea" is a polarizing film that will be too slow for some, but kept me intrigued because it does capture honest moments of a marriage — the instances when you can't stand the other person but you know you would never be with anyone else.
Jolie Pitt plays Vanessa as an ice queen who stays perched up in the balcony in her hotel room all day as her husband is down the hill getting drunk at the cafe. She isn't necessarily waiting to be noticed, but doesn't mind if someone wants to give her attention, which comes in the form of a newlywed husband in the next room.
Pitt's Roland is a drunk who acts like he's fed up with his marriage, but deep down can't bring himself to leave. It's possible he might have been unfaithful in the past, but we never know that for sure. All we know is he'd rather stay at the cafe drinking while staring at the blank page of the next book he's supposed to write than be with his wife.
The Pitts hold nothing back in their portrayal of the couple. Nudity, angry kicks, and slaps fill the screen time. But in those raw moments, their bond begins to take form again, and they soon find a connection in the strangest of acts: looking into a hole in the wall where they can see the newlyweds in the next room (Mélanie Laurent and Melvil Poupaud).
Whether it's for lust or the enjoyment of seeing a couple in love, Vanessa and Roland become fixated on watching the two. The buildup to this moment is welcome and surprising.
At times, Jolie Pitt gets too heavy-handed in her acting, but her direction indicates her progression as a filmmaker. Pitt's role is filled with pain, anger, and dark comedy. In a lot of ways, his wife gave him the better of the two roles.
"By the Sea" isn't likely to sneak up on any of the awards-season hopefuls this year, but it is a work that will challenge audiences and showcase strong, honest performances from its leads — even if they happen to be movie stars.
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