Could This Be the First and Last Film Under the Name Angelina Jolie Pitt?—

Coincidentally, the film starring Brad and Angelina, their first collaboration in 10 years since "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," is being released just as news broke on Tuesday, September 20th (local time), that the couple had filed for divorce.




"By the Sea," where they portray a long-married couple, is an original story written, directed, produced by, and starring Angelina, an Academy Award®-winning actress who garners global attention for her humanitarian work with the UN. The film frankly exposes the frustrations and anxieties of a woman.

Angelina made her directorial debut in 2011 with "In the Land of Blood and Honey" and garnered attention in 2014 with "Unbroken," which received three Academy Award® nominations. In this film, she is credited for the first time under the name "Angelina Jolie Pitt." However, if the divorce is finalized, this will likely be her first and last film under that name.

This film, a "labor of love," was shot in the summer of 2014 on the beautiful island of Malta, a place the couple also chose for their honeymoon. They play a married couple, and Brad provided full support for the film's production, both professionally and personally. He delivers a passionate performance as a novelist husband, who, while bewildered by his fragile wife, gently accepts her.

Angelina is strikingly thin in this film. Whether it's for the role, her cheeks are sunken, and her white, beautiful legs, glimpsed through her long dress, seem almost too fragile to stand. Her vacant, expressionless face instantly conveys the profound darkness within the "wife." Watching her become obsessed with peering into the next room, one feels drawn into that darkness. The film contrasts the beautiful beaches of the South of France and classical resort hotels with Angelina's unsmiling face and Brad's seemingly troubled expression.




The story unfolds at a measured pace, lacking the dynamism of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." However, like that film, this is a bitter, emotional love story that frankly exposes the anxieties faced by a married couple, albeit in a different form of love.

The supporting cast is also stellar. Mélanie Laurent from "Inglourious Basterds," Niels Arestrup, a César Award regular from "A Prophet," and Richard Bohringer from "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover" add depth to the narrative. The interactions between Niels and Richard at the cafe are truly heartwarming.

Angelina Jolie Pitt's "By the Sea," which she directed, wrote, produced, and stars in, opens September 24th (Saturday) at Cine Switch Ginza and other theaters.



In the 1970s, American novelist Roland (Brad Pitt) and his wife Vanessa (Angelina Jolie Pitt) visit the South of France for a vacation. Roland spends his time frequenting cafes, while his wife spends most of hers in their hotel room. Unable to confront the unexpected misfortunes that have befallen their lives, their hearts have drifted apart. One day, out of curiosity, Vanessa peers through a small hole in the wall of her room. She sees the bedroom of a young couple (Mélanie Laurent, Melvil Poupaud) honeymooning next door. Vanessa observes, through the wall, the tender words and intimate gestures born of love. Roland, too, is captivated by the young couple reveling in their love, and the distance between the two couples naturally closes. They attempt to improve their own marital relationship by involving the younger couple, but Vanessa, burdened by deep loneliness, becomes confused. "You refuse to be happy." Roland, overcoming his sorrow, tries to reconnect with Vanessa, wanting to walk together again, but—


By the Sea
Directed, Written, Produced by: Angelina Jolie Pitt
Produced by: Brad Pitt
Cinematography: Christian Berger
Music: Gabriel Yared
Starring: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Melvil Poupaud, Niels Arestrup,
Richard Bohringer
2015 / USA / 122 min / Distributed by Bitters End, PARCO
(c)2015 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS