Can a film about a crumbling marriage save the relationship of its real-life stars?
In short: Written, directed by, and starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, By the Sea is a 2015 romantic drama filmed during the couple's honeymoon. Set in 1960s France, the story follows a fractured pair attempting to reconcile, but the production itself became a meditation on grief and the weight of history.
Released in November 2015, By the Sea marked the first cinematic collaboration between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt since 2005's Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The project, which Jolie wrote and directed, was filmed on location in Gozo, Malta, between August and November 2014. Jolie noted that the film was deeply personal, stating that its core theme of grief was influenced by the 2007 loss of her mother, whose favorite era of cinema—the 1960s and 1970s—heavily inspired the film's aesthetic.
The plot centers on Vanessa, a former dancer, and Roland, a writer struggling with creative block, who arrive at a coastal resort to salvage their marriage. Their relationship is defined by silence and distance until they discover a hole in their hotel wall, allowing them to voyeuristically observe a newlywed couple next door. This intrusion into the lives of others eventually forces the protagonists to confront their own trauma, specifically Vanessa's inability to conceive children after multiple miscarriages.
Critical reception was mixed, with the film holding a 35% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 44 out of 100 on Metacritic. Critics often praised the visual style—achieved through cinematographer Christian Berger's reliance on natural light—while questioning the film's narrative momentum. Variety critic Justin Chang noted that while the film is visually and aurally engaging, it often fails to stir the emotions of the audience.
Financially, the film struggled, grossing approximately $3.3 million worldwide against a $10 million budget. Despite the commercial disappointment and the lukewarm critical response, the project remains a unique artifact of the era, blending the private lives of its famous leads with a somber, deliberate exploration of marital endurance and the search for peace after profound personal loss.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: By the Sea (2015 film)
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