By the Sea 2015

     The setting of this film is France during the mid-1970’s.  Vanessa is a former dancer and her husband Roland is an American writer.  They are traveling the countryside together but they seem to have been and still are growing apart.  They stop at a hotel in a seaside town and they go their separate ways.  Vanessa suns on the balcony, walks the area and shops at the local stores.  Roland spends his time at a local bar/café and he is friendly with the owner.  Vanessa thinks he doesn’t write enough and he spends too much time drinking?

     I thought there was a lot of repetition in this film.  There are multiple scenes of walking, balcony, bathtub, spying on their neighbors and trips to the bar/café.  A LOT of turmoil in their marriage but a lot of happiness within the marriage of the hotel neighbors Lea and Francois.  There is also a mystery between Vanessa and Roland. Not very much information is given to allow any conclusion from the viewer until close to the end of the film.  2 ½* (This movie is so-so)

122 min, Drama directed by Angelina Jolie Pitt with Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Melvil Poupaud, Niels Arestrup, Richard Bohringer, Marka Green, Sarah Naudi, Aldo Buontempo, Philippe Martinet.

Note:  Imdb 5.3 out of 10, 34% critic 32% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 1*, Amazon 3.5* out of 5* with 49 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed at Gozo Island, Malta.  I was confused about Lea and Francois?  Are they just married or have they been married a year?  There was discussion about anniversaries?  There wasn't continuity with Vanessa's hats, leaves with one but shown outside with another?  There are massive quantities of articles in the news about the recent Angelina and Brad divorce.