I have to admit, I had not heard of this film until a couple of days ago when Slashfilm wrote an article on it pre-Cannes Film Fest. Once I watched the trailer, I was floored. To get everyone up to date this is The Congress:
An aging, out of work actress struggles to make ends meet and provide care for her disabled son. Times are tough until she is offered one last job. A major studio will scan her body – they will own her image and likeness and use it anyway they want. It’s a huge paycheck, but there’s a catch: she’ll never be able to act again. The ramifications of her decision have far-reaching effects in the future that she could never imagine.
The film is loosely based on a sci-fi book by Stanislaw Lem originally titled The Futurological Congress, and is being directed by Ari Folman (Waltz with Bashir). I should add, the film is split up into two ‘sections’. The first 20 minutes of the 70 that comprises the film is live action while the remaining 50 minutes is complete animation. And the animation is spectacular. Just check out the amazing trailer.
Robin Wright, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Paul Giamatti and Danny Huston star in the film, but it is evident that the imaginative story line adaptation takes center stage. I’m sure they will find no problem finding a distributor who will bring the film to a theater near you, and when they do we will let you know.