Synopsis
Set in France during the mid-1970s, Vanessa, a former dancer, and her husband Roland, an American writer, travel the country together. They seem to be growing apart, but when they linger in one quiet, seaside town they begin to draw close to some of its more vibrant inhabitants, such as a local bar/café-keeper and a hotel owner.
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Cast
- Angelina JolieVanessa
- Brad PittRoland
- Mélanie LaurentLea
- Melvil PoupaudFrançois
- Niels ArestrupMichel
- Richard BohringerPatrice
- Sarah NaudiClarisse
- Marika GreenDress Shop Saleswoman
- Aldo BuontempoFisherman
- George CamilleriGeorges the Waiter
Recommendations
- 75
The Playlist
Jolie Pitt’s insistence on creating a piece that reflects the harsh inner state of a person suffering to understand herself as a wife and as a woman in the world is commendable, and fascinating in her growth as a filmmaker. - 75
Hitfix
It sounds far sexier, just based on the synopsis, than it actually plays, though, so hopefully people aren't sold the wrong movie. For those in the mood for a throwback to the doomed romanticism of mid'60s art films, this feels like about as sincere an homage as anyone could produce. - 63
Slant Magazine
If it stumbles when it seeks our sympathy, it thrives when it's exploiting our fascination with the surface of things, and all that's unknowable underneath. - 60
The Guardian
By the Sea’s uncompromising nature is its most admirable asset. It’s a vanity project that’s difficult to love, but alluring to unpack. - 58
Entertainment Weekly
Jolie Pitt, who also wrote and directed, shows a lot of skin (her own and her cast’s) without ever really getting under it. Misery doesn’t just love good-looking company; it needs an emotional center and a satisfying narrative arc, too. - 50
Screen Daily
Roland and Vanessa simply aren’t sufficiently compelling to provoke us to fill in the blanks. Pitt brings his usual weathered charm, and Jolie Pitt makes her character’s all-consuming melancholy occasionally ravishing, but there’s not enough depth underneath. - 50
Variety
By the Sea always offers something to tickle the eye and ear, even as it leaves the heart and mind coolly unstirred. - 40
The Hollywood Reporter
There's no catharsis at the end from the journey taken, just relief that it's over.
