As Roger Friedman reported two weeks ago, Woody Allen’s “Coup de Chance” will be having its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Variety has confirmed the news.
Allen’s film will be playing out of competition which goes along with the filmmaker’s decades-long stance in not wanting his films to compete at any film festivals. He finds the process of awarding films trivial.
It’s also not that surprising that Venice boss Alberto Barbera has been very high on “Coup de Chance.” Early word of mouth has been excellent.
Early intel, via The Film Stage, had hinted that certain programmers, who’d previously sworn Allen off, were now reconsidering some change of tune due to the film’s quality.
Friedman was one of the rare few people to see “Coup de Chance” in April. He said it was one of Allen’s best films. The upcoming film had two private screenings in NYC back in March and April.
Friedman raved about it saying it was “sensational.” The previous month, Keith McNally snuck into a private screening and was blown away as well. “Coup de Chance” was also screened at the EFM market in Berlin with one buyer emailing me, echoing McNally’s sentiments, that it was Allen’s “best film in years”.
The trailer for Allen’s 50th film had been released right after this past May’s Cannes ended. If you remember, Cannes boss Thierry Fremaux admitted that it would have been too controversial to program “Coup de Chance” at this past May’s 76th edition. Shameful.
“Coup de Chance” has been described by Allen as a spiritual successor to “Match Point.” It’s his 50th film, a contemporary romantic thriller “charting the story of two young people whose bond leads to marital infidelity and ultimately crime.”
Allen, who is 87, can’t stop, won’t stop making films. Here is the official synopsis:
"Fanny and Jean have everything, they are the ideal couple: fulfilled in their professional lives, they live in a magnificent apartment in the hifh-end districts of Paris and seem to be as in love as the first day they met. But when Fanny crosses, by chance, Alain, a former high school friend, she is immediately hooked. They see each other again, and, very quickly, get closer and closer..."
So far, no U.S. distributor has picked up “Coup de Chance.” Maybe it won’t get released Stateside, who knows.
It gives me no pleasure to report that this is one of the worst films of Schrader’s career. Wooden acting, Jack Huston and Sofia Boutella are badly miscast, the script is dull, the photography is flat; nothing works.