At first, it’s a bit disorienting watching footage of a Woody Allen film all in French, but then Vittorio Storaro’s sun-drenched frames wash up on you.
The trailer for Allen’s 50th film has been released. A September 27th release date has also been announced for French theaters. Venice? San Sebastian? It sure looks like it’s one or the other.
Why didn’t Cannes director Thierry Fremaux pick this film for his official selection? I get it, Fremaux admitted being fearful of the controversy that might hit the Croisette if he selected “Coup de Chance,” but since when has Cannes been afraid of controversy?
“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.”
The upcoming film had a private screening in NYC back in March. Roger 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”.
Allen, who is 87, can’t stop, won’t stop making films. Here is the official synopsis released today:
"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.
The short version: "Woman Unknown" was a compromise. The jury deadlocked over "Possible Love" and "NAZA," not able to com to terms, fell back on their #3, May el-Toukhy's film.