So, here’s “Michael Clayton” writer-director Tony Gilroy, who has not directed a feature film since 2012’s “The Bourne Legacy.” He’s back with “Behemoth!,” which Searchlight has high Oscar hopes for.
A trailer has been released for “Behemoth!” It looks intriguing, with slick cinematography and a central performance from Pedro Pascal, who replaced Oscar Isaac at the last minute to make this project happen.
Per test reactions, what makes the film especially distinctive is its structure: it continually cuts between the orchestra and the protagonist’s real life. The score is not merely accompaniment but an active narrative layer, creating the sense that the protagonist is simultaneously watching a version of his own life while also composing and conducting its defining moments.
“Behemoth!” has been described to me as an extremely talky, low-plot character drama about Alex, a gifted but emotionally hollow cellist whose detached life of affairs is disrupted by the death of his longtime lover, Nadia, and a late-career opportunity to score a film. More a portrait of narcissism, aging, memory, and artistic emptiness than a conventional narrative, it unfolds through long conversations and character moments rather than major plot developments.
Pascal does a good deal of his own cello work here. The film’s ensemble includes Eva Victor, Olivia Wilde, and Will Arnett, who had to reshoot David Harbour’s scenes after the actor suddenly had to drop out of the film due to his own “mental health.” The film also stars Alexa Swinton, Kaya Ralls, Erik Griffin, JoBeth Williams, Margarita Levieva, and Hank Azaria.
The film’s score has nine composers credited: Michael Abels, Emily Bear, Lukas Frank, Michael Giacchino, James Newton Howard, Henry Jackman, Nami Melumad, Brandon Roberts, and Alan Silvestri.
This is Gilroy returning to the personal filmmaking of his 2007 legal drama “Michael Clayton,” which is not just a major highlight of 2000s American cinema, but one of the best directorial debuts of the 21st century.
As for the release date, Searchlight Pictures has finally decided that “Behemoth!” will hit theaters on Friday, December 4. It’s a prime awards season slot for a film with sky-high expectations.
Scola has shot Michael Sarnoski’s three films — “Pig,” “A Quiet Place: Day One,” and “The Death of Robin Hood” — as well as the acclaimed indie “Sing Sing.”