Last month, we reported that The Weinstein Company had picked up Julian Schnabel‘s new film “Miral” for domestic distribution, planned for release sometime later this year. And now, a French trailer for the film has been released.
The film, adapted by Rula Jebreal from her own novel of the same name, revolves around a real orphanage in Jerusalem set up by a Palestinian woman (Hiam Abbass). From the looks of the trailer, Freida Pinto seems to take center stage here as a former inhabitant of the orphanage. We’re a bit put off by the tone of the trailer, as the music gives a more mainstream flavor than Schnabel’s previous work. Though the trailer’s quick pace may just be marketing magic at work, the film does look a bit more conventionally riveting than his previous work, 2007’s solemn “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.” The film also stars Willem Dafoe, Yasmine Elmasri, Alexander Siddig and Vanessa Redgrave.
Look out for Tom Waits’ “Down There By The Train” at the end of the trailer, too. Location and subject matter be damned, Schnabel seems to love using the guy’s music (we can’t blame him) regardless of the story he’s filmed – Waits appeared on the soundtrack of both “Basquiat” and ‘Diving Bell.’ Perhaps a future collaboration between the two is in order?
The film was just dated for December 3 by The Weinstein Company and yes, this thing will totally get pushed for Oscar consideration with its timely subject matter. You can watch the French trailer below.
Schabel is a pajama wearing asshole, but I must admit this looks good. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was a wee bit overpraised, but especially given the subject matter it was pretty graceful. I will begrudgingly like this too, I'm sure.
Schanbel is annoying as hell and Basquiat was godawful…
…but Diving Bell blew me away (easily better than No Country or TWBB that year), and it's incredibly refreshing to see what looks like a far more sane and balanced approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict than what the Western media is used to.
It does look a bit prestige-filmy, but it's just a trailer meant to bring in the middle-brow audience.
I'm surprised at how much Pinto is featured, I thought they'd go with Abbas in the spotlight. That said, she's a super sweet girl and I'm glad she's getting so much work. Yay for diversity 🙂
LOL at the Weinsteins releasing this.