Official Selection - Out of Competition 2016 / Complete Unknown / USA 2016
It’s Tom’s birthday and the guests invited to celebrate at his cozy New York apartment include colleague Clyde, accompanied by a new acquaintance named Alice. The attractive woman immediately dazzles the group with her wit and brilliance, although Tom looks on quietly, trying to remember something. This intriguing drama pursues the topic of individual identity and its transformations while stars Rachel Weisz and Michael Shannon acquit themselves with true aplomb.
In the cozy New York apartment that reserved government official Tom shares with his wife Rehema, a jewelry designer, a celebration is being prepared for the man of the house with a close-knit group of friends and coworkers. Tom’s colleague Clyde arrives with the charming Alice, a new acquaintance he’s been going on about for weeks. The attractive woman immediately dazzles the company with her wit and brilliance, but Tom merely looks on in silence. The suspicion in his face might be read as the effort to remember, perhaps an event that happened long ago. Joshua Marston has come out with an intriguing drama that seeks a nuanced elaboration of the topic of individual identity. The masterful director, who makes skillful use of the tools of film expression to strengthen the psychological effect on the viewer, challenges us to contemplate a tempting escape from reality and the consequences that impact unsuspecting loved ones with fatal force.
Karel Och
90 min / Color, DCP
International premiere
Director Joshua Marston
/ Screenplay Joshua Marston, Julian Sheppard
/ Dir. of Photography Christos Voudouris
/ Music Danny Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans
/ Editor Malcolm Jamieson
/ Art Director Tommaso Ortino
/ Producer Lars Knudsen, Jay Van Hoy, Lucas Joaquin
/ Production Parts & Labor
/ Cast Rachel Weisz, Michael Shannon, Kathy Bates, Danny Glover
/ Sales Protagonist Pictures
/ Distributor Falcon a.s.
Joshua Marston (b. 1968, Los Angeles County, California), studied social sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. He then left for France and worked for Life magazine and ABC News in Paris. He taught English in Prague for one year. After his return to the USA he continued studying political sciences in Chicago and took a course in film at New York University. He shot several shorts and his debut Maria Full of Grace (2003) was shown to accolades at Sundance and Berlin, and subsequently at Karlovy Vary (Horizons). His next picture, set in Albania and entitled The Forgiveness of Blood (2011), also competed at the Berlinale, where it picked up a Silver Bear for Best Screenplay. Complete Unknown, the Los Angeles native’s first English language film, premiered this year at the Sundance fest.
Protagonist Pictures
48-48 Great Portland Stcy, W1W 7NB, London
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 207 734 9000
E-mail: [email protected]
Falcon a.s.
Radlická 3185/1c, 150 00, Praha 5
Czech Republic
Phone: +420 224 422 222
E-mail: [email protected]
Joshua Marston
Film Director
Jennifer Fattell
Sales Agent
Michael Shannon
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