Deadline reports that Frank Langella — whose latest film, Robot & Frank, premiered at Sundance this year to mostly good review (our own writers notwithstanding) — has signed on to the indie The Time Being, alongside Wes Bentley. The movie is being directed by first-timer Ninad Cicin-Sain, who also co-wrote script with producer Richard Gladstein. There is no word on when production will start. The logline is as follows:
“Out of cash and a bit desperate, struggling artist Daniel (Bentley) accepts a series of bizarre commissions from Warner (Langella), a dying, eccentric millionaire who may not be what he seems. But Daniel can’t quite ascertain whether his new “mentor” is a monster who is intent on destroying Daniel’s life and marriage, or a savior who will teach him the true meaning of art.”
It looks like Langella is on a bit of an indie kick, and I can definitely support that; even though my compatriots didn’t enjoy Robot & Frank, I’m fascinated by the premise and can’t wait to check it out, thanks to Sony Pictures Worldwide. It looks to me like the guy’s going for roles that interest him, and I hope they keep heading in the same offbeat direction. Maybe he can even pull out a good performance out of Bentley, who has been sort of lost in the shuffle since making a splash over a decade ago in American Beauty. One can hope, anyway; his filmography has been spotty since then. The Time Being has the makings of an interesting character-driven thriller, so let’s see if they can pull it off.
What do you think of The Time Being? Should Frank Langella continue to take these offbeat indie roles?