After debuting Junebug back in 2005, serving as a break-out for Amy Adams, director Phil Morrison returned this year, premiering his latest work at Tribeca. Then-titled Almost Christmas and now losing the specific holiday with the title All is Bright, the dark comedy is now set to debut on VOD next week, followed by theaters next month, and today brings the first trailer.
Starring Paul Rudd and Paul Giamatti as two French Canadians who travel to New York City with a scheme to a get rich quick selling Christmas trees, we were mixed on the film at its Tribeca premiere. Our review said the film’s “flaws are at a script level. It never quite achieves the tone it aspires to, being simultaneously funny and awkward, all while life continually kicks Dennis and Rene. Morrison, a director known for the clean simplicity of his images in his commercial work, isn’t fully in command of Melissa James Gibson’s script.” Also featuring Sally Hawkins, check out the trailer and poster below.
Synopsis:
ALL IS BRIGHT is the story of two French Canadians who travel to New York City during the holiday season with a get-rich-quick scheme of selling Christmas trees. Dennis (Paul Giamatti) is a no-nonsense, recently released ex-con trying to get his life – and his wife – back. Rene (Paul Rudd) is Dennis’s charming, shallow, former partner-in-crime who is now living with Dennis’s estranged wife. Feeling guilty and knowing Dennis needs a job, Rene reluctantly agrees to make Dennis a partner in the scheme. Though the two former friends struggle with each other and an eclectic array of tough New York customers, they discover much about themselves in the process.
All is Bright hits VOD on September 10th and in theaters on October 4th.