Having published an A-grade review little more than 24 hours ago, my basic impressions of Alain Resnais‘ You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet are “out there,” as far as that kind of thing is concerned. But praise, no matter how fine, does not let you experience any of the actual film with your own eyes and ears — obviously, that’s why we have trailers, even those that arrive the day before a movie’s theatrical release.
Not that this would ever get four trailers and a Super Bowl spot. Resnais‘ latest expression is a wonder for the economy with which it crosses wit and simple satisfaction, taking some of France’s finest performers — playing themselves: Mathieu Amalric, Michel Piccoli, Lambert Wilson, Pierre Arditi, Michel Robin, Andrzej Seweryn, Michel Vuillermoz, Hippolyte Girardot, Anny Duperey, Sabine Azéma, Gérard Lartigau, Jean-Noël Brouté, and Jean-Chrétien Sibertin-Blanc — and throwing them head-on into… well, the footage provided will give you a set-up, if almost none of the payoff. Seeing that come to light is one of the greatest joys in a film already so heavily concerned with the ecstasy of creation.
You can see the trailer below (via Apple):
Synopsis:
Based on two works by the playwright Jean Anouilh, You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet opens with a who’s-who of French acting royalty (including Mathieu Amalric, Michel Piccoli and frequent Resnais muse Sabine Azema) being summoned to the reading of a late playwright’s last will and testament. There, the playwright (Denis Podalydes) appears on a TV screen from beyond the grave and asks his erstwhile collaborators to evaluate a recording of an experimental theater company performing his Eurydice—a play they themselves all appeared in over the years. But as the video unspools, instead of watching passively, these seasoned thespians begin acting out the text alongside their youthful avatars, looking back into the past rather like mythic Orpheus himself.
You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet will open in New York City tomorrow, June 7. You can find further release information at the bottom of this link.
What impression does this trailer give you? Any intention to check out Resnais’ newest picture?