Trailer for Immigration Comedy 'Samba' Starring Omar Sy, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Tahar Rahim

The Intouchables wasn't just a huge hit in France, where it was voted the top cultural event of 2011, it was a global comedy smash with more than $400M earned. And the film did well here in the United States, as well, as the feel-good comedy introduced us to the talents of Omar Sy who would go on to appear as Bishop in X-men: Days of Future Past. And now Sy is re-teaming with The Intouchables' directors Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano for their next film, Samba, and the new trailer clearly has the same crowd-pleasing spirit.

Starring Charlotte Gainsbourg, Tahar Rahim (The Past), and French rocker Izïa Higelin, the trailer starts off a little somber with Sy portraying an undocumented worker from Mali who winds up in a detention center. There he meets Alice (Gainsbourg), an immigration worker who sees a chance to help him, while at the same time their friendship begins to turn her own life around. Between the jazzy score, lots of dancing, and awkward romantic entanglements this is nearly identical in tone to The Intouchables, but it will be tough to replicate that kind of success. Sy is always a joy to watch and it's good to see Gainsbourg take on something light-hearted again for the first time in forever. Look she's smiling!

We'll update this if an English-subtitled version hits. Samba opens in France this October.


Samba (2014) - Trailer by Unifrance

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Review: Michel Gondry's 'Mood Indigo' Starring Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, and Omar Sy

The cinematic verve and visual artistry of Michel Gondry has made him a favorite of both cinephiles and casual filmgoers, and it's a reputation earned largely through one film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The love story at the center of it saw the benefit of Charlie Kaufman's gifted words, building a sturdy foundation from which Gondry's flourishes could stand up. But like Gondry's beautiful but frustrating films that have followed (lookin' at you, The Science of Sleep!), Mood Indigo luxuriates in surreal landscapes but forgets to tell a compelling story.

What passes for a plot is little more than an endless stream of oddities constructed by the wealthy Colin (Romain Duris), an independently wealthy man-child whose home resembles Pee-Wee's Playhouse on steroids. Seriously, this place is a crazy concoction of strange inventions like the pianococktail (it does exactly what you think), and weirder inhabitants like Colin's pet mouse which is really just a dude in a mouse suit. Oh, and his alarm clock literally races around the house every time it goes off. He lives in the home with his lawyer buddy Nicholas (Omar Sy), who specializes in a rubber-legged form of dance that involves literal rubber legs. So yeah, it's a little out there, even for a Gondry film.

And maybe that's the problem in a nutshell. Gondry has become so wistful he no longer has any restraint; there is no method to his madness. So when Colin meets and falls in love with the beautiful and fanciful Chloe (Audrey Tautou), their whirlwind courtship consists of riding in cars made of clouds and other imaginative excursions but little in the way of real bonding. Duris and Tautou have played lovers before, notably in the Spanish Apartment trilogy, and have a goofy, playful chemistry that is easy to fall for. Their scenes together are infectious and enjoyable, with Gondry creating what often amounts to a sweet, confectionery music video of their budding relationship. Before long, Chloe and Colin are married but their wedded bliss is ruined when a water lily begins to grow in her lungs. If she is to survive he must constantly surround her with freshly grown flowers. The financial wear drains Colin's bank account, forcing him to work at increasingly awful jobs to make ends meet.

As things turn for the worse, Gondry slowly darkens his vibrant color palette to a depressing gloom. Colin's world becomes one of shadows and cobwebs, but it's still Gondry playing around with effects so it never feels real. Choosing to show human sadness through camera tricks rather than genuine emotions leaves the film muddled and impossible to relate to. Gondry's movies will never be dull, but Mood Indigo is a beautiful and soulless disappointment from such a talented filmmaker.

 Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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Michel Gondry's 'Mood Indigo' Gets a U.S. Trailer

The films of Michel Gondry may be visually breathtaking but outside of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and maybe The Science of Sleep, his career has been a little disappointing. After The Green Hornet and The We & The I seemed to lack his usual flair, Gondry has finally gone back to the surreal and fantastical with Mood Indigo.

With a July 18th release date coming, the first trailer has been released for the romantic fantasty, itself an adaptation of Boris Vian's book, Froth On the Daydream. Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Omar Sy (X-men: Days of Future Past), Charlotte Le Bon, and Gad Elmaleh star in the film chronicling the romance between a wealthy inventor and woman he loves. When she falls ill due to a water lily in the lungs, the only way to keep her alive is by surrounding her body in fresh flowers.

I saw the film a few weeks ago and Gondry's direction is as vibrant as ever, although the story struggles to remain coherent. Expect a review soon.

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'X-men: Days of Future Past' Promos for Beast, Xavier, Bishop, and More

Now that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Godzilla are doing their damage at the box office, the round robin of summer tentpoles continues this week with X-men: Days of Future Past. Controversy has been swirling around its director, Bryan Singer, but that doesn't seem to have affected 20th Century Fox's plan to hype the film, which unites the X-men: First Class squad of mutants with the older group from Singer's original trilogy. We've seen a number of these "power pieces" featuring some of the new and old characters and now we have a few more. These put the spotlight on Hank "Beast" McCoy, Charles Xavier, Iceman, Colossus, and Omar Sy as the future X-man, Bishop.

X-men: Days of Future Past opens May 23rd.


Meet ICEMAN _ X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST Character Trailer by NovaCotton


Meet COLOSSUS _ X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST Character Trailer by NovaCotton


Professeur Xavier _ X-Men Days of Future Past- Trailer VOSTFR by Newstrailers

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James Franco and Kate Hudson are 'Good People' in New Trailer

Has there ever been a movie where someone finds a bag of cash that turns out to be a happy story? Not too often. Even Danny Boyle's Christmas movie, Millions, went to some dark places for awhile there. And so you'd think Kate Hudson and James Franco would learn in the crime thriller, Good People, but that wouldn't make for a very entertaining movie, would it?

Directed by Henrik Genz (Terribly Happy) and based on Marcus Sakey's novel, the story centers on a debt-ridden American couple living in London, who think their lives have turned around when they find a bag of cash in their dead neighbor's apartment. Rather than turning it over to the police, they decide to keep quiet and use it for themselves, rationalizing that it's the people who decide whether money is good or bad. Of course, there are some who could care less about the ethics of the situation, including a nosy cop played by Tom Wilkinson and the typically jovial Omar Sy (The Intouchables) looking very pissed.

Good People opens in limited release (probably for a reason) on July 25th.


Good People Official Trailer #1 (2014) - James Franco, Kate Hudson Thriller HD by NovaCotton

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Colin Trevorrow Talks 'Jurassic World' Sequels; Says Film is About "Alpha Dominance"

When Universal opens the doors to Jurassic World next year, it will be the fourth film in the Jurassic Park franchise. And given how lucrative they all have been, with the expectation for that to continue, it should come as no surprise that talk of sequels has already begun. The film's director, Colin Trevorrow, spoke to Empire and told them this:

Trevorrow: “We definitely talked about [sequels] a lot. We wanted to create something that would be a little bit less arbitrary and episodic, and something that could potentially arc into a series that would feel like a complete story.”

Only BD Wong's character from the original trilogy is coming back, with the rest consisting of new faces played by Chris Pratt, Omar Sy, Bryce Dallas Howard, and many others who will likely serve as dino food. But Trevorrow, who also co-wrote the script, seems to have a special affection for Sy's character and we may see more of him if the series continues....

Trevorrow: "He's essentially Chris Pratt's best friend. They work together and have some pretty cool action scenes together. I wanted to create a relationship there that could be memorable and potentially carry on to future films."

Exact plot details have been scarce, but we know two decades will have passed since the first film, and the story will take us back to Isla Nublar for some new threat. And at least according to Trevorrow, that threat will be to see whether humans or dinosaurs sit atop the food chain...


Trevorrow: "It's about alpha dominance and the fact that humans have been the alpha species for a very long time, and so now we've brought back another that happened to be the alpha species during its time, and we have to co-exist, so what is that relationship?"

My money is on whoever has the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Considering Universal's hap-hazard approach is what caused the film's earlier delays, perhaps they should consider waiting before pushing ahead on sequels? Jurassic World is set to hit theaters June 12th 2015.

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Watch the Sentinels Attack in 'X-men: Days of Future Past' Opening Battle

Fear. Injustice. Prejudice. Throughout the entire run of Marvel's X-men comics these are the societal issues the team of mutants have fought against in the name of Charles Xavier. No amount of mutant powers can change them easily, and in fact, mutant powers tend to make the problems worse. But a physical threat the team has consistently battled, that seems to evolve constantly over the years, are the giant robot Sentinels, and they make their presence felt in a big way in Bryan Singer's X-men: Days of Future Past.

The film is based on Chris Claremont's epic comics run, which has the future basically overrun by Sentinels as the result of a mutant crime in the past. This clip features the opening battle from the film, pitting Bishop (Omar Sy), Blink (Fan Bingbing), Sunspot (Adan Canto), Warpath (Boo Boo Stewart), Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page) and Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) trying to survive the Sentinel attack. It's a pretty awesome scene, and what I dig the most is that we see a proper use of everybody's powers, like when Bishop powers up off Sunspot's flame energy.

X-men: Days of Future Past opens May 23rd.

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Omar Sy Books a Trip to 'Jurassic World'

After winning over the hearts of millions, and earning a Cesar Award, for his performance in the French comedy The Intouchables, Omar Sy has made a smooth transition into Hollywood blockbusters. He'll appear as Bishop in X-men: Days of Future Past this summer, and now he's just booked himself a trip to Jurassic World.

Sy has joined Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jake Johnson, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Vincent D'onofrio, and the returning BD Wong in the dino sequel/reboot. Some sites are also confirming the previously-rumored Idris Elba as part of the story but there's no mention of him in THR's report. Elba has denied the rumors in the past and we'll update this post if that has changed. As for Sy, his role is unclear but he seems enthusiastic about the gig...

Fan of this saga from the beginning, I’m very proud to be part of the cast for JURASSIC WORLD #jurassicworld @UniversalPics @colintrevorrow
— Omar SY (@OmarSy) March 21, 2014

Jurassic World is directed by Colin Trevorrow and opens June 15th 2015.

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New Footage in 'X-men: Days of Future Past' Teaser; Trailer Debuts Next Week

With about 200 mutants zipping in and out of Bryan Singer's X-men: Days of Future Past, it's surprising we haven't seen more trailers to give them all a little time. Fortunately that's going to change in a week when a new trailer hits, and to further sell the overstuffed superhero sequel an Instagram teaser has been released. There are bits of new footage in the cleverly-designed promo, which surprisingly does not feature Michael Fassbender's Magneto. It does give us a brief look at new characters Bishop (Omar Sy) and Blink (Fan Bingbing). There's also Halle Berry as Storm, who may or may not have had her scenes drastically reduced.

X-men: Days of Future Past opens May 23rd, followed by X-men: Apocalypse and then The Wolverine 2.

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Bryan Singer Reunites with 'X2' Writers for 'X-men: Apocalypse'; New 'Days of Future Past' Images

Here's what we definitely, absolutely know about X-men: Apocalypse; it comes out May 27th 2016. Practically everything else is unconfirmed rumor, although it's expected to be a straight sequel to X-men: Days of Future Past and have Bryan Singer returning to direct. He's the guy who announced it in the first place, right? Now we can at least count on one more thing to be true, and it's that Singer has brought on X2: X-men United writers Mike Dougherty and Dan Harris to help out. Here's the image he tweeted...

Late night #XMen #Apocalypse story session. #SimonKinberg @DanimalHarris @Mike_Dougherty It's snowing in Egypt! pic.twitter.com/GtJs3VgZ3M
— Bryan Singer (@BryanSinger) December 19, 2013

Yeah, that whole snowing in Egypt thing is kind of a big deal with some reports saying it hasn't seen the white stuff in a century. But it also may be a clue, and confirmation of a sort, that the villain Apocalypse is indeed involved as Egypt is his birthplace in the comics.

But before we get there, Days of Future Past comes first, which unites the casts franchise Singer is familiar with, plus the X-men: First Class team for a massive time travel epic. One of those who will be returning is the red hot Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, and a new preview image shows her kicking ass in a military compound. That's also where we saw Lucas Till, back as Havok, in an earlier photo. One of the brand new additions is Omar Sy as the time-lost X-man, Bishop, and a new shot gives us a better look at him as well.

X-men: Days of Future Past opens May 23rd 2014. [Les Toiles Heroiques]

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First Trailer for 'X-men: Days of Future Past'

Those who attended Comic-Con got a taste of the dystopian tone of Bryan Singer's X-men: Days of Future Past. Then we received yet another glimpse of what was in store at the tail end of The Wolverine, setting the stage for what will be the biggest X-men film ever, both in terms of scope and in the massive cast that brings back practically everyone from the prior movies. And now after months of set photos and videos, mostly by Singer himself, the first trailer is finally here, and boy is it epic.

Starring....well, pretty much everybody, the film has the present-day Wolverine's consciousness sent back to the X-men: First Class era to prevent a terrible event from occurring, one that leads to the creation of giant mutant-hunting sentinels. A bit more of the story is fleshed out, but mainly this is about showing off the ensemble and establishing that this isn't going to be a fun mutant adventure. While it's cool to see some of the new faces, like Omar Sy as Bishop, it's even better to see those who've returned. How all of these characters will interact remains to be seen, but we can already tell that the older Charles Xavier (somehow returned from the dead and played by Patrick Stewart) is still battling with himself over the things his younger self (James McAvoy) may have done. The same goes for Magneto (Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender), who appears to have become increasingly violent after the events of the last film.

But is this trailer perhaps a little too serious? Going a darker route has been in fashion ever since Batman Begins and X-men: Days of Future Past is definitely following a similar course. Look for the film to hit theaters next year on May 23rd.

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Omar Sy Joins Charlotte Gainsbourg in Immigration Comedy 'Samba'

French mismatched buddy comedy The Intouchables was a global phenomenon, topping charts in numerous countries while becoming the second highest-grossing film in France's history. It also did quite well in America, making for the rare crossover hit and making a star out of Omar Sy, who has since landed the role of Bishop in X-men: Days of Future Past. So it's no wonder that Sy is quick to work once again with the film's directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano by joining their new dramedy, Samba.

The French-language film will also star Charlotte Gainsbourg (The Science of Sleep), Tahar Rahim (A Prophet), and rock star Izia Higelin in a story described as being in the same vein as The Intouchables and dealing with immigration issues. Further plot details are being kept under wraps but we know that Sy will play an undocumented immigrant.

Sy is extremely talented and has enough appeal that he probably could have reprised his role for the upcoming American remake of The Intouchables. Fortunately he's keeping plenty busy, landing major parts in Stephen Gaghan's Candy Store and the crime thriller Good People with James Franco starring.

Samba begins filming later this month. [Variety]

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Comic-Con: First Look at Omar Sy as Bishop in 'X-men: Days of Future Past' Portraits

Although an X-men panel hasn't officially been announced for Comic-Con, 20th Century Fox is pulling out all of the stops in hyping X-men: Days of Future Past here. The latest are a series of character portraits for the film, featuring Ian McKellen as Magneto, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Lucas Till as Havok, Daniel Cudmore as Colossus, and we also have our first look at Omar Sy as the time-lost X-man, Bishop. I didn't think they could do it, but Sy actually pulls it off. Check out those images below.

X-Men: Days of Future Past opens on May 23rd 2014.


















- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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Bryan Singer cleverly confirms Bishop, Blink, and Warpath for 'X-men: Days of Future Past'

Bryan Singer has expertly used both Twitter and Vine to keep us up to date on all of the latest info on X-men: Days of Future Past. He seems to be at his most clever when it comes to revealing new cast members, such as when he casually revealed the return of Daniel Cudmore as Colossus. Now he's taken to Vine and showed off a semi-circle of director's chairs for the cast, and there are a few characters we weren't previously sure about.

The video includes the names we're all familiar with, from Storm (Halle Berry) to Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page), but mixed in there are James "Warpath" Proudstar, Bishop, and Blink. Omar Sy has been rumored to be playing the time-lost X-man Bishop since he came aboard, so that may have turned out to be true. Bishop hails from the future, but in the comics had little to do with the storyline the film is  based on. However, in the animated series he was one of the reasons why the dystopic future the X-men are trying to prevent occurs.

It's likely that Boo Boo Stewart is taking on the role of Warpath, considering they are both Native American. He grew to hate the X-men after his brother Jim  "Thunderbird"Proudstar was killed on a mission, so James instead joined The White Queen and her team of Hellions. He eventually came back and fought in X-force.

The speculation has been all along that Fan Bingbing would be taking on Blink, a teleporting mutant who became one of Marvel's most popular characters after she died saving a team of young X-men known as Generation X. So Marvel brought her back in the Age of Apocalypse storyline,  grown up and considerably tougher.

How Singer expects to manage so many characters is anybody's guess, but it's going to be a challenge making sure nobody gets shafted on screen time. X-men: Days of Future Past opens on July 18th 2014.

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Omar Sy and Kate Hudson are 'Good People' with James Franco

Last fall we learned that James Franco was adding yet another potential project to his crowded slate by starring in an adaptation of Good People, based on the Marcus Sakey novel. The film marks the English-language debut of Danish director Henrik Genz (Terribly Happy), and now it looks production is moving forward with some impressive company signing on.

Kate Hudson and The Intouchables breakout Omar Sy have joined the contemporary thriller, centered on a debt-ridden American couple living in London, who discover $400,000 in cash in the home of their deceased neighbor. Taking it for themselves in hopes of curing all of their problems, the money creates more as some very bad men come looking for it.

While there are no character details revealed, it's probably safe to assume that Hudson will play Franco's wife. Sy, who is currently filming X-men: Days of Future Past, is either the neighbor or one of the antagonists. Filming begins next month in London.[Deadline]

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New trailer for Michel Gondry's 'Mood Indigo'

If you've been following Michel Gondry's career long then it must be apparent he has one of the most distinct visual voices around. The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Be Kind Rewind director hasn't exactly shown those same flourishes of late, instead bringing us weak efforts like The Green Hornet and The We & the I. But he appears to have found his groove again with the whimsical and beautifully shot Mood Indigo.

A new trailer for the film has been released, and there's a ton of new footage to get swept up in. Based on the Boris Vian novel, the story follows Colin (Romain Duris), the rich inventor of an olfactory musical instrument. When he meets the girl of his dreams in Chloe (Audrey Tautou), they get married only for her to fall in due to a water lily in the lungs, with the only way to save her to surround her in fresh flowers constantly.

Toss Omar Sy's charming presence in and Mood Indigo looks like a real treat. It opens in France on April 24th, but it's yet to gain distribution over here. That needs to change, ASAP.


Mood Indigo (Trailer 2) by tvPRIME

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'The Intouchables' star Omar Sy joins 'X-men: Days of Future Past'

One of the finest performances I saw last year was by Omar Sy in the French buddy comedy hit, The Intouchables. His charisma, comedic touch, and wide smile were a large part of why that movie was so fun, and why it's being remade right now. I've been saying since day one that Sy should be in the American version, as well. That's not likely to happen, and Sy will instead make his big first splash here in Bryan Singer's X-men: Days of Future Past.

Singer, who has been busy with Jack the Giant Slayer opening this weekend, took to Twitter to make the announcement....

"Thrilled to welcome the brilliant #OmarSy from the amazing film #TheIntouchables to the cast of #Xmen #DaysofFuturePast!"

There's no clue as to who he would play, and frankly I'm stumped. Some are already speculating that he would be the time-lost mutant from the future, Bishop. It makes sense only because the storyline also deals with the time travel, and because he's African-American. Bishop is a hard-edged soldier with zero sense of humor and not at all the type of character Sy would be hired to play. My guess is that he's probably someone not in the comics.

My far out, hail mary pass idea? Sy could be playing a future version of Darwin, who was "killed" in X-men: First Class.  If that turns out to be right I'll be patting myself on the back for a month.

Sy joins Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Shawn Ashmore, Ellen Page, Anna Paquin, and Peter Dinklage. He'll be seen next in Michel Gondry's Mood Indigo, which looks incredible. X-men: Days of Future Past opens on July 18th 2014, now sit back and watch Sy get down in The Intouchables. Love this scene....

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Bradley Cooper and Omar Sy eying 'Chef', but it won't be with Derek Cianfrance

*UPDATE* Cianfrance gave an interview recently where he said he won't be directing Chef. Oh well! [Premiere]

In just the last few days we've seen Bradley Cooper eying a number of different projects, from the WWI film Dark Skies, to a Lance Armstrong biopic, and just yesterday the mystery adaptation The Man from Primrose Lane. Now today the Oscar-nominee is circling a long developing film once eyed by David Fincher, and would give Cooper the chance to put his cooking skills on display. That's right, ladies, he can cook too.

Cooper, along with  The Intouchables' Omar Sy are in talks to star in Chef, written by Steven Knight(Eastern Promises) and directed by Cooper's The Place Beyond the Pines helmer, Derek Cianfrance. Fincher had been involved with the film back around 2008, describing it at the time as a "celibate sex comedy". The story involves a disgraced chef who loses his Michelin-rated restaurant in Paris, only to reunite his staff to create the best restaurant in London. It wouldn't be the first time Cooper has played a chef, either, having starred in the short-lived Fox series, Kitchen Confidential. Here's what he told a radio station about the project, in fluent French...

Cooper: "We've been talking about this project. I want to do it. It's a beautiful story. And I love cooking,"

The film wouldn't shoot any time soon, as Cooper has a lot on his plate already. The same goes for Sy, who I think is destined to become as big a star here as he has abroad. He'll appear next in Michel Gondry's Mood Indigo, and also has Chocolat, a French biopic on Cuban artist Rafael Padilla. That film shoots in the spring of 2014. [Variety]

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Beautiful, soulful first trailer for Michel Gondry's 'Mood Indigo'

Michel Gondry will probably always be remembered as the guy who delivered one of the best films of last decade, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but he's failed to match or even come close to that success ever since. The Science of Sleep is solid, and Be Kind Rewind is charming but forgettable, but stuff like The Green Hornet and The We & the I are downright terrible. That doesn't mean Gondry has suddenly lost his touch, and if the trailer for Mood Indigo is any indication, he may be back in top form.

Visually stunning and brimming with a sense of pure joy, Gondry's imaginative imagery powers the trailer to such a degree that you don't need to understand a word of French to get the message. Based on Boris Vian's 1947 book, the film stars Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Omar Sy, and Gad Elmalah in the story of a wealthy inventor who meets then marries the woman of his dreams. She unfortuantely falls ill due to a water lily in her lungs, and he proceeds to drain his finances keeping her alive surrounding her with fresh flowers.

From the jazzy opening score, the mood gets a bit more soulful when The Lumineers' 'Ho Hey' kicks in, but we don't really see the dark turn that the story must eventually take. Then again, they kept that stuff out of the 'Eternal Sunshine' trailers, and we saw how that turned out.  Mood Indigo opens on April 24th in France. Hopefully a stateside release will be announced soon.

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