Sundown, the new Michel Franco movie, hits our theaters this Wednesday. Tim Roth and Charlotte Gainsbourg star in this summer drama.
Two years after winning the Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize for New Order at the 77th Venice Film Festival, Mexican director Michel Franco returns with Sundown.
The feature film directed by Tim Roth and Charlotte Gainsbourg tells the story of a wealthy English family who come to Acapulco for a luxurious vacation. But the announcement of death forces them to rush back to London. Upon arrival, Neil (Tim Rory) announces that he forgot his passport in the hotel room. On his way back from the airport, he asks his taxi to drop him off at a modest “retirement” in Acapulco.
And if the director chose to film the action of this drama in Acapulco, it is not accidental. The city in southwestern Mexico is now considered one of the most dangerous cities in Mexico (behind Tijuana).
Michel Franco, who knows the city well having visited it several times in his youth, explains: “It breaks my heart to see how much she has changed. It is often listed among the most dangerous cities in the world, which can affect tourists, but not often. The paradise that once was is now ruined, and I’m not talking about Sinatra’s Acapulco or Elvis Presley..”
He adds: “Its decline is symbolic of the decline of my country more generally. There’s a lot of tension in Acapulco these days, but in the end, it was very welcoming during filming. I guess I was trying to prove that this was the same Acapulco I remembered when I was young.”
And this is felt throughout the film. If the city is welcoming at first, the latter gradually reveals its true colors, just like the trailer above.
Charlotte Gainsbourg and Tim Roth
A character written for Tim Roth
Sundown is the director’s second collaboration with British comedian Tim Roth. In 2015, he already filmed a chronicle. The director also wrote Neil’s character specially for him. He explains: “Our sensibilities are similar and I thought he would be receptive to the story. I wrote the script in a few weeks, unlike Nouvel Ordre, which took me years.”
“As soon as I finished writing the script, I thought about all the things I hadn’t covered, which is always the case for a screenwriter, especially when you’re writing all at once. But I knew that wouldn’t bother Tim, so I sent it to him and he understood exactly where the film was going. He told me: don’t change anything, we shot it as it is“
In Sundown, a character played by Tim Roth tries to escape his obligations and decides to stay in Acapulco without telling his wife. Let’s draw a parallel with the situation in which Michel Franco found himself while writing the film.
Tim Roth
The latter actually explains that he himself was experiencing a deep existential crisis. The filmmaker was really doing a kind of evaluation of his personal life and realized for the first time that life is not eternal.
He says in the press kit:This happened after a trip to Acapulco with a friend, and as we were driving out of the hotel to go to dinner a little after 8pm, I was pulled over by very aggressive federal police who pointed guns at me.
They wondered if my friend was in danger – if he was with me against his will. They wanted to get me out of the car, but I knew it was wrong. My friend could not understand what was happening, he told me to obey.
When I left, I managed to get out of there and they followed us with threats, but we returned to the hotel peacefully. This made me very sad because Acapulco is one of my favorite places.”
Sundown hits theaters this Wednesday, July 27.
Source: allocine
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
