Yesterday we got a big news dump about how Terrence Malick is going nuts with upcoming projects, and has FOUR films on the docket in the next couple years. No telling what inspired this burst of work ethic, but for a man who usually makes a movie about once every ten years, it’s certainly a switch.
The one film we didn’t get much info on yesterday was perhaps his most interesting one. It’s untitled, but most are referring to it as THE BURIAL. What’s really eye catching is its cast which includes Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Javier Bardem, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel Weisz, with allegedly small roles for Michael Sheen and Amanda Peet.
Also notable is that the film is set in the present day, which is highly unusual for Malick. The LA Times has some more specific plot details.
A philanderer (Affleck) who, feeling at loose ends, travels to Paris, where he enters a hot-and-heavy affair with a European woman (Olga Kurylenko). Said Lothario returns home to Oklahoma, where he marries the European woman (in part for visa reasons). When the relationship founders, he rekindles a romance with a hometown girl (Rachel McAdams) with whom he’s had a long history.
Bardem is said to be playing a priest, but not much else is know. Interesting, and I’m glad Malick is working so hard lately. Though he should be careful not to overdo it.