A double feature depicting two sides of the same story: the end of the marriage between Eleanor (a psychology student) and Conor (a restaurant owner). Their points of view are depicted in two distinct films, Him and Her. The full version of the movie, re-edited and shortened, was presented at Cannes with the title Them.
Him follows the story of Conor. When Eleanor leaves him, he goes to his best friend Stuart (the restaurant’s chef) and his father to try to figure his life out.
Biography
film director
Ned Benson
Ned Benson (New York, NY, USA) graduated from Columbia University in 2001 with a degree in Film and English. He began his film career writing, directing and acting in shorts. He was approached by a then unknown Jessica Chastain in 2003 after a screening of his short film Four Lean Hounds at the Malibu Film Festival who asked to work with him on future projects. Chastain would go on to appear in his 2010 short film The Westerner. The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him and Her, produced among others by Chastain’s, are Bengson’s feature films debut. The longer, double feature premiered in Toronto in 2013; the shorter and single one, Them, was presented in Cannes in 2014.
FILMOGRAFIA
Four Lean Hounds (cm, 2003), I Yes (cm, 2010), The Westerner (cm, 2010), The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him (2013), The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her (2013), The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them (2014).
Declaration
film director
“Initially, my plans were to create two separate visual realms. […] His movie is all about moving forward, trying not to stop so he can avoid feeling something; when she comes into his life, he is forced to feel something. For that reason, the camera was relegated to a certain kind of space and the colors are obviously much cooler. Again, in my mind, this guy is more detached from his feelings, so I thought cooler hues such as blue would best convey that emotional side.”
Cast
& Credits
Ned Benson
fotografia/cinematography
Christopher Blauvelt
montaggio/film editing
Kristina Boden
scenografia/production design
Kelly McGehee
costumi/costume design
Stacey Battat
musica/music
Son Lux
interpreti e personaggi/cast and characters
Jessica Chastain (Eleanor Rigby), James McAvoy (Conor Ludlow), Jess Weixler (Katy Rigby), Viola Davis (la professoressa/professor Lillian Friedman), Sasha Eden (la barista/bartender), Ryan Eggold (l’uomo al club/guy from club), Bill Hader (Stuart), Ciarán Hinds (Spencer Ludlow), Isabelle Huppert (Mary Rigby), William Hurt (Julian Rigby), Nina Arianda (Alexis)
produttori/producers
Jessica Chastain, Ned Benson, Cassandra Kulukundis, Todd J. Labarowski, Emanuel Michael
produzione/production
Unison Films, Division Films, Dreambridge Films, Myriad Pictures
distribuzione/distribution
Koch Media