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2008’s Waltz with Bashir was unlike any film I had seen before that time. Set in 2006, the animated documentary merged both fictional composites of characters with real people to formulate director Ari Folman’s lost memories stemming from the Lebanon War during the ’80s. While the film didn’t do well commercially, it received extreme acclaim from critics, appearing on a plethora of Best of the Year lists and award nominations, including an Oscar nomination for the Best Foreign Language Film.
Folman’s follow-up, The Congress, has been a long time coming, but if this first trailer is any indication, the film appears to be worth the wait. The Congress is a live-action/animation hybrid starring Robin Wright (The Princess Bride) as a version of herself. The film version of Robin is a fickle actress unable to land any more gigs due to her unreliability in her earlier years. However, when she’s given the opportunity to sell her likeness to help aid her sick son, she agrees. Through the studio’s a la carte use of her likeness, “Robin Wright” finds stardom once again… but at what cost?
The Congress utilizes a hybrid of animation and live-action, depicting the “real” Robin Wright’s world in live-action whereas the studio’s “Robin Wright” is eternalized by an animated avatar. The themes of identity and existentialism are touched upon in the trailer, and if they carry the same ethical punch that Waltz With Bashir had, we’re going to be in for a great time.
The Congress will be released on iTunes and VOD on July 24th, followed by a limited theatrical release on August 29th, with a special New York opening on September 5th.