An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Let be frank and direct.. People out there will do everything to see one single minute of a celebrity's life.. any celebrity.. Then what if Angelina and Brad showcase a real life cast (despite the story), all of us wanted to see every minute of it.. every second of it.. 2 full minutes andasking for more.. because usually such dramatic moments of our life are veryyyyy slow.. passing very slow in our life.. and in this movie, this couple intended to make sure to feel every moment of it.. (and not by coincidence).. And for those who were disappointed to find no story..!! well I must tell them that a simple fight between a couple is enough to be a grand story..!! So this is a story in itself.. and being drama and sad made us feel how slow it is sad moments in our life.. It was so true feelings.. true feelings all over the movie.. that even whenever they're nude in some scenes, it reflected another meanings.. meanings of respect.. I feel honored that 2 powerfull persons have just shared with us precious moments that almost all of us have experienced .. and for those who didn't yet.. come again whenever u experience it in your life.. you will.. I am sure you will..!!! Cheers to Brad and Angelina..

In the 70's, writer Roland (Brad Pitt) and former dancer Vanessa (Angelina Jolie) are in a tired marriage. They hope to rekindle their relationship and his writing in a small seaside town in the south of France. She finds a peep hole and obsesses over their next door neighbor especially Léa (Mélanie Laurent).Angelina Jolie continues to try to be a real filmmaker. She seems competent as a director. I don't see any outstanding style but her work is functional. The acting is tired although that's their characters. Her depression needs to be over-dramatized. When depression is depressed, it's depressing to watch. That's mostly in the writing and I don't think Jolie is a good writer. She may have fair concepts but her dialogue does not sing. The flow is stuck in mud. The plot could have gone somewhere compelling. She needs to collaborate with a better writer who could help her work. This has potential but Jolie lacks the skills to exploit.

I lived for a year, all of 1964, in a coastal town between Nice and Monaco (specifically, in the Villefranche-sur-Mer and Eze-sur-Mer towns. Went to school near Cap Ferrat.)I read the description that this about a couple living in Southern France. Yet the scenery was more desert-like. I went to the "Location" page and, sure enough, filmed in Malta. A very long way from southern France.Perhaps a quibble, but it bugs me when I know a region and yet see something completely different on the screen. (Like seeing episodes of t.v. shows supposely set near some Eastern U.S. city and yet I can California mountains so plainly visible.)The film itself was very slow-moving and presaged the anomie and jadedness of Angela Jolie and Brad Pitt in their real lives at the time.--Tim May, California

Glamorous married couple in the 1970s--he a writer who can't write, she a retired dancer--vacation at a French hotel overlooking the Mediterranean; he spends most of his time drinking at the local bar while she stretches out on the balcony with a book. 30 minutes goes by without much happening, while the viewer is asked to feast on the lush locale (the film was shot in Malta) and the endless movie star close-ups (which aren't so lush, as neither Brad Pitt nor Angelina Jolie Pitt, who also wrote and directed, look attractive here; she appears gaunt, and they both seem worn out). The couple, bored and prone to bickering, seem to be in a sexual rut, which is temporarily given a reprieve by the discovery of a small hole in the bedroom wall, perfect for peeping on the sexy newlyweds staying next door. Jolie Pitt may have overestimated she and real-life husband Brad Pitt's combined appeal, as their presence in these luxurious surroundings curiously fails to generate any interest, much less sparks. The voyeurism subplot promises drama that never really emerges, mainly due to the one-dimensional screenplay and flat handling. Alas, "By the Sea" sinks. *1/2 from ****