Daniel Day-Lewis has “retired” more than once before, so we do take it with a grain when he says it’s for real. But so far there has always been a comeback film, first with Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York and now with Anemone, directed by his son Ronan. Now, ahead of the film’s debut at next month’s New York Film Festival, Anemone has its first trailer.
As for generally what Anemone is about, it explores the dynamics and relationships of families, particularly men. That it is directed by Ronan Day-Lewis should add much authenticity to the film. In addition to Daniel Day-Lewis, the film also stars Sean Bean, Samantha Morton, Samuel Bottomley and Safia Oakley-Green.
While much attention will be put on Anemone being the return of Daniel Day-Lewis after an eight-year absence – and some chatter that he wouldn’t be in front of the camera – it’s also worth noting that this is the debut feature of Ronan Day-Lewis, already an accomplished artist, with his paintings being shown in multiple countries. When the project was first announced, Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawaski said, “We could not be more excited to partner with a brilliant visual artist in Ronan Day-Lewis on his first feature film alongside Daniel Day-Lewis as his creative collaborator. They have written a truly exceptional script, and we look forward to bringing their shared vision to audiences alongside the team at Plan B.”
Daniel Day-Lewis’ most recent film was Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread, which earned him a sixth Best Actor nomination, putting him just behind the likes of Marlon Brando and Dustin Hoffman. On his retirement – which he announced just ahead of the film’s release – he stated, “Before making the film, I didn’t know I was going to stop acting. I do know that Paul and I laughed a lot before we made the movie. And then we stopped laughing because we were both overwhelmed by a sense of sadness. That took us by surprise: We didn’t realize what we had given birth to. It was hard to live with. And still is…I haven’t figured it out. But it’s settled on me, and it’s just there. Not wanting to see the film is connected to the decision I’ve made to stop working as an actor. But it’s not why the sadness came to stay. That happened during the telling of the story, and I don’t really know why.”
Following its NYFF debut, Anemone will hit theaters on October 3rd.
What do you think of the trailer for Anemone? Let us know below.
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