David Lowery’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints left both Sundance and Cannes with incredibly positive reviews, and it wasn’t long before talk quickly turned to the Oscars. It may be early days yet, but with a handful of wins already behind it, it will certainly be interesting to see if it becomes a contender in the coming months.
The film will be heading into US cinemas in two weeks’ time, earning a top spot as one of our top 10 must-see movies of the month. At the time of writing that, Lowery’s film was without a firm UK release date. But now that’s all changed, with the arrival of a UK trailer, and the announcement that it will land on our shores just a few weeks later after its Stateside release.
Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) and Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara), an impassioned young outlaw couple on an extended crime spree, are finally apprehended by lawmen after a shootout in the Texas hills. Although Ruth wounds a local officer, Bob takes the blame. But four years later, Bob escapes from prison and sets out to find Ruth and their daughter, born during his incarceration.
Set against the backdrop of 1970’s Texas Hill Country, director David Lowery paints a poetic picture, evoking the mythology of westerns and saturating the dramatic space with an aching sense of loss. Featuring powerful performances by Affleck, Mara as well as Ben Foster and Keith Carradine, AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS is a story of love, motherhood and searching for peace while faced with an unrelenting past.
Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, and Ben Foster are reportedly exceptional as the leading trio, with Keith Carradine and Nate Parker completing the cast nicely.
Lowery is directing from his own script, with James M. Johnston and Toby Halbrooks, two of Variety’s 10 Producers to Watch list last year, producing.
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints will be released in the US on August 16th, and will now officially be crossing the Atlantic for a 6th September UK release date. Exciting times, to say the least.
