Suspended Time (2024)

[BluBonnet]

Playtime Boards Olivier Assayas’ ‘Suspended Time,’ a Lockdown Comedy Tipped for Berlinale Competition

Playtime has boarded Olivier Assayas’ “Suspended Time,” a COVID-era comedy about two couples spending lockdown together. Produced by Olivier Delbosc of Curiosa Films, and by Assayas’ own Vortex Sutra, the pandemic farce is hotly tipped to compete at the Berlin Film Festival next month.

Recent Assayas stalwart Vincent Macaigne leads the cast as Etienne, a filmmaker – and once again director stand-in – locked down with his music journalist brother, Paul (Micha Lescot, “Forever Young”), and locked in the family home with respective spouses, Morgane and Carole (Nora Hamzawi, Nine D’Urso).

“Every room, every object, reminds them of their childhood, and the memories of [those] absent,” reads the synopsis. “This compels them to measure the distance that separates them from each other and the roots they share, those of their ground zero. As the world around them is becoming increasingly unsettling, unreality, and even a disturbing strangeness, invades their daily gestures and actions.”

The project furthers the director’s ongoing partnership with Macaigne and Hamzawi, who both starred in Assayas’ 2018 feature “Non-Fiction” as well as his 2022 limited series “Irma Vep,” while the subject and synopsis call to mind the filmmaker’s more wistful sibling dramas like “Summer Hours” and the uncanniness of “Personal Shopper.”

Ad Vitam Distribution will handle the film’s French release, while Playtime will presumably tout the project at this week’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris ahead of next month’s European Film Market launch.

[Gacivory]

Love Assayas! I’m in!

[Monterey Jack]

Wow, still making movies about Covid lockdowns in 2024?

[mwynn]

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

Wow, still making movies about Covid lockdowns in 2024?

Still making movies about World War 2, Dracula, The Bible, and various other topics from 100 years ago.

[Monterey Jack]

No one wants to remember Covid-era shit.

[mwynn]

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

No one wants to remember Covid-era shit.

I am sure there are many people who do not want to be reminded about a lot of things in movies. You have a choice to not watch it.

[BluBonnet]

I do not want to be reminded about the people who do not want to be reminded!

[mwynn]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

I do not want to be reminded about the people who do not want to be reminded!

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by mwynn

[Show spoiler]

[BluBonnet]

+

[Star Lord]

Ari Aster's Eddington is set in 2020 as well. Covid nostalgia will be an even bigger thing in a few years!

[DKLou]

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

No one wants to remember Covid-era shit.

No, we sure don’t. Let’s remember that we won’t be doing THAT again.

Originally Posted by Star Lord

Ari Aster's Eddington is set in 2020 as well. Covid nostalgia will be an even bigger thing in a few years!

The only nostalgia for many of us is how ridiculous it all was. If a film or whatever pokes fun at it then that’s fine. It’s comedy material at this stage.

For example, I’d like to see a comedy about an Italian family being forced to just have a six people max head count for thanksgiving or some other holiday. The fighting, the arguing, etc. They can barely keep weddings to 300 invites.

[BluBonnet]

Opening Aug. 15th at Film at Lincoln Center.

[BluBonnet]

[ophone]

Originally Posted by DKLou

For example, I’d like to see a comedy about an Italian family being forced to just have a six people max head count for thanksgiving or some other holiday. The fighting, the arguing, etc. They can barely keep weddings to 300 invites.

I've been to two Italian weddings in Italy when I was a kid, so I know what you mean.
But as far as I know Italians don't celebrate Thanksgiving, except perhaps those living in North America.