Marie and Bruce (2004)

Director:

Tom Cairns

Writers:

Wallace Shawn (screenplay) and
Tom Cairns (screenplay)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A surreal story of two people.

Plot:

Based on a play by Wallace Shawn, the film is a dark but comical glimpse at one day in the breakdown of a marriage. |

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Cast

Julianne Moore	...	Marie
Matthew Broderick	...	Bruce
Bob Balaban	...	Roger
Griffin Dunne	...	Restaurant Guest
Julie Hagerty	...	Party Guest at Frank's
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Aaron Baker	...	Antione
Andy Borowitz	...	Jim
Steve Burns	...	Fred
Carl Burrows	...	Mariner
Blossom Dearie	...	Gwendolyn
Brother Eden Douglas	...	Eccentric Dinner Guest (as Brother Douglas)
Marshall Efron	...	Ed
Tom Riis Farrell	...	Frank
Michael Ferreira	...	Yvonne (as Michael McDerman)
Robert Gant	...	Bartender
Robert Lehrer	...	Leader
Campbell Scott
Christopher Evan Welch	...	Party Guest
David Wiater	...	Tim

Also Known As:

Marie & Bruce (Australia) (DVD title) (International: English title) (alternative spelling)
Wallace Shawn's Marie & Bruce (USA) (poster title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language including sexual references, and some nudity.

Runtime:

90 min | Australia:83 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | USA:R | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Holedigger Films

Trivia:

The film originally premiered in the US at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2004. However, because of distributer problems, the film took a long 5 years to hit the US market (in which it was released internationally on DVD from 2005-2007), finally arriving on DVD in March 2009.

Unemployed neurotics in Manhattan

Wallace Shawn, the author of "Marie and Bruce", who wrote the original play in which this film is based on, is a man whose work in the theater leaves a lot to be desired. I don't wish anyone the experience we had with a play he co-wrote with a brother and that was seen at the Mineta Lane Theater in New York about three years ago, in which the audience kept leaving the performance because it was insufferable. This same quality can be said about this adaptation of yet another one of his works for the theater.

Directed by Tom Cairns, who also translated the material for the screen, shows us a couple of misfits that have been together far too long and would have been better off dissolving their marriage some time ago. The main attraction for watching the picture was Julianne Moore and Matthew Broderick, both great actors that put in a brave appearance to be in front of the camera playing these people. One wonders why hasn't Marie left Bruce a long time before? It's easier to see why Bruce has stuck to the situation because he doesn't have much to offer anyone else in her right mind.

The film can infuriate would be viewers who would not have enough patience to sit right through it.