The Congress (2013)

An aging, out-of-work actress accepts one last job, though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn't consider.

Director:

Ari Folman

Writers:

Stanislaw Lem (novel), Ari Folman (screenplay)

Stars:

Robin Wright, Harvey Keitel, Jon Hamm

10 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robin Wright	...	Robin Wright
Harvey Keitel	...	Al
Sami Gayle	...	Sarah
Jon Hamm	...	Dylan Truliner (voice)
Kodi Smit-McPhee	...	Aaron Wright
Danny Huston	...	Jeff Green
Michael Stahl-David	...	Steve
Paul Giamatti	...	Dr. Barker

Storyline

An aging, out-of-work actress accepts one last job, though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn't consider.

---

Plot Keywords:

satire | dystopia | cinema | tom cruise character | actress | 

---

Taglines:

What would you give for an eternal youth? [Scandinavian Blu-ray]

---

Genres:

Animation | Drama | Sci-Fi

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Israel Germany Poland Luxembourg Belgium France USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 July 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kongres

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

PLN 34,148,170 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$38,172, 29 August 2014, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$137,815, 7 November 2014

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bridgit Folman Film Gang,Pandora Filmproduktion,Opus Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Atmos Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The interior of the huge dome where the futuristic Congress takes place, during the animated sequence, is based on the Reich's Great Hall, a massive project made by Adolf Hitler and his Minister of Defense, Albert Speer. The building, if it had been built, would have been one thousand feet tall, and able to house fifteen thousand spectators, making it the largest interior space up to date.

---

Quotes

Robin Wright: Does that make sense? Or is this just in my mind?
Robot: Ultimately, everything make sense. And everything is in our mind.

---

Connections

References Top Gun (1986)

---

Soundtracks

Trio in E flat major, Opus 100 D. 929 - Andante con moto
Composed by Franz Schubert
Arranged/Interpreted by Max Richter

User Reviews

Some Bad Choices

Greetings again from the darkness. As a fan of director Ari Folman's Oscar nominated Waiting for Bashir (2008), I was excited to see this one on the line-up at Dallas International Film Festival. While some will find The Congress a bit messy and difficult to follow, it certainly reinforces Folman's innovative and creative approach to story telling and filmmaking.

The first half of the movie is live action and the second half is animated. The best description I can offer is as a social commentary, not just on Hollywood, but society. While "Her" makes the case for virtual relationships, this movie makes the case for virtual everything else! Robin Wright plays Robin Wright, an aging movie star who is offered a chance to stay young and be popular forever. Just sign this contract, and Miramount Studios owns your complete public image. No more acting, just kick back and enjoy your money ... and watch what we do with your image and career.

The cast is very strong, but the movie has a feeling of having been rushed through production ... at least from the live action side. In addition to Ms. Wright, Danny Huston chews some scenery as a cut throat studio head. His blunt description of Ms. Wright's "bad choices" since The Princess Bride speak to not only many actors, but for many in the audience as well. Harvey Keitel plays the agent, Jon Hamm appears through voice only in the animated sequence, Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In, The Road) plays Wright's son and central plot figure, and Sami Gayle plays his sister.

Some will be reminded of A Scanner Darkly, and others of Cool World. The best this movie has to offer is not in its (creative) presentation, but rather in its ability to provoke thought about the look of future society and the impact of technology ... as well as the whole issue of identity and what makes us who we are. It's a brain-scrambler if you stick with it.