A rich seventies couple - Roland and Vanessa, played by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie - visit a remote Mediterranean paradise to stay for a while in the hopes that he might get passed his writer's block and she might get over.... something. With him indulging in too much drink and her indulging in too much of absolutely nothing, progress seems to be very poor - at least until a second, younger honeymoon couple arrive at the same hotel. Judged by its indifferent scores and very underwhelming box office take you might dismiss this film as a vanity project hatched by an actress with more money than talent - but that would be very unfair. In Angelina Jolie's Wikipedia page "episodes of depression" are mentioned and in this film it seems clear that she's addressing these and other demons from her own past even if the basic plot is fictional. This is not the kind of subject matter suited to an entertaining evening with a romantic dinner or after a curry and a pint (substitute non-UK alternatives here if you wish). This never was a film that even targeted at big box office.Is it a good depiction of depression? I'm lucky enough not to have personal experience here so I don't know. But I do feel that I learned something and in that Jolie must have succeeded - for that most surely have been her true goal. And I respect her for taking on the challenge.The film isn't perfect though. Even with the chosen subject matter, the pace is sometimes a little slow and the new interest that Vanessa eventually finds and shares with Roland is a little creepy. (If the gender roles were reversed I'm sure it would be judged as great deal worse than creepy.)Overall, though, if you feel up to trying to understand something of depression from the inside, this might be a good place to start.

Glamorous married couple in the 1970s--he a writer who can't write, she a retired dancer--vacation at a French hotel overlooking the Mediterranean; he spends most of his time drinking at the local bar while she stretches out on the balcony with a book. 30 minutes goes by without much happening, while the viewer is asked to feast on the lush locale (the film was shot in Malta) and the endless movie star close-ups (which aren't so lush, as neither Brad Pitt nor Angelina Jolie Pitt, who also wrote and directed, look attractive here; she appears gaunt, and they both seem worn out). The couple, bored and prone to bickering, seem to be in a sexual rut, which is temporarily given a reprieve by the discovery of a small hole in the bedroom wall, perfect for peeping on the sexy newlyweds staying next door. Jolie Pitt may have overestimated she and real-life husband Brad Pitt's combined appeal, as their presence in these luxurious surroundings curiously fails to generate any interest, much less sparks. The voyeurism subplot promises drama that never really emerges, mainly due to the one-dimensional screenplay and flat handling. Alas, "By the Sea" sinks. *1/2 from ****

Many critics and moviegoers thought that Angelina Jolie's "By the Sea" was at the apex of pittiful. I don't share that sentiment, but I am close. Jolie wrote and directed "By the Sea" about a couple who have been married for 14 years who travel to a France seacoast village to escape a recent tragedy. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie star as that married couple, Roland and Vanessa. Roland is a writer trying to recapture his scribe magic that gave him much acclaim for a past novel. Roland likes to roll a la Hemingway with plenty of alcoholic inspiration for his scribe. Vanessa is a frigid wife who is not very Jolie I mean jolly to those that she confronts. Roland and Vanessa then encounter a newlywed couple to the villa next to them, that would be Lea and Francois played respectively by Melanie Laurent and Melvil Poupad. Roland and Vanessa find a peephole that allows them to perverse I mean observe Lea and Francois' interactions. Do I need to say more how ridiculous this is. Sorry Angelina, but your direction and scribe of "By the Sea" was atrocious and absurd. Both Pitt and Jolie were not believable in their roles as Roland and Vanessa. One wondrous aspect of the film was the stunning cinematography by Christian Berger. He was the only Berger King of this movie. OK, just like Brad & Angelina, it is time for me to split. Sea you later! *** Average

1. Should have been 20-30, even 45 minutes long. For what it was it would have been a great short film. Painful 2 hours.2. WAY too much smoking and drinking. EVERY SCENE has one or both! Sickening and pathetic.3. Angelina is a good director, and would have had a much better fare with shortening 90 minutes from the movie.4. French scenes have no subtitles. WHY?5. The end. WHY would Angelina, being who she is in real life, ever write the ending like that? It leaves a bad taste in your mouth. The ending "reason" for the troubles would make more sense if it JUST happened recently, NOT 3 years prior. That was unbelievable. It seems that the message is the solution to the couple's strife is to be miserable and terrible, when Angelina and Brad in real life have DONE the solution to the film couple's problem! She wrote the opposite message you would expect her to write concerning family. It's like someone else entirely, with a seething, ignorant bitterness, came up with the story. Somewhat recommend for a look into a couple's troubles and French/Malta/Meddeteranian scenery, as they are presented competently, but all the other stuff in between sours it from being a great film.