BEL CANTO Trailer

Can Julianne Moore sing her way out of trouble? That’s the oddball question posited by Bel Canto, the latest from director Paul Weitz.

Based on the novel of the same name, the film sees Moore playing an opera singer hired to perform at the birthday party of a wealthy businessman in South America. Unfortunately for all the attendees, the party is taken over by guerrilla fighters who want to hold them hostage until their comrades are released. As the weeks drag by, it becomes less and less likely that officials will bring this to a safe end, and the best hope for the hostages becomes forming a connection with their captors. What better way to do this, they decide, than through music?

Moore’s characters have gotten themselves out of a lot of scrapes over the years, but performing an opera has to be one of the stranger escape plans. She’s getting backup here from real-life opera singer Renée Fleming, who will provide the character’s singing voice. Her other partner in the film will be Ken Watanabe, who plays the birthday boy himself (and, it turns out, potential love interest).

The story marks a strange turn for Weitz, who is mostly known for his comedies like American Pie and About a Boy. The romance angle will probably be more comfortable for him than the dramatic action, so it will be curious to see how he holds all the elements together.

At its core, though, the film seems to be about forming unexpected connections through art. Hopefully the film will strike a similar bond with its audience.

Bel Canto is directed by Paul Weitz and stars Julianne Moore, Ken Watanabe, and Christopher Lambert. It will be released in the US on September 14th, 2018. For international release dates. click here.

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