‘Everybody Knows’ Trailer: Javier Bardem And Penelope Cruz Reunite In Asghar Farhadi’s Kidnapping Thriller
Penelope Cruzreunites onscreen with spouseJavier Bardemfor the first time since 2013’sThe Counselorin a new movie this year. But while that movie didn’t give them much screen time together,Everybody Knowsputs the duo through the wringer. Cruz and Bardem star in the taut kidnapping thriller from Oscar-winning Iranian filmmakerAsghar Farhadiwhich premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival in May. Ahead of the film’s U.S. release this coming February, Focus Features has released the firstEverybody Knowstrailer.
Everybody Knows Trailer
In his relatively short feature directing career, Farhadi has already become one of the most renowned international directors working today, earning two Oscar wins for his filmsA SeparationandThe Salesman —making him one of the rare filmmakers to win an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film twice, putting him in the company of legendary directors such as Akira Kurosawa and René Clément.
But Farhadi has rarely ventured outside of his home country of Iran, apart from 2013’sThe Pastand now the Spain-setEverybody Knows. And apparently Farhadi’s bold undertaking outside of his native Iran ends up hurting the film. Reviewing the movie at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, /Film’s Marshall Shafferwrote"Everybody Knowscannot help but possess an aura of impersonality. It lacks the cultural specificity that made [Farhadi’s] prior films so indelible." He added:
Plenty of directors have gone outside their comfort zones and created great films that examine other countries from an outsider’s perspective. But, in general, these films start from the specific and build out to the universal. Farhadi seems to have started with a one-size-fits-all narrative, jet set to Spain and layered on details after. What results is something still as rigorously written and planned as Farhadi’s other films, just lacking a certain organic quality that gives the drama an extra punch.
Everybody Knowsfollows Cruz’s Laura as she travels from Argentina to her small hometown in Spain for her sister’s wedding, where her eldest daughter gets kidnapped. The tragic event compounds the tense family situation and dark secrets that had already begun to unravel at her homecoming. Bardem costars as the family employee Paco, who may have closer ties than expected.Everybody Knowsopens in theaters inFebruary 2019.
