As Kristen Stewart gets end-of-year recognition for her performance as the enigmatic personal assistant (and Juliette Binoche’s projection?) in Olivier Assayas’ Clouds of Sils Maria, we now have a look at another dramatic indie turn from the actress. Said performance occurs in Anesthesia, whose not-very-good trailer was just released.
The scenes in the trailer are divided by text spelled out in an unfortunate font, spouting vague implications of drama — “when life challenges you”… “when love disappoints you”… “we search for a connection.” And Stewart is convincing enough to make lines like “the world has become so inhuman” and “I am so lonely. I crave interaction. I crave it” slip by without seeming too melodramatic. The film does, however, boast an amazing cast that also includes Sam Waterston, Michael K. Williams, Glenn Close, and Gretchen Mol.
Anesthesia, written and directed by Tim Blake Nelson, follows a Columbia University (Waterston) professor who, at the beginning of the film, is brutally attacked. From there, it goes backwards and traces the events leading up to the initial moment. The film — which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival (where Flavorwire’s own Jason Bailey confirmed some of the qualitative assumptions you may make from the trailer) — will be available in limited release and on VOD on January 8.
Watch the trailer:
[Via Indiewire]