Is it a bit ridiculous to already be pining for next year’s festival season? Alright, it totally is ridiculous but we’re probably not alone in being stoked for “Suite Francaise,” if only because it brings together Michelle Williams and Matthias Schoenaerts for a wartime romance. Lensing took place from June to August in Brussels this summer, and now we have the exclusive first image from the film, which immediately gives a sense of passion and tension in this WWII set story.
Co-starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Sam Riley, the film is an adaptation of Irene Nemirovsky‘s novel, chronicling the love affair between Lucille, a young French woman (Williams) and the German officer (Schoenaerts) assigned to watch her in Nazi-occupied France. Here’s the official synopsis:
Set in 1940s France and based on the international best-selling work of Irène Némirovsky, SUITE FRANÇAISE follows beautiful Lucile Angellier who awaits news from her husband, a prisoner of war whilst leading a stifled existence with her domineering mother-in-law. When Parisian refugees pour into their small town, soon followed by a regiment of German soldiers who take up residence in the villagers’ homes, Lucile’s life is turned upside down. In the Angellier home, Lucile initially tries to ignore Bruno, the handsome and refined German officer who has been posted to live with them. But soon, a powerful love draws them together and traps them in the tragedy of war.
The film is being helmed by Saul Dibb (“The Duchess“), and he also wrote the script, with a solid supporting cast rounding things out including: Ruth Wilson (“The Lone Ranger,” “Anna Karenina“), Margot Robbie (“The Wolf of Wall Street“), Alexandra Maria Lara (“Rush,” “Youth Without Youth“), Tom Schilling, Eileen Atkins, and Lambert Wilson. In addition, Alexandre Desplat has composed the score.
Xavier Marchand produces on behalf of eOne alongside Romain Brémond for TF1 DA. Michael Kuhn and Andrea Cornwell are producing for Qwerty Films, and Harvey Weinstein is executive producer alongside BBC Films’ Christine Langan.
The film will be released by The Weinstein Company in the U.S. and it’s one we’ll have our eyes on for 2014.