Ben KingsleyandEzra MillerareSalvador Dalílike you’ve never seen him.
The actors portray the legendary surrealist’s older and younger versions, respectively, in the upcoming filmDalíland, which follows the late Spanish painter — specifically, focusing on “the strange and fascinating marriage between Dalí and his wife, Gala (Barbara Sukowa), as their seemingly unshakable bond begins to stress and fracture,” according to a synopsis.
“Set in New York and Spain in 1974, the film is told through the eyes of James (Christopher Briney), a young assistant keen to make his name in the art world, who helps the eccentric and mercurial Dalí prepare for a big gallery show,” adds the synopsis for the film, which had its world premiere in September 2022 at theToronto International Film Festival.
The movie’s trailer, which dropped Friday, focuses mostly on an older Dalí (Kingsley, 79) as he basks in his fame and fortune, enjoying a party-centric lifestyle, before taking on his new assistant, James.
By the end of the 2-minute preview, the previously lauded “genius” artist is shown having a steep decline in popularity and struggling with his image and marriage as James says to him, “I’m just trying to tell you the truth.”
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Ben Kingsley and Christopher Briney inDalíland(2023).Magnolia Pictures
Speaking about the time period of the film and how it’s close to her heart, Harron, 70, said in a release, “As a young person who was naïve, non-threatening and very open to things, amazing things happened to me. I was invited to parties I never dreamed of getting invited to, people gave me jobs and for a couple of years, I stepped onto a merry-go-round.”
“Iwanted to make a filmthat evoked that wonderful time in my life. So we created James, the New York gallery assistant who becomes Dali’s assistant who steps onto the merry-go-round,” she continued, adding, “Obviously, at some point, the merry-go-round has to end.”
“Or you get thrown off!” said Walsh.
Thanks to his surrealist artworks, Dalí, who died in 1989 at age 84, is considered one of the most prolific artists of the last century. According toArt Story, he was known for his flamboyant personality, and his work often conveyed themes of eroticism, death and decay.
His most famous works are arguably 1931’s"The Persistence of Memory,“famous for its display of melting watches against a barren landscape, and 1929’s"The Great Masturbator,“which depicts an erotic fantasy.
Ezra Miller inDalíland(2023).Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing/YouTube
After rumors began to spread thatDalílandmay have omitted Miller from its final cut, Harron toldVanity Fairthat while that isn’t true, “I’mnot condoning anything they’ve done wrong.” (Miller uses they/them pronouns.)
“I think it doesn’t matter how talented someone is, if they’ve done anything wrong, they have to face it,” added the director in August 2022, ahead of the Toronto Film Festival. “I also think that clearly this is not just a young star acting out. This is much more serious. This seems like something that needs a serious intervention, which I hope has happened.”
“Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment,“The Flashactor said in astatement shared with PEOPLEvia their rep in August 2022.
Dalílandis in theaters and on demand June 9.
source: people.com
