The Letter (2012 film)

The Letter, previously called The Stare, is a 2012 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Jay Anania, starring Winona Ryder and James Franco. Franco is a former student of Anania's, who teaches directing at NYU.[1] The pair previously collaborated on Shadows and Lies. In 2012, it was announced that Lionsgate purchased the distribution rights to the film, which was retitled The Letter.[2][3] The film got its first theatrical showing at the Cincinnati Film Festival on September 9, 2012.[4]

The Letter
Promotional poster
Directed byJay Anania
Written byJay Anania
Produced byVince Jolivette
Marni Zelnick
Jeff Kalligheri
StarringWinona Ryder
James Franco
CinematographyBradley Schmidt
Music byArvo Pärt
Release date
  • September 9, 2012 (2012-09-09) (Cincinnati Film Festival)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot edit

A playwright, Martine (Ryder), suffers from paranoia and hallucinations as she attempts to stage a new production. She is uncertain over whether she is deluded or if there is a plot against her. Tyrone (Franco) is an actor in Martine's new play.[5]

Cast edit

Reception edit

Writing for 7MPictures, Liam Carr said that "The Letter is not a thriller. It is barely a film. It's a boring, self-important, disjointed and pointless pile of tripe masquerading as a movie."[6][7]

References edit

  1. ^ 'The Stare': James Franco, Winona Ryder In New Film The Huffington Post. 18 April 2011
  2. ^ "NARIP at SAE New York - SAE New York". Newyork.sae.edu. 2012-02-24. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
  3. ^ Benardello, Karen (2012-02-25). "Interview: Marin Ireland Talks The Understudy". Shockya.com. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
  4. ^ Cincinnati Film Festival scheduled Cincinnati.com. 11 August 2012
  5. ^ James Franco and Winona Ryder cast in 'The Stare' The Independent. 20 April 2011
  6. ^ "The Letter DVD Review". 7MPictures. Archived from the original on 2018-05-23. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  7. ^ "All Critics". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 21, 2021.

External links edit