Casey Affleck looks like he wants to become the personification of grief, at least that's what his recent career choices seem to entail. With an Oscar under his arm for Manchester By The Sea, you'd think maybe he'd have taken some time to put out a kinder, gentler picture that wouldn't work out your tear ducts. Well, if you're one of the fools who thinks just that, and granted we have some on our staff here, then you're totally wrong. See for yourself as you watch the first trailer to director David Lowery's A Ghost Story, starring Affleck and Rooney Mara.
Lowery's follow-up to his entry into the live-action Disney canon, Pete's Dragon, A Ghost Story tells the tale of a husband and wife separated by the greatest divide that could ever exist between two people: mortality. With Casey Affleck's character being the dead party in the equation, he dons a sheet and embarks on an emotional journey to keep an eye on his wife after his passing. Though from the looks of what seems like a bit of a spoiler-ish trailer, it looks like Casey Affleck's character, simply named "C," goes on a bit of a journey through time as well, as the trailer indicates his wife not only moves on, but starts a family of her own with a new man.
A Ghost Story certainly looks like a far cry from Pete's Dragon and more like David Lowery's previous film, Ain't Them Bodies Saints. Strangely enough, there are similar elements in that film, despite the fact that it reunites the trio of Lowery, Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck. Though rather than taking a trip through a past era of southern history, A Ghost Story looks it expands its story of sorrow through time and familial relations. Don't think of it as a remake, but instead as a director expanding their personal canvas to encompass something greater.
Though as far as remakes are concerned, A Ghost Story seems like the film is a loose remake of Steven Spielberg's Always, which in turn was a remake of the 1943 film A Guy Named Joe. Both films tread very similar story beats, particularly with the ghost of a lover keeping an eye on his lady love. However, David Lowery has distanced his project away from the more conventional duo of films, again hewing closer to Ain't Them Bodies Saints' sensibilities. Also, it looks like the aspect ratio of the film will show the film as if it's framed like a photo from the 1970s, amping up the angle of personal reflection and thinking about the way things were.
With buzz from its Sundance Film Festival showing, and a beautiful trailer to boot, A24's A Ghost Story could be a very refreshing alternative to the summer blockbusters that will occupy the theaters around the same time as its debut. The film will haunt theaters on July 7th, most likely in a limited release platform, just as Spider-Man: Homecoming takes the dance floor.
