Synopsis
ONE WEEK ONLY
“[35 SHOTS OF RUM is] a quiet and lovely new film. (Embeds) extraordinary thematic richness with a simple, almost anecdotal narrative framework, and achieves a rare eloquence about the state of the world by means of tact and reticence… captured by Agnès Godard’s exquisite and expressive cinematography.”– A.O. Scott, New York Times

“Denis makes movies to show how remarkable ordinary human beings are. (Her) achingly tender, bittersweet 35 SHOTS OF RUM… feels as natural as breathing. And yet it might also be described as a poem written in the language of the hands, eyes, and yes, sometimes the backs of four performers…Descas (is) the most magnetic and grounded actor in world cinema.” – Amy Taubin, Artforum

“The warmth radiating from 35 SHOTS OF RUM, smoother than the finest liquor, reminds viewers how rarely movies capture the easygoing love embodied in a functional family, with all its support and tenderness.”— Jay Weissberg, Variety



Claire Denis, long known for her subtle, fluid and intriguing movies (BEAU TRAVAIL is best known to U.S. audiences), sets her story in a Paris suburb: a widowed metro conductor, approaching retirement, lives with his beautiful grown daughter — the object of a neighbor’s romantic interest. The man’s former girlfriend also lives in their building and plays a role in their closely-knit lives. 35 SHOTS OF RUM considers the mysterious complexities that surround evolving relationships, whether romantic or parental. It is the rare movie whose plot is driven both by what people say and what they hold back, the meaningful pauses between words, a significant glance, a sexy outfit, a thoughtful gift. A film that holds a mirror up to life as it is actually led.