8/23/2011

Trailer Time: The Lady, directed by Luc Besson


I know it may be hard to remember, but Luc Besson isn't just a guy who makes movies about hot assassins with flashy guns. The French filmmaker was responsbile for one of the most beautiful underwater movies I ever saw in The Big Blue, so I don't get surprised when he branches out a little. His latest film, The Lady, is a departure even for him. It's a political drama starring the always great Michelle Yeoh as Aung San Suu Kyi, the controversial Burmese politician and activist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

The story will focus on 10 of the 15 years she spent on house arrest in Burma, away from her supporters and her dying husband(David Thewlis), who had been barred from entering the country. Rebecca Frayn started work on the script in 2008 after visiting Burma, withe Yeoh personally enlisting Besson to champion the film. Based on the newly released trailer, it looks like she made the right decision. If there's anything Besson does well it's present strong, confident female leads. The combination of him with Yeoh's powerful presence could make this a surprise awards contender. It'll premier in Toronto next month, with a hopeful release here in October.....