THIRD PERSON tells three stories of love, passion, trust and betrayal, in a multi-strand story line reminiscent of Paul Haggis's earlier Oscar-winning film Crash. The tales play out in New York, Paris and Rome: three couples who appear to have nothing related but share deep commonalities: lovers and estranged spouses, children lost and found.
The Rome-set segment revolves around a young couple on a road trip, to be played be Casey Affleck and Moran Atias. Both Liam Neeson and Olivia Wilde will play writers in the Paris-set section of the film. Mila Kunis is negotiating to play one half of an estranged couple in New York, with James Franco playing her partner in the segment.
Gradually, each one of these stories unveils its secrets, testifying to the whims and complexities of life. Surfaces are deceptive in the Haggis universe, but as each story is explored we discover untold pleasures and pains. Life is never easy: it can be deceptive, inhabited by anger and jealousy, but it can also be surprisingly joyous.
GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING and other treasures of the Mauritshuis, the Netherlands
After two years on a blockbuster world tour, the ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ has returned home to the much-loved Mauritshuis gallery in The Hague, which has just completed extensive renovations. With huge queues lining up for a glimpse of her enigmatic beauty and nearly 1.2 million visitors at its stop in Japan, the enduring appeal of this masterpiece is indisputable. The beautifully filmed documentary goes in pursuit of the many unresolved riddles surrounding the extraordinary painting and its mysterious creator Vermeer. Who was this girl? Why and how was it painted? Why is it so revered?