Alexandre Desplat has recently scored the French drama Renoir. The film directed by Gilles Bourdos is set in 1915 when the painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, at the end of his life, is filled with a new, wholly unexpected energy when a young girl miraculously enters his world. The drama stars Michel Bouquet is the title role, alongside Christa Theret, Vincent Rottiers and Thomas Doret. Bourdos has co-written the screenplay with Jérôme Tonnerre and Michel Spinosa. Desplat has previously collaborated with the director several times, most recently on the 2008 thriller Afterwards (Et Apres). Renoir is set to premiere at the Cannes Festival next week, where it will close this year’s Un Certain Regard section.
Desplat’s music is also featured in four other films to be shown at the film festival, including Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom, Jacques Audiard’s Rust and Bone, Matteo Garrone’s Reality (previously entitled Big House) and the documentary Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir directed by Laurent Bouzereau about the director’s life, beginning with his childhood in the Krakow ghetto, his first films in Poland, the move to Paris, his career in Europe and America, the tragedy of the murder of his pregnant wife Sharon Tate in Los Angeles, the controversy surrounding his arrest in 1977, through to his work and life today in France. In addition, the composer will also host the masterclass A Personal History of Film Music at the festival.
In related news, Desplat has recently recorded his score for Ben Affleck’s Argo in Los Angeles. The film’s release date has been pushed back two weeks to October 12, 2012 since our last update. The thriller’s first trailer premiered a couple of days ago and can be checked out below. The composer’s other upcoming projects include Dreamworks Animation’s Rise of the Guardians and Peter Webber’s Emperor.
