‘Company’ Stars Nick Nolte, Adelaide Clemens on the Film’s Power of Stillness
Casey Affleck's directorial feature "Company," starring Nick Nolte, Adelaide Clemens, Ben Mendelsohn, Scoot McNairy and others, has premiered in competition at the Venice Film Festival. The film explores storytelling, grief, regret and forgiveness through interconnected narratives spanning three time periods, with cast members praising Affleck's intimate, deliberately composed direction, which relies heavily on two-shots and stillness rather than conventional coverage.
The film moves between 1975, 1953 and 1903, linking each era through characters recounting stories to one another. Nolte plays Tom, a reclusive old man who rescues a young woman (Caylee Cowan) from the snow, while Clemens and McNairy portray an 1903 couple whose isolated life is disrupted by a mysterious traveller played by Atticus Affleck. Both Nolte and Clemens credited cinematographer Marcell Rév and Affleck's trust in his actors for allowing scenes to be shot in extended two-shots capturing full-body performance. Nolte, 86, said the delicate, silence-filled script drew him to the project and that he has no plans to retire.
- Casey Affleck's "Company" premieres in competition at Venice Film Festival.
- Film spans three eras, linked by storytelling themes of grief and forgiveness.
- Cast praise intimate two-shot direction and 86-year-old Nick Nolte's continued work.
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Casey Affleck, better known as an actor, has stepped behind the camera to direct "Company," a new film that had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, one of the world's leading showcases for arthouse and awards-season cinema. The film brings together a notable cast, including veteran actor Nick Nolte, Adelaide Clemens, Ben Mendelsohn and Scoot McNairy, and tells linked stories set across three different time periods.
The film is built around themes of storytelling, grief, regret and forgiveness, with separate narratives set in 1975, 1953 and 1903 connected by characters telling each other stories. It is notable for its unusual visual style, favouring long, still shots of two actors together rather than the quicker cuts typical of most films, a technique that places heavy emphasis on the performers' physical presence.
A film's reception at a major festival like Venice can shape its awards prospects and wider release, making early reactions from critics and cast members significant. Nolte, now 86 and still working, is among those discussing what drew him to the project and how it was made.
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