Terrence Malick is notorious for editing out major stars from his films. Go ahead and ask Mickey Rourke, or Christopher Plummer, or Adrien Brody, or Billy Bob Thornton, or Rachel Weisz, or Michael Sheen, and the list goes on. That’s why it’s not very surprising to hear that his forthcoming film, Song to Song, has dealt the same fate to a number of outstanding performers, specifically: Christian Bale, Arcade Fire, Iron and Wine, and Fleet Foxes.
As Pitchfork points out, the full cast and crew list has been unveiled and all four names are non-existent, which means they likely wound up somewhere on the cutting from floor over the past four to five years this sucker has been filming. If you recall, Malick’s been toiling over this project for years with filming dating back to the 2012 and 2011 editions of South by Southwest, Austin City Limits, and Fun Fun Fest.
The good news is that there’s still a ton of star power to behold, especially on the musical side of things. Lykke Li plays Ryan Gosling’s ex and the two of them perform Bob Marley and the Wailers’ “It Hurts to Be Alone” together. The Black Lips play Rooney Mara’s band and Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears are feature in a scene wherein they’re recording with Michael Fassbender. Other notable cameos include Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Lydon, Alan Palomo, Diplo, Tegan and Sara, Florence Welch, Dana Falconberry, Big Freedia, and Spank Rock.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Set against the Austin, Texas, music scene, two entangled couples – struggling songwriters Faye (Mara) and BV (Gosling), and music mogul Cook (Fassbender) and the waitress (Natalie Portman) whom he ensnares – chase success through a rock ‘n’ roll landscape of seduction and betrayal.
Watch the trailer below and stay tuned for our full review this Friday, when it premieres at this year’s SXSW Film Festival.
