Irrational Man Trailer – Shot By Shot Breakdown

Irrational Man is the new film written and directed by Woody Allen. The official trailer has been released, and it’s time for our usual shot by shot breakdown.

If you’ve not watched the trailer yet, you can find it here.

But here’s the breakdown.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 8.21.17 pm

Rhode Island looks lovely, doesn’t it. We’re haven’t identified the music – anyone?

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 8.22.55 pm

Here’s Abe Lucas, philosophy professor, played by Joaquin Phoenix.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 8.24.05 pm

Salve Regina University, Rhode Island, also looking gorgeous and playing the fictional Braylin College.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 8.30.48 pm

The new man in town has a bit of a reputation…

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 8.31.22 pm

…or at least these two gossips know of him.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 8.35.56 pm

The US distributor, Sony Pictures Classics. This is their fifth film in a row with Allen, a very successful run that started with Midnight In Paris in 2011.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 8.49.28 pm

Abe mixes with the faculty. Can’t quite tell but that could be Nancy Ellen Shore.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 8.52.19 pm

Parker Posey, playing another teacher.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 8.53.15 pm

Those who can’t do, teach…

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 8.54.56 pm

Abe compliments a student. Could it be…?

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 8.56.14 pm

Yes! It is Emma Stone.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 8.56.50 pm

We saw lots of photos from the filming of this day. Apparently a park in Newport. Anyone pick the location?

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 9.01.12 pm

Emma Stone’s mother in the film. We don’t recognise the actress from the IMDB list, but it could be Betsy Aidem.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 9.14.39 pm

Beavertail State Park. What a great shot. Darius Khondji returns as cinematographer, in his fifth film with Allen (his first was Anything Else).

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 9.20.47 pm

Posey and Phoenix begin a relationship. It’s bound to go well.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 9.21.24 pm

We need to take more dates to Beavertail.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 9.23.40 pm

Phoenix has not been able to perform in bed. Poor chap.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 9.26.12 pm

At least he has a great house.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.03.38 pm

Drinking is bad…
Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.05.27 pm

…although you can see how Phoenix got the role.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.06.13 pm

See, good people don’t drink alcohol.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.09.46 pm

Ethan Phillips plays Stone’s dad. We loved him as Neelix in Star Trek: Voyager.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.12.54 pm

I guess that looks nice.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.13.59 pm

The Classic Cafe in Providence. Will the film be set in one fictional town?

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.19.29 pm

And everything changes. Gary Wilmes (left) and David Aaron Baker out of focus behind Phoenix.

 

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.21.18 pm

Why do the trailers do their own graphics, and not follow the standard Allen Windsor font.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.23.44 pm

There’s a lot of parks in this film. Anyone? Is this the park from West Greenwich?

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.26.37 pm

Driving. Or trailer speak for ‘moving on…’

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.27.31 pm

Big smiles!

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.29.34 pm

Anyone identify this cafe?

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.30.16 pm

Abe is a reader.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.32.36 pm

Another great location we can’t identify. Has Stone’s character taken over the voice over?

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.33.40 pm

Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine
Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine

And then suddenly we are in a remake of Blue Jasmine.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.37.27 pm

More pretty.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.38.42 pm

Kissing leads to…

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.40.15 pm

…a pretty explicit scene for Allen.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.41.29 pm

“You were like a caveman”

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.42.27 pm

Another just gorgeous shot. West Greenwich?

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.44.51 pm

Posey and Stone. This looks like the Fastnet Pub, Newport.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.45.24 pm

An amusement park. But which one?

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.46.13 pm

Not symbolic at all.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.48.50 pm

Back at Beavertail.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.51.00 pm

OK, wow. The trailer is almost done, and the first real sign of many of the rumours we have heard. Abe with a gun, what could it mean?

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.55.55 pm

Our first sighting of Jamie Blackley, on the very left (and looking quite affectionate to Stone). Next to Stone is Sophie von Haselberg. On the far right are Ben Rosenfield and Meredith Hagner. The boy in the colourful shirt looks like Michael Goldsmith.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.59.13 pm

A restaurant called Loie Fuller’s in Providence.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 11.00.40 pm

The quite small leading cast.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 11.01.32 pm

“I’m Abe Lucas”. Intense…almost psychotic.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 11.03.04 pm

“This is the meaningful act…”. And we get some insight into the film’s title.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 11.04.04 pm

Crazy.

There’s a lot to digest, and it certainly seems to be playing coy with much of the plot. We’ll be sure to hear more in the lead up to the Cannes Film Festival.

You may also like

1 Comment

  1. For the question, “Anyone identify this cafe?” – Franklin Spa on the corner of Spring and Franklin Streets. A great place for breakfast.

    Also, while there is a scene in the movie that is filmed at Beavertail, I believe the other scenes with rocks and the ocean are around Newport’s famous Ocean Drive.

Leave a Reply to Denise M. ClementCancel reply