Fox Searchlight has released the first trailer for Dallas Buyers Club and Wild director Jean-Marc Vallée new drama Demolition. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a successful investment banker who unravels after losing his wife in a tragic car crash. He begins sending complaint letters to a vending machine company that soon spiral into a series of letters that reveal startling personal admissions. A customer service rep played by Naomi Watts notices the letters and forms an unlikely connection with the stranger.
It's tough to figure out what to make of this, tone-wise—it appears to have shades of earlier James L. Brooks—and the apparent undertone of "wife dying makes guy's life better" is troublesome, but Gyllenhaal has been making some really interesting films lately, so I'm curious to see what he does with this character. Moreover, Wild was one of last year's best films, so Vallée makes Demolition a promising prospect as well.
Watch the trailer below, via Fox Searchlight. The film also stars Chris Cooper and Judah Lewis. Demolition will have its world premiere later this week at the Toronto International Film Festival (look for my review this weekend) and opens in theaters on April 8, 2016.
Here’s the official synopsis for Demolition:
Davis (Jake Gyllenhaal), a successful investment banker, struggles after losing his wife in a tragic car crash. Despite pressure from his father in law Phil (Chris Cooper) to pull it together, Davis continues to unravel. What starts as a complaint letter to a vending machine company turns into a series of letters revealing startling personal admissions. Davis’ letters catch the attention of customer service rep Karen (Naomi Watts) and, amidst emotional and financial burdens of her own, the two form an unlikely connection. With the help of Karen and her son Chris (Judah Lewis), Davis starts to rebuild, beginning with the demolition of the life he once knew.
