We are hardly ever the same person on a day-to-day basis. Sure, we might have the same body or the same identity, but the events of our lives mold and shape us in a multitude of ways, and we could see the world a whole different way over the course of 24 or 48 hours. As such, cinema is an expressive medium, but there hasn't been a film quite like The Seven Faces of Jane, a daring exquisite corpse project that sees eight different filmmakers exploring the journey of our titular character, a wandering soul who finds herself warped throughout the course of surreal, life-altering events. To represent such a modifying life, Jane's story is told through the lens of a variety of storytellers — all of whom have a different vision for what could or should become of this woman. As this first trailer shows, it results in a dazzling experience.
Played by Gillian Jacobs, who also directs a segment, our eponymous protagonist finds herself driving away from the mundane life she once lived into an exciting and life-defining odyssey on the road. As the film's synopsis notes, each filmmaker "only had to abide by a few rules, meaning audiences get to see Jane interpreted in eight different cinematic languages, her existence mediated by eight different minds." As seen in this trailer, each filmmaker adopts a style and tone wholly different from the other, and while it could easily result in a disaster as a result, that's part of the beauty and danger of making such a project.
Invented by French surrealists, an exquisite corpse is a method of creating art by a collective. Everyone assembles a random piece of the puzzle in order to create a whole. Though typically used in other art forms, namely literature, cinema is such a visceral and collaborative art form that it certainly lends itself to such a disparate-yet-connecting vision. And under the assured, vulnerable command of Jacobs, who has proven her versatility throughout a number of projects, The Seven Faces of Jane should hopefully prove to be a captivating, intriguing, and original film, particularly as it relates to our main character's arc.
Gillian Jacobs' The Seven Faces Of Jane Begins Filming
Along with Jacobs taking the helm of one segment in this anthological film, The Seven Faces of Jane will also see Gia Coppola, Xan Cassavetes, Boma Iluma, Ryan Heffington, Julian J. Heffington, Ken Jeong, and Alex Takacs lending their talents and their own unique styles to the project. It also comes produced by Roman Coppola, who didn't direct any segments but shepherd this cinematic game of pass the baton. Outside of being a bold cinematic project in its own right, it's also a fun reunion for Jacobs and Joel McHale — at least until 2023's much-anticipated Community movie. And in a segment helmed by Jeong no less!
The Seven Faces of Jane is slated to premiere in select theaters and on VOD on January 13th courtesy of Gravitas Ventures. Check out the trailer below: