Luc Besson is best-known for blending electrifying action into poignant yet humorous narratives, as he did in The Professional and The Fifth Element. But after a foray into animation with a trilogy of sprite-centered adventures, Besson returns to the more mature drama with The Lady, an austere biopic that captures the powerful story of Aung San Suu Kyi, a Burmese activist who was faced with a terrible choice. As the trailer below states it:
“You are free to choose madame: your husband and children, or your country.”
Michelle Yeoh is already drawing praise for her captivating portrayal of Kyi, while David Thewlis seems a solid scene partner from the film’s formerly released teaser and first trailer.
Besson’s films often feature violence, but typically of the fun and crowd-pleasing variety. In The Lady, the tone is more realistic, making the threat of violence in the second trailer and the clip below all the more harrowing.
And finally a clip that gives a taste to the film’s emotional core, featuring a difficult conversation between Kyi and Aris.
Video tip courtesy of Twitch.
Synopsis:
The story of Aung San Suu Kyi (Michelle Yeoh), the woman who is at the core of Burma’s democracy movement, and her husband, Michael Aris (David Thewlis). Despite distance, long separations, and a dangerously hostile regime, their love endures until the very end.
The Lady opens in the U.S. on December 2, 2011.
Are you intrigued by The Lady?