1921 New York. An immigrant woman is tricked into a life of burlesque and vaudeville until a dazzling magician tries to save her and reunite her with her sister who is being held in the confines of Ellis Island.
Acting
Cotillard's eyes do more acting than most entire performances.
Cinematography
Darius Khondji shoots 1921 NYC like a fever dream you can't wake from.
Direction
Gray's most personal work — restrained, devastating, operatic.
Director
James Gray
Marion Cotillard
Ewa Cybulska
Joaquin Phoenix
Bruno Weiss
Jeremy Renner
"Orlando the Magician" / Emil
Dagmara Dominczyk
Belva
Yelena Solovey
Rosie Hertz
Jicky Schnee
Clara
Maja Wampuszyc
Edyta Bistricky
Ilia Volok
Wojtek Bistricky
Angela Sarafyan
Magda Cybulska
Antoni Corone
Customs Officer Thomas McNally
Patrick Husted
Priest
Patrick Holden O'Neill
Leo Straub
Robert Clohessy
Immigration Official
Adam Rothenberg
Officer DeKeiffer
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Gray based Ewa on his own Polish-Jewish grandparents' immigration stories, shooting at actual Ellis Island ruins.
The Weinstein Company buried this film after Cannes; Gray has called the experience 'traumatic' and it remains his least-seen masterpiece.
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