A Promise
Short description
In Germany in 1912, a young graduate named Friedrich Zeitz joins the steel business of the wealthy Karl Hoffmeister and quickly becomes his trusted assistant. When the older man's health declines, Friedrich spends more time at the family home, where he meets Hoffmeister's wife Lotte and falls in love with her. She returns his feelings, though neither admits them openly. After Hoffmeister becomes aware of the attachment, he sends Friedrich to Mexico; before leaving, Friedrich and Lotte promise to wait for each other. The outbreak of the First World War keeps them apart far longer than either expected.
A Promise is a romantic drama directed by Patrice Leconte, who wrote the screenplay with Jérôme Tonnerre. It came in Leconte's filmography after The Suicide Shop and before Maigret, following the earlier features that include The Hairdresser's Husband. Rebecca Hall plays Lotte, Alan Rickman plays Karl Hoffmeister, and Richard Madden plays Friedrich Zeitz, with Toby Murray, Maggie Steed and Shannon Tarbet in supporting roles.
The film runs 94 minutes and was produced through Wild Bunch, SCOPE Pictures, OCS and Fidélité Films, with Olivier Delbosc and Marc Missonnier producing. It did not fare well with viewers, holding a rating of 5.8 from around 4,700 votes on IMDb and 5.7 from roughly 141 votes on TMDB. A critics' rating of 3.9 from 24 reviews places it below even those modest audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- At the 38-39 minute mark of the film, Otto lists the capitals of European states and says, in particular, "Finland – Helsinki". However, Zeitz, apparently distracted by Frau Hofmeister, does not correct the boy for the obvious error: the action takes place in 1914, when Finland was still part of the Russian Empire, although it had quite broad autonomy, like Poland, for example.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
