Crossovers in showbiz are hardly ever successful, and the many examples of singers who failed as actors speak to that. But BMW is no Britney Spears or even Mariah Carey; the carmaker has long crossed over into filmmaking and even has its own film department.
BMW Films is back with another short feature, and this time, it got the A-list treatment during the first days of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, arguably the most prestigious trade event in the world. Called The Calm, the film also premiered online shortly afterward.
The productions of BMW Films tread the fine line between short film, extended advert, and artsy manifesto, and always bring incredible production value, impressive talent and cast, and a story that aims to cram as many surprises and twists as possible within that short timeframe. The Calm, the most recent production, is no different.
If you look at it with a cynical eye, you'll see it’s nothing short of a glorified extended ad for the i7, down to the way it promises fully autonomous capabilities in the near future. Suspend your belief, and it becomes a thrilling spy movie in which no one, not even you, the viewer, knows who to trust and what to believe, where the stakes are always higher in the next shot than in the present one, and where the conclusion of the climatic third act is anyone's guess. Plus, it has Uma Thurman playing the master villain (*we assume), so that's always a bonus.
Whichever way you choose to view it, it's worth the viewing, that much we promise. The Calm is a 7-minute (8-minute, if you include the credits) long piece that feels lush and sophisticated even when it's at its most violent, for which reason it plays out like a hurried walk on a very thick luxurious carpet, down mahogany-paneled corridors. Even when the tempo picks up, it still lives up to its name, which is not unintentional: movie-making ambitious aside, this is BMW telling us that the i7 is incredibly powerful and thrilling even though it's quiet.
For this production, BMW Films brought together a stellar team, starting with Thurman and leading lady Pom Klementieff, whom you'll recognize from the Guardians of the Galaxy series. Joseph Kosinski of Top Gun: Maverick, Oblivion, and TRON: Legacy fame serves as producer, with Sam Hargrave in the director chair. Oscar-winning composer and longtime BMW collaborator Hans Zimmer was in charge of the soundtrack.
Since BMW is one of the sponsors of the Cannes Festival, the film got a special screening for the jury during the opening days ahead of the online premiere. However, the first first screening was inside an i7 like the one starring in the film, to showcase the car's ability to double as a private cinema, thanks to the 31.3-inch panoramic BMW Theatre Screen display with Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System with 36 speakers. Beats your home TV, doesn't it?
Below is The Calm in full. Solid film or just an extended advert, the main takeaway is that you should never, ever underestimate a woman in an all-purple designer power suit with matching heels.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News