James Franco’s AS I LAY DYING trailer and early Cannes reaction

james franco in as I lay dying movie header image

James Franco tackles/directs William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying

In saying anything about actor/director/self-proclaimed intellectual James Franco it would do the man an injustice if at least one “ambitious” isn’t uttered. With the ups and downs of his career have come the ups and downs of his fans and critics, and through it all the guy has continued to venture deeper into his version of the rabbit hole.

His latest acting/directing effort takes on the novel As I Lay Dying from writer William Faulkner, and a trailer for the film has surfaced. It looks raw, and supported by the words of Faulkner the film may help elevate Franco’s work a bit. Check out the trailer after the jump.

Early reactions from Cannes are not promising…

Here’s a synopsis for the film via /film:

Franco stars as Darl Bundren, whose mother has recently died, and whose family is attempting to honor her wish of being buried in a town forty miles away from the family home. Tim Blake Nelson plays the widowed patriarch and Franco’s father, while Jim Parrack (True Blood) plays one of his brothers. Danny McBride, who previously co-starred with Franco in the extreme stoner comedy “Pineapple Express,” Logan Marshall-Green (Prometheus) and Ahna O’Reilly (The Help) also star in the film.

Fans of Faulkner’s work can either look forward to or fear when the film hits theaters in the near future.

as i lay dying poster