Despite the acclaimed “Garden State” which saw the multi-hyphenate write, direct and star, Zach Braff’s ventures into feature filmmaking have thus far been few and far between. The actor, however, will now star in Deborah Chow’s upcoming dark indie drama “The High Cost Of Living.”
The film’s story is put into motion when a hit and run incident sees an eight-month pregnant woman, Nathalie, lose her baby while the intoxicated young male responsible, Henry, flees the scene of the crime in order to save himself from police prosecution. However fates align and the two soon coincidentally stumble upon each other though both remain blissfully unaware of the other’s role in the accident. What transpires is the unlikely relationship between the two and their parallel confrontation of loss, and whether the cost of living is worth the price.
The project came together through the Kodak New Vision Mentorship program in Canada under the guidance of acclaimed director Patricia Rozema with the film’s first act having already been shot and showcased. Chow will now expand, and in a way remake, the project as a feature length film with Braff, Isabelle Blais (“The Barbarian Invasions”) and Patrick Labbé starring. Filming is currently taking in Montreal with an eye on a TIFF world premiere.
Braff also has an English language remake of the Danish film “Open Hearts” by Susanne Bier in the works (though its been years since we’ve heard and anything about it) and his next directorial effort is supposed to be the Black List rom-com “Swingles” which has Cameron Diaz attached to star opposite the director/actor, but no movement seems to have been made yet.
