William Vincent (also known as In Praise of Shadows and Shadows & Lies) is a 2010 romantic drama film starring James Franco and Julianne Nicholson.
James Franco stars as William Vincent, a vicious and mysterious criminal. When he falls for Ann, the favourite call girl of a New York gangster, Vincent is forced to flee the city in fear of his life. After four years in exile, Vincent returns, intent on rescuing Ann from her dangerous life – no matter the cost.
Review by Variety
"As visually arresting as it is narratively taut, the noirish “William Vincent” is a movie based to a large degree on faith — in cinema’s possibilities and its audience’s depth. Quaint, you might say. Buoyed by a name cast including James Franco and Josh Lucas, helmer Jay Anania’s quasi-experimental/existential drama could find a home at arthouses, where it’s sure to be dismissed by some but beloved by others…
The film’s various elements are in marvelous sync. The actors all give memorable performances, particularly Franco. The look of the film, which was achieved via conventional shooting (with an adapterless Sony EX1) but an exhaustive post-production process, keeps one subliminally entranced as the spare plot rolls out. The vaguely mischievous, minimalist score by John Medeski is richly atmospheric, as is Iaeden Hovorka and Laura Sinnott’s sound design, virtually a character in itself.
Despite all the surface quietude of “William Vincent,” it’s a movie of extremes. William has seized the opportunity to step out of life; it’s not clear why, but his decision is haunting. If he were to die again, who would know or care? The insignificance of man-as-an-island is reflected in the nature films William is editing, of which Anania makes lengthy use: A hummingbird may be beautiful, but it’s always close to starvation; the beautiful, ornate jellyfish that pulse across William’s monitor are little more than “organized water.” And so is William, until love disrupts his universe. For all its austerity and art, Anania’s movie might just be a black-edged romance."