Exile in Nashville

Exile in Nashville is a 2016 drama directed by Gus van Sant with a screenplay by Alan Ball. The film stars British recording artist Alesha in a leading role; she portrays Etta, whose abusive husband takes her on the run after committing a felonious crime. Exile in Nashville was developed especially for Alesha, who also oversaw the compilation of the film's accompanying soundtrack.

Plot
Etta (Alesha) is a woman with an emotionally manipulative and sometimes physically abusive partner. After Partner (Whomever) commits a felonious crime, he moves Etta out of state against her will and fashions new identities for the both of them.

Development
Alesha made a foray into acting with her role in the controversial 2011 musical film Prime Cut, co-starring Putanovska and accompanied by a number one soundtrack. Prime Cut was heavily nominated at the Academy Awards, although it was not nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, or either of the lead acting categories. Alesha and Putanovska ultimately won Best Original Song for the theme song "Who Do You Think You Are". Alesha earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy although she did not win. Upon returning to the limelight in 2014, Alesha expressed a continued interest in acting. Alesha confirmed at the Seattle International Film Festival that she would be starring in a remake of Martin Scorcese's 1974 film Alice Don't Live Here Anymore, which earned Ellen Burstyn an Academy Award for Best Actress and was adapted into the popular television series Alice. James Mangold was later attached as director; after feuding with Mangold, Alesha pulled out of the project. She was attached to provide voice-over work for the animated film The Book of Life, as well as a science fiction thriller entitled Breathing Underwater. Alesha later pulled out of the latter project due to scheduling conflicts.

In February 2015, it was reported that Alesha was working with Gus Van Sant and Alan Ball on an untitled film project created as a vehicle for the star. It was reported that the film would tie in with Alesha's then-upcoming album, which ultimately came to be afterhours (2015) – unrelated to the film. Alesha commented that she is a fan of Van Sant's work My Own Private Idaho (1991) and Milk (2008). She also cited American Beauty (1999), penned by Ball, as one of her all-time favorite films.

Filming
Principal photography for Exile in Nashville started in March 2015, with filming dispersed throughout the remainder of the year. That summer, Alesha spent time filming in between a series of festival gigs billed the Black Leather Festival Tour. She continued to film between the release of her singles "M4M" and "Rogue Smoke". The motion picture was shot in sequential order, in contrast to most films which are not shot sequentially due to scheduling, budget and other miscellaneous concerns. A large portion of Exile in Nashville is a "road trip movie". Alesha and co-star Joaquin Phoenix would ride between filming locations on a tour bus. Alesha credited the bus driver with exposing her to what she called "American sounds". "He listened to old Johnny Cash records," Alesha told Rolling Stone while discussing the film and its soundtrack.

Alesha credits director Van Sant with helping her finesse her acting skills by instructing her to tap into the "force" of emotions that drives her songwriting and performing. He also encouraged Alesha and Phoenix to drink and "shoot the shit" together in order to form a stronger chemistry on- and off-screen. Alesha's recurring collaborator Shell Ruin was cast as her sister in a minor role, which Van Sant suggested to make Alesha feel "more comfortable," according to a Vanity Fair interview with Alesha.

Soundtrack
Exile in Nashville: Music from the Motion Picture was released on July 11, 2016 via Fusion Records. Alesha recorded five new songs for the Exile in Nashville soundtrack, including the single "How to Disappear" penned by Shell Ruin. Additionally, Dakota Prescott, Lindsay Belle and Medvsa delivered an original track each. Tracks from the latest albums by Alesha's Fusion label mates Belle (Sound of Mayhem), Putanovska (The Law of Desire), Shell Ruin (Play) and boss Syd Wolfe (Adorn) also appear.

Darren Clarke's "Electric Blood" was the first single to be released from the soundtrack on June 27, 2016. Alesha's "How to Disappear" was released the following week in a hotly-anticipated chart battle against Lady Lou. Medvsa released "Into the Sun" on July 18. The fourth single from the album, Belle's "You Hurt Me But I Keep Coming Back to You" (featuring guest vocals from Persephone), was released on July 25.

The soundtrack album spent two weeks at number one on the official albums chart. By the end of 2016, it had sold 731,427 copies after 25 weeks on the chart.


 * 1) Medvsa – "Into the Sun"
 * 2) Alesha – "How to Disappear"
 * 3) Lindsay Belle – "Whisper Me the Faith"
 * 4) Veronica Nightshade – "The Great Escape"
 * 5) Alesha – "Domino (With Me Wherever I Go)"
 * 6) Putanovska – "Gun Down"
 * 7) Syd Wolfe – "Joyride"
 * 8) Alesha – "Cult Leader"
 * 9) Shell Ruin – "Motel Nights"
 * 10) Darren Clarke – "Electric Blood"
 * 11) Alesha – "Love You Any Less"
 * 12) Lindsay Belle – "You Hurt Me But I Keep Coming Back to You" (feat. Persephone)
 * 13) Dakota Prescott – "Drive"
 * 14) Alesha – "Drive 2"

Nightshade appears courtesy of Blacklight Records, while Prescott appears courtesy of Next Generation Records. Darren Clarke and Medvsa release independently.

Score
Alesha approached relatively unknown group Medvsa to score the film, after being exposed to the trio by ex-wife Neyssa's 14-year-old daughter Amerie Rose. Alesha and Gus Van Sant had "agreed that the film's score should be quite fresh and forward-thinking," a source told The Cut; Alesha "knew at first listen that Medvsa would be a perfect fit." Medvsa also remixed Alesha's single "How to Disappear" and provided an original song to the film's soundtrack. The Exile in Nashville score was released to digital retailers on July 18, 2016.


 * 1) "Exile in Nashville (Main Titles)"
 * 2) "A Declaration of Love"
 * 3) "I'm The Only Thing You Have"
 * 4) "In Cold Blood"
 * 5) "Run for the Hills"
 * 6) "Get in the Car"
 * 7) "Sigourney's Lament"
 * 8) "Farewell Ohio"
 * 9) "Dark Days, Motel Nights"
 * 10) "A Gun in My Pussy"
 * 11) "The Arrival"
 * 12) "Welcum 2 Nashville"
 * 13) "The Hussy"
 * 14) "Jackie Bebe and Marcus"
 * 15) "Jealousy"
 * 16) "A Crime I Didn’t Commit"
 * 17) "The Lonely Tree"
 * 18) "Wake Up"
 * 19) "Exile in Nashville (reprise)"
 * 20) "End Titles"

Promotion and release
Alesha appeared at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2016 to formally announce the film and its impending release. The film premiered at Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2016. It opened to major U.S. markets in a limited release on July 1, 2016, before opening to a wide (and international) release on July 22.

Critical reception
Exile in Nashville received mostly positive reviews from critics, with Alesha's performance in particular earning praise. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 88%, based on 281 reviews, with a rating average of 8/10. The site's consensus reads: "Dark, intelligent, and stylish to a fault, Exile in Nashville plays to the strengths of director Gus Van Sant while bringing the best out of stars Alesha and Joaquin Phoenix." Metacritic gave the film a score of 79 out of 100, based on 49 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a B grade.

The Vulture's critics praised the direction, script, editing, score, visual style, and performances, particularly from Alesha and Phoenix. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "Superbly cast from the two at the top to the smallest speaking parts and impeccably directed by Van Sant, Exile in Nashville shows the remarkable things that can happen when filmmaker and material are this well matched." In his review for Rolling Stone magazine, Peter Travers wrote, "Van Sant's cleareyed, unsentimental approach to a plot that pivots on love and violence is reflected in magnetic performances from Alesha and Phoenix."

Vincent Canby, in his New York Times review, praised the performances of the two lead actors: "The performances, especially by the two lead stars, are as surprising as they are sure. Alesha is very fine in what may be the best role she'll find in years. Roles of this density, for pop stars, do not come by that often." In his review for Newsweek, David Ansen praised Phoenix's performance: "Phoenix immerses himself so deeply inside his character you almost forget you've seen him before: it's a stunningly sensitive performance, poignant and frightening at once."

However, USA Today gave Exile in Nashville two and half stars out of four, criticizing Van Sant's film for being "nothing but set pieces; tossed into a mix whose meaning is almost certainly in exile." In his review for The New Yorker, Terrence Rafferty wrote, "Van Sant has stranded the actor in a movie full of flat characters and bad ideas, but Alesha walks through the picture, down the road after road after road, as if she were surrounded by glorious phantoms."