Director and Screenwriter
Digest of Media Coverage
The Q&A podcast with Jeff Goldsmith (about Paradise Highway)
https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/paradise-highway-q-a-anna-gutto/id426840843?i=1000574692683
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ueTvhgby7o
The Playlist, by Valerie Thompson
https://theplaylist.net/paradise-highway-trailer-20220708/
“In her feature film directorial debut, Anna Gutto presents an unflinching inspection of how each person must come to terms with difficult decisions.”
Hollywood Reporter on Locarno Premiere:
Variety, review by Joe Laydon
‘Paradise Highway’ Review: Juliette Binoche and Newcomer Hala Finley Are On the Road and On the Run In a Solidly Crafted Thriller
https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/paradise-highway-review-1235327914/
“For those of you who have always wanted to see Juliette Binoche play a foul-mouthed truck driver — and you know who you are — “Paradise Highway” delivers the goods, and then some. This counterintuitive casting is actually just one of the selling points for writer-director Anna Gutto’s solid and satisfying thriller, a shrewdly constructed melodrama that does not transcend cliches and conventions so much as show how useful and effective they can be in the right hands.”
“[Trafficking] It’s a subject that often brings out the excessive worst in even the most well-intentioned directors, and more often elicits an understandable “thanks, but no thanks” response from many potential viewers. Throughout “Paradise Highway,” however, Gutto demonstrates welcome restraint and a meticulous avoidance of anything that resembles exploitation, relying on indirect yet impactful allusions to keep us constantly aware of the mortal stakes involved. All in all, this is a singularly promising debut for a first-time feature filmmaker.”
Digital Journal, review by Markos Papadatos
Review: ‘Paradise Highway’ is a riveting new film on human trafficking by Anna Gutto
https://www.digitaljournal.com/entertainment/review-paradise-highway-is-a-riveting-new-film-on-human-trafficking-by-anna-gutto/article#ixzz7awFTsZIs
“Overall, “Paradise Highway” is a compelling new thriller by Anna Gutto, who proves that she is a rising star in the filmmaking industry. The movie is daring, unflinching, and sophisticated. Juliette Binoche is transformative as Sally, in a role unlike anything anyone has ever seen her do before.”
“The performances by the entire cast are extraordinary and memorable.”
Movieweb, review by Matthew Mahler
Paradise Highway Review: An incredible Thriller Has Morgan Freeman Tracking Juliette Binoche
https://movieweb.com/paradise-highway-review/
“excellent cast and original script”
“Paradise Highway is a hell of a debut feature film for a writer/director. Anna Gutto distilled years of research into an incredibly unique script and then created a very entertaining movie”
“One of those rare films that's exciting, fun, and filled with suspense without being part of a franchise or relying on some gimmick, Paradise Highway is a gem that proves how refreshing it is to see original ideas onscreen.”
“Sally is a fascinating character, worthy of Binoche's genius”
“Finley utterly stuns in Paradise Highway, even amongst such a stacked cast. The amount of trauma and tragedy this 13-year-old has visibly endured is heartbreakingly conveyed through an incredibly mature performance; while Finley has proven her skills in Man with a Plan and Back Roads, it's Paradise Highway where one can see the makings of a true star.”
“While Freeman and Monaghan have a wonderful rapport, Paradise Highway is hardly your typical buddy cop movie; it's not your typical movie in general, actually.”
“This is a film that makes full use of the term 'motion' picture, a movie that's always moving, not just across the visually stunning vistas and landscapes but through emotional arcs, psychologies, and themes. As the characters develop relationships and gradually reveal themselves, Paradise Highway unveils its own deliberate, damning indictment of the many systems which allow for a child to be sex trafficked.”
“Paradise Highway can be taken at face value as a really entertaining and fulfilling film, a 'classic Hollywood' type of movie that doesn't rely on brand recognition or meticulous CGI to tell an exciting story, and is a rarity in this sense.”
“Anna Gutto’s movie is an exciting original”
Screen Reflections, by Michael Bergeron
White Line Fever
http://screenreflections.com/2022/07/27/white-line-fever/
“Juliette Binoche has always been the kind of performer that can go through the eye of the needle. Even lifelong fans of the French actress will be amazed at her transformation into a tough truck driving mama that you don’t want to fuck with.”
“The action sequences are only exceeded by the dynamite performances from the leads.”
Film Independent, by Kristopher Hewkin
Juliette Binoche Tells Us What it Took to Become a Big Rig Truck Driver in ‘Paradise Highway’
“This script talking about sex trafficking in the Western world was very important to me, because we always want to point the finger outside of our own countries. I found it brave for the director to go into that subject. That’s one of the biggest reasons I got involved in the film.”
Digital Journal, by Markos Papadatos
Frank Grillo talks about starring in ‘Paradise Highway’ movie
“It was directed by Anna Gutto, and this was her directorial debut. “You would never know she was a first-time director, she really had a command about the material. She wrote it and she was very specific about what she wanted, and it was a fantastic experience working with her,” Grillo said.”
Bleeding Cool, by Tom Chang
Paradise Highway: Hala Finley on Film's Dark Nature & Juliette Binoche
https://bleedingcool.com/movies/paradise-highway-hala-finley-on-films-dark-nature-juliette-binoche/
“Anna is such an amazing director. We bonded almost immediately. We also talked about how to keep Leila real. Anna was absolutely amazing to work with, and I really hope I get to work with her again.”
Bleeding Cool, by Tom Chang
Paradise Highway: Cameron Monaghan on Film, Morgan Freeman & More
https://bleedingcool.com/movies/paradise-highway-cameron-monaghan-on-film-morgan-freeman-more/
“Anna not only impressed me as a writer but also as a director.”
“I believed her because the writing felt like it transcended borders and culture. It felt like she understood something, and she could communicate effectively on the set in addition to working efficiently, smartly, and quietly.”
“The set had this immense focus to it. Everyone was firing on all cylinders, and I was lucky I could work within the context of something that, while we had a very tight budget and schedule, still felt like there was electricity on the set.”
Digital Trends, by Dan Girolamo
Interview with Frank Grillo
https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/paradise-highway-frank-grillo-interview/
“I thought the script Anna Gutto had written was phenomenal. I just loved the fact that for me, it was a bit of a departure. I’m not killing anybody. I’m not saving anybody.”
The Credits, by Bryan Abrams
https://www.motionpictures.org/2022/07/juliette-binoche-on-driving-a-tough-road-in-paradise-highway/
“Juliette Binoche, of course, one of the most beloved French actresses alive and possibly the last person you might imagine in the role. Still, it took about nine seconds to believe Binoche as Sally, the second you watch the way she moves, both out in physical space and within the confines of her beloved truck, you forget you’re watching a famous French actress and are entirely drawn into Sally’s world. Watching Binoche transform herself into a credible trucker plying the American highways is but one remarkable feature of Paradise Highway”
Juliette: “With Anna, we had lots of discussions about Sally, and what was the most beautiful thing is she trusted me, which gives you wings because it makes all the possibilities happen.”
Daily Motion
Interview with Hala Finley
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8cswv1
“I had so much fun with her. She’s such a great director.”