

The phrase "Twitter is not OK" may be woefully overused, but I think it's safe to say that Twitter really, really was not OK in the aftermath of Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac's red carpet appearance on Sept. 4.
Users were set off by a steamy as all heck clip of the costars interacting at the Venice Film Festival, where Isaac trails his mouth longingly along Chastain's arm, after which she nestles her head into his shoulder while he wraps his arm more tightly around her. Oof.
One Twitter user wrote, "the way oscar isaac looks at jessica chastain i would simply faint." Journalist Nola Ojomu chimed in, "God bless the person who decided to slo-mo this video of Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain in Venice. The tender arm stroke, eyebrow raise… they are giving us the red carpet chemistry that we didn’t even realise we needed."
Film editor Hannah Strong quipped, "interesting choice to award the golden lion to that slow mo getty images clip of oscar isaac kissing jessica chastain's arm but i respect it."
interesting choice to award the golden lion to that slow mo getty images clip of oscar isaac kissing jessica chastain's arm but i respect itSeptember 4, 2021
Now, this is where I'm obligated to tell you that no, Chastain and Isaac are not in fact a couple. In reality, Isaac is married to filmmaker Elvira Lind, while Chastain is married to Italian aristocrat and fashion exec Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo. The two actors were in Venice to promote their new TV show, Scenes From a Marriage—a fact that yet more Twitter users felt compelled to tell us we'd do well to remember.
"Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain are actors trying to get people to watch an HBO show lol," said writer Carrie Wittmer. "The way we have latched onto that video of oscar isaac smouldering at jessica chastain…as a society we are starved for on screen sexual tension," wrote someone else.
Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain are actors trying to get people to watch an HBO show lolSeptember 5, 2021
the way we have latched onto that video of oscar isaac smouldering at jessica chastain…as a society we are starved for on screen sexual tensionSeptember 5, 2021
Yet another user suggested, "Everyone convinced Oscar Isaac/Jessica Chastain must have something going on just shows we need to bring back romcoms and chemistry test. Stars used to be compatible and put on shows while doing promo!"
Everyone convinced Oscar Isaac/Jessica Chastain must have something going on just shows we need to bring back romcoms and chemistry test. Stars used to be compatible and put on shows while doing promo!September 4, 2021
So, that's all this was: two actors, married but not to each other, putting on a show for our benefit. And for that, I thank them.
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Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
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