Last month it became painfully obvious that writing movie reviews on a
blog does not qualify me as a member of filmdom's cognoscenti. If I
were, I undoubtedly would have loved, or at least pretended that I loved, Louis Malle's bold filmmaking experiment, My Dinner With Andre.
The late film critic, Roger Ebert, called it the best movie of 1981,
and the only film he could think of which was "completely devoid of
cliches."
The one hundred ten minute movie begins and ends using a
first person narrative from the perspective of Broadway playwright and
actor Wallace Shawn. He explains to the viewers that he is headed to a
New York City restaurant to dine with a former colleague and friend,
theater director Andre Gregory. Wally has heard, via the grapevine,
some disturbing news about Andre's allegedly strange recent behavior.
Wally has not seen Andre in years, so he is curious to see for himself
if what he's heard is true.
Once Andre shows up, the two men are quickly seated,
and for the next ninety minutes we are "treated" to listening in as
they discuss things as deep as the meaning of life, as well as the worth
of experimental theater and Andre's exploits as a world traveler and
philosopher. Wally seems truly enraptured by Andre's monologues. (I
hesitate to describe the dinner as a "dialogue" since Andre does 80% or
more of the talking.) But, I'm sorry to report, I was bored to tears.
I must have checked the TV clock to see how much time was left every
five minutes. It kind of reminded me of the Minnesota Twins post-game
show on FSN, when host Anthony LaPanta asks Roy Smalley a simple question, and
Roy prattles on without coming up for air.
When he introduced the film on Turner Classic Movies, Anthony Bourdain, famous for hosting CNN's travel and food program Parts Unknown, cautioned that Malle's film "may not be for everyone." I can't say I wasn't warned. Consider this post your warning.
1. The Basketball Diaries (1995 drama; Leonardo DiCaprio is a
student and basketball player at a Manhattan Catholic boys high school,
and rebels against the system by experimenting with, and becoming
addicted to, hard drugs.) B
2. Key Largo (1948 drama; Edward G. Robinson leads a pack of
gangsters who hold war hero Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall hostage
inside a hurricane-battered hotel owned by Lionel Barrymore.) B+
3.
A Man For All Seasons (1966 historical drama; Sir Thomas More (Paul
Scofield), an English nobleman and Lord Chancellor, refuses to bless or
condone the divorce and proposed new marriage of King Henry VIII (Robert
Shaw), whereupon Thomas Cromwell (Leo McKern), the king's chief
minister, uses his position and influence to have More tried for
treason.) B+
4. The Misfits. (1961 drama; newly divorced Marilyn Monroe pals
around with Clark Gable and Eli Wallach, both of whom fall for her in
the sticks of Nevada, while she befriends rodeo rider Montgomery Clift.)
C
5. My Dinner With Andre (1981 dialogue; Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory
have a ninety minute conversation over dinner in a New York City
restaurant, weighing in on such topics as the health of the theater and
whether one should feel guilty over enjoying simple pleasures such as
drinking coffee or reading.) C-
6. Stagecoach (1939 western; John Wayne is an outlaw who gets picked
up on the Arizona desert by a stagecoach full of tenderfoots with a
sheriff riding shotgun, all of whom are heading for Apache territory.)
B+
7. Winchester '73 (1950 western; Jimmy Stewart is a sharpshooter who
comes to the aid of the US Cavalry preparing for an Indian shootout, and
then goes looking for the varmint who stole the prized rifle Jimmy won
back in Dodge City.) B
8. Witness For The Prosecution (1957 courtroom drama; Charles
Laughton is a London barrister who, against his cardiologist's
directives, defends Tyrone Power in a capital murder case.) A
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