Monday, September 18, 2006
SOPHOMORE DORM
Today's NYTimes Best 1176 Film was
This appears to be a spontaneous bull session between friends who have not met for five years. Actually, it is a carefully crafted script based on weeks of discussion between the late André Gregory and Wallace Shawn. It is not filmed in a restaurant but on a studio set. And, the director, Louis Malle, took weeks to film it with extreme, exacting care so that it would look spontaneous and real.
On the surface it seems like a super-grown-up version of a late night bull session in a sophomore dormitory room.
Reality and non reality are discussed as though the participants had a clue. Of course, underneath the whole exercise is totally artificial. And, it is based on some realities.
A lot of the talk is just absurd mumbo-jumbo. André is that refugee from the alternative life-style wars that we all know and, perhaps, have been. Tibetan farmers, organic communes, experimental theater are all brought out as examples of the authentic life.
The other guy, Wally, is at the other end of the scale. A guy who only wants to get by and enjoy his day to day humdrum life as a playwright whom no one produces. His days are spent on chores connected with submitting his plays to producers and directors; buying stamps, going to the post office. All that.
The whole thing is quite original and unique and a mirror back to us; our pretentions and all. To help us get this insight, there is a beveled mirror behind these guys and it plays with their images as they play with us.
I dozed off a few times but mostly stayed with it.
It is an admirable experiment but not one that I would want to look at much any time soon.
It is one of those things that many 'intellectuals' will say that they like because they are afraid to say how boring it all is. This is because it reflects (the mirror) on them.
Therefore, I will be brave. I will be the common guy.
I will give it a 3 out of Netflix5.
