Saturday, June 21, 2008
LITERARY FICTION
Today's film was
Starting Out in the Evening (2007)
with Frank Langella as an aging author with a sort of mid-level writer's block.
This is one of those films that creeps up and bites you on the ass.
At the beginning, I didn't much like the author or the young grad student who idolizes him and wants to make him the subject of her thesis. If not more.
I sure didn't like the May December theme. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I just don't want to watch it.
As it turns out, this essential tension is the crux of the film's point and the catharsis is quite satisfying.
The film is built as a fine novel which is what it is based on.
Parallel to this is Lili Taylor as the author's daughter trying to find meaning in life. She is the opposite of Dad. All libido and id. He is all intellect and brainpower.
There are a lot of nice spots in this quiet film and while I would not want to see it again, I enjoyed it while it was going on—particularly Langella's performance. He is not 70 years old incidentally. He is an actor.
That makes it a 3 out of Netflix5.
