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WHAT DO MEN WANT?

Today's movie was John Krasinski's (debut) take on David Foster Wallace's short story collection

Brief Interviews With Hideous Men (2009)

This started as a staged reading and still has that quality. There is a slight dramatic stitch together but this is frail compared to the actual interviews.

This poses as het-speak for the most part but it applies as realistically to homo-situations as well. It is mostly along the lines of the "men are shits" school of thinking but with a good deal of insight into why and how this "shits" thing works. The bottom line seems to be cowardice.

Actually, there is a sort of greek chorus of two waiters who follow the female interviewer asking the opposite question of "what do women want". They are clearly gay and this adds a bit of ironic dash to the proceedings. My guess is that most people will miss this entirely.

Some of the acting here is great. Some is stilted.

Some of the segments are riveting. Others are drifty. There is a segment which is more about a father/son situation than about a boy/girl thing. It is, perhaps, the best part of the entire film. I can see Krasinski rationalizing to himself about how to put it into the mix. Oddly it does not disturb the piece at all. It is just a separate and equal look at male alienation.

David Foster Wallace is/was a near cult figure. He killed himself. Depression. Life long.

He taught at Pamona College right near here on the 10. A neighbor.

I have tried to read his stuff but it was difficult. Depressing. Imagine.

I rented this because there were divergent reviews and it was clearly a chance to see/hear his work in a medium that might be easier to take.

I liked it. I wouldn't need to see it again. Or, for that matter, read any David Foster Wallace.

This is the kind of film that I relish. Someone took a risk. It has mixed results. I write more about it than I would write about a slick Hollywood production. I will think about this work longer too. This is the kind of thing that needs support to be seen and distributed. Very good for the film world to have this kind of work.

I will give it a 3 out of Netflix5. For trying very hard for a new approach to what is basically old cliché material. It is experimental and it wins more than it loses.

Labels: films