Greetings again from the darkness. I saw two films here. One was spellbinding, fascinating and enlightening and featured a top-notch performance from Frank Langella. The "other" film was anytime Lauren Ambrose ("Six Feet Under") appeared on screen. Every time she opened her mouth, I felt myself deflate. Not only is she awkward to look at, but this part was poorly written and horribly acted. Langella was in an Oscar worthy film, while Ambrose was in a weak Lifetime flick.
Let's concentrate on the good stuff. Langella is Leonard Schiller, an aging novelist, who time not only has forgotten, but really never really knew in the first place. A grad student shows up under the premise of resurrecting his career through her thesis. One dose of reality later, they are spending enormous amounts of time talking about his life and writing. Langella's performance is so textured and subtle that we can feel his pain while recollecting and his anxiety while (almost) touching Ambrose (the grad student) for the first time.
This is director Andrew Wagner's first real film and he displays quite a knack for filming faces and allowing the pace of the film to mirror the reserved, simmering nature of Langella's character. Based on a novel by Brian Morton, the story focuses on a writer's desperation to finish his last novel but also on an aging man's struggle with a body that is continually letting him down ... at times to the point of humiliation.
Lili Taylor plays Langella's well meaning, but confused daughter who reconnects with an ex-lover played very well by Adrian Lester ("Primary Colors"). The sub-plots are a nice addition to the story and provide contrast to the reserved demeanor of Langella's character.
I have no idea how this film will ever find an audience, but those who love intricate character studies will be mesmerized by the Langella side of the film. Sadly, you will just have to fight through the whole grad student role ... think of it as the obnoxious person at an otherwise great party. Last note - the score is a nice compliment to the film and in lesser hands, could have been a distraction. Nicely done.
