Rating of
3.5/4
My Dinner With Andre review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 04/17/13
"Who am I? Why am I here? Where do I come from? And where am I going?" For those who enjoy intellectual screenplays with a singular location of the premise and non-moving plots, this would be an entertaining treat. A premise similar to 12 Angry Men, Rope, Clerks or The Breakfast Club. Requires patience and an open mind. Wally meets-up with an old friend named Andre and converse about almost everything such as technology, opposing views, the future, realty vs. dreams, monotony, love, death, emotions, goals, marriage, enjoying the small things we have, societies pitfalls, science and relationships. Simple as it may be the ideas and points are thorough, hard-hitting and authentic. In the words of Andre - "The world comes in quite fast."
**Possible spoilers but one of many astoundingly entertaining quotes**
So many thought-provoking lines like: "I think we're all in a trance! We're walking around like zombies! I don't think we're even aware of ourselves or our own reaction to things, we're just going around all day like unconscious machines, I mean, while there's all of this rage and worry and uneasiness just building up and building up inside us!" "No, I don't trust technology. But I mean the main thing, Wally, is that I think that that kind of comfort just separates you from reality in a very direct way." "Because I think it's very likely that the picture of the world that you're showing them in a play like that is exactly the picture of the world they have already. I mean, you know, they know their own lives and relationships are difficult and painful." and "'Cause we don't see the world. We don't see ourselves. We don't see how our actions affect other people." and "And if you can't react to another person then there's no possibility of action or interaction. And if there isn't, I don't really know what the word "love" means, except "duty," "obligation," "sentimentality," "fear." from Andre and "It's a difficult environment. I mean, our life is tough enough as it is." "I mean, you know, it always just does seem so ridiculous somehow that everybody has to have his little goal in life. I mean, it's so absurd, in a way. I mean, when you consider that it doesn't matter which one it is." and " In other words you were trying to discover what it would be like to live for certain moments without having any particular thing that you were supposed to be doing." from Wally.
So many points discussed about our everyday life. No lush settings, stunning cinematography and a memorable score was needed. This works on all levels because of it's realism because of the cautious direction of Malle, exceptional writing by Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn and a simplistic setting. It even challenges the viewers with questions/realizations: "Wally: how does it affect an audience to put on one of these plays in which you show that people are totally isolated now, and they can't reach each other, and their lives are desperate? or Or they're bored? I mean, are we just like bored, spoiled children who've just been lying in the bathtub all day just playing with their plastic duck and now they're just thinking: "Well! what can I do?"
The only questionable believability was not having bathroom breaks, the total silence in a restaurant and the conversation itself felt scripted. Nevertheless, it boasts an underrated material in which not everybody knows and thanks to the late great critic Roger Ebert, this film finally has been viewed by this reviewer. The words of Wally somewhat encapsulates the films message - "I mean, I'm just trying to survive, you know. I mean, I'm just trying to earn a living, just trying to pay my rents and my bills. I mean, uh...ahhh. I live my life, I enjoy staying home with Debby...Why is it necessary to...why not lean back and just enjoy these details?" Definitely ahead of its time in terms of its views and method of representing the ideas of the perceptive screenwriters. Can be enjoyed with repeat viewings to pick-up new things throughout the conversations and its comedic moments.
