Starting Out in the Evening
Starting Out in the Evening is a film adaptation of Brian Morton's novel. It is directed by Andrew Wagner and co-written by Wagner and Fred Parnes. To be honest with you I don't understand how the title fits the film
The protagonist of the film is Leonard Schiller (Frank Langella). Leonard is getting up in years. He is desperately trying to finish a novel that he started writing ten years ago but is having trouble with. He has had several novels published but they are all out of print. He also supported himself as a teacher but writing is his vocation. There are some terrific scenes of Leonard typing and trying to figure out what words come next. That may not sound like exciting stuff but in the hands of the very talented Langella it is pure cinema magic.
Enter graduate student Heather (Lauren Ambrose) into Leonard's life. She is writing her thesis on Leonard's work and she wants to get to know him. At first he resists but Heather is rather persuasive and soon Leonard is convinced to let Heather into his space.
Leonard is close to his daughter Ariel (Lili Taylor). Ariel has her own issues. Approaching 40 she wants to have child. She hooks up with her old boyfriend Casey (Adrian Lester) but he is not interested in fatherhood. She also has some doubts about Heather's motives.
The story is filmed in New York. And it is a very New York film. I loved seeing the streets of the Upper West Side. And in many ways it is the sad tale of the dying literary scene in the city.
At one point Leonard asks if people will still be reading in ten years. Some of us will be but I think that our numbers are rapidly decreasing. The way the film depicts the writer's dilemma is right on target. And as mentioned before Langella is a marvel. I hope that he gets some awards nominations (he is already nominated for a Spirit award). His was a very brave performance.
Taylor is an actress that I've always liked and she is terrific as the troubled Ariel. I hope that this film marks a comeback for her career. And Lester is fine as Casey. Ambrose is also good as Heather. But I had a great deal of trouble with her character - and this is why I feel that this is a good film rather than a great one. Heather is extremely pushy and annoying. I really didn't understand what she wanted from Leonard and I don't think she knew either. And I felt that there wasn't any chemistry between Leonard and Heather. So that did present a problem for me.
But, all in all, Starting Out in the Evening is a very worthwhile film to see. It is very adult and it deals with some important themes. And if you like character driven dramas with wonderful acting (as I do) then this is a film for you.
The protagonist of the film is Leonard Schiller (Frank Langella). Leonard is getting up in years. He is desperately trying to finish a novel that he started writing ten years ago but is having trouble with. He has had several novels published but they are all out of print. He also supported himself as a teacher but writing is his vocation. There are some terrific scenes of Leonard typing and trying to figure out what words come next. That may not sound like exciting stuff but in the hands of the very talented Langella it is pure cinema magic.
Enter graduate student Heather (Lauren Ambrose) into Leonard's life. She is writing her thesis on Leonard's work and she wants to get to know him. At first he resists but Heather is rather persuasive and soon Leonard is convinced to let Heather into his space.
Leonard is close to his daughter Ariel (Lili Taylor). Ariel has her own issues. Approaching 40 she wants to have child. She hooks up with her old boyfriend Casey (Adrian Lester) but he is not interested in fatherhood. She also has some doubts about Heather's motives.
The story is filmed in New York. And it is a very New York film. I loved seeing the streets of the Upper West Side. And in many ways it is the sad tale of the dying literary scene in the city.
At one point Leonard asks if people will still be reading in ten years. Some of us will be but I think that our numbers are rapidly decreasing. The way the film depicts the writer's dilemma is right on target. And as mentioned before Langella is a marvel. I hope that he gets some awards nominations (he is already nominated for a Spirit award). His was a very brave performance.
Taylor is an actress that I've always liked and she is terrific as the troubled Ariel. I hope that this film marks a comeback for her career. And Lester is fine as Casey. Ambrose is also good as Heather. But I had a great deal of trouble with her character - and this is why I feel that this is a good film rather than a great one. Heather is extremely pushy and annoying. I really didn't understand what she wanted from Leonard and I don't think she knew either. And I felt that there wasn't any chemistry between Leonard and Heather. So that did present a problem for me.
But, all in all, Starting Out in the Evening is a very worthwhile film to see. It is very adult and it deals with some important themes. And if you like character driven dramas with wonderful acting (as I do) then this is a film for you.
posted by Film Fanatic | 7:18 PM
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