Not all films are created equal, and that is for a number of reasons. Some may have larger budgets, others may have sounder plots, some are somewhere in between, and others have neither. Of these factors, there are a great many things that exist today that didn’t yesterday, that lend a hand to films that lack in one or more areas. Technology is more advanced, cameras are better, sound is clearer, editing is far superior, and special FX have a way of overcompensating for some movies. One thing that many movies of the twenty-first century often go without, is ‘real conversation’. My Dinner with Andre was low budget, had no FX, standard editing, and technology was not yet at its peak, but it undoubtedly had the strength of conversation.
For that’s really what the movie is, isn’t it? It’s a dinner conversation between two friends who have been absent of each other’s company for five years. Lead by actors Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory (who go by their first names but are not technically playing themselves); playwright ‘Wallace’ meets estranged theatre director friend ‘Andre’ at the behest of a third party for a sit down at a fine dining restaurant in New York City. Wallace is a less than employed playwright whose life is led rather simply, only desiring to write plays in the hopes he can just pay his bills and live an everyday existence with his girlfriend. Andre, who was once an accredited play director in the city, had before their meeting decided to leave NYC and travel the world in search of greater meaning and purpose.
The format of the movie is one that demands attentiveness of its audience. Andre takes most of the first half of the movie (and even more so still really late) telling stories of a life lived abroad that almost don’t seem real. Wallace sits back and listens only replying with one or few word answers, almost leaving the viewer wondering if he’s actually even interested, even paying attention, or just trying to get through the dinner. The brilliance of this format is in what’s discussed, how they discuss it, and how everything on either side of the table is eventually challenged by the other. Nothing about it is simple, and those watching must be prepared to listen with great intent. It’s also worth saying that this is a movie for any who consider themselves an intellectual, as many of the topics are addressed with a large amount of tact, intelligence, and a vocabulary that many may not be as well versed in.
My Dinner with Andre may have even been ahead of its time. Much of what’s talked about transcends what most human beings would ever even care to think about.
My Dinner with Andre may have even been ahead of its time. Much of what’s talked about transcends what most human beings would ever even care to think about. It would be a lie to say it’s not a challenging film to watch, but not without its rewards to do so. It can be found on HBO Max, or rented and purchased on either Apple iTunes or Amazon Prime.
