Based on a novel by Brian Morton, this film deals with weighty issues related to the making of art, and the related subjects of strained family relationships and career opportunism which can arise.
Frank Langella [best remembered as Dracula in a widely-released 1979 movie] plays novelist Leonard Schiller, widowed, aging, and forgotten, who sits at his old manual typewriter every day and continues the near-monastic pursuit of finishing his last novel, which has already consumed ten years of effort. His cloistered existence is interrupted only by the daily visits of his daughter Ariel [Lili Taylor] who makes sure he is well looked after as she does her daily rounds as a fitness instructor and agonizes over the ticking of her biological clock. Into Leonard’s orderly but somewhat boring world come the attentions of Heather [Lauren Ambrose], an ambitious graduate student who is determined to resurrect Leonard’s reputation at the same time as she furthers her own literary ambitions. With her long red hair, sexy boots and eyes to swim in, not to mention her rapt attention to every word that drops from Leonard’s mouth, she is either just what the doctor ordered or the dram of poison which will do him in; and to its credit, the film is prepared to entertain a bit of both scenarios – in any case, all the film’s four main characters are forced to confront the emotional reality of their respective positions with an uncompromising clarity before the action concludes.
There are elements of a May/December romance story here but as the subplot involving Ariel and her boyfriend aptly illustrates all relationships are inherently unstable and subject to renegotiation on an ongoing basis.
The film is beautifully shot, especially in the interiors of Leonard’s apartment, which is at once both lovely and claustrophobic, as a kind of physical manifestation of the fading novelist’s interior world. Sensual lingering shots of the faces of the various characters also stand out – the impressive quality of the minimalist acting is suitably highlighted as a result.
Starting Out in the Evening screens on Saturday, November 29, 2008 at 7:30 pm at Collins Hall. The running time is 110 minutes. Rated PG with some non-explicit sexual content, language and brief nudity. As always, facilities for the hearing impaired will be available. Bring your own pillow to improve seating comfort. Doors and concession open at 7 pm. Reserved tickets are available for film society members only by phoning 604-947-0450 and will be held until 7:15 pm. Ten percent of all door admissions are donated to the Bowen Island Community Hall and Arts Centre fund. For further information, Bowen Island Film Society membership forms are available at the BI Library, Ruddy Potato and the Office at Artisan Square.
Michael Epp
Bowen Island Film Society
