Criterion has bestowed a convenient gathering for those interested in Wallace Shawn and André Gregory’s 37 years in the making, three-film evolution, which includes My Dinner With André,
Criterion has bestowed a convenient gathering for those interested in Wallace Shawn and André Gregory’s 37 years in the making, three-film evolution, which includes My Dinner With André, Vanya on 42nd Street, and the most recent A Master Builder.
Each film stands out from its era, but also each has several ties to each other in their exquisite acting and experimental execution of intellectual works of the stage.
Directed by French film director Louis Malle (Elevator To The Gallows) My Dinner With André was and is still even today a pretty polarizing film. Audiences and critics are divided on how exciting two men having a conversation can be.
My Dinner With André came out in 1981 and received heaps of praise for being unconventional, interesting, and well executed. While I can firmly agree with this; the truth is it can be a very pretentious and trying with it’s subject matter. Not everybody is a cultured or upper-class thespian like Shawn and Gregory undoubtedly are, but it’s their likeability and genuine respect for each other that really entice you and bring you into their dueling points of view.
While most of the conversation is very heady (topics generally range from life, art, sacrifice, the human condition, satisfaction, etc.) the movie still falls into something the writers of Fraiser would of thought second about including in fear of flying over the audiences head despite being an obvious influence.
They both work well to bridge the gap between classical theater and contemporary human behavior. It’s simple, but superbly effective and about as unique as films can be.
The next film to arrive from Shawn and Gregory was 1994’s Vanya on 42nd Street, a sort-of adaptation of the Anton Chekov’s play, Uncle Vanya, in which the characters of 42nd Street go through a rough rehearsal of the play in a abandoned decrepit theatre.
The film again stars Shawn, Gregory, Julianne Moore, Larry Pine, Phoebe Brand, Lynn Cohen, and George Gaynes. While the concept of this film is less experimental or provocative than My Dinner With André, it is keenly handled with the same care and as André. Malle again handles the direction and fills the film with a lot of single takes and long performances that are exquisite. The trick is to transfer this pure stage performance to a screen performance without dulling or losing the vigor from the cast. Again, it is very much a “your mileage may vary” type of film and has the same appeal to those already entranced by something like My Dinner with André.
This less-is-more approach is befitting and compliments the difficult material that recalls the “wasted life” theme that permeates My Dinner with André.
A Master Builder is absolutely the most challenging of the Shawn and Gregory collaborations. It’s another stage adaptation which drops the stage and adds director Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia) to helm a mumblecore-esque adaption of the Norwegian play, The Master Builder, by Henrik Ibsen.
Shawn himself conceded he didn’t know if he truly understood the ins and outs of the play himself, but that is kind of part of the charm of his interpretation.
The short version of the story is that Shawn plays a mean, egomaniacal but celebrated architect who may or may not be in the last throws of his life. He is visited by a beautiful young woman (Lisa Joyce) who he had promised to run away with when she was fourteen. Not only did she believe him, she grew disappointed waiting for him and has come in search for him.
It’s a simple story really, but it would seem every character might be utterly insane and trying to out crazy eachother. Finding that kind of balance in the characterization which not only entertains the audience, but also is inclusive enough for them to care is the biggest obstacle for the film and, sadly, it never quite pulls it off.
The performances from Shawn and Joyce in particular are quite amazing but the overall project is hard to digest given the uncomfortable framing of the film and the grounded style of shooting.
Going fully mad would have been more fun if it had more grandiose and absurdity to it.
The new transfer for My Dinner with Andre is even better than the superb DVD version that came out years ago and makes for the most improved of the set. The overall supplemental material is big as well, considering no commentary is included on any of the films.
A clear highlight from the Criterion extras is a fun interview with André Gregory and Wallace Shawn by noted filmmaker Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale, Frances Ha) specifically on making My Dinner with André. An especially fun episode entitled “My Dinner with Louis” from the BBC program Arena from 1982 is also included.
It features an interview with Malle about his work until that point. It’s quite charming as Shawn conducts the interview resembling My Dinner with André, but less existential.
A documentary from 2012 focusing on Vanya on 42nd Street, featuring interviews with Gregory; actors Lynn Cohen, George Gaynes, Julianne Moore, Larry Pine, Shawn, and Brooke Smith; and producer Fred Berner is pretty insightful. The set has trailers for Vanya on 42nd Street and A Master Builder, but not My Dinner with André. New exclusive interviews about A Master Builder with Gregory, Shawn, director Jonathan Demme, and actors Julie Hagerty and Lisa Joyce are collected.
Also included is a new program featuring Gregory, Shawn, and author Fran Lebowitz in conversation for A Master Builder.
Rounding it all out are essays by critics Amy Taubin, Steve Vineberg, and Michael Sragow; the prefaces written by Gregory and Shawn for the 1981 publication of My Dinner with André’s screenplay; and a 1994 report by Taubin from the set of Vanya on 42nd Street.
There’s plenty to dig through and all of it is quite informative.
So what we’re left with is three films that, for the most part, try to accomplish the same thing, combining art-house with theatre but doing in three different ways.
My Dinner With André is easily the most recognized, has the most to reference, and is the most entertaining entity included. While I still hold dear in my intuition that theatre shouldn’t be presented as a film, Wallace Shawn and André Gregory have proven to me that it can be done and done well if the idea is well executed enough and the material is indeed suitable.
Because of how personal My Dinner with André was for the two titular stars, it carries itself to be a more adaptable piece because they themselves were the creators and authorities on it. The other two films feel more like a labored tribute to their admiration for the pieces.
While it would hard to deny the craft that went into each film, they are still experimental and have varying returns for their audience that can feel trying. It’s admirable all the same and if one seeks such an adventure; I’m sure this will suffice.
André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films
1981, 1994, 2014
Louis Malle, Louis Malle, Jonathan Demme
Spine #479, #599, 762
Available on DVD and Blu-Ray
Words by Kyle Shearin
