the dinner
2017
by
oren
moverman
Herman Koch’s
german novel has inspired many films.The Dinner being the lastest,and adapted
to the East Coast sensibilities.But despite boasting of a power-packed cast of Richard Gere,Steve
Coogan,Laura Linney and Rebecca Hall,the film never takes off and hence never
lands anywhere.
Gere is a busy
congressman,married to Hall.Their son and adoptive son,along with coogan and
linney’s boy,their nephew ,beat and burn alive a destitute.The crime is
undetected although a youtube clip does rounds.The two couples get together on
a dinner to discuss how to deal with this heinous act.The upmarket restaurant’s
trappings and fussiness of the sophisticated staff get on Coogan’s nerves,as do
his busy brother’s mannerisms.Coogan has had some mental and physical issues,and
the brothers shared a history of mutual dislike.Coogan’s cynical behaviour
riles Rebecca and Laura is left to douse the flames.
The
congressman is planning to run for the governor.The incident threatens to ruin
his chances.He proposes that the kids turn themselves in.But there is no
unanimity on this.The tension pervades through the dinner,and the narrative
takes us through flashes of past animosities between the brothers as well as
monologues delivered by Coogan during the course of his job as the history
professor.
This is a
stinging criticism on the moral expediency of the upper middle classes.But the
film somehow cud not get a life of its own. Richard Gere is always watchable on
screen,and Rebecca Hall has delivered a meaty performance.Linney doesn’t disappoint,but
Coogan does manage to irritate quite a bit.Not that the role didn’t demand it.Maybe
the novel shud not be a movie,but just a play !
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