LouHomey
From my favorite movies..
Beanbioca
As Good As It Gets
Fatma Suarez
The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
mnpollio
A WW2 Shakespearean acting troupe enacting King Lear becomes the background for this overview of the relationship between blustering difficult veteran actor Albert Finney and his dedicated dresser Tom Courtenay.While it is far from a surprise that the film comes off as stagy, one must wonder whether it had to be this stagy. Based on the Ronald Harwood stage hit, the film is little more than a filmed play and the anti-thesis of cinema. Aside from the two main characters, everyone else is irrelevant and is treated as such. This is basically a two-character melodrama and no one is allowed to forget it. There is nothing especially great about Peter Yates direction, which is often static, unimaginative and, as indicated above, stagy.The film rises and falls on how enthralling the lead performances are and here is where I strongly disagree with fans of the film. Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay are known as great actors and there seems to be a consensus that no one is allowed to suggest that perhaps they are not at their best in this piece. I believe that the biggest flaw in the film is that not for one instant are we allowed to forget that the leads are ACTING. Not "acting", but "ACTING". Some of this fault may lie with the screenplay, but director Yates would have been wise to reign in his stars a tad rather than let them run riot. The scenery can barely withstand the onslaught.Courtenay's interpretation of the title role is little more than yet another stereotypical effeminate caricature of a gay man in fashion/the arts. There is nary a swishy cliché unemployed by the actor, who is apparently of the understanding that if he plays the feyness to the rafters that he might outshine his co-star. Unfortunately, Courtenay fails to convince that his character has much in the way of strength or dignity, and manages instead to come off as a nag and a perpetual victim. Finney is even worse, spitting, snarling, gesticulating wildly, bug-eyed and frenzied. There is not one iota of subtlety or introspection in his performance. I do not believe there are any truly quiet moments in the film that do not feature one or both of the characters shrieking their lines - or if there are they get instantly forgotten in the steamroller of overacting. Someone needs to instruct both actors in this film (as well as their defenders) that unrestrained, over-the-top hammyness should not be confused with great performances.
Terrell Howell (KnightsofNi11)
What happens backstage is always true drama. And often pure comedy. Such is the case of The Dresser, a film about an effeminate wardrobe man who is devoted to the deteriorating lead of the acting troupe he travels with. The film takes place in one night about a particularly difficult performance of William Shakespeare's King Lear. Albert Finney plays Sir, the lead role of the performance. He is in no condition to perform such a difficult role, yet he perseveres anyways with the help of his Dresser, Norman (Tom Courtenay). The two powerful leads are the highlight of this beautiful film.The Dresser is what acting is all about. It is an intriguing blend of film acting and stage acting. Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay give exquisite and robust performances. Their conflicting personalities make them a delightful pair to watch interact. The acting in this film has the kind of prowess and impact of a stage performance with its loud and exaggerated movements. This kind of acting only works in certain settings, and The Dresser is a perfect example of where it not only works but is very necessary. It allows for a detachment from reality, drawing one into the theatrical world, something which stands out in such a unique and perplexing way.Peter Yates directs this film with precise and aesthetically glamorous grandeur. It is a grand film that doesn't go too far out of line and never gets lost in itself. Yates directs with a keen eye for subtle detail and sparkling brilliance. The film is written with the same kind of subdued wit and beauty, making the film fit together nicely. The dialouge is great and the actors who deliver it bring so much life to the characters and script that it makes for a brilliant expose of the acting world.The Dresser is a great film that accomplishes beauty and immersion without an immaculate setting. The film is subtly fantastic. Definitely check this one out.
kennedya-1
This is a tremendous adaption of Ronald Harwood's play. The two leads are as hammy as a spam factory, but having witnessed Sir Donald Wolfitt( or Chewitt,scenery, that is)on whom the thing's based trying, unsuccessfully, to tone it down for the cameras in Room At The Top Finney and Courtney are understated by comparison. "Sir" as Finney's character is referred to is an unbearable egotist and tyrant; you wonder why the rest of the company put up with him but you stop wondering when he stills the whole house with his hauntingly visceral"Never, Never, Never" in the last scene of the play. Not only the audience cry but the first violin and even performance-hardened stage hands in the wings who have seen the play a hundred times. Although primarily theatre bound the exteriors of war time England are wonderfully evoked. But the lasting greatness of this piece is that it imparts the magic that an hour or two of theatre can create to spellbind an audience and the life long thrall in which "the boards" hold the players
sol-
The heart of this film is about character interactions, however it is so much so that the storyline feels neglected. There is not much of a story to it, and even with the interactions in focus, they often land up in simple bickering and/or shouting matches. Still, some witty lines keep the film reasonably brisk, and although too limited, the insights into wartime rations and attitudes, as well as stage production, are relatively interesting. Courtenay and Finney both have some fine moments on screen, however they both overplay their roles here and there, especially Courtenay towards the end. There is an intriguing - albeit too infrequently played - score too, and in general the film is filled with little virtues. But they are not quite enough to make a brilliant piece of cinema overall.
