Movies today are getting more and more bombastic. Everything is out of proportion. Movies have gotten bigger and bigger. There is more money, more CGI, more hype, more of everything. The pace of movies is lightning fast to make sure the ADHD TikTok rotten audience isn’t bored for a millisecond. Frances like Marvel and Star Wars have gotten too big, to the point where they feel inflated and boring despite the large amount of money in play.
When movies are like this, it becomes impossible to think clearly. To just sit down and let the experience of the film take you over.
Today I want to highlight 2 films that are completely opposite to most blockbusters today. 2 films where dialog is at the center, where the location is only one place (at least for 99% of the film).
The 2 films in question are My Dinner with Andre and Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.
They both focus on 2 people who are meeting in one setting with conversation carrying the film.
The first film is Good Luck to You, Leo Grande from 2022.
The film is about Nancy, a retired teacher who hires a sex worker named Leo for some.. Wel, Sex, following the passing of her husband. The two characters meet in a hotel room over a period of time. Throughout the film, the two talk and open up to each other, and the two of them grow following their relationship.
It’s a simple idea for a movie, but that is the beauty of it, simplicity.
The majority of the film takes place in the hotel room that Nancy has booked. They meet 4 times in this room. Nancy is not at all into the idea at first and tries many times to stop it, saying she will pay for the horse anyway. She has not been with anybody since her husband died and she fears what other people might think of her if they found out about her little adventure.
While sex is a big part of the film the majority of the film is spent in that one room talking. Sex serves more as a metaphor for self-liberation and discovery. Nancy has never had an orgasm, not even by herself, and in the end, she is able to get one. This is a basic story beat, but it follows the theme of not caring what other people think. She is only able to orgasm after she has told one of her former students what is going on and what she is doing.
The film also explores a bit about Leo, but I did not find that as interesting as Nancy´s story. I also found it a little forced, but I see how it is necessary since otherwise, the run time would be too short.
After a good time with a hunky Irishman, you might work up an appetite and go to dinner.
A dinner with an old friend named Andre
My dinner with Andre is exactly that. It is two friends meeting up and talking about everything and nothing.
The film centers on two former friends who have worked in the theater industry for many years meeting up again for dinner. All of the film takes place in the restaurant except for a couple of minutes at the beginning of the film.
The movie feels like a play with the two characters taking center stage with the restaurant staff taking on the role as background characters who occasionally occasionally disrupt the flow of the film.
The two friends talk about a lot of different subjects, but a nice thematic clash happens toward the end of the film with Anre saying the comfort of society is slowly killing us. The other part Wallace is just trying to survive and the comfort in his everyday life is what keeps him going.
The movie is definitely worth watching since it is so simple yet very thought-provoking with its many ideas.
If you find modern movies to be too big, loud, and overly long with way too many threats to keep track of. Try a double feature with these two films, where the focus is the small connection between humans.