MY DINNER WITH ANDRE

ANDRE GREGORY, JEAN LENAUER

By DAVID DAY

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CRITERION

6.23.09

Finally, a proper release of what is either the most pretentious film of all time or a pure stroke of genius. For me, this 1981 film is the height of New York City pretension—two theater-types talking about theater in a restaurant for two hours—but that's not necessarily a bad thing. For one, Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride) has that instantly likeable face, and I was constantly rooting for his everyman, "Wally," to take Andre to task, which he eventually does. "Why do we require a trip to Mount Everest," he says, "in order to be able to perceive one moment of reality?" Two, the concept is no doubt novel: Two guys talking over dinner for 110 minutes. And three, Louis Malle's direction, while considered simple by some critics, is fun to watch, as he takes different angles—mirror placements and slow close-ups—to make a dinner conversation somehow filmable. Seeing New York City in 1981, when it truly was an infested urban wasteland, is also captivating. Much of their argument is dated and, at times, almost laughably obtuse and philosophic, but it doesn't keep you from aping their aloof phrasing the morning after you've sat through the whole damn thing. It hasn't been available on DVD for nearly ever (some sort of rights issue or other), and the extras are definitely worthwhile, making this another feather in Criterion's already fluttering cap.