Last Week Around the -ISTs
Schieffer's Out of Gov Race
Last night we caught two films from the Austin Film Festival at the Paramount, and The Dying Gaul was one of them. We went into this screening with a very vague idea of the plot and we knew Patricia Clarkson was in it (which was one of the main reasons we wanted to see it).
In "The Dying Gaul", Robert (Peter Sarsgaard), a gay man grieving the recent loss of his lover, has written a semi-autobiographical screenplay called "The Dying Gaul". Jeffrey (Campbell Scott), a film exec, makes him a deal: he'll make the film only if the main characters are heterosexual. This deal sets the film on its pace and eventually leads to some tragic results.
All the acting is well-done in this film, and Patricia Clarkson did not disappoint us in her depiction of a film exec's wife. Her character is so pleasant and real; even when she's doing something despicable, we still find ourselves on her side. We don't want to give away any spoilers, so we'll just say that the movie doesn't go where we expected it to. There was at least one predictable element, but it seems slight in the scheme of things.
We loved the soundtrack (sounded like there was a strong John Cage-influence), the set design and the cinematography. There are some amazingly beautiful shots in the film.
Would we recommend this film? To a fan of any of the three main actors, to cinemaphiles interested in the homosexual experience as depicted in film, or to people who like movies about Hollywood, yes. While enjoyable, and even humorous in some parts, this film has a limited appeal. Basically, we were glad we saw it, but have no strong urge to see it again.
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