Secretary

 

It was because of my reading of her new work of fiction in current New Yorker that caused me to revisit this 2002 film. Her story called Minority Report was in itself an expanded revisit by her of her original story in her book of 1988 Bad Behavior.  The film itself is a slick tidied up version, of  the original story that has not, unlike Ms Gaitskill herself aged well. This is not to diminish the performances of its two lead characters. Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway who is undoubtedly the star of the film and James Spader as her boss, Mr Grey in his weirdly decorated office  giving a compellingly repressed performance. Her mother, played by Leslie Ann Warren trying her best to be compulsively normal in her decidedly dysfunctional family adds to the strained off kilter tone of the film. In the midst of the current  #MeToo movement the film seems trite and titilating, glamorizing sexist behavior. The corny happy ending ruins whatever pertinent social lessons might have been gleaned from this imperfect but worthy film.

 

 

 

Living.


Full disclosure: I’m a long time fan of Bill Nighy’s acting. So it was with great anticipation that I was looking forward to his latest film. In which he plays a leading role. Indeed the film was created with him in mind. With a screenplay by prizewinning writer Kazuo Ishiguro (Remains of the Day, Klara and the Sun).  A faithful indeed rigorous adaptation of the 1952 film Ikiru by Akira Kurosawa. Like that film it tells the tale of a downtrodden civil service bureaucrat who after spending most of his life in meaningless work, becomes aware only after a diagnosis of terminal cancer what a waste his life has been. This revelatory jolt ignites a desire to at last do something meaningful with his remaining days. At first unable to imagine what or how that might be accomplished. He enlists the help of a young girl (played by Amy Lou Wood)  who works in his office, not yet smothered the bureaucratic quicksand that all the other employees have sunk into and is about to leave. Her very existence unsullied by what he has allowed to happen to him, spurs him into a final burst of action achieving at least a small victory against a governmental tsunami that has overwhelmed him his whole life, up until the death sentence he has just been handed. So with such an inspiring story gifted writing talented directing (Oliver Hermanus) arresting authentic visuals and Nighy at the helm of a solid cast why was I so disappointed? So much so that I went back for a second look to the 70 year old Kurosawa’s film for a clue. At the end of the nearly 2 1/2 hour film I had my answer. What was missing from the new version was emotion. All the tragedy, joy, revelation, sadness, regret and quiet triumph has been squashed out of the new version, under the guise of 1950’s British stiff upper lippedness, which I’m sure was an accurate portrayal of the times and demeanor of these bureaucrats. These vital elements on easy view in the Kurosawa version is what I missed. This is not to take away anything from the new film. The fact that they made a worthy update shows bravery, courage and talent of all those involved.  And my fandom of Mr Nighy has not been dented one bit.