THE DINNER
US, 2017, 120 minutes, Colour.
Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Steve Coogan, Rebecca Hall, Chloe Sevigny, Charlie Plummer,Adepero Oduye, Michael Chernus.
Directed by Oren Moverman.
The Dinner is one of those American meals where relatives and friends gather, an initial pleasant atmosphere, but then truths are told and there are savage interactions.
Oren Moverman (writer of such films as Jesus’ Son and director of Ramparts, The Messenger, Time out of Mind) has adapted a novel by Howard Koch, which had already received two film versions, one Dutch and one Italian. The story has been strongly adapted to the United States, society, politics.
Audiences who may be looking forward to the details of the dinner, there is quite a lot of detail (the restaurant is rather exclusive and so the portions are quite small!) And they are presented with verbal fanfare by the maitre d’ (Michael Chernus), fascinatingly elitist, with a very well-dressed and uniformed staff who serve all the courses, exceedingly well-drilled.
Much of the film is seen from the point of view of Paul, the younger brother of an ambitious politician, Stan. Paul is played by Steve Coogan, one of his best performances, manically comic and deadly serious, a man who is emotionally disturbed, is prone to rant and rave, is preoccupied with American history, the Civil War, Gettysburg, has a low opinion of the human race and is not hesitant to voice his denunciations. He is also very sulky and walks out at various moments of the dinner. It is a tour de force performance by Steve Coogan.
Richard Gere is the politician, very smooth in his manner, able to work the room with great charm, the word here, handshakes for everyone… He is accompanied to the dinner by his personal assistant and has to go to the phone many times, preoccupied about legislation he is moving and whether it has support or not. Richard Gere is very much at home in this kind of role.
Then there are the wives. Laura Linney portrays Paul’s wife, Claire, the seemingly agreeable woman, mother of their son, but prone to nerviness and some illness in the past. On the other hand, Rebecca Hall plays Katelyn, Stan’s wife, formerly his assistant, a woman also on some edge. Katelyn is not Stan’s first wife. There are flashbacks to sequences with his first wife, Barbara (Chloe Sevigny and the distance between the couple and her decision to go to India.
So, this is the setting. But the audience is privy to the behaviour of the sons of each couple. They are spoiled, affluent teenagers, uncaring in their attitudes, reckless in their behaviour, caught up in a very violent situation of their own creation, a lonely black woman who lives on the streets their victim.
While the audience has to assess this behaviour, which was videoed and one of the cousins is blackmailing the other for cash down, it is not difficult to be condemnatory of the young men.
Where the drama lies as the dinner continues is in the stances taken by each of the adults, the women surprisingly wanting to defend the bad behaviour of their sons, arguing away some of the guilt. Some of the dialogue provides quite a shock to hear the women whom we had initially come to like being very hard in their wanting to defend, even excuse, look down on the victim. Paul has been kept out of the picture and so, discovering some of what has been going on without his knowledge, erupts. And, surprisingly, it is the politician who has the greater sense of justice and some compassion for the victim rather than excusing the young men.
This is the kind of film that can be called an indictment of contemporary affluent American society, white society, a blend of arrogance and complacency.
1. A psychodrama? Political drama? Justice drama?
2. The title, the focus, the preparation, arrival, selection of the table, the captions indicating the stages of the meal, the progress of the meal, the descriptions, moving in and out? The insertion of the flashbacks? Leaving? The musical score?
3. Homes, roads, the ATM, the restaurant, its interiors?
4. The focus on food, style, the up-market restaurant, the description of the food and presentation of every course?
5. Introduction to Paul? The portrait of Paul, the presence of Steve Coogan, his age, American accent, Claire, Michael, the introduction and his voice-over, raving, the emphasis on history, wars, his perspective, the touch of madness, issues of deaths? Preoccupation with Gettysburg? Not wanting to go to the dinner, Claire and her preparation, taking Michael’s phone? His going, his antagonism towards Stan? Behaviour at the meal, talking, the interruptions, his bitterness, calling people apes, his treatment of the staff? Attacks on Stan, memories of Barbara, the adoption of Beau, Claire condemning his outbursts about Beau, racism? His memories of Michael (after the audience had seen Michael in childhood as well as his taunting and aggression)? The issue of the baseball, the breaking of the window, Paul and his harsh dealing with the owner? The house, Claire in hospital, the mess, Barbara and Stan visiting, his punching Stan and Michael seeing it? Claire and her illness, memories of her pregnancy and the difficulties? Paul remembering his lessons, the bored kids at school, his comments on history, yelling at the class, their laughing at him as he left, the long talk to the empty classroom? His continued topics? At the meal, moving away, not wanting to eat, condemnation of the prices, the social justice comment about the wealth? Reconciling with Heintz? Seeing Michael, the discovery about the plan, others avoiding him, Katelyn, insulting her, listening to Stan’s explanation of the situation and the challenge, Claire’s control, her urging him to deal with Beau, chasing him, about to hit him, Stan and his kicking him? His declaration to save the family, war and a fight, whatever the cost?
6. Michael, with his cousins, the party and the music, out, drinking, Beau vomiting, the ATM episode, the abuse of the old woman, verbal, the matches, setting the woman on fire, the glee, filming it? Rick and his collaboration? Beau and his wanting money, changing? Michael as a character? His relationship with his parents, condemning his father, his girlfriend – and her smoking, with the car?
7. Claire, getting ready to go, happy, arrival, their being mistaken for Stan and Katelyn? Her relationship with Stan, with Katelyn? Controlling and cajoling Paul? The meal, the revelation of the deal with Michael and the payment to Beau, her past, the difficulty of birth, not wanting another child, listening to Katelyn, consoling her, the worry about the situation, the revelation of her true self, her outbursts against the woman and seeing her as a vicious beast, protecting her son, her reacting to Stan and his press conference, urging Paul to deal with Beau?
8. Stan, the politician, travelling in his van, his entourage, Nina and her advice, devotion? The past with Barbara, the kids, adopting Beau, her leaving, going to India, her visit with Stan, response to Paul and wanting to take Michael in for the duration? Stan’s concern about mental care, the continual phoning and checking the numbers? Running for governor? Katelyn and her frustration? The dinner for a talk, Paul’s negative reactions, Claire’s response? Heinz and the presentation of the meal? Stan and his ability to do a room and shake everyone’s hand? The stages of the meal, Paul’s outbursts, the insertion of the flashbacks, the visit to Gettysburg, the diorama, their talk, Paul blaming Stan about their mother’s love for him, Stan and his version, the mother mad, he had to be the adult, the madness in the family, his inheritance, Paul getting the house? His success with the vote? Wanting to tell the truth, his dilemma, Nina helping his decision, his arguments with Katelyn and Claire, issues of family, the son and his responsibility, going to jail, owning up, living with it? His expressions of compassion for the woman? Feelings of Justice?
9. Katelyn, her insistence, their arguments? Stan and his compromise about the press conference, waiting three days? Katelyn and her relief, Claire and her relief?
10. Arriving home, Beau and his fear, Stan and his kicking, the fight?
11. No ending given – the fact that the audience saw what Michael did rather than just the video, the moral judgements about his behaviour, abhorrence with it, justice to be done, the suffering of the woman? And the insistence of these middle Americans that family is first.
