MY DINNER WITH HERVE
US, 2018, 110 minutes, Colour.
Peter Dinklage, Jamie Dornan, David Strathairn, Andy Garcia, Mireille Enos, Harriet Walter, Daniel Mays, Oona Chaplin.
Directed by Sacha Gervasi.
Older television viewers and those who catch up with older series will be familiar with the American program, Fantasy Island, starring Ricardo Montalban and the French actor, dwarf actor, Herve Villechaise.
This is partly a biography of Villechaise, partly a portrait. He is played by the very well-known dwarf-actor, Peter Dinklage, star of many films but famous for Game of Thrones. His performance is very strong, the tormented man, rejected by his parents, going to the United States, seizing opportunities yet becoming envious, with tantrums, marrying and the marriage collapsing, losing his career and his finally killing himself in 1993.
The film is set in 1993 with quite a number of flashbacks, to Paris during World War II when Villechaise was born, the ensuing years and his growing up, the alienation from his mother, the medical concerns of his father. There are flashbacks to his arrival in the United States, his watching television to learn English, watching John Wayne (in Rio Bravo), confronting an agent (David Strathain) who gets him a job in the Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun and on Fantasy Island. He became very popular, with some catchphrases, but fell out with the producer, Aaron Spelling, with Ricardo Montalban, becoming erratic and undependable.
He did have some success with television commercials but otherwise let go of his life.
This is all revealed when a British newspaper, with journalists Harriet Walter and Daniel Mays, send recovering alcoholic journalist, Daniel, played by Fifty Shades Jamie Dornan, to interview Gore Vidal and, incidentally, Herve Villechaise for a short amusing piece. The character of the journalist, Daniel, is based on the actual experiences of the director, with a photo of himself and Villechaise during the final credits.
The film shows the interactions between the two, the journalist losing his interview opportunity with a rather surly Vidal, somebody sent in to substitute, but his following Villechaise, to a womanising night on the town that was a mark of Villechaise’s life, to the house of his agent, to the sets of Fantasy Island.
So, it is rather a sad story. The journalist resigns because of his treatment by the newspaper – but begins to write up the story of his dinner with her today.
1. Herve Villechaise, his life, career? Audience knowledge of him? His reputation for James Bond film, Fantasy Island?
2. The opening in 1993? The British paper, the editors, Daniel being commission to interview Gore Vidal, his coming back from rehabilitation alcoholism, his reputation, the other journalists, his ambitions? The remit also to interview Herve Villechaise?
3. London, his apartment, the restaurant and then going to see his wife, their house, rejection? The offices and world of the newspaper? The musical score?
4. The transition to Los Angeles, the hotels, the streets, the clubs? The dinner? The interview with Herve? The conversation, Daniel running late? His going to see Vidal, Vidal and the precision of time, walking out? The possibility for further interview? Checking with London?
5. Herve, his telling his story, the flashbacks, Paris, during the war, his mother and father, the doctors? Herve and his growing up,
6. Daniel Tate and his story, the dramatic figure for the writer-director of the film, his interview with Herve, the photo of the two in the final credits? Daniel, drinking, womanising, wrecking his marriage, his relationship with his wife, son, her refusal to contact? The later phone calls, the long call and his expressing his sorrow, her satisfaction and hearing him say this? The irony of his trying to keep sober, the phone call about clearing the alcohol from the minibar, the hotel neglecting this, as throwing it out into the corridor?
7. Herve as an artist, in Los Angeles, watching television, learning English, watching John Wayne in films like Rio Bravo, his deciding to act, going to the agency, his agent, drawing the knife? Bonding with the agent? The Man with the Golden Gun, his role, the talking with Roger Moore? The premiere of the film, the crowds, his parents visiting, pleased at seeing them, his looking round and their disappearing? Never seeing them again? gaining a standing ovation?
8. The agent, the role in Fantasy Island, meeting the dresser, her continued support for him, the white suit?
9. Herve his womanising, the lascivious lifestyle, going to the clubs, meeting so many women, the sexual encounters?
10. His work on the series, Ricardo Montalban as the star, his statement about the plane coming? The attraction to Cassie, on set, marrying her,
her being shown looking away from him? His treatment of her, the divorce?
11. Ricardo Montalban as the star, Andy Garcia’s presence, the star, his work, the success of the series? Herve and his decline, upset about the divorce, going to pieces, the envy of Ricardo Montalbano, wanting the same salary, the reaction of the agent, his not turning up for being late, the comments of Aaron Spelling, the director the director producer, Ricardo Montalban and his plea to Herve, the work, the crew?
12. His finishing on television, the waste and losing his role, yet his popularity, the commercials, the continuing relationship with women?
13. His decline, calling Daniel, the different episodes and meetings, Daniel losing his interview with Gore Vidal, the rival journalist coming from London?
14. Continuing to return to Herve, his taking Daniel to the club, the sexual behaviour, Daniel resisting, trying to phone his wife, the connection with London? The visit to the agent, getting into the house, the discussions, the agent and his information? Their finally going to the set of Fantasy Island?
15. Daniel, not getting the interview, rival journalist arriving from London?
16. The last talk with Herve, the taxi waiting, the memoirs, the photos, the letters for advice? Herve giving Daniel the box? Going into the corridor, the visitors seeing Herve, getting in to do his line to the plane, and Herve looking back, his final shrug?
17. Herve at his final dinner, shooting himself?
18. Daniel and his return to England, the editor and praising his work, but wanting it cut, two pages not in the centre of the paper? Daniel trying to edit it, submitting his letter of resignation, knocking down the rival journalist, scene at his typewriter, beginning the typing of his memoir of Herve?
