CHOOSE ME
US, 1984, 114 minutes, Colour.
Genevieve Bujold, Keith Carradine, Lesley Ann Warren, Patrick Bauchau, Rae Dawn Chong, John Larroquette.
Directed by Alan Rudolph.
Choose Me is an enigmatic story of some loners, isolated characters who interact at a bar. It was written and directed by Alan Rudolph who began as assistant director to Robert Altman and began directing during the 1970s with rather individual styled mini-dramas, often miniature-style dramas. His films took on something of a wider scope during the 1990s including Mortal Thoughts with Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, Mrs Parker and the Vicious Circle, Afterglow with Julie Christie and Nick Nolte and the film version of Kurt Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions with Bruce Willis.
This film stars Genevieve Bujold who appeared for Alan Rudolph for Trouble in Mind and The Moderns. She is supported by Lesley Ann Warren, a vivacious actress, and Keith Carradine who brings a certain delicate strength to his character of an itinerant.
The film is strong on dialogue, is very introverted at times, focusing on Genevieve Bujold as Doctor Nancy Love, a radio expert on helping people with their emotional problems – while having many herself. Lesley Ann Warren is a prostitute. Keith Carradine a mysterious stranger who arrives and interacts with the characters in the bar.
The film is intelligent, stimulating, interesting character studies.
1.The work of Alan Rudolph? His background as assistant director? As writer? His personalised style, his focus on smaller-scale dramas?
2.The background of the city, the stylised presentation of the city, the exteriors and Eve’s world, the interiors and Nancy’s world with the radio, the bar, the apartments?
3.The title? To whom did it apply? The songs and lyrics?
4.The opening, Nancy, her speaking, listening? The film moving to Eve? Their interactions? The following through of these interactions to the end?
5.Genevieve Bujold’s portrait of Nancy: on air, her hesitant manner, her way of speaking, her dress, apprehensive about men, going to the bar, the comparisons with Eve, Anne, moving in? Ringing the doctor? The air of mystery about her? Her sanity – or touches of madness? The phone calls and her answering them, Eve, Pearl, Zac? Zac and his advice? Her encounter with Mickey, spying, the meal, talking in the third person about herself, introversions and fears, her concern about sex, talking about sex on air, freedom? Her pretending at the dinner? Being honest to Eve? The possibility for change? The change of clothes, what would happen to her?
6.Lesley Ann Warren as Eve: the prostitute, at the bar, her name, the interactions with Billy Ace? Anne and the room? Pearl, Zac and the affair? The arrival of Mickey, relating to him? Listening, fears, the kiss, the effect? Not knowing the background of Mickey, ringing Nancy? The bar and the tensions? Zac and Pearl? Mickey’s coming again, anger? Believing that Pearl had been hit? The clashes with Nancy? The roof, the gun, the confrontation, the end? Smiling or not?
7.Billy Ace, the bar, sexuality, pursuit, the voice of the radio?
8.Zac and Pearl, Zac’s affair with Eve, the gambling, the brutality, finding Mickey with the women? With Nancy?
9.Pearl, at the bar, her story, flirtatious, the money, sexual encounter with Mickey, the bashing, clashing with Eve?
10.Mickey: the itinerant, arriving at the bar, his talk, lies or not? The interactions with Pearl, with Eve, the kiss and the reactions? The bus and the money, the fix? His being with Pearl, the sexual encounter? Zac and going to the house, Anne? Sexual liaison, listening, fixing things? Eve and Zac? The roof and the gun? The end, his honesty? The past, sex, lies and the truth? The importance of his interactions with Nancy, his arrival, the meal with her, listening to her talk about herself, his commonsensed and deadpan reactions? Trying to find out about Nancy, the truth?
11.This enclosed world of the isolated people, nightowls, the truth, relationships? Themes of talking and listening, therapy? People and their resilience, the ability to cope?
