My Dinner with Andre

My Dinner with Andre
(1982) [Trailer]
Director: Louis Malle (IMDB)

You are either going to be one of two people while watching this film, the person that turns it off after 20 mins, or the person that watches the whole thing. I guess you'll have to read on to find out which one of those people I am.

My Dinner with Andre may sound like a simple movie, but it is far from it. It takes place at a restaurant and involves two friends (Wallace Sean and Andre Gregory) having a very involved and philosophical conversation.

Like I said before, this movie is not for everyone, but it's definitely for me. I was blown away by this. I ended the movie and immediately thought to myself that I should watch it again very soon. This is the point of my review where I'll say that if you haven't seen the movie, stop reading and go see it. Or don't, I don't give a shit, but from here I'm going to talk about the meaning that I took away from this, which I guess can be spoiler territory.

There's definitely a lot to absorb here, and my wife and I discussed it for about 15 mins after. Let's start with Andre. From the beginning we know he's unhappy with his life, based off the Bergman quote in Autumn Sonata that brought him to tears. At least we assume, or I did. He is a deep guy, and very out there (insane) at times, but his philosophy on life is strikingly astute and definitely leaves an impact on you. He makes the viewer question themselves and their place in the world. "Am I a slave to my job?" or "Am I not really living my life?" are all questions placed on you and on Wallace. Wallace is the antithesis in the film I suppose. I feel he's there to cast doubt on Andre and keep the film grounded. I don't think Wallace (or myself) necessarily bought everything Andre said, but at the end of the conversation, while taking a cab home Wallace starts to see things differently, and I think that's the point of the film. Wallace is meant to be the viewer and ultimately take away something important from the experience.

This is why I love the movies. You don't need a crazy set piece or explosions to tell a story or to make a point, not that there's anything wrong with that (just look three reviews back). I just love what you can do with the medium. That's all.