Review of Being There (2011) by Matthew S — 18 Jul 2015

"Shortchanged by the Lord, and dumb as a jackass. Look at him now! Yes, sir, all you've gotta be is white in America, to get whatever you want!".

Hal Ashby's adaptation of Jerzy Kosinski's novel is one of the most sadly underrated and often forgotten film of the 1970's.

In a film career filled with truly magical performances, it is here as "Chance the Gardner" that Peter Sellers delivers his best and tragically final performance. An entire book could be written about the artistry that Sellers' delivers in this clever satire of American culture and politics. This film also contains the last time we would see Shirley MacLaine actually play a character that is not some skewed form of herself.

It is unclear how involved Kosinski was in the actual writing of the movie's script, but it was never much of a secret that there was an uncredited writer, Robert C. Jones, who was very much involved. However this is undeniably a Hal Ashby film.

The movie offers profoundly comic moments without ever being an obvious comedy. It is a satire, but the film carries itself with a certain dignity that seems to oppose the idea of "satire." As the movie quietly slips into a surprising turn of Surrealism -- the credits roll.

I've lost count of the number of times I have seen this movie. I can find absolutely no flaws in it. Movies seldom get this perfect. A must see!