Review of Being There (2011) by Nagvendra S — 09 Dec 2010

As good as the film is, it has its fair share of problems, particularly when it comes to striking the right comedic tone. Where a satirical film like Forrest Gump succeeds, and this one fails, is in the fact that while the lead character in either is blissfully ignorant, at least everyone knows Gump is an idiot.

As for Chance, it's a facade he unwittingly puts on, and it's a fraud that can never be unmasked due to the shallowness of every other character involved. As such, the rest of them hit the ground with a hollow thud, but Sellers is nevertheless sensational.

I could forgive the absence of depth, and classify it as a jab at pastiche (not unlikely in conjunction with the final shot), but the problem is that it dulls the humour of the film. As I watched it, I felt myself dreading what I thought would be the inevitable unravelling of Chance's character.

Thankfully, it never came, yet the dread remained, and I could feel little more than pity for this man whose status in life is nothing less than fragile. It may sound as though I disliked this movie, but the opposite is true: here you have a well-shot, excellently conceived, beautifully performed, well-written satire the likes of which are not often matched.