Review of Starting Out in the Evening (2007) by Benjamin F — 17 Aug 2008

An excellent film geared towards the bibliophile crowd. The script is top notch, and the three lead performances carry the film well - Frank Langella is brilliant, Lili Taylor is sympathetic, and Lauren Ambrose does an excellent and charming job with a challenging role that many others would have made downright grating.

All three of these characters are extremely well developed, three-dimensional, and likable, even when they hurt each other. (As all humans do.) Adrian Lester was a strong support in his smaller role as well.

The direction is solid, keeping you engrossed in the wintry New York setting - though you spend much of the film in Schiller's apartment and a few other indoor locations - and the soundtrack always complements the events and visuals well, maintaining an appropriate and effective atmosphere.

Overall, a very good movie, though being a lover of literature, writing, and discussion of these things is prerequisite to get the most out of this film. As an aspiring author hard at work at finishing up his first novel - and one who enjoys stories that let their characters be the plot, rather than merely participants - I found much to enjoy in this film.