Review of Vanya on 42nd Street (1994) by Amro G — 02 Nov 2008

The writing leaves you with so many great quotes it's pretty astounding. The performances range from mesmerizing to sedating. The concept, more charming the the actual delivery. An interesting film that makes me want to befriend actors, find an absolutely stark yet compelling space and film a dramatic reading of anything. But for me, the most interesting material is the asides. The moments at the beginning, intermission and end of the piece where you watch the actors and audience mingle over coffee and snacks. Where you hear the little asides about the space, the production, and to be honest what each person did before arriving that day. I find that far more compelling and was hoping for more interludes, breaks and discussions of the text by a troupe of actors that I more revere than anything else about the film.

I bought the DVD after reading about the film's production in the Projections Series (Edited by John Boorman). It would have been far more interesting to me to have seen the development of the play rather than the execution of the play. Still, something that I found greatly inspiring, although Andre Gregory incites a passionate dislike in me. If we met, we'd probably clash on every subject, and he'd disparage me to his actor friends after I'd gone, and I'd regale my filmmaking associates with tales of infuriation at his hands. We'd really cross swords. Gregory only appears in the film for about 5 minutes of the two hour running time.