"The Dinner" is a 2017 movie and the newest effort by writer and director Oren Moverman. The film is an American production in the English language and runs for pretty much exactly two hours. It is based on a novel by Dutch writer Herman Koch. Moverman is mostly known today for The Messenger today for which he also managed to score an Oscar nomination. I think that is also the only work I have seen from him so far. And while it is definitely weaker than The Messnger, "The Dinner" is still a fairly good watch for the most part. This has partially to do with the cast. i am a great Steve Coogan fan and it is pretty amazing how he holds his own so well next to these perhaps more experienced and certainly more lauded actors. He was the MVP here, no doubt about. But Gere and Hall also did a pretty decent job I guess and while I would say I am not the greatest Richard Gere fan, I cannot deny I liked his turn. Hall is easy on the eyes as always and probably has the least material to shine from the leading quartet here, but she does a decent job with what she is given. As for Laura Linney, I generally really dislike her and while she had once again 2-3 moments where she really acted in a cringeworthy and unbearably over-the-top manner, it needs to be said that she is luckily bearable for the rest of the film.
The story is about two well-off couple meeting at a restaurant to have dinner and discuss the horrible crime their sons committed and what they will do to deal with the situation. Take the blame or try to hide what they did. The men are brothers and one of them is an influential politician while the other is a mentally struggling historian. The scenes at the restaurant were definitely the film's very biggest strength. Every time the action moves away to other places, it got weaker. The best example is probably the elaboration on Coogan's character's struggles, the scene at the former battlefield or the scene at the house with his son who is about to be taken from him. Those weren't necessarily bad things, but I feel they elaborated on story lines that just made no impact at all. And at this runtime, I certainly could have lived with them being left out completely. Or include something other instead, something more relevant. We get to see Coogan and Linney talk before the dinner. Why not include such a scene with Hall and Gere as well. In general, I felt there could have been a lot more concerning Hall's character, so maybe we won't see her as the trophy wife she calls herself near the very end. Or just keep the film at 90 minutes max and have it take place exclusively, maybe in real time, at the diner. I think I would have preferred that. One reason for this is also that the very final scene was once again pretty underwhelming. The almost murder felt weak and for the sake of it and made little sense to me. Of course, mentally ill people commit illogical acts if they aren't on their medication, but honestly it did not fit in at all with everything about the story and Coogan's character from before. Luckily his final comments ("apes with phones" e.g.) still let the film end on a high note because that's really what it felt like to see all four of them there at the very end. Another weakness was probably Adepero Oduye, who added absolutely nothing for me and her intrusion stopped being funny fairly quickly too. I know they wanted us to know that he is an important politician, but there could have been more memorable ways than the inclusion of a busy assistant.
Overall, nonetheless it was a decent watch. Yes there are weaknesses, but there are also good moments, like the interactions with the restaurant employees for example. Reading the plot and watching the trailer, it reminded me a bit of Polanski's Carnage. Yet to see this one too. I must say that this review here comes from someone who has not red Koch's original work and most likely never will, so it is difficult for me to say how good or bad it is compared to the book. I can only say I enjoyed the watch for the most part and honestly these scenes with the boys and homeless woman were really heartbreakingly sad. These were really the only scenes outside the restaurant that should have been kept in I believe. There is certainly some irony to the two female characters calling it an accident at the very end. Mentioning these two female characters, I must say that the cancer part about Linney's character was also something that added almost nothing, except maybe showing Coogan's character's anger at the store where she bought her cigarettes. Or how he gave a bad approach about guilt and innocence by forcing his son to take the blame for what he did. But this is not really enough to justify this scene. Now you know what I liked and didn't like about the movie and I believe the currently pretty low rating on IMDb is bit unfair. I recommend "The Dinner". It's not anywhere near my favorites of the year, but if you like one or two of the actors like I do (Coogan, Hall), then it is worth checking out for sure.
The story is about two well-off couple meeting at a restaurant to have dinner and discuss the horrible crime their sons committed and what they will do to deal with the situation. Take the blame or try to hide what they did. The men are brothers and one of them is an influential politician while the other is a mentally struggling historian. The scenes at the restaurant were definitely the film's very biggest strength. Every time the action moves away to other places, it got weaker. The best example is probably the elaboration on Coogan's character's struggles, the scene at the former battlefield or the scene at the house with his son who is about to be taken from him. Those weren't necessarily bad things, but I feel they elaborated on story lines that just made no impact at all. And at this runtime, I certainly could have lived with them being left out completely. Or include something other instead, something more relevant. We get to see Coogan and Linney talk before the dinner. Why not include such a scene with Hall and Gere as well. In general, I felt there could have been a lot more concerning Hall's character, so maybe we won't see her as the trophy wife she calls herself near the very end. Or just keep the film at 90 minutes max and have it take place exclusively, maybe in real time, at the diner. I think I would have preferred that. One reason for this is also that the very final scene was once again pretty underwhelming. The almost murder felt weak and for the sake of it and made little sense to me. Of course, mentally ill people commit illogical acts if they aren't on their medication, but honestly it did not fit in at all with everything about the story and Coogan's character from before. Luckily his final comments ("apes with phones" e.g.) still let the film end on a high note because that's really what it felt like to see all four of them there at the very end. Another weakness was probably Adepero Oduye, who added absolutely nothing for me and her intrusion stopped being funny fairly quickly too. I know they wanted us to know that he is an important politician, but there could have been more memorable ways than the inclusion of a busy assistant.
Overall, nonetheless it was a decent watch. Yes there are weaknesses, but there are also good moments, like the interactions with the restaurant employees for example. Reading the plot and watching the trailer, it reminded me a bit of Polanski's Carnage. Yet to see this one too. I must say that this review here comes from someone who has not red Koch's original work and most likely never will, so it is difficult for me to say how good or bad it is compared to the book. I can only say I enjoyed the watch for the most part and honestly these scenes with the boys and homeless woman were really heartbreakingly sad. These were really the only scenes outside the restaurant that should have been kept in I believe. There is certainly some irony to the two female characters calling it an accident at the very end. Mentioning these two female characters, I must say that the cancer part about Linney's character was also something that added almost nothing, except maybe showing Coogan's character's anger at the store where she bought her cigarettes. Or how he gave a bad approach about guilt and innocence by forcing his son to take the blame for what he did. But this is not really enough to justify this scene. Now you know what I liked and didn't like about the movie and I believe the currently pretty low rating on IMDb is bit unfair. I recommend "The Dinner". It's not anywhere near my favorites of the year, but if you like one or two of the actors like I do (Coogan, Hall), then it is worth checking out for sure.