Let Them All Talk (2020)

6/10

johncarlross8 January 2021

Warning: Spoilers

There's just no captain on this ship... the lack of script is extremely evident. Diane Weist is the most natural. She understands her character and is very comfortable in this character's skin. Candice Bergen comes in second with an understanding of her character but has a lack of direction and sureness with her dialogue and improvisation. Believe it or not, I found Meryl Streep to be the most unsure and lost throughout the movie, often meandering through scenes, stuttering and purposeless. Lastly, and I promise I say this without any bias, Lucas Hedges is APPALLINGLY bad. I've rarely witnessed such terrible acting... when he finds out Meryl Streep has passed, he actually just says "oh no."

I like the framework and concept, but they needed a main character or even a main storyline driving the story. The energy level was way too low and no plot point ever landed. Overall, quite disappointing.

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6/10

Not bad, not great

annebutnothathaway10 December 2020

I'm not sure if I liked the movie as much as I wanted to. The story sounded more interesting than it actually is. I catched myself a little bored at moments, waiting through the whole movie for something really exciting to happen.. but nope. It could have been better though if it wasn't for Lucas Hedges' annoyingly-forced acting.

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5/10

What an enormous disappointment

eoswaldbigred11 December 2020

What an enormous disappointment.

I was very much anticipating this. Meryl Streep, Dianne Wiest, and Candice Bergen - what a cast!

What a bore. It felt like there was no script, that it was all ad-libbed and nobody knew what to say or how to bring any story.

ZERO character development. Almost NO conflict. Maybe five lines of conflict for the first 90 minutes. Then one scene sort of out of nowhere. It was strange.

The kid playing the nephew could hardly act. And apparently is incapable of washing nor brushing his hair.

The only thing I can figure is that they wanted to be directed by Steven Soderbergh. And with the music crescendo at the end, it made you feel like Soderbergh thought he just directed something deep. Instead it was almost two hours of... nothing.

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7/10

Moving, Real, Heartbreaking

SneakyViking12 December 2020

I approached this title with extreme skepticism, but from the beginning it spoke to me in a realist, naturalist and unpolished sense. Every conversation you hear feels raw and improvised like in real life however there is huge contrast when it comes to the flow and the planning of the film which feels effortless and elegant. It is a surprisingly beautiful piece of cinema touching on an artist's social struggle and the many ways one can touch other people's lives. In my opinion, essentially it is a film about the intricacy of everyday relationships and an artist's struggle between their social life and their work. It is about self-obsession and betrayal. And the loose way these themes have been portrayed in, gives you an odd sense of rhythm, the kind that you find in an actual conversation. At the end of the day the film feels like a conversation, and a beautiful and moving one at that. With the help of brilliant acting and simple but alluring cinematography.

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7/10

Let Soderbergh be Soderbergh - which means intellect, glamour and great actors

Quinoa198412 December 2020

How much you like this will depend on how well or how little you think the ways Soderbergh and Eisenberg develop the characters (apparently from what Ive read it was semi improvisation, Altman but with locked-down Soderberghian angles and mis en scene instead of long lenses and wandering pans). I would have loved to see how much the actors just came up with dialog on their own (usually not what we expect seasoned pros like these women to do), but over this story of a storyteller and her friends and what stories and romance inform the fictions we create is compelling and interesting, and the setting makes for these characters to have literate, thoughtful exchanges about how bloody difficult it is to be emotional with one another (or you can *confide* in others, but depending on the company).

In other words, I can see how this is an "experiment" in some part of the form, but it's so satisfying to see that this direct or made sure to craft it into a film and not just a bunch of ramblings that don't come to a head (and this does). It's really about something, about how we reconnect or make new connections and how tenuous those can really be based on what's happened in the past and trust issues or just how much a planetarium can bring a man and woman together, and all the while it feels like the setting and style and music are closer to a Golden Age Hollywood movie (but with a Soderbergh twist).

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a tent

Kirpianuscus26 March 2021

A film like a tent. You recognize the director and the art of actors, the meaning of improvisation and the realism of message. And, scene by scene, you discover the freshness of honest perspective about family, friendship, duties and jealousies, expectations and live. A cruise travel and livra, secrets, vulnerabilities of three people. Their connections. And, no doubts, Meryl Streep and Lucas Hedges.

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7/10

And talk they do

kosmasp30 September 2021

I have to admit, seeing so much talent on screen, I was expecting the movie to grab me way more than it finally did. And it has less to do with the talent on screen I'd say. Don't get me wrong the movie is not bad by any sense, but I do understand people who are left feeling almost nothing ... considering the notes this delivers (not just at the end), this is almost incomprehensible.

So the drama is high, the artists do their best with a really thin string of story they have at their disposal. Decent sure, but you can't be faulted for expecting more - Steven Soderbergh is a great director, but he also likes to experiment. You may feel he hit all the right notes here, do not be mad at those who do not feel the same way. There would not be room of discussion otherwise.

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4/10

Disappointing waste of excellent actresses and an interesting premise

clargaespada11 May 2021

Not so much a movie as it was an outline for a movie. I loved the premise and the glimpses of character we see, but the improvised rambling felt like aimless meandering. The viewer is left feeling frustrated and lost.

The movie would have been so much more interesting with a defined structure. I loved Bergan's cynical and sassy character, and her trolling for rich men on the cruise could have been very funny with some well-written gags. Wiest's character is selfless and passionate, and we get a few small indications of how that impulse manifested itself in her youth, but how much more interesting would it have been had we seen perhaps how her giving nature affected her life (both the good and the bad). Streep plays a writer whose work delves deeply into others' lives, and at the same time, she is unable to connect with anyone. Is she just self-absorbed, or does she yearn for human interaction? I wish we could have seen more of that struggle within her.

And most of all, we never really find out exactly what Streep's character has written about Bergan's character that made Bergan's husband divorce her so many years ago. It's hinted at, and I think I sort of figured it out. But that information needed to be spelled out for the viewer.

There's also another character I would have loved to see more of. A highly successful mystery writer is also on the ship. Streep wants to pooh-pooh him as a hack, but he's actually thoughtful in terms of his work and his ability to "read" other people. There's a scene in which Streep is giving a talk on board, and the mystery writer asks a question about one of her books that makes it clear that he deeply respects her writing, and you can see Streep's heart melt with joy at being acknowledged. It is one of the only really moving moments of the film.

Oh yeah, there's a subplot with Streep's nephew and the employee from her publisher assigned to her. Completely useless.

What a disappointment! What a waste!

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8/10

Glad I ignored the negative reviews

bowieec12 December 2020

This film is very human, very touching and real, and oh so Steven Soderbergh. Except for his most commercial efforts, all of Soderbergh's films are experimental in some way or another and many have also used improvisation, like this film. If you've lived a life and have had strange changes in your friendships with groups of people over the years, you will get a lot from this film and be able to relate to it and all the interesting characters. People's ideals and motivations change throughout their lives, and it's reflected here. The past is remembered differently by different people. While some can move on from the past, others cannot. Some people grow and change while others remain the same. The story in the film reflects all of this beautifully. Maybe if you're still very young, relatively inexperienced, and haven't done much, or lived, or traveled, this isn't the movie for you. But if you are okay with a film that takes its time and sometimes meanders to strange places, but is always fascinating, like a life well lived, watch, rate and review!

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6/10

Lost opportunity

pablo_moriano12 December 2020

What a pity. I expected more from them three. They don't feel comfortable shooting this movie. You can feel there is no too much energy in every scene. Alright, Meryl Streep is always an attraction and skipping a chance of seeing her performing is unforgivable.

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3/10

A couple of really good actresses get together to make a really boring film.

rse11 December 2020

There. I've said it all in one short sentence. 113 minutes I could have spent doing something better!

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8/10

True Art

eric-shoe10 December 2020

Knowing ahead of watching that the dialog was totally unscripted and improvised I found myself appreciating the true art form by the actors. Knowing how petrified they all were during the shoot, it's never apparent from their seamless performances. They were all given a frame to stay in and also an ending to each scene. The rest is them and their own words and reactions. Shot in only 8 days, the film is a triumph of modern day filmmaking. My only criticism was the ambient lighting was at times distracting.

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7/10

your whole life is leading up to this

lee_eisenberg25 October 2023

I would call Steven Soderbergh's "Let Them All Talk" a movie about how we find out what life is. The protagonists, having not seen each other in a while, join up for a cruise. A lot of the dialogue is free-form, with discussions of the human condition. But there's a surprise in store.

With the presence of Meryl Streep, Dianne Wiest, Candice Bergen and Lucas Hedges, you might take this for a typical piece of Oscar bait. But there's more to it than that. The movie looks at who we are as people, and what it means for our relationships. I wouldn't call the movie a masterpiece, but it felt edifying to watch the movie; far more interesting than the latest movie whose entire plot is Tom Cruise narrowly avoiding all danger.

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3/10

Perhaps they SHOULD have had a script

orindabfoley12 December 2020

So unfortunate - I was looking forward to seeing this. The three actresses are so talented. Only Dianne Wiest comes off as interesting.

It wasn't "bad", it was just boring.

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Oh the horrid problems of the rich and famous ....

hupkabupka11 December 2020

Please. Don't. Watch. This is like a Woody Allen movie without the comedy. I can't imagine anything more boring than this. I would like to corner the writer and director and demand my money back plus a fine for wasting my time. I feel sorry for the actors who will be vilified for foisting this mess on the public.

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7/10

Slow pace - intriguing ending

dbuckshnis24 February 2023

Warning: Spoilers

Great cast and Meryl never disappoints. The final 20 minutes bring forth the entire storyline of resentment, long-term friendships, family interactions, guilt, greed, envy and the realization that hanging onto all those feelings gets you no where. Candice Bergman was great in her greed and guilt. Diane Weiss is great but always plays the same compassionate and kind person (loved her in that TV show with James Broland). The supporting cast of those three were good. The set designs was great - wow - Alice's flat! Cruise ships make for good sets too. Overall, it was slow-paced which for a writer that is their MO and if it wasn't for those three legends, I probably would have stopped watching it.

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6/10

Don't go on a cruise

tobbejonsson11 December 2020

I always wanted to go on a cruise in the Pacific or in the Caribbeans or something. After seeing this movie I realize I would be bored to death. So, no cruise for me.

Some great acting performances here, but the story overall is not that interesting. Pity.

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7/10

A good smart movie

reguizar15 December 2020

Life, friendship drama all those twists and turns in life, how the lack of communication ego can affect a relationship I found it smart, funny and sad

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4/10

A Tedious Improv Exercise

ozjosh0312 December 2020

I guess you can see why Soderbergh thought this might fly. Three accomplished, intelligent, charismatic actresses, each of them capable of improvising scenes, developing interesting characters and building relationships without the benefit of an actual script. And, yes, Meryl Streep, Diane Wiest and Candice Bergen are all eminently watchable. Unfortunately, that's no substitute for a strong story, well-crafted scenes and smart dialogue. Let Them All Talk (the title seeming more like the underlying concept than anything pertinent to the content) is just a rambling, undisciplined, mostly tedious attempt at fashioning a movie out of a not-especially-inspired situation and a rather time-worn back story. It doesn't help that much about the writer/agent set up is unbelievable, that it's indifferently directed, extremely slow, often poorly lit and blighted by a dull B-story that involves two seriously dull characters. One sort-of satisfying late scene between Streep and Bergen and a last-minute surprise twist isn't anywhere near enough to save the enterprise.

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8/10

Soderbergh does his own camera work and the actors improv the dialogs in this film about people talking

siderite30 November 2021

Depending on your mood, you might consider this film either a bore or a careful investigation of people or maybe even a fun experiment. Filmed on the Queen Mary 2 during the pandemic, having a small but stellar cast, with Soderbergh doing the camera work and the actors reportedly improvising most of the dialogue, this is a film about people getting to know each other and themselves.

There are no grand mysteries, though, no life changing events. Let Them All Talk is a literal description of what the director did with the film rather than a spicy "let's give them something to talk about". People are just talking while the exterior information is purposefully withheld from the viewer. For example Streep's character is a famous writer working on a new book, but you never get to know what the book is supposedly about. Wiest's character fights for incarcerated people, but never a juicy story does escape Soderbergh's firewall. Bergen's character boasts with her life's story of 35 years, but we never learn anything real about it. It is clear that the young boy is falling hard for the gorgeous Gemma Chan, but that is not explored in anything but the dialogue between the two. A bit of a personal trigger is the implication that she never realized what she was doing, like that's still a thing. Even the mysterious black man, who I suspected to be a red herring (and no, I am not trying to make colorful puns), is never than a funny unknown until the very end of the film where his role is revealed.

I think this film would have been terrible if done by someone less experienced or with some random mediocre actors. As such it is an interesting and carefully crafted experiment.

Or if you want to take it another way, imagine Contagion (2011) on a giant cruise ship during the Covid pandemic, but no one gets sick.

Bottom line: you will either grok this or not. It's not supposed to tell a grand story, but to let people talk and through that make themselves, and humanity at large, known.

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7/10

A slow-moving cruise but it's a really enjoyable, delightful ride

Sir_AmirSyarif11 December 2020

The ever-adventurous Steven Soderbergh's latest experiment, 'Let Them All Talk,' assembles a fine cast that includes Meryl Streep, Candice Bergen, Dianne Wiest, Lucas Hedges, and Gemma Chan and... well... let them all talk and improvise on a script that reportedly served as more of an outline for the cast. It's a slow-moving cruise but the acting is so comfortably genuine that it's a really enjoyable, delightful ride.

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4/10

Totally disappointed in what could have been a great movie

greerg200422 January 2021

Warning: Spoilers

When you think Meryl Streep, Candice Bergen and Dianne Wiest, you say ok great they paved the way and mastered their craft. This should be a decent movie right? So wrong! Unscripted? No, not even for these pros who weren't provided a full plot line that makes sense. I could not empathize with the characters either. I found the movie to be slow and quite dull on all fronts. Not funny at all and you feel from the trailer it's going the comedy route. You know very little about each character's history so already you cannot relate to how they got to where they are in life except for Meryl Streep's character. The ladies are supposed to have a questionable friendship not seeing each other for 30 years. A cruise ship is where they reconnect. The nephew character was beyond awful. His presence in this film was not needed. He overacted many times and underacted at crucial points where you actually say to yourself.... what was that? Every character seemed to come off selfish. No resolutions to issues that arose and no one seemed to care. Dianne Wiest always played quirky well so I gave an extra star for her. I'm happy this was free with my HBO subscription as it's on HBO Max.

For those who are giving a 7 or 8 rating and I read the reviews, it seemed simplicity and subtle expressions of the actors you favored as well as this film IS the opposite of a typical Hollywood movie propelled your positive rating. No fireworks-action or violence.

For those who gave a 9 or 10 rating....I'm at a loss. I guess everyone likes what they like in whatever genres they choose to watch and rate each differently. But a 10? Shawshank is a 10. Goodfellas is a 10. Gone with The Wind, Casablanca, Jaws ,Godfather 1 and 2, Blazing Saddles, Usual Suspects are just a handful along with classic comedies from the 30's and 40's which were only character based. I can add to my list but you get my point I suppose.

Overall, great actors that were underutilized, no laughs, very slow pacing, no cohesive plot. A confusing improvised mess. I do not recommend.

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8/10

Great fun watching these great actors plying their craft

moonmark-5281712 December 2020

I really enjoyed this film. I loved watching Streep, Bergen and Wiest. A lot of dialogue seemed improvised so there was a couple moments of awkwardness. This is a modest film. It's never quite predictable. It has little things to say about getting older, friendships and the fickleness of fate. If you like movies with thrills and salaciousness you may be bored. I have to add, the music soundtrack is fantastic and helps set the mood. Thumbs up!

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7/10

Character driven, great acting

therapynic-166-86632021 January 2021

This movie is so very human, I. That there is not much by means of a plot, however, the story lays in the characters alone. The acting brings the characters to life, as well as the simplicity of the direction and subtly of the writing. Each character is at times likable, though at times selfish and frustrating. The journey and the story are truly directed by the way in which you react to the characters and the natural things they do and say. It's only effective if you lend yourself vulnerable to these characters. If you distance yourself from them, you will not enjoy this movie. If you let yourself get close, this will be thoroughly enjoyable.

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2/10

Improvisation is not the way

mwen001-213 December 2020

Even the best actresses need a script and some well written dialogues! Both is missing in this movie. Boring!

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