My Dinner With Andre (1981)

My Dinner With Andre is, on the surface, one of the most straightforward films ever made. It is a conversation, pure and simple. Set up as a result of a chance encounter between two former friends one chilly day in New York. The film follows Wally (Wallace Shaun) as he, somewhat reluctantly, meets his old acquaintance, Andre (Andre Gregory), at his bequest. Andre, as it transpires, has been away travelling and dealing with life’s big questions following a breakdown a few years prior, and the film reveals itself as an exploration of life and it’s meaning and complexities, through these two characters.

.

It is a strange and daring concept for a film, to sustain a dialogue for such a period of time, to do away with conventional narrative and story completely and to trust in engaging an audience is no easy feat. Once you get used to this and embrace the theatrical nature of the film though it slowly draws you in. Written by its stars (who also play versions of themselves) there film blurs the line between drama and documentary at points. The first half of the film is largely given over to Andre as he recounts tales of his adventures in the forests and wilds of Europe. What makes the film work is the naturalistic dialogue coupled with strong delivery, Gregory is adept at drawing you in and peaking your interest and the deeper undertones of a lot of the topics covered is never overtly dwelled upon. That said your mileage might vary with portions of the film that are practically a monologue, once Wally starts getting more involved a more standard discussion erupts around modern day living and philosophical questions of happiness and contentment. Wally’s everyman tendencies, he is a slightly down on his luck actor, counter Andre’s fantastical, and somewhat bizarre, ramblings and he helps ground the film. The chemistry between the pair is evident from the off and it is a testament to both performances, and to director Louis Malle’s almost invisible work behind the camera, that the film flows and engages as much as it does.

.

Ultimately though this is very much a thought piece, a film to be savoured and pondered upon and to lead to ongoing discussions amongst those who watch it. I enjoyed the sheer uniqueness of the setup and conversation throughout, but it isn’t an experience I would look for in too many other films. As an experiment I would say it succeeds, managing to deal with big questions in the simplest of ways; by enjoying an evening in the company of some great conversation.