Friday 2 January 2015

Mistress (1992 Barry Primus)

Begins promisingly enough, with Albert Brooks-ish writer Robert Wuhl being offered the chance to film his old screenplay by producer Martin Landau (good as ever), and facing all sorts of compromises, not least having a young bullish writer Jace Alexander in tow.

Robert de Niro is somewhat different to usual as an investor (reminding me rather of the older Truffaut), Sheryl Lee Ralph makes an impression as a woman who's sleeping with both de Niro and Danny Aiello and Eli Wallach also appears.

Light tone changes as we learn about the fate of one of the writer's former cast, in a startling scene with Christopher Walken. Material doesn't seem quite balanced / integrated. Pretty Woman's JF Lawton co-wrote Primus's story / screenplay.

The film he keeps watching is Renoir's La Grande Illusion.

Edited by Steve Weisberg, who cut Azkeban, Great Expectations and A Little Princess for Cuaron.

The copy we saw at any rate was oddly in 4 x 3. Title is wrong, too.

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