Cheap My Dinner with Andre (DVD) (Wallace Shawn, Andre Gregory) (Louis Malle) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of My Dinner with Andre

For some odd reason I've never really paid attention to the films of Louis Malle. I've seen some of course, but, he never really striked me as one of the greats. Well recently I find I've been caught in his film world. I'm very eager to watch some of his films over again, and some for the first time. I feel his sensibilities as a filmmaker match my own. I don't know if that makes any sense. What I mean to say is, what he finds to be sympathetic and interesting I do too.

Many people before watching this film always seem to find it odd how the film's plot can be enjoyable. For those who don't know, the story is merely about two friends meeting having dinner. They talk about their work (They both work in the theathre), about their families, religion, and just in general, life. What people should and shouldn't do. "My Dinner With Andre" is so fascinating that at times we just my forget the the movie only revolves around two characters. That we are actually just watching a movie about a conversation. Which I admit on the surface does seem boring. But, after you've seen this movie you'll be very impressed.

My only complaint with this movie is the first 40 minutes of conversation between Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn. Only because what Gregory is talking about doesn't seem to connect with the audience. He's talking about his soul-searching days travellling to foreign countries. This is not a theme everyone who watches the movie can relate to. Or maybe it was just me. It's after all of this that the two start to discuss the more universal issues that we can relate to; work, family, trying to find happiness...ect. But still in all, "My Dinner With Andre" is a movie I would recommend everyone make an attempt to see. It will turn out to be a rewarding experience.

Bottom-line: Probably the most accessible film by filmmaker Louis Malle. A rare movie experience that rewards us in ways we may not have thought possible. A modern classic.

One of the most thought provoking movies ever!
This movie is definitely not for all, but the ones who appreciate it will never forget its power or influence on their lives. You know the story already-- two theater "veterans" who have enjoyed different levels of success meet for dinner, a prospect which Wally detests at first. In their subsequent conversation they really try to answer the meaning of life for each of them. I have seen this film a half a dozen times, and yet each time, I find that I don't remember any of the dialog, unlike some movies, which I can quote from the beginning. That is a tribute to the richness of the dialog and the fascinating "action" taking place in the mind, and believe me, there's plenty of action.

Yes, the DVD is disappointing, but this is hardly a film which requires razor sharp graphics or DTS digital sound. Let's face it, it's just a conversation between a couple of unglamorous guys in a restaurant, but then again- it's not "just" that at all!

Tres Bon!
"My Dinner with Andre" is my all-time favorite film. I watch this movie often, each time of which I notice another layer of meaning. In addition to the superior dialogue and direction in this film (which other reviewers here have aptly described), the movie is rich, visually. This movie is not visually boring, despite the fact the cameras are on Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory for nearly two hours. Andre Gregory, especially, is such an engaging conversationalist that he evokes compelling mental images in the audience as to what these far away places might look like (i.e., the Sahara and the Polish forest to name a few). After all, Gregory said "I consider myself a bit of a Surrealist," meaning that the world of dream images in the mind's eye are the locus of true imagination. It's a superb use of the verbal to evoke the visual. Yes, the film is overtly naturalistic (i.e., the restaurant setting, a 2-hour meal with "real" characters), but the sheer dialogue transports one beyond mere verisimilitude.

Having the audience imagine, in their own ways, what these venues might look like is so contrary to what we get so often in American movies today. We typically get in your-face visuals and glitzy special effects (e.g., "Lord of the Rings) that allows no room for viewer imagination: its all artificially provided for you. Such films leave me, to use Gregory's words, "passive and impotent."

"My Dinner with Andre" respects its audience by reminding us what it is to be truly human. Having conversations as portrayed in this film is my ideal evening out with a good friend(s).

I can't recommend this movie enough.