Beatriz at Dinner (2017)

I did not expect this movie to be so absorbing or to take on such a compelling subject. Salma Hayek has delivered some emotive performances but maybe nothing quite as personally intense as she gives here. No movie can please everyone and this one won't change that but, for the sensitive viewer, it certainly should offer quite a bit to contemplate. Mike White's script effectively studies the differences between those who have much (like, way more than they need) and those who care dearly for what little they have. Performances are uniformly good and some have tried to draw comparisons between Trump, and the character of the high-profile building developer played by John Lithgow but, any number of ultra-rich opportunists fit this image, including the Clinton's and Obama's of this world - so I can't buy that interpretation whatever.Miguel Arteta's direction keeps these observations on track while the strikingly stylish imagery delivered by director of photography Wyatt Garfield, is nothing short of poetic (no cheap handheld shots to spoil this potent character study) Lovely descriptive music, scored by Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh (mixed with other compositions) adds just the right touch for this thoughtful examination of a group of self-obsessed business people - meeting for dinner & playing the 'relationship' game (spelt big $) along with an outsider who wears her heart on her sleeve, and calls these deals out for what she feels they are. The ending is somewhat ambiguous and I felt the story deserved a little better - did the writer not have the courage to take on today's business ethics or is this just another example of the now trendy --woman on the verge theme-- currently popular with movie makers? Some aspects of this story brought to mind another compelling 'dinner' film: "Wetherby" from '85, written by David Hare. Beatriz' is well worth watching and even deserves to be revisited. Some language here and there.

The premise is pretty obvious (earthy-crunchy Selma vs. rich white pigs), but the movie actually descends from there to its pathetic, pat conclusion. Selma Hayek is earnest in her role, but the part, as written, makes her a symbol rather than a living, breathing character. John Lithgow steals the show, as the Trump-like snake-oil real-estate developer, as he is perfectly spot-on in the film. Lithgow can be quite a hammy bad guy (eg., "Cliffhanger," bad accent & all), but here he is obviously the heavy, though also a human being, unlike Beatriz. The conclusion gives us an obviously out-of-reality experience, as Beatriz follows the protagonist of Kate Chopin's "The Awakening" (1899), in taking that long swim at the end. I'm FULLY sympathetic with the filmmakers' intentions, but this is so heavy-handed & totally manipulative, that I think it ranks up there with "The Day After Tomorrow" (i.e., "Two Days Later") as a well-intentioned but profoundly flawed flick.

The plot was a little slow but kept moving. John Lithgow was developed as the unsympathetic developer. But the other characters were one-dimensional, and worst of all, Hayak's performance evoked no emotion whatsoever. She was never able to make me feel any loss over her murdered goat, or the loss of other animals and humanity and the Lithgow character represented. A missed opportunity.

I agree with some of the other reviewers that found this awful. However, I will add that reviewers that use a movie to take a swipe at whatever their opposing political views are, are as idiotic as this movie was. If you want to see a good offbeat film about a ticking time bomb of a dinner guest waiting to go off, maybe try "Krisha". Back to "Beatrice". Paper thin stereotypes of wealthy people who got wealthy by raping and pillaging the land and a very superficial 'new age' type personality (Hayek) who apparently, despite her age of aquarius loving nature, does not apparently know how to comport herself as an invited dinner guest. Even if some of those guests don't necessarily hold the same world view as herself. I mean, No one would act the way she does...unless they were totally psychotic! She didn't come off as a drinking type or pot smoker type. So was that used as some sort of really cheap excuse for her acting how she did? Who wrote this crap??, lol Personally, no matter how much the host begged, I wouldn't accept the invitation to dine at a dinner party...especially business related. Just way too awkward and uncomfortable. However if it was just a normal family dinner, that'd be ok. In short, her whole behavior was absurd. Especially the end. So stupid, lol. The only thing I did get from this movie is how tiny Hayek appears to be.