by Christopher James
Imagine a cruise ship movie starring Meryl Streep, Candice Bergen, Dianne Wiest and Lucas Hedges. With five Oscars, 26 Oscar nominations and 10 Emmy wins between them, Let Them All Talk was poised for greatness just on its logline alone. The new HBO Max film may sound like the perfect fluff while at home, but that would ignore the film’s not-so-secret ingredient. With director Steven Soderbergh at the helm, he steers the film away from madcap and into more contemplative, but far less calm, waters. Let Them All Talk may move more glacially than expected. Yet, what we’re left with is a thornier and more interesting look at a decades long friendship filled with fractures.
A renowned author, Alice (Meryl Streep) learns that she is receiving a prestigious award in England (“it’s not even given out every year,” she reminds everyone she encounters). Ever the diva, Alice wants to travel by style and not by plane...
Her new agent, Karen (Gemma Chan), sets her up with a luxurious multi-story stateroom on the Queen Mary 2 and allows her some cherished guests. Alice brings her old friends Roberta (Candice Bergen), a bra saleswoman in Texas, and Susan (Dianne Wiest), a Seattle matriarch, along for the ride. To take the median age down, Alice also lets her fawning nephew, Tyler (Lucas Hedges) join, though he soon becomes Karen’s confidant. She’s tasked by her agency with finding out what Alice’s new secret project is going to be about. Rumors start to fly that she’s working on a sequel to her biggest hit, which was largely inspired by Roberta.
There’s something disorienting about viewing these opulent, yet vacant, Queen Mary locations through Soderbergh’s static, low-fi digital filmmaking. All of Alice’s wealth and influence is a hollow facade that covers up the central conflict. Roberta and Susan rarely talk to Alice and aren’t great friends. This mismatch of value the women place in their friendships lends itself well to this talky, uncomfortable comedy. Short story writer Deborah Eisenberg wrote the film and takes these characters in an interesting direction. However, her and Soderbergh left the lines to actors mostly improvising, which proves to be a fascinating choice. Often it seems these estranged friends are trying to figure out what to say to each other.
It’s not that these actresses are stretching themselves. Rather, they’re subverting themselves. Meryl Streep’s name has become synonymous with “great acting.” Over her four decades long career, she has mastered every genre, accent and character known to man. Somewhere over the past decade or so, her projects have all felt designed for a marquee (“Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher/Julia Child/Insert Famous Broadway Role”), as if she were trying to have her star topple that of her favorite character. That’s what makes her work as Alice so wonderful. Soderbergh allows Streep the slack to improvise and fill dead space with acting choices. It would be so easy to have fun making Alice a narcissistic monster we laugh at. Yet, Streep makes you doubt the motivations behind her narcissism. Why does she want to surround herself with friends that she has tenuous relationships to. Just when you think you have a handle on her, Streep steers you in a different direction as gently as a cruise ship adjusts course.
Still, Candice Bergen walks away with the whole movie as if she had stuffed it in one of her oversized pieces of luggage. As a character, Roberta jumps off the screen from minute one. She has such clear and simple wants, which allows Bergen tons of opportunity to riff and have a good time. Watching Roberta in an all denim getup try and net herself a rich millionaire in the on-ship casino is pure joy. She later one ups herself with a hilarious scene where horniness and greed dictate her use of a spa gift card. While Roberta is primarily using the trip as her own private millionaire matchmaker episode, she feels most in control of the group dynamic. Alice’s most celebrated novel was pulled roughly from Roberta’s life and led to her divorce, leaving her broke. Roberta doesn’t give Alice the time of day, nor the fight of her life. She’s in self preservation mode.
In terms of plot function, Wiest gets the least to do. Still, she milks every moment she’s given as she acts as the group “peace-maker.” Her perfect line-readings and expressive reactions prove why she’s the best in the business. She knows how to cut through Alice’s oversized ego with a polite, yet weary, sigh. The world needs a gif of Wiest going “bow down bitch” during a board game with Candice Bergen ASAP.
Let Them All Talk will likely draw in viewers hoping for a Book Club-esque fun night at the movies. Absolutely give me that version of this film with the exact same cast and I’ll be a happy gay man. Yet, Steven Soderbergh instead gifts us with a sly exploration of the boundaries of friendship. It’s sharply observed, if often meandering. Still, it packs a punch and really delivers with a surprisingly affecting third act. Maybe we will get that raucous cruise movie we were sold later. The world deserves Let Them All Talk XXL. B+