On Soderberg, Experimenting...
Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 10:30PM by Eric Blume
We've discussed Let Them All Talk a few times, but mostly in the ccontext of Meryl Streep. In honor of director Steven Soderbergh's birthday, I'd like to root for this weird little movie currently streaming on HBOMax.
Before the film came out, a friend of mine texted and said, "I feel like Soderbergh doesn't even make movies anymore...he just does experiments." And that feels true. Several years ago now, Soderbergh toyed with retiring, saying something along the lines of if he had to shoot one more over-the-shoulder shot, he was going to kill himself. (I'm paraphrasing, relax.) While that may sound a bit pretentious, it also makes sense...
Filmmaking requires an incredible amount of technical work, some of which is really not fun. Punching in for an insert shot is not exactly artistically or stylistically challenging or rewarding, nor are all those over-the-shoulder shots you need for proper coverage when you get back to the edit bay. I admire that Soderberg is trying to strip away some of those requirements and is experimenting with a stripped-down style to try to just get to the meat of the piece.
You've probably read this, but Soderberg basically shot Let Them All Talk with 'no equipment and no crew'. That basically means that while of course there was equipment and a crew it was nothing along the scale of a typical film, especially one with the caliber of actors on hand here. Most of the film was evidently shot with a sketched-out semi-script, single camera, and a sound guy, on an actual voyage of a ship, with "real people" instead of paid extras, etc.
Yes, the results are variable. No, it is not a masterpiece. The improv dialogue is inevitably banal, and we miss the dramatic and emotional highs that good writing can give you. But in stripping down the technical elements of filmmaking, we get a very simplified and distilled picture which, when it's at its best, make us feel like we're seeing actual humans going through an actual experience.
It's lovely seeing Lucas Hedges give so generously to the four actresses he plays opposite. He's a great listening actor, and it's the perfect vehicle for him exactly because he is so open to possibility. Candice Bergen does a sharp and interesting riff on both her persona and roles we've seen her do in the past, and the work she does feels fiesty and real... she too seems stripped down from her usual presentational style. This is also one of Meryl's best performances across the last decade or so. One of the joys of a great Meryl performance is that you are aware of her virtuosity. But here, that virtuosity is taken away from her, and she feels more like a "real person". On some level, the performance is about her insecurity (something we rarely see from Meryl) and the letting go of the artifice of an "artist" (she's arguably deflating her own reputation here, in an interesting way).
Soderberg wasn't quite able to get into something really deep or new this time, but I hope he keeps experimenting. I'd argue this is MORE interesting than the "traditional" movies he's given us in the past decade or so, and at least he's taking risks. Interested to hear your thoughts in the comments, as always.
Reader Comments (14)
Everything I've watched from his filmography have been a miss for me. I can only highlight Solaris, but being a remake he counted with a source already. I'd say his best work is The Knick by an enormous margin, so I think he should experiment more on TV.
And I've already said this but I'll say it again: Meryl will never show her true potential unless she works with non-US auteurs or try independent cinema. Personally, I don't see her taking that risk since she has other priorities, like her family as she has stated, which is perfectly fine. Though, I hope she changes her mind someday and gives it a try. I guess she also might be scarred from getting out of her comfort zone by working with Chen Shi-Zheng and not getting the best experience possible, however it's not as if he's the only director worth the risk.
The cast captures our attention. The film squanders its assets and is utterly forgettable.
I want to experiment with Soderberg and Hedges at the same time.
Off Topic: blown away by the first two episodes of Wandavision. Feige has done it again... we are living magical times, he is the only one who seems to understand that superheroes are just a canvas to use for different genres, and WV is a pure meta delight, so far.
I love Soderbergh and his "experiments." I think, whether hit or miss, at least he's trying to do something different and isn't all too concerned with his legacy. Reminds me a bit of Woody Allen. There's this sense of having an idea and seeing if it will work that feels exciting.
One of my favorite movies of the year, and one very subtle movie about literature. It's a small miracle that all the characters were all strangely connected to senses of literature in the end.
I'm with James. Really wanted to like this film, but it didn't work for me at all. I would like to see the three ladies again, perhaps in a heist comedy, with sparkling (not improvised) dialogue. I do love Candice, Dianne, and Meryl.
But I am fond of other Soderbergh works, the Oceans, Out of Sight, Erin, Solaris. Like Me34, I also enjoyed The Knick very much. I'll watch anything he makes.
I really enjoyed "Let Them All Talk," and appreciate that Soderberg is going for a less fussy form of filmmaking. Mike Nichols was a mentor to him and I can see the common love for actors. In this film, I loved the ship and that it felt like a trip in real time. And the ending is fantastic.
I thought the film was so impressive. I was thoroughly entertained and it ended up being a lot deeper than I had expected. Bravo to all, especially Mr. Soderbergh.
I am all up for more Soderbergh experiments. Sure, some (or even many) of them are a miss, but that is what happens with experimentation. Even apparently conventional films like 'Erin Brockovich', 'Contagion' or the Ocean's trilogy seem like experiments in his filmography. In the end, he will leave a fascinating legacy (and much more interesting than some pretentious but timorous contemporaries).
I liked Contagion, Side Effects, and that Sharon Stone miniseries in Aspen from Soderbergh in the past decade.
“ Meryl will never show her true potential........”
Geez Louise
Eric, your insight really shows how Soderberg is working in unique terrain, even if it’s not always a satisfying result. Can’t wait to see this one, even though I thought Unsane was an unpleasant experience. Candice looks truly fascinating in this from the trailer. Terrific writing as always!
Brookesboy, thank you for your kind words and more importantly, staying on point! Sometimes it feels like you could just simply write "I saw Let Them All Talk" and nothing else, and it wouldn't matter. So your words mean a lot. Unsane WAS indeed unpleasant. :)