The Walker

 Year:  2007

Director:  Paul Schrader

Screenplay:  Paul Schrader

Starring:  Woody Harrelson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lauren Bacall, Ned Beatty, Moritz Bleibtreu, Mary Beth Hurt, Lily Tomlin, Willem Dafoe

Running Time:  107 minutes

Genre:  Thriller, drama

Washington, D. C.:  Carter Page III (Harrelson) is a "walker" - he is paid to accompany wealthy wives to events, and act as companion, confidante, and cards partner.  One of his clients, Lyn Lockner (Scott Thomas), who is married to a powerful United States Senator, is having an affair with a lobbyist, but when she discovers her lover's murdered body, Carter reports the crime in order to cover up her affair.  However, Carter almost immediately becomes the prime suspect in the enquiry.  As he attempts to uncover the truth and clear his name, he finds himself embroiled in a dangerous political conspiracy.

The character of the "gay best friend" has become almost a stereotype in any number of dramas and comedies.  Usually the character comforts and helps the female lead with bitchy remarks and sharp-tongues comments, adding some humour and park to the proceedings.  Woody Harrelson's Carter Page III is almost like a "gay best friend" for hire.  The last of a distinguished Southern family, we meet him at the card table in a luxury hotel suite with the three older women that he escorts, playing canasta and holding court with arch remarks and witticisms.  Immaculately dressed, urbane, debonair with a strong line in clever remarks, and an extensive knowledge of all the best things in life.  Carter, who is gay, acts as friend and companion, but doesn't sleep with his clients.  The character is still in the long tradition of Paul Schrader's troubled, lonely men.  He lives alone in an immaculate apartment, and spends much of his time, perfecting his appearance, including his wig, which he removes only once, briefly, and researching his topics of conversation.  Although he has a boyfriend, they never seem to be all that close, and no-one else appears to be allowed into Carter's golden kingdom.  In fact, Carter's whole life seems to be a succession of facades that he puts up for other people.  This is the problem with Schrader's film, despite a fantastic performance by Harrelson, there doesn't really appear to be anything behind Carter's genteel politeness, and immaculate suits, except the briefest flickers which we see when he is angered or upset.  The supporting cast is full of great performances, including Lauren Bacall as the Grand Dame of Washington, who rivals Carter in her command of waspish remarks.  Kristin Scott Thomas is very good as the unfaithful wife, terrified of discovery.  Ned Beatty is perfectly oily as a rich, nasty, old Senator.  Originally conceived as a sequel to Schrader's 1980 film American Gigolo, this is a cleverly written film, but it feels surprisingly bland and workmanlike for Schrader.  Despite being set in Washington, the film was mostly filmed in Britain and the Isle of Man, and despite the strong cast, it has the feel of a TV movie about it, and the references to the Iraq War seem shoehorned in to give the film some contemporary relevance.  However the film has a witty and intelligent script, and it is worth seeing for the performances.  

  Kristin Scott Thomas and Woody Harrelson in The Walker

Nashville

Year of Release:  1975
Director:  Robert Altman
Screenplay:  Joan Tewkesbury
Starring:  Ned Beatty, Ronee Blakely, Keith Carradine, Geraldine Chaplin, Henry Gibson, Michael Murphy, Lily Tomlin
Running Time:  160 minutes
Genre: Comedy-drama

This film follows the numerous intersecting stories of a large group of people in Nashville, Tennessee, over a five day period in the run-up to a rally for a populist outsider candidate running for President.  Most of the characters are involved to a greater or lesser extent in the worlds of music or politics.

This is a long, sprawling, epic comedy-drama with about twenty-four main characters, an hour of musical numbers and a multitude of interlocking storylines.  The film was written by Joan Tewkesbury based on her own experiences of visiting Nashville, although as was often the case with Altman, much of the dialogue and many subplots were improvised on set.  The large ensemble cast is impressive, particularly Ronee Blakely as an emotionally fragile singer, Geraldine Chaplin as a chatty BBC Radio reporter, Henry Gibson as a politically ambitious Grand Ole Opry star and Gwen Wells as an ambitious but talentless aspiring singer.  It also features an early appearance by Jeff Goldblum as the silent "Tricycle Man", and Shelley Duvall as an eccentric groupie.  It is a film that is very much a product of it's time.  On the surface it is about Nashville, but really it is about where America was at politically and culturally in 1975, and scarily enough is still quite relevant today.  It does require a lot of attention, and the length, loose structure and lack of a single overarching story may be off-putting to some viewers, but it is very rewarding, which is funny, dramatic and sometimes moving.  It also has a great soundtrack. 

Ronee Blakely, Allen Garfield, Henry Gibson and Barbara Baxley welcome you to Nashville