Disrupting the routine that father and daughter have carefully managed is Heather Wolfe (
Six Feet Under's Lauren Ambrose), an ambitious grad student writing her thesis on Schiller's work. Schiller resists her initial attempts to interview him, insisting that finishing his novel demands all his attention. But the cold cruel realities of literary publishing make him reconsider. His books are out of print and no one seems interested in his his new work. But Heather promises that she could get her work published and revive interest in his books. Schiller eventually succumbs but is not quite ready for the intrusion into his life that Heather is about to make.
Frank Langella and Lauren Ambrose (Roadside Attractions)
Starting Out in the Evening feels like it should have been a two-hander stage play (and maybe that's what appealed to Langella) in which each scene would be one interview session between Schiller and Heather. But Starting Out in the Evening began life as a novel by Brian Morton and has been adapted to the screen by director Andrew Wagner. The film provides a lovely showcase for Langella. He's a reserved, intelligent actor who understands that you don't have to do much to command attention. Despite the surface reserve, Langella suggests that there is a simmering turmoil or pain lurking below. As Schiller, he refuses to provide much information as he politely but firmly evades certain questions.
Frank Langella and Lili Taylor as father and daughter (Roadside Attractions)
Taylor provides a perfect complement to Langella. Her Ariel is bright and open, eager to engage with others. She displays a true radiance here and her scenes with Langella are beautiful. She also performs well with Adrian Lester, who plays a former boyfriend returning into her life.
The only problematic character is Heather. Ambrose, who was so good in a little film called Swimming , does nothing but hit false notes here. Her Heather immediately strikes one as ambitious and pretentious. Eeverything about her seems either calculated or artificial. There doesn't seem to be anything genuine in her and Schiller seems too smart a man to fall for her ploys. It's not entirely Ambrose' fault, she 's badly directed in this role and allowed no warmth or depth by either Wagner or the script. So when she tries to show off at a party, you don't understand why a magazine editor would be impressed. Heather never convinces us of what her nature or motives are and this substantially weakens the film.
The script by Wagner and Fred Parnes becomes self-conscious at times. It's difficult to pull this kind of film off. The kind of discussion a grad student and writer/professor would engage in can easily become pretentious and this is especially true when we never get to read Schiller's novels to know what they are about. So the abstract discussions about Schiller's work sometimes end up being rather hollow. But Heather does prompt Schiller to look toward some facts that he has refused to face before and to learn that he can change.
Starting Out in the Evening (rated PG-13 for sexual content, language and brief nudity) boasts exquisite performances by Langella and Taylor, and that may provide reward enough for most filmgoers.
Companion viewing: Dracula (1979), Diary of a Mad Housewife, Factotum, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, Swimming, Butley -----
