Being There
|
Our Price: $27.69 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.86 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Being There
Movie Review: Rise of the empty man
Summary: 5 Stars
A highly recommended movie and by far the best film Peter Sellars ever made. In my opinion he should have won and Oscar for it. Being There truly reflects the times we live in.
The elegance of the plot is that almost everyone - from the overly indulged wife of a wealthy and powerful man to the president himself and TV audiences use Chance as a mirror for their own hopes and beliefs.
Despite the comedy there is a sad thread that runs through the movie speaking to the human condition and the randomness of life. One of my favorite scenes is when Chance the Gardener having spent most of his life working as a gardener and watching TV finally steps out into the real world complete with TV remote. He attempts to 'change the channel' using the remote when he is confronted by a crowd of hoodlums.
The end of the movie is enigmatic and adds a strange almost religious twist to the movie. Western readers may be interested to hear that the film's ending was changed or removed in several countries since it was seen as blasphemous.
Writing this review at a time when the global economy seems to be lurching towards depression many of Chance's utterings are apposite -"in in the fall we need to do some trimming and in the winter the garden lies fallow, but in the spring there is growth".
I've seen it mentioned in other reviews too, but the whole Barack Obama phenomenon is so reminiscent of Being There. An unproven man who comes out of nowhere with an unclear background and experience; a populace desperate for change that uses his vague statements about hope and change to reflect their own hopes and beliefs. These characteristics are hauntingly paralleled in Being There.
A film certainly worth viewing
Movie Review: The Story of Barack Obama
Summary: 5 Stars
Maybe. Time will tell. But more importantly, this is one of the best films of the past thirty years, with a flawless performance by the late great Peter Sellers as Chance the gardener, an elegant, polite gentleman who woos the elite in Washington, all of them blind to the fact that poor Chance is a sheltered simpleton who looks good on camera but hasn't the foggiest clue what's going on around him. He likes to watch tv. That's about it. Out on the streets for the first time in his fiftysomething years, he encounters a gang of hoodlums and tries to turn them off with the remote control he took from the house he was forced to vacate. At first, he's really quite heartbreaking, and you want him to be saved by the stupid elitists, and lo and behold, he is. And then you are relieved. And then, towards the end of the movie, you say, hey, wait a minute, this idiot may be headed for the White House and then WE will be the ones in the heartbreaking situation. Some may say this is the story of Dubya, too. Well, maybe. I'm an ignorant, nonpartisan independent registered voter. All I know for sure is, with all these Pink Panther remakes and Austin Powers-Love Guru comedies all over the place (and I love both Steve Martin and Mike Myers, who is our modern day Sellers), all one can say is, I miss you so much, Peter Sellers!!! (oh, I should add, the extras on this dvd are REALLY disappointing - I was looking forward to a full length making of documentary, not Illeana Douglas talking on camera for 15 minutes - that + a trailer is all you get, no commentary nothing - I know just about everyone from the picture is dead but couldn't Shirley MacLaine step out of one of her lives for a couple of hours to reminisce?)
Movie Review: Subtle, enigmatic and highly entertaining...
Summary: 5 Stars
Seeing this film for the first time, 25 years on from its original release, two things really hit home. Firstly it's very good - the acting and direction are excellent, it's funny, it's a clever story, and it makes you think. All pretty good credentials for any film. Secondly - and here's where its true brilliance lies - its underlying message hasn't dated at all and, if anything, is more relevant and effective than it was when it was made.
And the message itself? Superficially, it's an exploration of how, in a world dominated by the fleeting demands of mass media, someone with absolutely no knowledge at all can become a megastar and, once established as such, can demand respect and gain power far beyond their capabilities. And, beneath that... well, that's where the fun starts. Is it an exploration of the shallowness of western society? Is it a study of people's weaknesses & needs? Is it a religious allegory? Is it, in terms of most of the characters, a huge tragedy? Is it all or none of these?
The ending, which generates much debate about its "meaning" - is he walking on water in a messianic way or is he simply so stupid that he doesn't realise he's walking, by accident, on a submerged jetty? - is quite brilliant as are the final "over the titles" cuts of Sellers being unable to deliver his deadpan lines without laughing at them, leaving you with the uncomfortable feeling that the "joke" might be on you in trying to read too much into what's on offer here. In the end, of course, it's what you want it to be and that's the whole point of the story - we make people, situations and films themselves into what we want them to be not what they necessarily are. Subtle, enigmatic and, above all, highly entertaining.
Movie Review: "Being there" is about three things
Summary: 5 Stars
Freud said, "Go ask the poets." We can learn many lessons from art, music, stories, and film. This brings me to "Being there," a novel written by Jerzy Kosinski. The book was first published in 1970. In 1979, the film was released based on the screenplay that was co-written by Kosinski and Robert C. Jones. In keeping with a postmodern perspective, I am willing to entertain multiple interpretations of this story. But I cannot help but think that despite the many potential understandings about this work, there is a most important lesson to be learned.
So, what is the lesson to be learned from Being there? How did a simple-minded gardener--"dumb as a jackass" according to his maid Louise--become Chauncey Gardiner? The heir to a billionaire's fortune. A media guru. An advisor to the president of the United States. A potential presidential candidate himself. Maybe even a prophet. Was there something innately great about Chauncey? Maybe. But probably not. Being there begs the question, "Being where?"
Being there is about three things: location, location--and location! Chauncey Gardiner, upon getting hit by the Rand's car, was in the right place at the right time. But the lesson goes beyond a mere bump on the leg by a billionaire's fender. Chauncey Gardiner's greatness lied not in the man but, rather, in the relationships of people who chose to define him as great. Simply put, Chauncey Gardiner was a socially constructed reality.
If you saw this film, did you get it? Did you learn the lesson of "Being there?" Perhaps you see it differently, and that is alright. It might be more than alright if you get some people to agree with you.
Movie Review: "Bye Louise."
Summary: 5 Stars
Having recently seen The Life and Death of Peter Sellers starring Geoffrey Rush, I was compelled to see Being There. In the ending of his biopic, they did an reenactment of a scene from Being There in which the maid Louise said goodbye to Chauncy Gardener(Sellers) for the last time. It was a very touching scene. He's a kind, non-judgemental, compassionate, and loving man. He's lived in the Old Man's house, and worked as the gardener. For the first time he has to embark a life outside the house. He has no real experience of the outside world, and had only seen life on TV.
Chauncy's life is changed completely when he met Eve(Shirley MacLaine) and her wealthy politician husband. His unusually down-to-earthness and fondness for gardening instantly impressed the couple, and they took him to live with them. Eventually, he's introduced to other powerful figures in the political world and managed to inspired the president, as well he attracted the mass media to interview him and go on TV. Chauncy Gardener instantly became a sensation and influence to the citizens who saw his interviews. Meanwhile, Eve was falling in love with Chauncy when her ailing husband was bed-ridden, and encouraged her to go on a date with Chauncy.....
Peter Sellers gave the performance of his career that garnered him an Oscar nomination, and this is a very different role compared to his snapstick comedies. It's an isntant comparison to Forrest Gump, but this film doesn't rely on so much unrealistic fantasy storyline or special effects to make it a captivating expeience. Shirley MacLaine was wonderful together with Sellers in the love scenes.