SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

SpunkySelfTwitter It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

Motompa Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.

Kodie Bird True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

The_late_Buddy_Ryan Of the three filmed "Vanya"s I've seen, the classic British version with Redgrave and Olivier seemed being stagy and uninvolving, like a Victorian drawing-room comedy, the Russian version from '71, directed by Konchalovsky, was too stylized and peculiar to have much of an impact (the location, a decayed dacha in a picturesque rural landscape, was more memorable than the performances), and this one, from '94, seems just about right. Lookists might object that Wally Shawn's too geeky and gnomelike to be convincing as Vanya, and conversely that Brooke Smith's too attractive to play Sonya, and maybe so, but from the moment the camera shifts from the chitchat at the refreshments table to Dr. Astrov and the nurse sitting by the samovar and delivering the play's (almost) opening lines, you feel like you're getting the best of both worlds—experiencing the intimacy of one of director André Gregory's cultish, invitation-only performances on the home screen of your choice. David Mamet's expedited version of the play (and a resulting running time of 119 minutes) seems just about right; even if we don't know what to make of Sonya's final assurances to Uncle Vanya that it will all be made right in the next life, it still comes across as a poignant moment. In the years to come, Wally Shawn would occasionally put on a limited-engagement, first come–first served production of one of his own plays in a similar desolate Downtown setting, and as a not very committed theatergoer, I could never get it together to go to one; no problem—in retrospect, watching Louis Malle's brilliant film on a DVD that came in the mail seems like a more satisfying theatrical experience.

Petri Pelkonen Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a famed Russian writer.His plays have lived on.Uncle Vanya is one of them.I read the play pretty recently, and it gives an excellent portrayal of unhappy people, who live their wasted life dealing with their misery.Over the course of three years director Andre Gregory and a group of actors rehearsed the play in the then-abandoned Amsterdam Theater on 42th street in New York City.The actors were in their street clothes and the performances were for an invited audience only.Gregory and Louis Malle decided to document the play.The result is Vanya on 42th Street (1994).This was the last movie of Louis Malle.The film is based on the English translation by David Mamet.Of course this whole thing wouldn't work if the cast wasn't something unique.And in this case it is.Wallace Shawn is the perfect man to play Vanya.Just look at the scene where he finally loses it and blames the professor for ruining his life.That's some amazing acting.The Finnish-born actor George Gaynes does brilliant work as Serybryakov.The then-rising star Julianne Moore is excellent as his young wife Yelena.Larry Pine is fantastic as Dr. Astrov, who likes to drink.Brooke Smith is amazing as Sonya with her unrequited love for Dr. Astrov.Lynn Cohen is terrific as Maman.And so is Jerry Mayer as Waffles.Stage actress Phoebe Brand gives her only movie performance playing Nanny and she does a great job.Also great work by Indian actress Madhur Jaffrey (Mrs. Chao) and Andre Gregory, who plays himself.There's some great spirit between these performers, that carries throughout the play.If you yearn for something intelligent, then you should watch Vanya on 42th Street.

KFL First, full disclosure: I've seen Uncle Vanya performed by the Bolshoi Theater, and have read the play over a dozen times, in the original Russian. It is dear to me, and I have some rather definite ideas about what it is, and what it should be.Having said that...I must say that while I really liked how the actors were filmed coming into the rehearsal area from the streets of NY, and thought that several deviations from Chekhov were appropriate and even inspired, and though I was awed by the acting of Shawn, Larry Pine, and especially Brooke Smith, ...I had a few problems with this production.Above all--I had a problem with Yelena (played by Julianne Moore) as a giggling airhead. Was this the idea of Moore, or director Gregory, or of David Mamet, who altered the original play? It certainly wasn't Chekhov. Yelena certainly is, in some respects, empty, false, hollow. But having her giggle in response to Vanya's confessions of love is completely at odds with what Chekhov had in mind. She may not be entirely serious, but she does take other people seriously; and her reaction here is more like pity and disgust than like levity and thoughtless dismissal. Yelena is not an airhead valley-girl. The other problem arises from how the play is shot as a movie. As noted by zetes below, theater and film are different media. Obviously Chekhov, who died in 1904, was writing only with the stage in mind. Hence some dialog is bound to be either too weak, or too strong (probably the former). And sure enough, while Brooke Smith is absolutely WONDERFUL as Sonya throughout, her final speech--which in the original play is rousing, inspiring, really uplifting--comes across as way too understated. On the stage, Sonya should give her "We will find peace!" speech at full pitch, packed with emotion; but if Smith had given such a delivery here, with camera in a close-up shot of her as she spoke, the effect would have been completely over-the-top. Her delivery is the best it can be, given the medium; but it's not what Chekhov intended.All this aside, there is a lot to like here, and I'm glad I was able to find this at the video rental store.

etien55 I loved the flow of this film how it starts with a street scene, the actors merge together at the door of the theatre, engage in some small-talk with each other and the hero Vanya --not in character yet --sleeps --two Larry Pine and Phoebe Brand sit at a table --then we hear the sound of bells --then the performance begins. This flow from the street into the theatre then into the drama is done so effortlessly that I watched it many times over. One really sensed that the actors enjoyed making this film. Wallace Shawn as Uncle Vanya --what an actor. Loved it. This film is the best introduction to Chekhov I know of --other than seeing it in a local theatre. I have watched it four times --because I think one can learn about stagecraft, acting, as well as film production. If the cast or director ever come by here --let me say thank you.