The Dresser (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
The complicated relationship of 2 men (an effeminate personal assistant, and the actor he dresses) who have given their lives to the theater forms the basis for 'The Dresser' (adapted by Ronald Harwood from his own play & directed by Peter Yates). The setting is London during the Blitz (WWII). Albert Finney plays Sir, an aging, once-famous actor & tyrannical manager of a rag tag theatre company specializing in Shakespearean plays. Years of touring with little recognition or rewards have taken their toll on Sir. Having grown frustrated & a touch senile, he experiences a bit of a mental breakdown in a nearby marketplace & is briefly hospitalized.
Norman (Tom Courtenay), his devoted 'dresser' of 16 yrs., would do anything for the man he's come to love. And so he coaxes Sir back from the brink of insanity to assume the make-up & costumes of King Lear; convincing him that the show really must go on. For this nervous & fidgety valet/dresser, the theatre is his sanctuary: "Here's beauty. Here's Spring & Summer. Here, pain is bearable." See he, too, experiences pain; and it actually originates with his boss, because the actor has patronized & often ignored him through their years together. So the appeal of this film and the crux of the drama is the poignant story of Sir & Norman in the dressing room, paralleling the story of King Lear & the Fool - which is being presented on-stage.
Director Peter Yates provides an excellent behind-the-scenes perspective on the theatre business; capturing the somewhat seedy environment of wartime England (with drab interiors & exteriors). I also liked watching the various actors worry & complain about their lot in life; even if they need $$ and love acting. And the script allows for some great emotional fireworks throughout (truly!). Sir, weighed down with regrets, and playing King Lear, rages against the Nazi air raids. Finney is simply volcanic, here. He's also riotously funny when need be. And yet, he also can dial it down when he needs to; showing how tormented by his fears he really is. Norman is like the Fool; always ready to serve, teapot in hand, fending off unwelcome admirers, & keeping order around the theater.
Tom Courtenay nails the kind of sweet, subservient fellow who has his own barrel of insecurities & frailties. And for him, everything culminates in the blistering final act. The performances by Finney & Courtenay bring the theater world to vivid life, for us. Edward Fox also impresses as Oxenby, understudy to Sir, and one of the unhappiest members of the company. And Eileen Atkins is very good as the sensitive stage manager who has secretly loved Sir for years. 'The Dresser' should mostly appeal to theater lovers. Patience is required for this type of film. But don't pass up the chance to witness a slow, but immersive film about this strange, obsessed pair of characters. You won't be able to tear your eyes away from Finney or Courtenay.
Norman (Tom Courtenay), his devoted 'dresser' of 16 yrs., would do anything for the man he's come to love. And so he coaxes Sir back from the brink of insanity to assume the make-up & costumes of King Lear; convincing him that the show really must go on. For this nervous & fidgety valet/dresser, the theatre is his sanctuary: "Here's beauty. Here's Spring & Summer. Here, pain is bearable." See he, too, experiences pain; and it actually originates with his boss, because the actor has patronized & often ignored him through their years together. So the appeal of this film and the crux of the drama is the poignant story of Sir & Norman in the dressing room, paralleling the story of King Lear & the Fool - which is being presented on-stage.
Director Peter Yates provides an excellent behind-the-scenes perspective on the theatre business; capturing the somewhat seedy environment of wartime England (with drab interiors & exteriors). I also liked watching the various actors worry & complain about their lot in life; even if they need $$ and love acting. And the script allows for some great emotional fireworks throughout (truly!). Sir, weighed down with regrets, and playing King Lear, rages against the Nazi air raids. Finney is simply volcanic, here. He's also riotously funny when need be. And yet, he also can dial it down when he needs to; showing how tormented by his fears he really is. Norman is like the Fool; always ready to serve, teapot in hand, fending off unwelcome admirers, & keeping order around the theater.
Tom Courtenay nails the kind of sweet, subservient fellow who has his own barrel of insecurities & frailties. And for him, everything culminates in the blistering final act. The performances by Finney & Courtenay bring the theater world to vivid life, for us. Edward Fox also impresses as Oxenby, understudy to Sir, and one of the unhappiest members of the company. And Eileen Atkins is very good as the sensitive stage manager who has secretly loved Sir for years. 'The Dresser' should mostly appeal to theater lovers. Patience is required for this type of film. But don't pass up the chance to witness a slow, but immersive film about this strange, obsessed pair of characters. You won't be able to tear your eyes away from Finney or Courtenay.