JUDY BERLIN (1999) / ** 1/2
Directed by Eric Mendelsohn from his screenplay. Starring Bob Dishy, Madeline Kahn, Aaron Harnick. Running time: 93 minutes. Rated AA by the MFCB. Reviewed on October 14th, 2000.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Eric Mendelsohn's "Judy Berlin" is a quiet, beautifully filmed drama about the mundanity of the suburban lifestyle. Perhaps taking its cue from "The Twilight Zone" (explicitly referenced) which often dealt with similar themes, "Judy Berlin" examines the way people become trapped in their day-to-day life by interrupting their routine with the unexpected, and depicting their reactions.
Set in the Long Island community of Babylon, "Judy Berlin" takes place on a Tuesday in September. It is the second day of school. It is the day the title character, an aspiring actress, is due to leave for California. It is the day of a total solar eclipse. The principal of the local primary school is Arthur Gold (Bob Dishy). His marriage to Alice (Madeline Kahn, in her final film role) has long since exhausted its supply of affection, and he is now engaged in vague, tentative flirtation with teacher Sue Berlin (Barbara Barrie).
Meanwhile, Arthur and Alice's son David (Aaron Harnick) has returned home from Hollywood, where he has been working as a director. David has given up on life, and now endures an aimless existence, wandering the streets of Babylon. He runs into Sue's daughter Judy (Edie Falco), who is leaving town for Hollywood to break into movies. Acquaintances from their high school days, David finds himself inviting Judy to lunch despite himself, but his own experiences in the film industry threaten to taint Judy's sunny outlook.
It may not be obvious at first just why the movie is named after Judy Berlin. She is just one of several vital characters, and comes across as more of a supporting player in David's personal drama than a central protagonist on her own. But unlike all the other characters, Judy is trying to break free of the prison that is Babylon. Her dreams may be pleasant delusions (certainly, her acting abilities are more than a little suspect), her future may well be awash in doubt and uncertainty, but at least Judy is trying to craft her own future. The other principals are trapped in the endless cycle of suburban life. Even David, who did leave town once upon a time, never shed that mentality, and may indeed subvert Judy's intentions with his cynical naysaying.
It is through Judy, and the eclipse, and a elderly retired teacher (Bette Henritze) suffering from Alzheimer's that Mendelsohn gives his characters a chance to break free of this cycle and, concurrently, illustrates just how firmly ensconced in their routine they truly are. The story arc involving Arthur and Sue is probably the best example of this: By the dim light of the eclipse, Arthur finally decides to leave Alice and pursue a relationship with Sue. But he is acting on pure, raw instinct -- "I don't know what I'm doing," he confesses, and he could not be more truthful. Nothing in his life to date has prepared him for this deed; it is foreign to him, no matter how much he desires it, and he fumbles through the encounter like a child riding a bike for the first time.
Alice, meanwhile, undergoes an experience of self-revelation via the eclipse. She is the only one who is really aware that it lasts an unnaturally long time, and this is representative of the way she is slowly becoming cognisant what is happening around here. She knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that Arthur has left her and, moreover, she understands why. Alice tries to comfort herself by making light of the strange eclipse, pretending that she and her housekeeper are "space explorers", but in a sense this is a very apt description. The experiences of the day have led Alice into alien territory, a terrifying and foreign realisation of life beyond the suburban routine.
Unfortunately, although there are many nice character moments in "Judy Berlin", the movie never quite seems to come together; it is less than the sum of its parts. Mendelsohn maintains a decent pace despite his quiet, sometimes tedious subject matter, but a lot of the movie still feels insubstantial. This stems largely from the fact that he has not chosen particularly interesting characters; they serve their respective roles, but most of them fail to really engage us in their struggles. There is nothing distinctive enough to properly draw us in, and as a result, the observations made about them carry less weight than they should.
Certainly, this is not the fault of the actors, who give generally excellent performances. Dishy in particular is great to watch, finding a nice range and perfectly expressing Arthur's deep, fundamental confusion. Harnick is also commendable as David, believably portraying a man utterly disinterested in himself and life in general. Kahn, who died just three months after "Judy Berlin" debuted at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival, has fun with her material, but also has an opportunity to demonstrate her sometimes overlooked dramatic skills (Alice's realisation that Arthur has abandoned her is particular good). Of all the character arcs, though, hers feels the least thought-out, and never really finds a natural conclusion.
"Judy Berlin" is recorded entirely in black and white, and this is a laudable decision by Mendelsohn. Not only does monochrome film accentuate the surreality of Babylon under the eclipse, in the movie's early scenes it also serves to hammer home the sheer mediocrity of suburban living.
In a way, though, this only emphasises the fact that "Judy Berlin" is more an exercise of style than substance. It is lovely to watch, boasts very good performers, and contains some good ideas. But the execution is less than successful, as Mendelsohn never quite finds the proper vehicles through which to express his themes. "Judy Berlin" is kind of like the old cliche about Chinese food: enjoyable at the time, but afterward you're left looking for more.
Copyright © 2000 Shannon Patrick Sullivan. Archived at The Popcorn Gallery, http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies/JudyBerlin.html
_______________________________________________________________________ / Shannon Patrick Sullivan | "We are all in the gutter, but some of us \ | shannon@mun.ca | are looking at the stars." - Oscar Wilde | \___________________________|__________________________________________/ | Popcorn Gallery Movie Reviews www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html | | Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) /drwho.html |
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