Meryl Streep, Dianne Wiest, Candice Bergen, and Steven Soderbergh…. how can that formula produce anything other than greatness? Greatness is what I was expecting and hoping for from Let Them All Talk, and greatness is what I got. Now, I must confess that this type of film is my bread and butter; I really do love this kind of a story. There’s nothing other worldly or epic about this kind of a story. It’s simple in a lot of ways but even though it’s simple, it’s still so effective and gripping. This script tells it’s story of human relationships so well and this cast brings that script to life in the best way imaginable.
Meryl…. what can I say? She’s done it once again. Streep’s portrayal of her lead character is so focused and smooth…just an absolute pleasure to watch. This lead character is very internal and interesting and I was just mesmerized by the way Streep played her. She’s someone that you just want to learn more about.
Dianne Wiest, who I wish I saw more of in Let Them All Talk, plays one of the two friends from Streep’s past. What I loved about Wiest’s portrayal of her character is both the humor and peacekeeper mentality. She has a good many comedic lines and she knows just how to deliver them. On top of that, she has some great dramatic moments too. Wiest is someone that you’d want to have as a good friend and that makes us as the audience like and respond to her.
The other friend from Streep’s past is played by Candice Bergen and this character sure has a lot of interesting stuff to bring to the table. Bergen’s character has harbored a deep resentment against Streep’s character because of something that happened years and years ago and that grudge proves to not only be an interesting plot point, but it also makes Bergen’s character very intriguing. Candice Bergen is such a fine seasoned actress and she continues to prove that with her spot on performance here. And what’s also so great about Let Them All Talk’s main three women is the chemistry they share. These veteran actresses really know how to play off one another well and extract exactly what they need from a scene.
I also have to mention Lucas Hedges, who I’ve become a fan of due to his magnificent performances in Boy Erased and Ben is Back. Hedges plays such an adorable character that you just have to love because of his very obvious tenderness. Hedges has proven himself very capable of playing these types of empathetic lovable guys and while this performance is more understated than his past performances, it’s still a very skilled one. He and Streep, who plays his aunt, have good chemistry too.
The script that Deborah Eisenberg offers up for Let Them All Talk is honestly near perfection. There is an intimacy and a smoothness to the dialogue and the overall story that just works. Like I said, this story isn’t particularly epic or massively profound but it is very interesting and at certain times, gripping. Eisenberg understands these characters and their personalities and relationships and she’s able to craft a tender narrative that is entertaining from start to finish. I was also really impressed by how she juggled the main plot that revolves around these three women and the subplot that involves Lucas Hedges – it’s all very seamless.
And I must not forget to praise Steven Soderbergh who is the director here, he knows just how to give this cast the correct prism through which to present their best work. I’ve admired his directing in his past films and here is no different – this is a man who understands how to shoot a film and how to capture performances in just the right way.
Let Them All Talk is a film that presents a stellar cast with a near perfect script and then puts it in the hands of a director with a great understanding of how to properly shoot a film. It would have been really hard for this to be bad with this kind of formula. I hope you’ll see this because it really is a fine piece of work.
Cult of Cults goes places other documentaries rather not
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