Warning, spoiler here . . .
I thought this was quite good - much better than I expected - but I think my
appreciation of it was based on the fact that it was a faithful and sincere
condensation of the book by Joseph Mitchell, which I had read several years
before. The fact is that the book is a non-fiction memoir written by one of the best news writers this country has ever seen and it is very hard to transfer
Mitchell's miraculous voice to film, though Tucci does an admirable job. The fact is, some people have said it has no ending, but I would argue that dooming a
man like Mitchell to a psychological prison where his written word - the only way he could truly express himself and chronicle the world around him - no longer comes out is a pretty eventful ending. As a writer, I see the loss of your craft and your voice as devastating. But this is a subtle, inner turmoil, and if you can't see it as valid as a dramatic ending, then you can't. I would urge everyone who has an interest to read the book. It will fill in the spaces that the movie does not answer and it will also serve as a springboard to more of Mitchell's work. He is one of the finest writers this country has seen, up there with Mark Twain, and he deserves some attention beyond the scope ot the literary world that adores him. Maybe this movie will at least afford him that.
I thought this was quite good - much better than I expected - but I think my
appreciation of it was based on the fact that it was a faithful and sincere
condensation of the book by Joseph Mitchell, which I had read several years
before. The fact is that the book is a non-fiction memoir written by one of the best news writers this country has ever seen and it is very hard to transfer
Mitchell's miraculous voice to film, though Tucci does an admirable job. The fact is, some people have said it has no ending, but I would argue that dooming a
man like Mitchell to a psychological prison where his written word - the only way he could truly express himself and chronicle the world around him - no longer comes out is a pretty eventful ending. As a writer, I see the loss of your craft and your voice as devastating. But this is a subtle, inner turmoil, and if you can't see it as valid as a dramatic ending, then you can't. I would urge everyone who has an interest to read the book. It will fill in the spaces that the movie does not answer and it will also serve as a springboard to more of Mitchell's work. He is one of the finest writers this country has seen, up there with Mark Twain, and he deserves some attention beyond the scope ot the literary world that adores him. Maybe this movie will at least afford him that.