Over-rated

Rating: 3/10 (26 June 2020)

I found this film unsatisfactory particularly after the hype it has had. Early in the film the family and the visitor were identified as Jewish. This info is laboured throughout the film. What had this to contribute to the story? I found neither of the leads empathetic. The Americano visitor, Armie Hammer, seemed to acquire a special status for no better reason than that he was Americano. They fainted at the sight of his tepid dancing. (If you want to see dancing see Jean-Pierre Moulin in Klapisch's Paris.) In fact every move he made, whether playing a game or just sitting at the dinner table, no matter how tiresome, was marvelled at. The other lead, Timothée Chalamet, had some quirky ways. He was adequate. At the end Chalamet's father makes a speech, essentially explaining the film. If you have to explain a joke it is no longer funny. Explaining the content disemboweled the film. I was not surprised to see that James Ivory had a part in writing the script.