Metropolitan 1990

     Almost every night a group of Manhattan friends from the New York upper class meet at an apartment.  They talk about social mobility, play bridge and discuss Fourier’s socialism.  There is Audrey and she is a Jane Austen fan.  Nick is a cynic, Charlie is philosophical and Sally is a party girl.  Tom meets the group on the street one night and they invite him to join them.  He’s not part of their social structure and he has a much simpler and poorer background.  His parents are divorced, his mother is a writer and Tom feels critical about the upper class lifestyle of this group.  He doesn’t know if he should keep meeting with them or go his own way.  He feels drawn to Audrey.

     I previously attempted to watch this film and I could not get interested.  I realized I had already seen part of this film after a few minutes of watching.  I had other work I could do this time to distract me so I continued to watch.  I think a LOT of the discussions and the lives of the people here are not the least bit interesting.  Just because a person has social status and money doesn’t make them more interesting or what they do or what they say interesting??  There are those who do and those who talk??  2 ½* (This movie is so-so)  

98 min, Drama directed by Whit Stillman with Carolyn Farina, Edward Clements, Chris Eigeman, Taylor Nichols, Allison Parisi, Dylan Hundley, Isabel Gilles, Bryan Leder, Will Kempe, Ellia Thompson, Stephen Uys, Roger W. Kirby.

Note:  Imdb 7.4 out of 10, 91% critic 85% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 3.9* out of 5* with 106 reviews, Roger Ebert 3 ½*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Cornwall, Manhattan, Southampton, New York.  Director Whit Stillman wrote the script.  He started writing in the summer of 1984 and finished in November of 1988.  Carolyn Farina in the role of Audrey was working the perfume counter at Macy’s and she waited on Stillman’s wife.  This was a lucky break and she had no previous acting experience.  Linda Gillies plays Audrey’s mother and she is the real mother of Isabel Gillies playing Cynthia McLean.  Linda was cast after Stillman saw her visit her daughter on the set.  Another lucky break!!  Most of the cast did not continue acting after this first film and only three or four went on to have acting careers.

Additional Note:  Fourier’s socialism refers to Francois Marie Charles Fourier (April 7, 1772 – December 10, 1837).  He advocated a reconstruction of society based on communal associations.