The City of Your Final Destination

James Ivory proves to be a guarantee of grace when trying to render the complexity of those novels where the evocative power of the word must be translated into the visual form. The result, in this movie, like in his previous adaptations of great literary classics, is an elegant and graceful transposition of the novel by Peter Cameron. I read it some years ago, and watching the movie allowed me to recall it, not only from the point of view of the plot (which was not totally respected, indeed), but what gradually emerged in my mind was the subtle emotional tension running through it from the beginning. It is a novel full of drama, passion, inner conflicts, emerging gradually, almost softly, through rapid but effective dialogues, where each word is a powerful means, and as the movie proves adherence to this pattern, we gradually get into the emotional world of this strange family, and feel a strong involvement. Ivory's style remains the same as usual: elegant photography, careful screenplay, care for the single detail, little but significant musical underlining. The only limit is the hasty final movement towards a happy ending, which gives little justice to the novel, mainly to the character of Omar, who eventually find his own path in a too hasty way. And also the complex character of Caroline is not fully respected in the way the real motivations behind her first choice were cut off from the movie, thus depriving her of some more depth, evident in the novel. Talented acting, mainly from female cast (but Anthony Hopkins proves always impeccable) supports the overall high quality of the movie: everyone is so fit for his/her role, that having read the novel, I think no better cast could have been chosen. A refined movie, which however urges to go back to the novel in order to clear up some unconvincing points.

This adaptation of Peter Cameron's 2002 novel is the first film from director James Ivory (he's 82 this year by the way) after the passing of his longtime producing partner Ismail Merchant. Over the past two decades, the Merchant-Ivory name was a brand of literary cinema in itself, from which acclaimed works such as "The Remains of the Day" and "Howard's End" were spawned.

Unfortunately, this reportedly final film from James ivory will not be remembered in the same light as those aforementioned films- because as much as it tries its best to evoke the same literary feel, this solo venture by James Ivory is too genteel, too wandering, and ultimately too bland to make much of an impact. And that is despite the efforts by a fine cast- the likes of thespian Anthony Hopkins, Laura Linney and French actress Charlotte Gainsburg.

In adapting Cameron's novel, longtime Merchant-Ivory screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala keeps her focus on the academic Omar Razaghi (Omar Metwally), a University of Kansas English graduate student who journeys down to Uruguay to meet the family of the late minor novelist Jules Gund. Omar wants to write a biography of the late author- and his academic and financial future depend on it- but the family has thus far refused their permission.

Ivory gets the events leading up to Omar's unannounced visit at the Gund estate over and done with quickly, and leaves the rest of the film for his audience to get to know the eccentricities of the Gund family. There, Omar meets Jules' imperious widow, Caroline (Linney), and his mistress Arden (Gainsburg) and her daughter Portia (Ambar Mallman). Not forgetting of course Jules' older brother Adam (Hopkins) and his Japanese lover Pete (Hiroyuki Sanada).

Jhabvala's screenplay allows Omar to have plenty of interactions with each one of the Gund family, but these largely lack much sizzle. The most interesting of these is the tension between Omar and Caroline, the widow bristling with hostility especially when she sees how Arden is taking too quickly to Omar. The romance between Omar and Arden however turns out too nondescript, while Omar's talks with Adam mostly centre on Jules' legacy- an unfinished novel and a mysterious suicide. An accident leads to the arrival of Omar's domineering girlfriend (Alexandra Maria Lara), but even this turn of events doesn't quite set the drama afire.

Neither does the ensemble cast for that matter. Hopkins is good as always, but his role is hardly much of a stretch for him. Ditto for Linney, who gives the film's sharpest performance as the brittle and thorny widow eager to hide some family secrets. Metwally on the other hand is woefully miscast, his genial performance undermining what potential dramatic moments the film has going for it.

Admittedly though there are few- and the fault ultimately lies with director James Ivory's directorial choices. There is little to suggest that we as the audience should care for any of the characters or their dilemmas, which seems trivial and insignificant. The production values here are stellar as with any Ivory film, in particular the evocative cinematography by Javier Aguirresarobe ("Talk to Her," "Vicky Cristina Barcelona")- but the storytelling is ultimately what makes this a forgettable entry in the list of Ivory films.

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Greetings again from the darkness. Most everyone is familiar with the peak of Merchant-Ivory genius which included: A Room With a View, Remains of the Day, and Howerd's End to name a few. Ismail Merchant died a few years ago, but director James Ivory returns with a powerful, yet odd film based on Peter Cameron's novel.

The film boasts a very nice cast: Anthony Hopkins as the aging, gay man who is the brother of a famous (now dead) novelist; Laura Linney as the widow of the writer; and Charlotte Gainsbourg as the writer's former mistress. Oh yeah, these three all live together in a compound in Uruguay on land the writer left behind after his suicide.

The story gets interesting when Omar (played by Omar Metwally) shows up unannounced after receiving a declination of his offer to write a biography on the novelist. Hopkins supports the idea as he expects it will generate book sales and revenue for the group. Linney is flat against it thinking it will spill too many secrets. Gainsbourg initially sides with Linney, but changes her vote when she falls for Omar.

On the surface, the story is about Omar's attempt to win Linney's bitter character to change her mind. The much more interesting story is Omar's awakening in this oddball community now that he is out of the grasp of his domineering type A girlfriend and co-worker played superbly by Alexandra Maria Lara. Talk about a personality that makes you want to turn and walk away! She almost makes Linney's character seem humane.

Mr. Ivory excels in subtlety and he is in fine form here. So many "little" moments make this story really click. Not to mention it is beautifully photographed. This is a really good film that will probably get lost in the mass confusion of summer giants like Twilight and Toy Story 3. If you get the chance, make the time to see this one.

City of Your Final Destination This first solo project from director James Ivory, from what little I saw of the film it promises to deliver.

True to form Ivory makes the most of exotic locations and an a stellar international cast.

The incomparable Anthony Hopkins rarely disappoints and in this role he more than exceeds any expectation.

Laura Linney plays her role of the tightly wound widow to perfection while Charlotte Gainsbourg is splendid as the vulnerable mistress.

Omar Metwally, the biographer, and Alexandra Maria Lara, his overly ambitious girlfriend, are superb.

The dialogue is written by Ruth Prawler Jhabvala has captured the essence of Peter Cameron's novel of the same name.

Just got to see a 25 minutes sneak peak at the Monterey Film Festival over the weekend, and I can tell you it certainly left me wanting more! The scenery was lush and beautiful. Anthony Hopkins is in his element, playing the brother of the dead author, and I am particularly excited for Linney's performance as the pinched and long-suffering widow, who shares the same living space with her husband's mistress. It's hard to say whether it will dip into the melodramatic, since we were only allowed to see such a short bit of it, but considering the strong cast, and solid performances we were able to see, this film looks as though it will not disappoint.