My Dinner with Hervé

It took me a while to let go of the 'that's not the type of dwarfism he had' problem, but when I was finally able to do so, I was able to appreciate the story much more. It touched (lightly, admittedly, but also in an 'everyman' (sic) kind of way) on the themes of self-belief, self-control, and self-congratulation, and how thin the line between them is. One false move can see you fall on your face, or require you to push someone else out of your way; and we never know when that false move may occur or what may prompt it to happen.

Well, that was a surprise. I almost want to accept this as HBO's apology for their Fahrenheit 451 adaptation earlier this year. Almost. That film still really sucks.

Writer/director Sacha Gervais recounts the story of the night he spent with iconic French actor Hervé Villechaize while working on an article that never got published. As the story goes Gervasi promised Villechaize that he would tell his absolutely fascinating life story to the world and now 25 years on HBO has produced this film detailing why that promise was made.

If Gervasi's screenplay is accurate (which it appears to be for the most part) then Villechaize's life certainly was far more interesting and tragic than I had first presumed. The screenplay never really holds back on the details of the story which helps present a more rounded view of the actor's life. This can also lead to the film at points feeling more like someone reading a Wikipedia article.

Peter Dinklage is absolutely fantastic, completely disappearing into his role blurring the line between himself and the real Villechaize. His delivery of the iconic line "the plane, the plane" is almost pitch perfect. In a way Dinklage reminded me of David Bradley's performance as William Hartnell in several Doctor Who projects. Dinklage's non Game of Thrones performances keep continue to showcase why he was so instantly loved as soon as the first season aired. Given that the GOT cast does not have a reputation for quality outside of the show Dinklage has certainly managed to separate himself from the show in way many of his cast mates have not.

The closing shot is more than a little cheesy and the over emphasis on ensuring that every fact is given can make the film drag, however this does help make the overall sentiment feel more genuine.

I have nothing but respect for Gervasi for finally telling this story as well as for HBO for allowing him to do so. If you have access via HBO Go or Sky Q or anywhere else it is showing definitely check it out.

The basic motif for see it is the clash between Peter Dinklage and Jamie Dornan. The real motif is the impecable script. Seductive, bitter, powerful, a picture of deep solitude and relation with the past, courage and lovely story of friendship. A film about glory, succes and the other. A kind of poem about loneliness, working in impressive manner. Nothing surprising. Except , maybe, the fine art of director to give to a biopic the force of deep usefull parable.

If you were born before the eighties there is a big chance you watched or at least knew about Fantasy Island. It was one of those popular television shows and Tattoo, the dwarf, was one of the most recognizable character that made this show. Before Peter Dinklage became immensely popular with Game Of Thrones Hervé Villechaize was probably the most famous dwarf in the showbusiness. This movie is about his life. Peter Dinklage is definitely the most popular dwarf now and he deserves it, for his talented acting, so it's only natural he played this character. It's a good story, maybe not very flattering for Hervé Villechaize, as he doesn't look like the most enjoyable person, but his story is worth telling. Good job by Jamie Dornan as well. My Dinner With Hervé is an entertaining biography drama that brings back some memories from our childhood, well if you watched Fantasy Island as a kid.

I knew little of Herve, despite that the show Fantasy Island was such a mega hit (I didn't watch the show but knew well of it). Dinklage presented a portrait of a man like I have never seen before; simply mesmerizing. I truly believe Dinklage may be the greatest living actor at this time, he is simply the most genuine and talented person in his craft. He is genius in GoT, but he simply amazes in his channeling of Herve. The story is well crafted and beautifully told, although a side story involving the reporter's personal life crisis seemed, well, not complete or fitting. However that is but a small portion of the story. The supporting cast was great too; Andy Garcia's Ricardo Montalban was shear excellence, and I love David Strathairn in anything he does. I thoroughly enjoyed this superb presentation of a fascinating story. Don't miss it.