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Article: A writer, a rock star and a peacemaker: 'Starting Out in the Evening' quietly studies a literary life; 'I'm not there' is a confusing look at Bob Dylan.(MOVIES)(Movie review)
- Article from:
- National Catholic Reporter
- Article date:
- December 14, 2007
- Author:
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Starting Out in the Evening is a quiet film that might drop into oblivion except for Frank Langella's masterful performance as Leonard Schiller, an elderly minor novelist whose life seems over. Heather Wolfe (Lauren Ambrose), a young graduate student from Brown, interrupts his work on a new novel, a project that has already consumed more than 10 years of his life. She asks for help with her master's thesis, which she naively hopes will lead a new generation to read his work.
Moviegoers are right to be suspicious about these May-December encounters, and though director Andrew Wagner handles their relationship with tactful humor, Heather seems too coy and ...