Vanya on 42nd Street Reviews

Not so long ago, I saw ‘August’, Anthony Hopkins’s directing debut, and it was based on the very same story, except that Hopkins moved the setting to North Wales at the beginning of the 20th century and changed all the names. Eventually, I was able to figure out who was who but I just couldn't see what it was actually all about and what they actually wanted to achieve here. Indeed, I might sound stupid but I think it is one of the most confusing stories I have ever seen. Anyway, since  it was Louis Malle's last movie, I was quite eager to check it out. Eventually, I did like it but it is definitely not for everybody. Basically, there was literally no set or decor and the only focus was on the actors and their performances. Fortunately, all the actors were very good and gave some very good performances. Eventually, I believe that this original approach helped me to appreciate more this rather convoluted story as I didn’t care much for the traditional version delivered by Hopkins. Anyway, to conclude, even though it was not an easy watch, I thought it was quite intriguing and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Louis Malle’s work.