Review of Melvin Goes to Dinner

This is an extraordinarilly original and brave piece of movie making. It is brave in that it relies almost soley on the strength of the writing and on faith in the actors, without any tricks, gimmicks, or false sense of style thrown in. And because the script is in fact very good, and the actors all give such amazingly natural, real, and authentic-feeling performances, Melvin Goes to Dinner improbably became one of the most interesting and endearing independent films I've seen. As a viewer I felt priviledged to look in on the intimate, philisophical, and anectdotal conversations happening around the dinner table. I truly felt as though I were among real people, with real histories, flaws, and hopes. And it's remarkable how the director reveals exactly the right amount of information to the audience at exactly the right times, as the characters themselves learn about each other and about how they're connected in ways they never knew. All this works so well, that a second viewing of the movie (now that we know everything we know about these people) is even more satisfying. The performances that were already so strong are lent a whole new layer as suble gestures, facial expressions, and reactions to one another are given new meaning. For such a small little film there are some very big and worthwhile ideas being examined and celebrated here. Definately go out of your way for this one and watch it with a good friend, preferrably at a time when you've got a spare hour afterward to just sit and talk.