Best Sellers
Best Sellers
Best Sellers
Directed by:
Lina RoesslerScreenplay:
Anthony GriecoCinematography:
Claudine SauvéComposer:
Paul Leonard-MorganCast:
Aubrey Plaza, Michael Caine, Cary Elwes, Ellen Wong, Scott Speedman, Elana Dunkelman, Veronica Ferres, Victoria Sanchez, Frank Schorpion, Philip Le Maistre (more)Plots(1)
Harris Shaw is still typing on his rickety typewriter, even though he likes to bellow into his (rotary dial) phone that he is long dead. He coughs and swears, drinks and smokes, quite unlike Lucy Stanbridge, heir to the publishing house which made it big half a century ago with the author’s successful novel, “Atomic Autumn”. While the old curmudgeon has turned his back on life, the energetic young woman jogs through New York’s Upper East Side, receiving live updates from her ambitious assistant about (falling) sales figures and (crushing) influencer blogs. A book tour, of all things, with the old boy and his new work is meant to save the publishing house. But the old codger is a real pain in the arse. Spewed out in a British accent, his “bullshite!” quickly becomes the hashtag of a generation of US hipsters – but it doesn’t sell any books. In her directing debut, Lina Roessler stages Lucy and Harris’ at times absurd, at others heartfelt motel trip as a road movie in which Aubrey Plaza has to pull out all the stops to brave Sir Michael Caine (who was born, we should remember, in 1933). And she succeeds. In the end, this visibly moves not only the grumpy old man, but also all fans of literary films – and, of course, of Caine himself. (Berlinale)
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Reviews (3)
With Michael Caine and Aubrey Plaza starring, one would expect a certain level of quality, right? Unfortunately, the film fell short in more ways than one. While the cast delivered solid performances, it became painfully evident that they were let down by a lackluster screenplay. The storyline felt unoriginal and, at times, downright silly. The film hovered awkwardly between a failed attempt at comedy, a feeble drama, and the kind of TV movie you'd catch on a low-budget channel on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Frankly, I struggled to grasp what the creators were trying to convey. Is it a good thing that I enjoy reading, or should I spend long winter evenings warming my hands over the fire consuming my literary favorites? I guess I'll stick to reading. / Lesson learned: If you motivate your internal organs to fight over which one gives up first, you can expect a certain outcome.
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The movie Best Sellers is a real dog’s dinner. The first half of this movie tries to be a goofy comedy, and yet it is almost completely devoid of humor. The second half turns into a supposedly heart-warming drama, although it is lacking any genuine emotional feeling or sufficient connection to the characters. What is more, it drags quite a bit. For me, there is nothing to write home about. [KVIFF 2021]
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At first, Best Sellers comes across as a black comedy about an intergenerational clash between a coarse, very peculiar and grumpy writer and a diligent young publisher who, despite initial disagreements and antipathy, eventually learn to get along and grow fond of each other (i.e. an often seen cliché), but in the final third, Best Sellers slips into a sentimental drama in which the humor practically goes missing (not that it was anything to write home about before). Furthermore, the tonally discordant dramedy often runs out of breath and Michael Caine overdoes it a bit with his irritability and intolerance of everyone and everything, so instead of being a funny wisecracking cynic, he comes across more as an annoying, unlikable old man (though his performance is solid). As a result, it’s not possible to sympathize with the characters and the generally mediocre and bland execution makes the film a downright mundane and unremarkable imitation of much better, funnier and more well-thought-out films on a similar theme, such as The Intern with Robert De Niro.
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