LET THEM ALL TALK

Directing: B+
Acting: B+
Writing: B
Cinematography: B
Editing: B+

If there’s any director with the ability to adapt to a rapidly changing film industry, it’s Steven Soderbergh, whose proliferation as a mainstream director is also unparalleled. He was adapting—and experimenting—long before the global pandemic of 2020, and doing so right up to it, with his latest film, Let Them All Talk. He’s been marching to the very specific beat of his own drum for so long, the results have been a bit spotty, but this one is worth a look.

If this were any other year, I wouldn’t even be reviewing this movie. Let Them All Talk was never intended for theatrical release, always part of Soderbergh’s 3-year deal with HBO. Indeed, even after reviving my reviews after a seven-month hiatus, I am now violating what had been my rule that I simply continue reviewing films that were intended for theatrical release and were forced to pivot to VOD and streaming platforms, or in other words, films that still qualify for Academy Awards. But now we live in a gray area, and as with Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe” series on Prime Video, I moved to reviewing films that had ever been seen in a theater at some point, even if it was at a film festival. Let Them All Talk doesn’t qualify by any of these measures, but you know what? Functionally speaking, it’s no different than any of the other film’s I’ve reviewed since September: it’s available to stream, was directed by a widely respected and long established director, and perhaps most notably, stars three iconic actors. In the very specific context of December 2020, I simply could not ignore this movie.

And I say that even though, to be sure, Let Them All Talk is not for everyone. Experimental in multiple ways of its own, Soderbergh shot the majority of it during a legitimate crossing of the Queen Mary 2 from New York to Southampton, England in the summer of last year. Real passengers were given the opportunity to be in the film as background extras. And most unusual of all, Deborah Eisenberg’s script only existed as an outline, otherwise completely improvised by the cast—even though it’s a drama.

This has a curious effect, in that the dialogue never feels in any way polished. To be honest, I think the script would have been improved with some polish, but there’s something compelling about this approach nonetheless. It lends the story a certain sort of grit, and makes the characters feel real in a way they almost never do, particularly when starring iconic actors. Soderbergh’s editing is rather skilled here, in how these improvised exchanges are cut together. It’s the plot that moves the story forward, far more than the dialogue, and yet I still found myself interested in what they had to say.

The stars in question are Meryl Streep as a rich, alienating, slightly distracted novelist, whose body of work is both high-minded and sparing. She invites two old and estranged college friends, played by Dianne Wiest and Candice Bergen, to join her on the transatlantic crossing. Resentments resurface and rebuilt, and they do come to a head, although none of them involve histrionics or even major drama. It’s all relatively quiet: no one ever screams or yells in this movie.

All three of these women are between the ages of 71 and 74, and it’s wonderful to see a film centered around not one, but three such women, proving with ease that they have stories that can be just as compelling as anyone’s. Two of the principal supporting characters are indeed younger: 24-year-old Lucas Hedges as Streep’s nephew she brings along; and 38-year-old Gemma Chan as Streep’s literary agent who has booked herself on the crossing in secret. And even though Hedges and Chan play characters forging their own sort of friendship on the sly as a subplot, they remain absolutely minor to the plot as compared to the three elder women.

It’s easy to imagine some viewers finding Let Them All Talk somewhat dull, even those who have nothing against this bevy of great actors. Some movies are electric with crackling dialogue, and this is not one of those. Soderbergh is dealing almost exclusively in subtleties here, and that’s really what endeared the film to me most. They all seem just about as relaxed as if they were merely taking a pleasure cruise that happened to have a film crew tagging along. Except these characters really have far greater emotional stakes going on than other people on board, and even if it’s not at all bumpy, it’s a pleasant diversion to be along for the ride.

Let Them All Talk is literally what Steven Soderbergh does, and then he skillfully molds and edits.

Overall: B+