Match

A 40-something couple from Seattle arrives in New York to interview a flamboyant bi-sexual 70-something ballet teacher about his long career for a dissertation on classical dance. As the questions probe deeper, they begin to focus upon the man's relationship with a ballerina, with whom he'd enjoyed a brief affair many years previously. Before too long it becomes obvious this romance is the focus of the interviewers' interest, and their inquiries soon take a detour into uncomfortable territory.

Each of the three characters attracts both sympathy and antipathy at various times, with the dialog crackling with wit, pathos and hostility as the story changes direction, tone and pace like a switchback ride. The narrative journeys through several different zones of the emotional spectrum until it eventually arrives at a satisfying conclusion. The three actors turn in excellent performances, and 'Match' provides sophisticated entertainment along with some thought-provoking insights about making art. Hopefully it will do well, and encourage producers to make more films of similar intelligence.

Tobi Powell (Patrick Stewart) is a private effeminate Juilliard dance professor with a long distinguished career. He gets interviewed by married couple Lisa (Carla Gugino) and Mike Davis (Matthew Lillard). They eventually reveal the true motive of their visit. They believe that Tobi is Mike's biological father.

Patrick Stewart is a well-established actor of the highest order. He can act circles around anybody. Gugino is a nice partner in this exercise. Lillard, known for playing goofballs, has some solid anger here. I would have liked for the three leads to stay together in that apartment and stew in the conflict longer. It boils over too quickly and Lillard leaves the room for too long. Stewart and Gugino play around for awhile. In the end, Stewart is great but that's not unexpected.

Tobi (Patrick Stewart) is a dance professor at Julliard. Today he's very nervous, however, as he's expecting guests. Who they are, you don't know but he wants everything to be just right and he fusses over the details. Once the couple arrive, you learn that the woman is supposedly working on a dissertation about dance and the husband is just along for the ride. This portion at Tobi's favorite restaurant is VERY hard to take. Tobi is so superficial and flamboyant that he comes off as fake and annoying. I really was tempted to turn off the film...it was THAT bad.

Soon the scene changes to Tobi's apartment. While the lady (Carla Gugino) asks Tobi a lot of questions about dance, her husband (Matthew Lillard) begins asking questions--which is strange because he's just supposed to be along for the ride. What's stranger is that his questions are very invasive and he begins asking Tobi about his sex life. What is this all about....as it soon becomes obvious that there is no dissertation and the couple have ulterior motives. What? See the film.

I hated the first 20 minutes or so of the film and thought the writing and Stewart were just awful. But I stuck with it...and I am glad I did because through the course of the film, the bravado, the fakeness and the veneer begin to wear away and the movie becomes an interesting character study. In fact, it becomes a wonderful study of all three--and all three are marvelous. It also becomes quieter...more contemplative...and very emotionally charged--so much so that you might just want to have a few Kleenex handy. Rarely has a movie surprised me like this one did...and I am certainly glad I saw it. If you, too, would like to see it, the film is out this week on Netflix.

By the way, this is not a film for kids. There is a lot of talk about sexuality and it would probably bore younger viewers as well. But for someone who wants to see marvelous acting you cannot do much better than this.

The performance Stewart turns in...if it was anyone but him, would have been a performance talked about for years. It is, quite simply, one of the most nuanced performances from an actor I have seen in years. That alone is reason to give this movie a chance. Lillard turns the best performance I have seen from him outside of a turn on Law and Order that stuck with me.

The dialogue is excellent. This isn't a movie you want to sit down with a phone in your lap and "sortta" watch. You will want to sit down and revel in it. My only negative critique is that a couple of the scenes did carry on too long, but that may have been the director's way of creating discomfort.

"Absolutely I remember Gloria Renaldi" Tobi (Stewart) is a acclaimed dance instructor in New York City at Juilliard. He agrees to be interviewed at his apartment regarding the history of dance. When the two interviewers, Lisa (Gugino) and Mike (Lillard) show up things quickly turn tense when Mike mentions a name from Tobi's past. Secrets are revealed and lives are changed. This is a good movie, but it is not for everyone. First off, this is based off a Broadway play and the movie plays as one. For the most part there is one location and only 3 actors. This is just talking. The acting is amazing though and the movie is worth watching for that. Stewart seems like the perfect choice for this role and Gugino really plays well off of him. All that said this is again a movie for a select few. I liked it OK but wouldn't watch it again. Overall, if you like Broadway one act plays then I would check this out, if you aren't a fan of that type of entertainment then I would skip this one. I give it a B-.