Is That All There Is? (1992)

Award winning director Lindsay Anderson (If..., O Lucky Man!) subverts the mockumentary genre and presents to the audience a detailed and humored account of what truly means to be Lindsay ... See full summary »

Director:

Lindsay Anderson

Writer:

Lindsay Anderson

Stars:

Lindsay Anderson, Alexander Anderson, Murray Anderson

Cast

Credited cast:
Lindsay Anderson	...	Self
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alexander Anderson	...	Self
Murray Anderson	...	Self
Kathy Burke	...	Self
Laurence Cohen	...	Self
Ted Craig	...	Self
Andrew Eaton	...	Self
Tom Farrell	...	Self
Jocelyn Herbert	...	Self
Bernard Kops	...	Self
Rosemary Martin	...	Self
Catherine O'Neill	...	Self - cleaning lady
Rohit Patel	...	Self
Brian Pettifer	...	Self
Neil Pilkington	...	Self - Acupuncturist

Storyline

Award winning director Lindsay Anderson (If..., O Lucky Man!) subverts the mockumentary genre and presents to the audience a detailed and humored account of what truly means to be Lindsay Anderson in his daily routine, meeting with artists, actors and regular people, discussing what's going on in the world at the time. And, of course, there's plenty of time for him to discuss some of his passions: movies and theatre, remembering of his time as a former film critic and stage director.

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Plot Keywords:

independent film | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Final film of Lindsay Anderson, released one year after his death.

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Connections

Features If.... (1968)

User Reviews

nope

This final film from Lindsay Anderson, a self-portrait of the artist in old age, cannot help but draw comparisons, for me, with my recent viewing of Chantal Akerman's final film, also an autobiographical essay made in late-life, No Home Movie.

While Anderson lacks Akerman's aesthetic genius, this is a far bolder, more life-affirming work. Anderson conveys his simultaneous love of, and disappointment, with life through a series of semi-fictional encounters with real-life friends and family that are, nonetheless, clearly staged. The essay aspect comes from Anderson's juxtapositions of his own and confidant's "first-world problems" with those of the suffering masses of the Third World.

Akerman seems, by contrast, a more selfish, but also more honest artist. Her movie about watching her mother deteriorate and die is utterly self- focused, yet also mercilessly true. No one who watches it can think these are staged interactions. Akerman comes out compromised in one form or another too often for that to be the case.

Old Anderson has, perhaps, no one left to mourn. But he also clearly doesn't mourn himself so much as a world he was once a part of that is clearly headed in a very bad direction.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 May 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Director's Place: Is That All There Is?

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Scotland, Yaffle Films

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1