Being There

Hal Ashby has to be one of the most under-appreciated directors there has ever been, and "Being There" is one of his many fine achievements. It has the benefit of fine source material adapted very well for the screen by the writer of the novel, Jerzy Kosinski, but Asbhy's fine work as director and Caleb Deschanel's brilliant cinematography, in addition to some fine editing and Peter Sellers' absolute best performance elevate this film from good tragicomedy to a minor masterpiece, and a criminally overlooked one, though not nearly as overlooked as Ashby's "Bound for Glory".

I liked "Being There" the first time I saw it, but like many truly great films I did not come to appreciate it fully until after a few more viewings, including a revelatory study in a film class of the shot composition in the film, which still astounds me. There are films where nearly every frame is beautiful, and "Being There" is one of those films.

As a piece of writing, the screenplay for "Being There", Kosinski's only film work, is surprisingly effective and does not suffer from any major flaws. The film, like the novel it is based on, moves at a natural, yet surprisingly swift pace and the film never plods. It is a joy to see the thematic content of "Being There" unfold so I won't go into any detail on that, but it is handled beautifully and the film has extraordinary depth.

This film is a beautiful, intelligent, good-natured look at human nature. It's a unique and special film that stands out as one of the best films ever made for its inventive editing, outstanding shot composition, fine photography, and especially its brilliant lead performance.

10/10