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IVANS XTC. Send This Review to a Friend
Who are the types wheeling and dealing in today's Hollywood? We've had exposes before, but director Bernard Rose seems to have a handle on the latest breed. He focuses on the scene by examining the death and life of a hot talent agent, Ivan Beckman, played by Danny Huston, son of the late legendary director John Huston. Peter Weller has a key role as a star.
The film, a bold leap in adaptation based on Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Illyich," begins with the unexpected death of Ivan, then flashes back into his life. There is a mixed reaction to his death, at first a mystery, on the part of those who worked with him and others. But Ivan is no "Citizen Kane." As Ivan is put under the magnifying glass we observe contradictory qualities, but despite Huston's worthy performance, they don't add up to a fellow all that worth exploring for an entire movie.
The strength of the film lies in its acerbic look at Ivan and would-be Ivans and the beat of the scene, with its crassness in the scramble to get ahead in the quest for success measured in power, money and possessions. The portrait is not a pretty one, whether involving work, women or drugs. The all-embracing word is decadence, made vivid through digital filmmaking that aims for maximum realism.
When death comes to Ivan, it isn't for reasons his colleagues and friends expect. The circumstances help work up some sympathy for him, but mainly the look at a Hollywood that's a far cry from the old studio days is what holds the most interest. That Rose accomplishes convincingly. An Artistic License Films release.
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