Review: My Dinner With Herv’e
By William Pattison
I know this isn’t a horror or sci fi film but after watching
My Dinner With Herv’e I could not hold back the urge to review this HBO
Original film presentation.
My Dinner with Herv’e tells the story of reporter Danny Tate
and how in 1993 he was given the assignment of doing an interview with author
and screenwriter Gore Vidal. Also, his editor decides that while he is in LA he
will do another interview with former Fantasy Island co-star Herv’e Villechaise
for the anniversary of the James Bond film Man with The Golden Gun, which
Villechaise acted in. Tate is trying to get his life back together after being
twenty days sober and being separated from his wife and child. His editor has
told him that he can’t screw up these interviews because his job is on the
line.
Tate meets and has dinner with Villechaise. Villechaise, who
hasn’t done an interview in years, is surprised by how boring and standard Tate’s
interview is. Villechaise starts prodding Tate and offering “the real story”.
Tate tells him he has to leave because he has another interview, but
Villechaise is insistent and even resorts to calling Tate a “Junior” which
irritates the reporter. Tate leases frustrated and ends up being twenty minutes
late getting to his interview with Gore Vidal. Vidal is angry and refuses to do
the interview. In an attempt to try and salvage his trip Tate goes back to
Villechaise to hear the real story. The result is an evening of Villechaise
going from one crazy antic to another while telling Tate the story of how he
was rejected by his mother for being a dwarf through his time as an artist, and
on through becoming an actor and in the end destroying his own career over his
marriage to a money grubbing actress.
Actor Peter Dinklage is fantastic as Herv’e Villechaise.
Through Dinklage is quite a bit taller and looks nothing like the late
Villechaise, he still manages to capture the feel of this tragic celebrity.
Also, Jamie Dornan does a good job as reporter Danny Tate. But some serious
credit needs to be given to Andy Garcia for his performance as Richardo
Montalban.
Director and writer Sacha Gervasi presents a very tight and
well written film that shows a no holds barred presentation of the rise and
fall of this much beloved television star. This is a film you don't want to
miss. I cannot give a higher recommendation for this film.
