The Proprietor (the Merchant Ivory Collection) [DVD] [1997]

 

 

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There are usually a huge array of superlatives from which to choose when talking of a Merchant Ivory productions but not so in the case of this film, which falls sadly short of this company's usual standard of excellence. Take a cast headed by Jeanne Morreau and supported by Sean Young and Sam Waterston and a company renowned for getting such things gloriously right and it is difficult to see how it could all have gone so terribly wrong.

The screenplay is disjointed, cramped and ultimately meaningless; the performances unconvincing (except Morreau who could read the phone directory and make it sound profound) and it is even technically inept - the microphone boom appears to have been accorded a major starring role. For those who had assumed that everything touched by Merchant Ivory contains classic gold, it is almost nice to see that everyone is fallible.

"The Proprietor" (1996) is a Merchant-Ivory Production film, starring Jeanne Moreau (Adrienne Mark), Christopher Cazenove (Elliott Spencer), Sean Young (Virginia Kelly) and was intended to be a story about the value of friendship, truth and generosity in our multicultural society. Despite its deceiving title, "The Proprietor" has very little to do with the possession of things. Quite the opposite, as Merchant thought of this fairy story (in his own words), as the tale of finding one's truth and harmony by letting go the past. Adrienne Mark is a French writer of Jewish descent, who flew the Nazi persecution and had lived in New York for thirty years. One day, she learnt that her mother's and childhood house in Paris is on sale and thanks to her maid Milly (Nell Carter in a superb performance) finds the courage to sell all her belongings and returns to live to France, hoping she would have the opportunity to buy her mother's house. While in Paris, Adrienne would have to face her painful memories - the death of her mother, perhaps betrayed by her then gentile lover - and to reconnect with her past life - friends, lover and husband - while attempting to find her place in a country that has changed so drastically since her exile to the USA thirty years ago. Contrary to Doc Martin's review posted on that site October 13, 2005, I do not find that "The screenplay is disjointed, cramped and ultimately meaningless; the performances unconvincing", but I do so agree with him when he wrote that " except for Moreau who could read the phone directory and make it sound profound". Perhaps merely a question of sensibility, as I found this movie profoundly imaginative, warm and optimistic. "The Proprietor" has the Merchant-Ivory's touch, and is in no way less meaningful and convincing than any of their other stories (The Remains of the Days, Howards End, A Room with a View, etc). In the making of of "The Proprietor", Merchant explained that he wanted to tell us the story of a woman's life disconnected from her past, someone who once knew how to see magic in life, but has somehow lost the ability to recognize the gifts life has sent us. Granted the storyline unfolds along reasonably expected situations, but it is also true to say that it is intelligently supported by credible and likeable characters (well, most of them anyway). Back to Jeanne Moreau for instance; there is something truly magic as well as mysterious about her. Her way of acting makes you feel part of something unique, beautiful and even mysterious. She has a sort of classy as well as radiant presence, a special kind of beauty that I find completely intoxicating. And then, you have Richard Robbins, the man behind all the major Merchant-Ivory film scores. The music he created for "The Proprietor" is simply wonderful, with a touch of magic too, as it lifted your spirits and gives you the strength to get on with your life. When I listened to it, especially the opening titles, I reconnect with another Merchant-Ivory's character in the movie Howards End (Leonard Bast/Samuel West), who was also a human being in search for truth and harmony and whose greatest gift probably was to connect things. In "The Proprietor", Adrienne Marks too is trying to reconnect; only she does not do it through nature, but rather through her own painful past. Bottom line: nothing valuable in one's life can be achieved in a vacuum, only through love and sincerity can the meaning of life emerged from all the pain and confusion of our life. But fear not, as Merchant's movie is everything but pontificating. Shot both in New York and in Paris, "The Proprietor", treats its audience with respect and sensibility and if anything else, makes you feel grateful about the small gifts/miracles of your life you were able to appreciate. This DVD edition has an extra disc of special features, which gives great value to one's money. For the very fans, you may also purchase from amazon, the making of and the film scores (I got both of them at a bargain price): both extremely rich and deligthful. And if all of this does not have you say "My name is France", à la Jeanne Moreau, you may be hopeless...

I am a huge Merchant/Ivory fan.

It has always been a great partnership between them; Merchant produces and Ivory directs. The director makes or breaks the success of the movie. The director is the interpreter.

In the 1996 film THE PROPRIETOR Ismail Merchant directs his first major film after the huge recent successes of HOWARD'S END, REMAINS OF THE DAY, JEFFERSON IN PARIS, which were directed by James Ivory at the heels of their early successes in the eighties; HEAT AND DUST, A ROOM WITH A VIEW & MAURICE, which were also directed by Ivory. All these films I mention are artistically and beautifully done and belong among the best films ever made.

I own every film that Merchant/Ivory have produced, so when I saw THE PROPRIETOR, I recognized the inventive and wonderful storytelling that is common on all their films, yet I felt I was watching a TV movie of the week. The camera shots are clumsy and some scenes are handled with a lack of confidence, this does not impose on the actual story but it does not a movie make; as they say.

In the special features Ismail Merchant wonders why this film was not critically successful as their other films? But is surprised that when played on TV it was named best movie of the week? Well, as I said earlier, the director makes or breaks a film. Ivory creates cinema, while Merchant creates good TV dramas.

Merchant in later years did improve his style and directed two wonderful films COTTON MARY & MYSTIC MASSEUR. So the end result is that THE PROPRIETOR is a wonderful story with great characters and imagination but looks as if it was filmed by an amateur.

Still I appreciate his efforts and it was a learning experience and later on he directed the two wonderful films I mentioned earlier and which I highly recommend.

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