Elia Kazan directed this curiously constipated film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished final novel, about Monroe Starr, a brilliant and efficient studio executive (based upon Fitzgerald's experiences with MGM wunderkind Irving Thalberg). Robert De Niro plays Monroe Starr in a cool and detached manner, and as Kazan pans around the Hollywood Dream Factory of the 1930s, Starr juggles several productions, deals with nervous actors and recalcitrant directors, stays afloat in the Hollywood
corporate battlefields, and secretly carries on a love affair with an even cooler and more detached English girl, Kathleen Moore (Ingrid Boulting). ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
Producer Sam Spiegel's contribution is admirable, but Elia Kazan's direction of the Pinter plot seems unfocussed though craftsmanlike. Robert De Niro's performance as the inscrutable boy-wonder of films is mildly intriguing.
The movie is full of echoes. We watch it as if at a far remove from what's happening, but that too is appropriate: Fitzgerald was writing history as it happened.
Out of place and not quite interesting enough to hold our attention, which is a disappointment, because it has many of the elements that can make for greatness.
Interessante na maior parte do tempo, o filme acaba sendo prejudicado pela fraca subtrama romântica e pelo final medíocre (adaptar um livro inacabado pode ser má idéia).
De Niro is well cast and star-spotting is always fun, but Kazan's direction never truly elicits the audience's empathy and Pinter's script has too many silences.
While itâ??s not Elia Kazanâ??s usual style, itâ??s a very interesting story with a lot to offer. You can instantaneously feel that itâ??s incomplete and fragmented, but it works with Robert De Niroâ??s performance as Stahr. This has great performances from everyone and itâ??s got a nice critique about Hollywood and
movie making, but it never really answers any of the questions it asks. This is about as much as you can expect though, considering the circumstances, and nothing to be ashamed of.
No quotes approved yet for The Last Tycoon. Logged in users can submit quotes.
Submit a Quote from 'The Last Tycoon'
A quote can be a single line from one character or a memorable dialog between several characters. Please make your quotes accurate. Quotes will be submitted for approval by the RT staff.
Example:
Luke: Alright. I'll give it a try. Yoda: No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
Top Critic
