Leonard Schiller once counted among New York's literary lions, but illness and ten years of writer's block have lowered his profile, almost to the point of obscurity. When Heather Wolfe, an ambitious literature major, asks to interview him for her thesis on his work, her interest forces him to address the issues that he has avoided all these years, and stirs in him feelings he has long forgotten, much to his daughter's consternation.
A strong cast and a literate script make for a refreshingly subtle film.
– Liam Lacey,
Globe and Mail,
18 Jan 2008
rotten:
What to do with this light, while it lasts? [Director] Wagner's problem is to find an answer to that question and also to offer some resolution to the conflicts of honesty and compromise the movie portrays.
– Philip Marchand,
Toronto Star,
18 Jan 2008
fresh:
It's Langella's performance that anchors the film.
– Bill Goodykoontz,
Arizona Republic,
7 Feb 2008
fresh:
Langella's nuanced performance saves the film; the actor has an understated but powerful role, and he takes full advantage.
– Connie Ogle,
Miami Herald,
8 Feb 2008
fresh:
Starting Out in the Evening is thrilling in a way that a movie larded with car chases and explosions can seldom be, because of the way it deals with that basic building block of civilization, the creative process.