Love and Death on Long Island Review
by Michael Rich (mrich AT stanford DOT edu)April 16th, 1998
Love and Death on Long Island
Cast: John Hurt -- Giles De'Ath
Jason Priestley -- Ronnie Bostock
Fiona Loewi - Audrey
Directed by: Richard Kwietniowski
Written by : Richard Kwietniowski, based on a novel by Gilbert Adair
Love and Death on Long Island, based on a novel by Gilbert Adair, is the story of an eccentric
British author, Giles De'ath, played by John Hurt, who is completely disconnected from the world around
him. He understands neither the simple conveniences of modern life nor the interactions which a modern
man makes with those conveniences. To him, a microwave oven may as well be a VCR, and the necessity
of a television in order to watch a videotape is a surprise.
The movie begins with a voice monologue by De'ath, who informs us that he is about to tell a
story, but he doesn't know how to start because he already knows the end and we do not. So, he begins
with the end of another story. Or so he says. We initially see Giles participating in his first radio
interview, and making a fool out of himself by the comic extent to which he is out of touch with reality.
Fortunately, this modestly humorous beginning does not foretell the rest of the movie. In fact,
while the fish out of water episodes that dot the movie do provide some comic relief, the idea of someone
trying to come to terms with the modern trappings of society is an age-old tale and thankfully does not
provide the centerpiece here. Instead, this is the story of a man coming to terms with loneliness and
isolation, and the way he finds an escape from it.
The vehicle for Giles' transformation is teen heartthrob Ronnie Bostock, played by Beverly Hills
90210's own Jason Priestley. Giles first encounters Bostock while attempting to see his first film in years,
a screen adaptation of E.M. Forster's work. Through a mix-up, De'ath ends up in the wrong movie, a teen
flic in the spirit of Meatballs and Revenge of the Nerds. About to leave the movie in disgust, Giles sees
Bostock, covered with ketchup, tragically splayed out on the counter. De'ath is fascinated, and proceeds to
purchase, steal, and rent anything he can to immerse himself in "Bostockiana." Finally, at the urging of
his agent, worried about his client's detachment from his work, Giles decides to take a vacation to
Chesterfield, Long Island, home of Ronnie Bostock and his girlfriend.
To tell anything more would be to ruin the story, but let me simply say that Giles' fascination
with Bostock is intense, complete, and brilliantly painted. Giles wants to take control of Bostock's career
and take him to the top of the film world. He sees in Bostock a talent analogous to Shakespeare's and
believes that his talent will be wasted without Giles' close guidance.
In the hands of any other actor, Giles' obsession with Bostock may have come across as
incomprehensible. All logic argues against his feelings, but Hurt's completely believable and subtle
performance renders Giles' unquestioning love real. Every tic and every facial expression fleshed out the
character of Giles De'ath. By the end, I felt for De'ath like I would a real human being, and I can hope for
nothing more than that from any great performance.
While the movie is without question a one-man show, Priestley managed to impress me by his
portrayal of Bostock. Possibly drawing on his own desire to become a "serious actor," Priestley solidly
depicts Bostock's hopes and aspirations. In fact, the complexity of his acting in the crucial, climactic
scene showed me that he might be able to make it on the big screen in more meaty roles. As Bostock's
girlfriend, however, Fiona Loewi gives only a serviceable performance, but the script never allows her
character never gets off the ground.
In the end, Love and Death on Long Island is a character study. We watch as De'ath comes to
terms with the death of his wife years before and, through his entirely misplaced, yet entirely genuine,
love for Bostock, realizes that he not only can but must continue to live in the world around him. Giles
travels through an arc not uncommon in movies, but on the strength of Hurt's performance, his story rings
true with touching hope.
Note that this is not a perfect film. Much of the humor is unnecessary, and all the characters
beyond Bostock and De'ath come across as either cardboard cut-outs or murky shadows. However, the
focus of the film remains so firmly on De'ath that these distractions are ultimately unimportant. For those
willing to enjoy lots of dialogue and little action, the rewards of this film, and John Hurt's performance,
are well worth it.
Rating: 9 / 10
More reviews at:
http://www.stanford.edu/~mrich
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