Review of film: “PLAY THE GAME” + Q&A with DIRECTOR – An Unexpected TREAT in the Contests of Life

Review of film:  “PLAY THE GAME”  + Q&A with DIRECTOR MARC FIENBERG 

           –  An Unexpected TREAT in the Contests of Life  = 

              Rating 9 of 10 stars (based on an advance screening of a film to open 8-28-09) = 

 

Very little was known about this film before it screened. It tells the story of David (PAUL CAMPBELL), a smooth-talking car salesman who works for his dad (CLINT HOWARD) from whom he was estranged for years…

…  He was raised mainly by his Grandpa Joe (ANDY GRIFFITH), whom he regularly visits in a nursing home. Paul believes in playing games, both to sell his cars & to deal with pretty women who are like playthings to him…

…  To help keep widower Andy interested in life, he tries to get HIM to play mind games with women in the nursing home. When Andy tries that, he gets much more than he bargained for from resident Edna (LIZ SHERIDAN) & less than he hopes for from Rose (DORIS ROBERTS)…

…  But, when Paul chances to meet Rose’s granddaughter Julie (MARLA SOKOLOFF), he falls hard for her— tho she confounds him by her initial disinterest in him. The film tells the story of the very FUNNY & often sweet evolving relationships between the characters…

…  Andy & the other seniors are dynamic, the young people are wonderfully natural & believable, & the film’s a real GEM of unexpected delights.

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Q&A with DIRECTOR MARC FIEN

        …  After the film, there was a fascinating Q&A with the film’s writer – director – Producer MARC FIENBERG...

...  He spoke of growing up in the Chicago area & getting an MBA in business at Northwestern University, which is one reason the film as written is set in Chicago (tho it was necessary to film it elsewhere)...

...  He told how, after creating & then selling new companies for years, he tired of the business world & preferred to do more CREATIVE things…

             …  Marc originally wrote the basic script like 12 years ago, & it’s taken literally 5 or so years to try to get the MONEY to make this film...

...   As he said, it’s been a horrible experience from the financing standpoint, & still MORE financing is needed to roll out the film beyond the initially-planned 55 screens in 15 cities -- & that has been the case despite the fact he has all kinds of BUSINESS contacts set up thru the years (so he can easily imagine the difficulties of capitalizing films by average people who don’t have such contacts)…

                        … Andy Griffith’s character is in part based on Marc’s OWN grandfather who LOVED living life & wanted to remain active in mind & relationships even as he grew into his senior years...

...  Paul’s character is just in PART based on Marc’s OWN life, wherein he was almost a “stalker” towards a girl who eventually believed his interest in her was sincere & became his wife & mother to their kids after he STOPPED playing sort of “games” in how he acted…

                        …  The film started when CLINT came on board, which helped engender some real financial interest, which in turn helped lead others join the project...

...  After being initially hesitant to take the role, Andy loved the life-affirming & natural SCRIPT so much, he eagerly got on board as the shy-to-rakish “ladie’s man” at the nursing home, loving how it treated seniors with dignity & interest in having an animated life despite their chronological age.

                        …  Marc spoke glowingly of how GREAT it was to work with the cast, & how he had to learn to TRUST his older actors & “step back” & let THEM help “guide” how their characters acted & interacted, because they knew what to do to keep things “real”...

...   As to the younger people, he did test out loads of actors--  but Paul & Marla immediately “STOOD-OUT” from the crowd as just the “RIGHT” people for their roles, & it was a happy situation that they turned out to also have a fine “chemistry” with each OTHER as their characters…

                              …  The Q&A host made a number of salient points about the film & its clever script (which gives a finely realistic rather than “gross-out” view of seniors & what they want out of life), & said he was actually surprised by the “TWIST” at the very end, which put some main characters in a “new light”… 

                                     …  Marc hopes that word-of-mouth will help support the roll-out of the film in late August, because, besides the way it helps give a POSITIVE view of older people, he also wants to justify the faith of his investors & hopes that leads to his being able to make a bunch of OTHER films in the future… 

...  I think you’ll very much ENJOY his creation, & be as impressed by its numerous fine & unexpected elements…

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