Let Them All Talk is the latest HBO Max original film, and it comes from Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh. Thankfully it was better than his last movie, The Laundromat, which also starred Meryl Streep, just like this film. It won’t be for everybody, but I had a good time with this film – a slice of life piece.
Soderbergh is one of the most experimental directors working right now. Whether it’s filming on an iPhone as he did with Unsane and High Flying Bird or the practical way he shot this film, he’s always trying to grow as a filmmaker. Let Them All Talk was shot in two weeks on the Queen Mary 2, using natural light and little equipment, including holding the camera while sitting in a wheelchair. He didn’t use a proper script, choosing instead to hand out basic outlines for scenarios and letting his actors improvise dialogue. The film stars three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep, Oscar nominees Lucas Hedges and Candice Bergen, Gemma Chan, and two time Oscar winner Diane Wiest.
Let Them All Talk follows an author (Streep) who goes on a cruise with some of her friends (Bergen, Wiest) to have fun and heal old wounds. She’s joined by her nephew (Hedges), who ends up falling for a literary agent (Chan) while onboard.
I enjoyed this film more than I expected. Since Soderbergh is such an experimental filmmaker, I tend to keep my expectations with his movies right in the middle. As previously stated, the film is simply a slice of life piece, a lot of talking and not much happening, but the conversations were interesting to me, so it kept me engaged. The film, especially, features beautiful scenery, using natural lighting, capturing some stunning shots from the Queen Mary.
You could never tell that the actors were improvising or insecure because they all give excellent performances. As usual, Meryl Streep is strong, giving her best performance since her Oscar-nominated turn in 2017’s The Post. While she’s never phoned in a performance, this is the most vibrant I’ve seen Meryl in a long time. Despite being a strong performance, I feel if she does get an Oscar nomination this year, it won’t be for this but The Prom. That performance looks like it will be showier than this one, which is very nuanced.
Candice Bergen and Diane Wiest were excellent together, having great chemistry and bringing a nice balance of wise knowledge and humor. Bergen hasn’t had a role this juicy in god knows how long. She has the best arc in the film for me as the friend who seems to have a very personal grudge regarding Meryl’s character’s actions in the past. Wiest, who I’ve always found to have this adorableness to her, is the more put down friend who seems to be clueless at times.
The three-screen legends being the veterans they are were able to work around the improvisation, knowing how to balance the story. However, they often struggled to find a rhythm in adding dramatic tension to their scenes.
Lucas Hedges plays a different role than most he’s played before, but he struggled with improvisation as the newest talent from the cast. However, it worked in his character’s favor, especially in his scenes opposite his characters’ crush, the beautiful Gemma Chan. His character is very kind-hearted and probably the most likable in the film. He has this innocence that makes you feel for him.
Gemma’s character was the least likable character in the film. Her character seemed to be using everybody for personal gain, with her shallow intentions for being on the boat. I hated her character to the point of disgust, despite her charismatic presence. Despite my issues with her character, she played the part well.
Some people say the film is dull and dislike it, which doesn’t surprise me. While I appreciated the improvisation, it hurt the movie because there was no real conflict or character development. I kept waiting for at least one big dramatic moment, and nothing close to a showy confrontation ever happened. At almost two hours, the film is also a lot longer than it needed to be. The film takes nearly 90 minutes to give us a scene that could even come close to tension, and ultimately, it didn’t hit me how Soderbergh might have wanted.
While I enjoyed Let Them All Talk, I don’t expect the younger crowd to enjoy this one much. I do think the 45 and older crowd will enjoy this film and relate to the three-screen legends much more. This may be one of those films that most would call an “old people” film and although I’m younger, I did find a lot to like.
Let Them All Talk was one of the better experimental films to come from Soderbergh but it isn’t a career-high.
