This mostly-quiet, purposefully slow-moving film is an enthralling display of expert acting and direction, a seemingly carefully-choreographed slow dance of opposing world views displayed beautifully. Salma Hayek's performance and character are literally mesmerizing at times, John Lithgow's character counters with a blithely world-weary, dismissive (but curiously jovial) attitude about everything around him from the get-go. As it turns out, however, both characters are resigned and world-weary, dealing with the awareness of that and the resulting inner sadness in very different ways, and the ending of the film will either seem perfectly, tragically logical or frustratingly wrong, probably depending on your own world view and where you are in your commitment or strength to continue trying to make it a better place--or your resignation that nothing can be done because you believe we're past the point of no return.
Review of Beatriz at Dinner
