BrianKoller's Full Review: Love and Death on Long Island
This sleeper comes from writer/director Richard Kwietniowski, making his feature debut in both categories. The film tells the story of sheltered middle-aged English writer Giles De'Ath (John Hurt) who accidentally sees a bad American movie aimed at teenagers. Hurt is about to walk out on the film, but falls for an emotive young actor on the screen.
He turns out to be Ronny Bostock (Jason Priestley). Hurt soon develops an obsession for Bostock, even going so far as to travel to Long Island in America to pay him a visit. Bostock turns out to be pleasant but ordinary, with a supermodel girlfriend named Audrey (Fiona Loewi). Reminiscent of The Talented Mr. Ripley, the tension rises as De'Ath's charm and welcome wear thin.
The droll British production was filmed in London and Nova Scotia, Canada. Much humor is milked from De'Ath's estrangement from technological advances and pop culture. Initially buried in his books like a relic of the 19th century, De'Ath must come to terms with the modern world in order to learn more about Bostock.
Marvels taken for granted for some years, such as cellular phones, fax machines, and video players, are all new to De'Ath. But De'Ath is not like Rip Van Winkle awakening from a long sleep. He's more like an Amish man who has abandoned his religion to try to make his sexual fantasies become reality.
A man out of his element in most of London, De'Ath receives a better welcome in the Yankee suburb where Bostock lives. True, the police initially regard him as more suspicious than eccentric. However, locals such as greasy spoon owner Irv (Maury Chaykin) and landlady of ill repute Mrs. Reed (Elizabeth Quinn) regard De'Ath as a man of superior culture and intellect.
As does Audrey, who is quickly fooled by De'Ath's surprisingly crafty charm. De'Ath's big con, that of a screenwriter who can transform Bostock from pin-up boy to a significant artist, flatters the naive young star. But De'Ath's selfish proposal has all the advantages on his side. Whether he can deliver on his Svengali promises is another matter.
But De'Ath's adventure is not really a failure. He has come to terms with his submerged sexual identity, as well as with the modern world that he has shunned. Bostock himself may also be changed for the better, as he dimly becomes aware that better film roles could be in his future. Of course, De'Ath might become a corrupting old lecher, while Bostock's career may recede with his hairline, but the ending hints at a more optimistic future.
Internet reviews make frequent comparison to Death in Venice (1971), with its similar theme of the middle-aged artist stalking a young man. But the two films don't have much in common. Love and Death on Long Island is a comedy that depends on dialogue, while Death in Venice is a slow art film that relies upon cinematography. Plus, the 'victim' here is an adult, while the 'stalker' is benign.
Love and Death on Long Island received some attention from critics. The New York Film Critics Circle awarded Kwietniowksi Best First Film, and the British Academy Awards deemed him Most Promising Newcomer. If they had an award for the most difficult to spell surname, I'm certain that he would win it annually. (61/100)
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