The true story behind the most unlikely of scenarios in the Washington, D.C. social scene gets the big-screen treatment, thanks to the directorial debut by two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz.
The esteemed actor portrays Ulrich Mott, a DC man who aspires to something greater than the simplest of lives he is living. When he meets 91-year-old Elsa Brecht (Vanessa Redgrave), he sees a ticket to a better life and a world he has aspired to be a part of his entire existence.
On the other side of this is Elsa’s daughter Amanda (Annette Bening), and she is not buying this new, much younger, man in her mother’s life—even if he makes her happy, takes good care of her and from the outside, appears to be the most gentleman of gentlemen. She knows something is up with this man, and worse, he may not be who he seems. His history is colorful, to put it mildly.
He claims to have been a Brigadier General in the Iraqi Army and a myriad of other positions that has him always the center of every Georgetown dinner party he throws or he and Elsa attend. Mott is immensely knowledgeable on a variety of subjects, has a ripe sense of humor and embodies the phrase life of the party.
But as Waltz’s film progresses, we see an anger streak that is usually directed at Elsa. Then, one night, he puts on his Iraqi General uniform to go for a walk and have a cigar. When he returns, his wife is dead. Even though he claims to not have been home, Amanda passionately believes that her mother’s husband ended her life. So too do the police, at first. How many times is the spouse the first suspect? How often does that indeed turn out to be the fact?
But what Waltz does with Georgetown is keep us guessing as to the truth of the situation. Couples are happy, and even those pairs fight on occasion, but it doesn’t lead to murder. A couple of detectives and Amanda start to see through Mott and as the film progresses, one can sense the noose tightening around this charismatic man who everybody adores—well, except for Amanda.
On the acting side, Waltz is sublime. He was born to play this role. The actor can swing his emotive pendulum on a dime and go from adoring to fiercely vicious. Having a history of cinematic killers, the viewer knows that is a sign of someone who is capable of murder. Yet, the evidence is not adding up quite yet. In fact, he is allowed to go home after interrogation even though he is a suspect. One cop argues that his home is an active crime scene and they basically just let him return to ruin it.
How Georgetown plays out is a fascinating experience. Waltz plays with time, zig-zagging from the present to the past to fill in blanks in his narrative that deeply enhance the drama, suspense and the connection between audience and players. As a director, the helmer has an even hand and even though there are a few spots that drag a bit, overall, this is an impressive debut. There is no question he is a born storyteller and with subsequent movie efforts, his tightening of his storyline across the film will improve.
Benning is a quiet force of nature. She is beside herself when it is announced that her mother and Mott are engaged and will be married momentarily. Her father was recently buried and already mother has moved on—this does not sit well. Plus, she always has one eyebrow raised when gazing at her mother’s suitor. She doesn’t buy it, and never does. Benning is fierce and is every bit the daughter whose mother has been wronged.
Benning’s character makes it her life’s work to ensure he gets sent to jail for murder. She lives in Boston and teaches Constitutional Law at the Harvard Law School, Amanda often clues the police into matters that they should be researching because she knows in every ounce of her soul that if not for Mott, her beloved mother would still be alive.
Redgrave is also intense. She is no wallflower, even playing a 91-year-old woman. When she and Mott have fights, both sides are equally as verbally brutal. She goes from despair, over the loss of her longtime husband, to utter bliss when she is courted by Mott, and then as their marriage progresses, let’s just say she can volley a few pointed insults with the best of them. As delivered by the acting legend, it is pure joy to witness.
Georgetown is a high society true story that will engross you, and that is largely due to the performances of the big three. There’s also the back and forth of time which for a first-time director is truly remarkable. It’s like a puzzle and we are being fed puzzle pieces that are not necessarily in the order one would expect. As such, the stakes of this mystery and overall landscape of these people’s lives, are forever richer.
Grade: B+