Ivans XTC
2000
Danny Huston delivers a staggeringly heartbreaking performance as a highly successful yet tragically doomed Hollywood agent in IVANS XTC. An adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYICH, Bernard Rose's drama relocates the original story to the fast-paced, cutthroat world of Hollywood, where debauchery and work go hand .. Read more
| Starring | Danny Huston, Peter Weller, James Merendino, Adam Krentzmann |
|---|---|
| Director | Bernard Rose, Bernard Rose |
| Genres | Drama |
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Ivans XTC
Danny Huston delivers a staggeringly heartbreaking performance as a highly successful yet tragically doomed Hollywood agent in IVANS XTC. An adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYICH, Bernard Rose's drama relocates the original story to the fast-paced, cutthroat world of Hollywood, where debauchery and work go hand in hand. Ivan Beckman (Huston) lives life in the fast lane as a cocaine addict and a womanizer, yet nevertheless he continues to thrive as a successful talent agent. But when his coworkers discover that he has passed away unexpectedly, Ivan's honor is put to the test. Most people who knew him suspect that the hospital's claim that he died of lung cancer is just a cover-up for something darker. But as the film returns in flashbacks to the days leading up to Ivan's demise, the truth is gradually revealed. As Ivan uses his cunning to sign superstar Don West (Peter Weller), he discovers that he is, in fact, dying from lung cancer. Rather than share this information with friends and family, he withdraws further into himself, continuing to party at a breakneck pace, hoping that his misfortune will simply go away. Shot on digital video, Rose's film is a moving meditation on death and Hollywood.
| Starring | Danny Huston, Peter Weller, James Merendino, Adam Krentzmann, Lisa Enos, Alison Taylor |
|---|---|
| Director | Bernard Rose, Bernard Rose |
| Studio | TARTAN VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 31 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 09 Dec 2002 Production year: 2000 |
| Format | DVD |
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Most helpful member's review
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15 out of 22 people found this review helpful
Pretentious, Self-centered and Egotistical
This was highly regarded critically on release, and did well at a number of international film festivals. It has impeccable arthouse credentials; shot on digital video and based on a piece by Tolstoy but unfortunately it doesn?t live up to the hype. Danny Huston, as Ivan Beckman, the agent at the centre of the story, is strong but although the film is moving at times it is primarily composed out of self-loathing and disgust. The central character is occasionally likeable, but suffering and self-torture are hard to watch, and the film is polluted by the miseries of the world Ivan inhabits. This is a gloomy, pretentious piece, presenting a very ugly image of the movie world, and the people that inhabit it. Like most of those people the film takes itself too seriously, and finally it is hard to care about either the characters or it. Watch ?The Player? instead.
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Most recent members' review
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Excellent Movie
Very gritty, beautifully constructed film, different to anything else I have seen. The ending is heart-wrenching.
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