A high-powered financial titan who controls global markets struggles with his inner demons while grappling with uncontrollable personal urges and mounting fears.A high-powered financial titan who controls global markets struggles with his inner demons while grappling with uncontrollable personal urges and mounting fears.A high-powered financial titan who controls global markets struggles with his inner demons while grappling with uncontrollable personal urges and mounting fears.
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Strange. A movie of two halves and half a movie.
I also said half a movie. This is a depiction of the Dominique Strauss Kahn scandal. I won't detail it all here but a google search may help. It finishes before the case was dismissed as there was both evidence that the hotel maid was a willing participant and that there was again some evidence of a set up.
I feel that a documentary may the best way of dealing with this topic.
Long, Uneven, Inconclusive
"Welcome to New York", by Abel Ferrara, is a long, uneven and inconclusive film based on the New York v. Strauss-Kahn case. The story shows the lead character Devereaux as an egocentric, pervert and sick womanizer through excessive sex scenes and his relationship with his daughter and wife. When he is released in house arrest, the screenplay is developed at a very slow pace and is boring. However the lack of conclusion is terrible. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Bem-Vindo a Nova York" ("Welcome to New York")
Welcome to mediocrity...
The film tells the tale of a lecherous, moneyed Frenchman who is accused of raping a housemaid whilst staying in a ritzy New York Hotel.
Gerard Depardieu offers up a reasonable if not exceptional performance as the male lead. His character is a rather revolting, dissipated type who is driven primarily by sex, which he equates with a disease.His character is not that complex and as such, not terribly interesting.
By contrast, his long suffering wife, played by Jacqueline Bisset, offers up a passionate performance as a woman driven to pure exasperation and despair by a man she still loves in spite of his conspicuous faults.
Its a very personal drama let down by limited character development and the rather stunted story line which leaves the viewer asking what it is they have just witnessed. Indeed, Welcome to New York really amounts to little more than a reiteration of life's realities, that the world is an unfair, unjust place where money makes a huge difference and the dysfunctional go on being dysfunctional.
Five out to ten from me.
Missed opportunities
I think the problem about "Welcome to New York" is that everyone knows the whole plot already before watching the film, so it is a challenge to keep viewers interested and surprised. Having extended sex scenes one after another may superficially do the trick, but ultimately I find "Welcome to New York" lacking in real substance. The wife, Simone, is likable and gives convincing displays of emotions. I am sympathetic towards her character. The main character, Devereaux, on the other hand, lacks that certain spark. I guess it is because his character is so egocentric and pathological that he does not show much emotions. He only sweet talk to ladies, yet he is not shown to be able to do much else. The filmmakers could have made it interesting by throwing in more courtroom drama, or more public outcry. There are loads of missed opportunities with the film to deliver a gripping and sensational story.
"the future president of France"
In this movie the aesthetics of Abel Ferrara were put to gut use. As it usually has been the case with his movies, it was difficult to say whether the look and feel of a TV docudrama was intentional or the budget didn't allow a better postproduction. Either way, it sat well with Welcome to New York. It was a gritty insight into the daily routine of an important man who, after a hard day's work, relaxed in some debauchery.
From there we go to a cordial welcome at NYPD until the big international capital intervened and charges were dropped. The last section of the movie, although the least exciting, gave the main protagonist the opportunity to spend some time under house arrest and open his heart. And it wasn't the possibility that both himself and Dominique Strauss-Kahn could have become "the future president of France" that made my stomach turn. It was rather his/theirs inability to perceive any wrongdoing and the unwillingness to repent.
Did you know
- TriviaWhen director Abel Ferrara received a letter from IFC Films, the US distributor, telling the filmmaker to deliver an R-rated version so that it could match the version to be released on Showtime during its pay TV window, the director was disgusted and refused to back down telling THR "Welcome to New York is not being distributed in the U.S. because of this company, IFC, which I'm totally disgusted with." He stated "They knew from day one when they bought this film that they had the final version and that it wasn't going to be changed."
- GoofsWhen the Detectives are introduced, one is wearing an NYPD Detective Shield (badge), one a Sergeant's Shield. The Sergeant introduces himself to the hotel official as "Lieutenant Landano." Immediately after, he introduces himself to the housekeeper as "Sergeant Landano."
- Quotes
Devereaux: Since childhood, I've been brainwashed. By my parents, my teachers.My teachers, my superiors at work.I'm lucky, I'm not a Christian.But I'd like to say this: When I die, I will kiss God's ass forever.I found my God.You.My first God? I didn't find it in a church, but in a classroom.It was idealism. What a magnificent God! To believe everything would be ok. I was in the temple that is university. First as a student, then as a professor. And I allowed myself to be wrapped in that hallowed light. Injustice? We had righted all the wrongs. World hunger? Everyone would eat until they were full. Poverty? A distant memory whose existence would be difficult even to imagine. Wealth would be spread around. To each according to his needs. That's right. It was only when I arrived at the World Bank that the enormity of the world's pathos, the infinite suffering inherent in human nature, revealed itself in all its horrible manifestations. Slowly. One day at a time. No. One minute at a time. I understood the futility of struggling against this insurmountable tsunami of troubles that we face. Things will not change. The hungry will die. The sick? They too will die. Poverty, It's good business. Wise men are comforted by their limitations. I'm overwhelmed by this revelation. No. I can't return to that blissful youth. No redemption for me.
- Alternate versionsIn the US, the MPAA initially rated this NC-17 and required cuts of scenes of sexual assault to gain an 'R' rating, much to the disgust of the director, Abel Ferrara.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Pauw & Witteman: Episode #8.158 (2014)
- SoundtracksAMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
Written by Katharine Lee Bates (as Katherine Lee Bates') and Samuel A. Ward
Performed by Paul Hipp
Arranged by Paul Hipp
Details
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $324,253
- Runtime
- 2h 5m(125 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1