My Dinner with Andre

I went into My Dinner with Andre sincerely wanting to love it. This film, which follows two playwrights reconnecting after decades over a multi-hour dinner conversation, initially wowed me with its bold simplicity. But for all its inventiveness as the "first podcast" ever, I struggled to find aspects that resonated with me. Separated from its main gimmick, it didn't quite work—neither narratively nor as a compelling character study.

For a film that consists entirely of a single conversation to be serviceable, there are a few key elements that must be superb: namely, 1) engaging characters and 2) interesting dialogue. This might sound basic or obvious, but when a film reduces itself to only two characters and their exchange, it must deliver on both fronts. My Dinner with Andre succeeds halfway on the first—and falls short on the second. Let's start with Andre.

Andre dominates about seventy-five percent of the conversation which means that if you find his character off-putting, as I did, then seventy-five percent of your viewing experience will be tainted. I found each of his fantastical stories thinly veiled attempts to paint himself as some enlightened, adventurous intellectual. He shamelessly works his exploits into the conversation often with very jarring pivots that had little to do with the previous topic. It felt like he was trying to belittle Wally while propping himself up as having lived a life far more meaningful than everyone else's.

Wally, on the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed watching. Acting more as a stand-in for the audience, Wally transitions throughout the conversation—from a state of shy disbelief at his counterpart's adventures to a strong and fervent defense of his own "ordinary" life. He gradually gains the confidence to contribute more and more to the exchange, even as many of his remarks are disrespectfully brushed aside by Andre. The appreciation he comes to find for the city he's known his whole life is a lovely capstone to his arc—a realization that bizarre, globe-trotting adventures aren't required to live a meaningful life. His character felt more grounded, more human, and more redemptive of the film as a whole.

But even Wally wasn't enough to save the film's dialogue for me. The conversation didn't flow naturally, in large part due to Andre's constant "look-how-interesting-I-am" interjections. Major topics—like how to avoid becoming a robot in modern society—were perhaps initially engaging but have since been explored in far better films. The realism of the conversation was captured in the worst way possible: very little of substance was actually communicated (realistic), and the cadence was choppy and disjointed (unrealistic).

Ultimately, My Dinner with Andre felt more like a lecture than a conversation, with one voice far louder—and far less compelling—than the other. While its premise promises intimacy and introspection, I left the table feeling more talked at than invited in. Despite Wally's grounded charm and gradual arc, the film's uneven dynamic and meandering dialogue left me disconnected from what could have been a truly profound exchange.