INNER LIFE OF MARTIN FROST, THE - DVD review

Upon first hearing the title "The Inner Life of Martin Frost," you might think that it doesn't sound like a particularly promising idea for a film.

Trust your first instinct.

Writer Paul Auster earned his first movie credits as the author and co-director (with Wayne Wang) of the twin films "Smoke" and "Blue in the Face" in 1995. Both films were hits on the indie circuit which helped encourage Auster to fly solo as writer/director of "Lulu on the Bridge" (1998) which was not a hit on the indie or any other circuit. Auster wrote for a few film projects (most notably as one of several story-writers on Wayne Wang's underappreciated "The Center of the World") but did not sit behind the camera again for nearly a decade.

"The Inner Life of Martin Frost" (2007) began as a short film, but, regrettably, finished as a feature-length project. Auster treads on well-worn territory with a tale of a writer who seeks seclusion from society. Martin (David Thewlis) stays at the country home of vacationing friends so that he can recover from a novel that took him a grueling three years to complete. Martin has a surprise in store when he wakes up the next morning next to a gorgeous woman named Claire (played by a gorgeous woman named Irène Jacob, best known for her role in Kieslowski's "Red"). Like most men who wake up next to a gorgeous woman, Martin is outraged by this intrusion on his solitude.

Claire explains that she's the niece of the home owners and promises she'll stay out of his way, but you probably already know that's not going to happen. Martin gradually warms to his new roommate; he is particularly won over by her tendency to strip naked and have sex with him on demand. As their romance blossoms, Martin discovers that Claire isn't who she claims to be at all. [SPOILER ALERT] In fact, she's not human at all, but a muse sent straight from heaven to inspire Martin (by any means necessary) to finish his newest project. It's the ultimate male fantasy, like "Weird Science" or "My Tutor" for the ascetic set, and it would be downright offensive if it didn't feel so absurdly antiquated.

Claire's story peters out around the mid-point which, I would guess, is where the original short film ended. Alas, the viewer is asked to stick around for a second half which involves an unconvincing friendship between Martin and a plumber/aspiring writer, a grating tone-deaf performance by Michael Imperioli. Auster and cinematographer Christophe Beaucarne don't have many fresh ideas for the look or style of the movie. And Auster contributes the occasional howler to the script:

Claire: "I have a lot of reading to do."
Martin: "Reading's bad for your health."
Claire: "Only high cholesterol books. I read low fat."

Thewlis is always at his best when he's in high dudgeon, and he's in fine form here. He doesn't spew wall-to-wall vitriol like in Mike Leigh's "Naked," but he plays the angry, alienated artist to a tee. Once he falls in love with Claire, though, he loses his edge and with it most of the energy in his performance. Jacob is a beauty who is given little to do in the film besides look beautiful; she can get away with the "I read low fat" line because she's a babe, but I don't think Auster has the same excuse. Imperioli seems lost from the get go, and a late appearance by the director's daughter Sophie Auster is painfully awkward.

Video

Like most New Yorker wide-screen releases, the film is presented in a 1.78:1 enhanced anamorphic image. The interlaced transfer is competent but unspectacular. The colors don't exactly pop off the screen, but they're OK. It's nothing to complain about and nothing to get excited about. At least it's not a PAL transfer with that sickly greenish hue.

Audio

The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Stereo (2.0 and 5.1 options.) No subtitles are provided.

Extras

A rather substantial featurette on the "Making of" the film (43 min.) is included. Auster pontificates about his work while cast and screw chip in with comments of their own. I have to admit I wasn't interested enough to do more than skim, but if you liked the film, this is more than just a throw-way feature.

Film Value

An archaic exercise in male wish fulfillment, "The Inner Life of Martin Frost" offers a strong performance by David Thewlis and not much else. This short film that outgrew its britches is short on ideas and way too long on running time.