"Autumn in New York" - a Richard Gere rendezvous

What is it about Richard Gere that makes him likeable? Is it his unpretentious looks, sparkle in his eyes... or the gentle curvy dimple that blends his smile into a moments of guileless innocence; could it be those wavy strands of blonde hair that falls gently over his face and neck like beads of snowflakes enveloping a beloved prince- conferring upon him an attitude of debonair manliness; or could it just be his “masculine” presence on screen that make directors believe a movie with him is a sure road to commercial success..? Or could it be his Buddhistic leanings that give an edge of spiritual poise to his actions on screen. I am baffled. For a lover of this art form, it defies all logic that a man who is bereft of any acting talent could actually have held sway over an industry where “real” talent is everything.

One thing is clear though: All his leading ladies bask in his reflected glory. From Julia Roberts to Debra wingers to Jennifer Lopez’s to Wynona Ryder’s - all of them tingle with raw effervescence in his movies. In fact, sharing a screen with Richard Gere is a dream come true for many of them. In each one of those films, Gere is the rich, seducing male – whose testosterones are simply irresistible. Women are willing to go bed with him as easily as a calf retires to its mother. They find a paternal solace, a guardian angel in all his characters. No matter how independent the feminine role is - they ultimately succumb to his charm. That is the kind of persona Richard Gere revels in.

I had started watching “autumn in New York” - a 2000 release, a couple of weeks ago in Atlanta. I finished the movie yesterday night in my hotel in Melbourne. What can I say? - I get the feeling that Richard Gere lives the same role again and again. A rich, hotelier who dates the daughter of his ex-girlfriend (or wife, the movie is not clear on that point), finding to his consternation that she suffers from an incurable illness. The Young girl (played by Ms. Ryder) utters all recognizable platitudes of a young girl who is about to be plucked away in full bloom. She is a good actor, and brings in her own sense of realism into this role. But unfortunately, Mr Gere is clueless on screen. I am not sure, if he even understood his character. Having played the Romancer all his life, he has come to believe that all he needs to do is to strike a pose, smile a smile, jump on to bed; and attempt to look sad at inappropriate times during the film.

I am consciously quite scathing in my comments above – simple because, a real bad film in Hollywood - can really be bad. Sometimes, the outward sophistication of their artistic techniques may tend to give a viewer a false sense of class, but for a perceptive critique, it doesn’t take long to look beyond the gloss and recognize the film for what it is really worth. Especially, for those of us, who tend to look down upon regional films, this can be a real handy experience.

Well, all said and done, “autumn in New York” did well at the box office. Made at a budget of 65 Million, it grossed over 90. So I guess, the moral of the story is: keep making films that make money, even if it means seeing Richard Gere rehearsing the same drill mechanically for 20 years.

Watch it, only if you cannot close your eyes without visualizing Richard’s Gere face lulling you to sleep. Otherwise, do something better…

God bless...

Yours in life,

Bala