The Inner Life Of Martin Frost (DVD)

Paul Auster made his name as the king of post-modern literature with his stunning New York Trilogy, then burst onto the American indie cinema scene by writing and co-directing the charming Smoke and Blue In The Face. Since then he has gone back to his novels, until he was commissioned to write a short film. It was eventually expanded and became this full-length film, which has all of Auster’s trademarks. As a movie though, that’s not necessarily a good thing.

David Thewlis plays Martin Frost, a writer exhausted by his latest book and recovering in his friend’s house in the country. After just one relaxing day he wakes up to find Claire Martin (Irene Jacob) in his bed – she too has been lent the house. She seems to be everything he needs – stimulating, fun, intelligent and energetic – and a revitalised Frost begins to write again. However, he notices that as his story moves on, she becomes weaker, and he realises to save her life he may have to sacrifice his own work of art.

As a short story this would work perfectly – artist must decide between love and his work – but as a feature film it feels stagey and corny. Claire may only exist in Frost’s imagination, but does she have to be so drippily perfect? Auster’s obsessions, which seem clever on paper, here annoy. For example everyone’s names overlap (Claire Martin – Martin Frost, Claire goes to Berkeley and reads Berkeley, the pictures in the house are of Auster and his real family), the house could be anywhere, and the muse herself is just irritating. Jacob was fantastic in Three Colours: Red and the Double Life of Veronique, but here she is a caricature skinny French girl, while Thewlis is charmless as Frost.

As Martin makes his decision about life versus art halfway through the film, there is nowhere interesting for it to go, so Auster introduces a couple of comedy characters. Michael Imperioli from The Sopranos turns up as a handyman who also writes, and there’s also his dim-witted niece, played by Auster’s own daughter. It certainly livens things up, but it ultimately goes nowhere fast – Imperioli turns out to be, surprise surprise, a terrible writer. It all feels contrived and stale, leaving the impression Auster really should stick to writing and leave directing to others.

Overall Verdict:  An interesting idea that quickly becomes too clever, self-referential and quirky for its own good.

Special Features: 
Interview with Paul Auster,
Making Of Featurette
Stills Gallery
Trailer

Reviewer: Mike Martin