Before I start writing about this documentary on the James Ivory-Ismail Merchant partnership that encompassed dozens of highly acclaimed films with magnificent scripts and award-winning performances and great scores, it is incumbent on me to tell you that I don't like their films. They start at a high pitch, continue at a high pitch, and end there. There's no relief, no sense that I can relax for a moment and review. Yes, the performances may be among the best ever seen, but as so often happens, it's professional actors speaking about things I can't appreciate. They are undoubtedly true, but they are not something that I can appreciate. And so I leave every one of their films feeling exhausted and stupid. A great film, a great work of art, reveals more to the diligent audience the more it is examined. But that first viewing needs to be rewarding. And I never feel rewarded by a Merchant-Ivory film. I feel scolded, belittled and in no mood to put in the effort to appreciate whatever it is they wish me to experience.
This does not mean that I don't accept they made magnificent movies. It means I can accept that, admire their dedication, and say "Not for me." This does not mean that I am fit to look at only Adam Sandler comedies and Superhero movies. I hope. I admire their work without taking any pleasure in it.
Now that I've written that, you will, I hope, have a better idea of how to appraise my review of this movie. And I think it is a very good documentary, which points out the dedication of the two men to making good movies, calls out their frequent collaborators like screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and composer Richard Robbins for their contributions, offers a view of the dynamics of their relationships, professional and personal. It does what a documentary of this sort is supposed to do, and does it very well. In a manner I can appreciate.
