"The Big Picture" was written and directed by Christopher Guest. It is a satire of the film business told with a lot less venom than 'This is Spinal Tap'.Nick Chapman is at a prize ceremony where his own film is in competition.He is there with his girlfriend Susan.The master of ceremonies is the film actor Eddie Albert.What we have here is a re-telling of the Faust story by way of the film industry.Nick is offered a budget to make a film by Allen Habel the studio head.Sounds great, though Allen played by the late J.T.Walsh has his own ideas how the film should be made and Nick has to grit his teeth. Nick has a friend called Emmet who is a cameraman -- he betrays him and this is followed by him ruthlessly dumping Susan.In a lighter vain he acquires an agent called Neil who barely seated in a restaurant gives someone his beady eye and says "I'm not talking to you"-- Martin Short as Neil is hilarious and steals every scene he is in.For Nick everything goes belly up .Kevin Bacon is excellent as Nick and takes you on his character arc of a nice man selling out and becoming totally unsympathetic, learning his lessons and returning to the way he was before -- wiser.Emily Longstreth as his girlfriend is alluring and truthful.J.T Walsh as Allen coveys with deadpan hilarity the illusion of power -- What a great loss to acting he was!
Review of The Big Picture
