PEOPLE I KNOW centers around the character of Eli Wurman (Al Pacino). Wurman is an interesting guy, a civil rights advocate turned jaded New York publicist who has fallen out of favor with just about everyone, including himself. In the past he is said to have marched with Dr. King, but presently he finds himself trying to manufacture positive reviews for bad stage productions. He is aware that he has sold out, but is helpless to resist as the machine moves along relentlessly. He remains in the shadows, doing the things that need to get done and hustling everyone he knows, using all his juice to move things along in a society based on patronage and appearances. This is the situation when Eli's single remaining client, Cary Launer (Ryan O'Neal), sends him to rescue a wayward starlet (Tea Leoni) from jail. The unease is palpable as Eli follows the girl through a maze of intrigue and opium. His brother's widow (Kim Basinger) is also in town, looking for some salvation, and hoping that she has found it in the rumpled publicist. He is also in the midst of planning a large-scale liberal fundraiser. The event becomes an obsession for him; it seems one way to keep a link to his past which has become hazy due to failing health and a vice-filled lifestyle (he is not sanctimonious, imbibing in as much booze and narcotics as anyone in the film). He is selfish for the cause, but the cause is not, and it is unclear whether he still really cares about the civil rights aspects or if he fears losing his small role in the back-room power deals. He seems sincere, though his pleas become increasingly laced with rhetoric. There is mounting frustration at how much work it is to get people to do the right thing. Much of this subplot involves Eli courting a controversial black reverend (Bill Dunn) and a powerful member of the Jewish community (Richard Schiff). Both men like Eli, but neither likes the other and Wurman approaches each with the veracity of a used car salesman. He needs them at the benefit to make a "statement", knowing full well that without "big names" nobody will notice. The movie is at its best when swirling through the names of those people, both past and present, that Eli intends to manipulate. However, as his life begins to unravel, the film fails to move itself towards an organic conclusion and shortchanges the character of Eli Wurman in the process.
I watched PEOPLE I KNOW with my fiancée, who thought the film was dull until the quasi-thriller elements appeared. I, on the other hand, felt cheated by the odd turn of events which moved the plot into familiar territory. The first act is great, but PEOPLE I KNOW slowly descends into events that do not feel natural. The character of Eli is fascinating and it is a shame that the director and writer chose to opt for such a murky and dissatisfying conclusion. During the second half of the film, for example, there are many interesting individual sections, but they do not add up. Pacino is quite good however, although his southern accent does falter a bit (mostly during his rants). Basinger and Pacino have very little chemistry, but then again they have very little screen time together. The whole subplot between them seems forced, machinated for the purposes of the plot. She seems to be there to supply the viewer, not Eli, with hope and to add another layer of superficial drama to the film. Another drawback is that the dialogue continually reminds the audience what Eli is doing; saying, instead of implying, his motivations. If handled in a more subtle way, this would have allowed Pacino to simmer and not boil (see GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS and THE INSIDER). PEOPLE I KNOW is a small scale production that follows in the footsteps of films like SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS and THE PLAYER but lacks the energy, or insight, of either. It should be worth it for fans of Pacino, at least, and is well photographed (by Peter Deming), with a good supporting cast. That said, PEOPLE I KNOW fails to focus on a single set of ideas and ends up being abstracted and confusing, hardly a fitting fate for a guy like Eli Wurman. 6/10
I watched PEOPLE I KNOW with my fiancée, who thought the film was dull until the quasi-thriller elements appeared. I, on the other hand, felt cheated by the odd turn of events which moved the plot into familiar territory. The first act is great, but PEOPLE I KNOW slowly descends into events that do not feel natural. The character of Eli is fascinating and it is a shame that the director and writer chose to opt for such a murky and dissatisfying conclusion. During the second half of the film, for example, there are many interesting individual sections, but they do not add up. Pacino is quite good however, although his southern accent does falter a bit (mostly during his rants). Basinger and Pacino have very little chemistry, but then again they have very little screen time together. The whole subplot between them seems forced, machinated for the purposes of the plot. She seems to be there to supply the viewer, not Eli, with hope and to add another layer of superficial drama to the film. Another drawback is that the dialogue continually reminds the audience what Eli is doing; saying, instead of implying, his motivations. If handled in a more subtle way, this would have allowed Pacino to simmer and not boil (see GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS and THE INSIDER). PEOPLE I KNOW is a small scale production that follows in the footsteps of films like SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS and THE PLAYER but lacks the energy, or insight, of either. It should be worth it for fans of Pacino, at least, and is well photographed (by Peter Deming), with a good supporting cast. That said, PEOPLE I KNOW fails to focus on a single set of ideas and ends up being abstracted and confusing, hardly a fitting fate for a guy like Eli Wurman. 6/10