美国国家公共电台 NPR Movie Review: Richard Gere Plays A Scheming New York Fixer In 'Norman'

 

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

Connections are important, especially in business. Think of the adage¹ it's not so much what you know, it's who you know. A new movie centers on a guy who takes that notion to extremes. It's called "Norman: The Moderate Rise And Tragic² Fall Of A New York Fixer." Critic Bob Mondello has a review.

BOB MONDELLO, BYLINE³: People run the other way when they see Norman Oppenheimer coming - if they see him coming - say, the assistant to a rich guy's assistant who's jogging in Central Park.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "NORMAN: THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER")

RICHARD GERE: (As Norman Oppenheimer) Good morning, Bill. Norman Oppenheimer

DAN STEVENS: (As Bill Kavish) You stalking me now?

GERE: (As Norman Oppenheimer) No. I just need a couple minutes of your time. I know you're busy.

STEVENS: (As Bill Kavish) This is my private time. Please, respect that. Call the office.

GERE: (As Norman Oppenheimer) I'm sorry, sir. Let me explain. Give me one minute.

STEVENS: (As Bill Kavish) No.

GERE: (As Norman Oppenheimer) A very high official, I can't mention his name right now.

MONDELLO: Norman, played by Richard Gere in overdrive, always has an angle, a deal, something he's sure will make your life better.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "NORMAN: THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER")

GERE: (As Norman Oppenheimer) I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it was worth Joe's time. Worse comes to worst, he kicks me out the door.

STEVENS: (As Bill Kavish) No. Worse comes to worst, he kicks me out the door. It is my job to keep people like you away. Don't you get that?

GERE: (As Norman Oppenheimer) Yes.

STEVENS: (As Bill Kavish) So please, respect my position.

MONDELLO: And he jogs away. And Norman calls after him, salvaging⁴ what he can.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "NORMAN: THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER")

GERE: (As Norman Oppenheimer) So I'll tell my partners that we had a good conversation. And we'll see what happens, OK? Thank you, Bill.

MONDELLO: Norman does not look unhappy with this outcome as he heads to his next meeting - actually, a public forum⁵, a very low-level Israeli official talking energy issues. Norman follows the guy after the forum, strikes up a conversation as he enters an expensive clothing shop.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "NORMAN: THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER")

GERE: (As Norman Oppenheimer) We're going to dinner at his house tonight. You can join me.

LIOR ASHKENAZI: (As Eshel) How do you know Martha Taub (ph)?

GERE: (As Norman Oppenheimer) Oh, my wife used to babysit her. And then she ended up working for him years later, very close.

MONDELLO: Norman hangs around as the guy tries on a suit, talking and talking until...

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "NORMAN: THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER")

ASHKENAZI: (As Eshel) Do not wear a suit that costs more than ordinary man's car.

GERE: (As Norman Oppenheimer) Well, at least take the shoes.

ASHKENAZI: (As Eshel) No - enough. I don't want them.

MONDELLO: How do you ingratiate yourself with power? Make a gesture.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "NORMAN: THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER")

GERE: (As Norman Oppenheimer) Let me buy you the shoes. It'd be my privilege to buy you these shoes.

MONDELLO: It's a great gesture until the clerk brings the receipt - thousand dollar shoes. But Norman sucks it up and gets Israeli deputy Micah Eshel's (ph) card to flash around when he's bragging⁶ about his famous pals⁷, a connection he figures has been made - an expensive connection.

Of course, since he's a chronic⁸ exaggerator, no one is going to believe him, especially as Eshel starts rising politically. And a couple of years later when Israeli Prime Minister Eshel returns to New York, even Norman figures the jig⁹ is up. Having weaseled his way onto a reception line, he's terrified of being found out.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "NORMAN: THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As character) You OK?

GERE: (As Norman Oppenheimer) Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I've been reacting to something in the room. I don't know.

MONDELLO: Let's just avert¹⁰ our eyes from what happens next. Could Norman handle it if things went well for him? Well, the film's subtitle¹¹ is "The Moderate Rise And Tragic Fall Of A New York Fixer." Still, director Joseph Cedar¹² gives Norman's moments of triumph the sort of showcase that 1940s musicals gave great tap dancers, surrounding him with an impressive chorus - Steve Buscemi as a rabbi who trusts Norman more than he should, Dan Stevens and Michael Sheen as up-and-comers who don't trust him at all, Charlotte Gainsbourg as a lawyer who really listens to what he has to say, not always a good thing. All of them circling Richard Gere's scheming, well-meaning, increasingly-in-over-his-head fixer.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "NORMAN: THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER")

GERE: (As Norman Oppenheimer) Oh, my name? My name is Norman Oppenheimer. Yeah. No, Mr. Eshel's a very, very close friend of mine.

MONDELLO: Gere is mesmerizing¹³, making Norman every bit as crazily engaging as he is annoying.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "NORMAN: THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER")

GERE: (As Norman Oppenheimer) I got a meeting.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) How'd you manage that?

MONDELLO: In real life, you might well cross the street if you saw Norman coming. But from a distance on a movie screen, he is fascinating company. I'm Bob Mondello.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

1 adage   

n.格言，古训

参考例句：

• But the old adage that men grow into office has not proved true in my experience.但是，根据我的经验，人们所谓的工作岗位造就人材这句古话并不正确。
• Her experience lends credence to the adage " We live and learn!"她的经验印证了一句格言: 活到老，学到老！

2 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 salvaging   

（从火灾、海难等中）抢救（某物）( salvage的现在分词 )； 回收利用（某物）

参考例句：

• A shipping company has made a claim for the cost of salvaging a sunken ship. 某轮船公司要求赔赏打捞沉船的费用。（make a claim 要求）
• It is not uncommon to hear that a shipping company has made a claim for the cost of salvaging a sunken ship. 航运公司为打捞沉船的费用而提出要求，这并非奇闻。

5 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

6 bragging   

v.自夸，吹嘘( brag的现在分词 )；大话

参考例句：

• He's always bragging about his prowess as a cricketer. 他总是吹嘘自己板球水平高超。 来自辞典例句
• Now you're bragging, darling. You know you don't need to brag. 这就是夸口，亲爱的。你明知道你不必吹。 来自辞典例句

7 pals   

n.朋友( pal的名词复数 )；老兄；小子；（对男子的不友好的称呼）家伙

参考例句：

• We've been pals for years. 我们是多年的哥们儿了。
• CD 8 positive cells remarkably increased in PALS and RP(P CD8+细胞在再生脾PALS和RP内均明显增加(P 来自互联网

8 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

9 jig   

n.快步舞（曲）；v.上下晃动；用夹具辅助加工；蹦蹦跳跳

参考例句：

• I went mad with joy and danced a little jig.我欣喜若狂，跳了几步吉格舞。
• He piped a jig so that we could dance.他用笛子吹奏格舞曲好让我们跳舞。

10 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

11 subtitle   

n.副题（书本中的），说明对白的字幕

参考例句：

• His new book has a subtitle.他的新书有一个副标题。
• Ah!I don't know why they don't subtitle these movies.唉！我不知道这些电影为什么不打字幕。

12 cedar   

n.雪松，香柏(木)

参考例句：

• The cedar was about five feet high and very shapely.那棵雪松约有五尺高,风姿优美。
• She struck the snow from the branches of an old cedar with gray lichen.她把长有灰色地衣的老雪松树枝上的雪打了下来。

13 mesmerizing   

adj.有吸引力的，有魅力的v.使入迷( mesmerize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I think you must be mesmerizing me, Charles. 查尔斯，我想你一定在对我施催眠术啦。 来自辞典例句
• The attendant one-dimensional wave equation has mesmerizing harmonic properties. 伴生的一元波平衡具有迷人的和谐特性。 来自电影对白