Let Them All Talk – An Enjoyable Albeit Non-Groundbreaking Voyage

Steven Soderbergh does a lot of things right as a producer/writer/director. He’s produced a delightful third entry in the Bill and Ted franchise, directed the Ocean’s trilogy, and written one of the most iconic indie films ever created with Sex, Lies and Videotape. In many ways, he rarely misfires in his creative decisions. This is why on paper, Let Them All Talk (LTAT) sounds like a must-see.

Streep is Alice Hughes, an acclaimed author, who in order to accept a prestigious award for her work must embark on a transatlantic crossing on a ship from the US to England. Along with her, she brings life-long friends, Susan (Wiest) and Roberta (Bergen), as well as her nephew Tyler (Lucas Hedges) in an effort to make amends for her decades-long silence. Naturally, this cast demands respect and is given a wide breadth in terms of direction through a mostly improvised script that seems to have a beginning and endpoint but allows for freedom of expression along the journey. In less capable hands this would have been an abysmal decision that could’ve jeopardized the entire project, however, all of the actors bring a degree of authenticity to their roles to the extent that you truly feel as if you are another passenger witnessing these conversations.

Additionally, Soderbergh has always brought a unique perspective through his camerawork and colorization of scenes that have now become his distinct signature. These traits are on full display here as he uses the expanse of the ship as its own omnipresent character who in many circumstances forces its inhabitants to interact with one another due to their shared constraints. Let Them All Talk highlights the beauty and intricate construction of the ship while not drawing direct attention to it throughout the film. This is important because many times the ship is far more interesting than the characters or their conflicts within it.

Sadly, there is just not enough within Let Them All Talk to catapult it into must-watch territory. Despite featuring an interesting twist in the final minutes of the film that provides a shot of adrenaline in the narrative, it quickly fizzles out on its opportunity to stick the landing. The actors are excellent in handling the loose nature of the film’s production and in many cases rise to the occasion but what suffers is the simmering build-up to a conclusion that severely underwhelms and could’ve become more interesting if given a ratified third act.

In the end, despite wanting to love Let Them All Talk based on its ingredients, the end result saw certain parts of the film outweigh their sum.

still courtesy of HBO Max

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