Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994) - Alan Rudolph

Alan Rudolph's Mrs. Parker and The Vicious Circle tells the story of acclaimed writer Dorothy Parker, a 1920s poet and writer who was one of the primary memebers of the Algonquin Round Table, a circle of intellectual artists in writing and stage who drank profusely during the prohibition era.  A relatively unique biopic, Alan Rudolph routinely jumps between the dense narrative, shot in color, and Mrs. Parker alone in black-and-white, reciting her work in voice-over, which typically mirrors much of what Parker is experiencing beneath the surface of the narrative.  Mrs. Parker and The Vicious Circle contrasts Dorothy Parker's personal and creative lives, offering up a tragic portrait of depression and cynicism.   Following her relationships with various members of the Algonquin Round Table, the film captures the loneliness and despair that begins to consume Mrs. Parker, a woman who simply can't find happiness in a world of back-stabbing, out-for-themselves type of characters.  In a way, Mrs. Parker and The Vicious Circle is one of the most interesting commentaries on Hollywood and Intellectualism as a whole, examining how enlightenment, intelligence, and creativity can breed a sense of entitlement and selfishness, something which led Dorothy Parker down the path of alcoholism and deep-rooted cynicism.  Alan Rudolph remains one of the most underrated American filmmakers ever, and Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle is just another great example of this fact, as he beautifully uses this period piece setting to juxtapose the elegance of these creatives wiith he underlying despair and selfishness that runs rampant in the Algonquin Round Table.  Rudolph's direction really stood out to me in this film, as he shows a great sense of shot selection, using his camera and choice of compositions to subtly direct the eyes of the viewer towards the underlying depth in each scene.  While i'd argue that the narrative of this film is uncomfortably dense at times, Mrs. Parker and The Vicious Circle is a impressive film none-the-less, thanks to the career defining performance of Jennifer Jason Leigh as Dorothy Parker, as well as Rudoph's impressive direction, which together offer up a potent portrait of sadness, despair, and cynicism which lurked behind the curtain of the wity, misunderstood artist Dorothy Parker.

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