By: debbie lynn elias
Think you know what’s coming with Academy Award nominations? Well, think again because as the title infers, all good things comes to those who wait and in this case, that means Ryan Gosling who, with his turn as David Marks, may just find his name announced come Oscar nomination morning. And as for the film itself, “good” is an understatement when it comes to describing ALL GOOD THINGS. Based on or “inspired by” the true story of Robert Durst and the still unsolved disappearance of his wife Kathi in 1982, ALL GOOD THINGS may have changed the names “to protect the innocent” and grant the filmmakers a bit of literary license, but the facts are true and supported by immaculately detailed and impeccable research by director Andrew Jarecki and screenwriters Marcus Hinchey and Marc Smerling (who also serves as producer). The result is a dynamic, powerfully lensed, well written and well acted film. A fascinating story in and of itself, the film takes on entirely new levels of intensity and emotional gravitas thanks to powerful performances by Gosling, Kirsten Dunst and Frank Langella and well-paced, tension fraught storytelling that diverts the mind with sub-text, keeping the viewer on the edge of their seat waiting to see what will happen next.
Suspected of murdering Kathi, Robert Durst was never arrested and never tried to a judge or jury, but always remained a primary “person of interest”, apparently even to this day. What he was convicted for, however, was improper disposal of a dead body – that of his neighbor – who was found in various bits and pieces in Hefty trash bags that were spotted by a young boy playing by the side of a river in the Galveston, Texas area. Pleading self defense, Durst was found innocent of any one of the various possible murder or manslaughter charges, but held accountable for his disposal method of the body. After an exhaustive search, the filmmakers of ALL GOOD THINGS managed to locate and obtain a transcript – and even some recordings – of the complete trial testimony in the Galveston case, including Durst’s own testimony. Often a rarity for a defense attorney to put his client accused of murder/manslaughter on the stand, Durst did take the stand and recanted his life story for all to hear; a life story that Jarecki, Smerling and Hinchey unfold for us now.
Mimicking the Durst story itself, ALL GOOD THINGS gives us David Marks. Eldest son of NYC real estate mogul, Sanford Marks, David and his father have never been close and, in fact, were emotionally estranged from the time David was 7. You see, David’s mother committed suicide by jumping off the roof. The all knowing, all powerful Sanford thought that by having little David stand on the ground below, it would keep Mrs. Marks from jumping. It didn’t. Obviously scarring him for life, David never fit in with the family or the business. Despite repeated concerted efforts by his father to drag him into the dynasty, David withdrew, using his ample monetary resources for drugs, alcohol, escapism – until he met Katie. A blue collar working girl from Long Island, Katie is a free spirit. Open, honest, at ease with everyone and everything, she is the antithesis of everything that David has known and he is immediately smitten with her. Whether a move of defiance, independence or true love, David marries Katie. Moving to Vermont and establishing their own health food store, “All Good Things”, life is idyllic for the couple, that is until Sanford pays a call on Katie.
Alluding to Katie as being materialistic and mercurial is enough to force David back home into the fold, doing his father’s bidding. After all, if it will take money to keep his wife and keep her happy, he better do it. It is also the beginning of the end for David and Katie as Katie easily falls into a lifestyle of “have” as opposed to her upbringing as being one of the “have nots.” With money now no object, the world is her oyster as she hits the party scene, sports between multiple residences and even gets accepted to medical school. On the flip side, she also sees her marriage decline and David’s temper, anger and need for control escalate, until the day comes when the two have a fight and Katie is never seen again.
As Katie, Kirsten Dunst is a breath of fresh air among upper crust stuffy. She has a lightness and innocence that is precious and adorable. Her initial chemistry with Ryan Gosling is charming and sweet and then intensifies with a palpable darkness. Dunst and Katie transform before your very eyes – physically and emotionally. A dinner seen where Katie meets Sanford Marks for the first time may seem insignificant, but Dunst makes it interesting and important, adding a polish that the character didn’t demonstrate earlier. Dunst does a complete 180 as Katie changes. Outwardly we see that make-up is harsher, clothes are no longer “hippy”, the attitude is more arrogant and publicly demanding, but then comes the kicker – a complete personality shift as Katie spirals into a black hole from which she will not recover. Absolutely fascinating to watch Dunst in this chameleonic transformation.
Pardon me for saying, but sometimes I have to wonder about Ryan Gosling’s mental state given some of “psychotically bent” roles he often undertakes; roles that your average actor would never attempt (and if they did, they would undoubtedly do them badly), but roles with which Gosling just soars. Such is his portrayal of David Marks. As David, Gosling is creepy; making your skin crawl from start to finish. And when he suddenly becomes “a woman” – there are no words to describe the emotional effect of this visual and the nuanced emotion Gosling presents within this particular incarnation. (Yes, folks – on Durst’s arrest in Texas, he was dressed as a deaf, mute woman – a persona in which he had been living for 4 years) This is a new Norman Bates before us and it’s riveting. And then Gosling’s chemistry with Frank Langella – perfectly wonderful as the cavern between father and son is frigid, setting up some interesting psychological situations as the movie progresses.
As comes as no surprise, Frank Langella is impeccable as Sanford Marks. The strength that he brings to the role of Sanford is imposing and believable. He commands the screen with each appearance. And just hold onto your seat for a climactic scene involving father, son and a car. Langella – and the story twist – will make your head spin and your heart stop.
Written by Marc Smerling and Marcus Hinchey and directed by Andrew Jarecki, this is truly a collaborative creative effort. Pacing within the story and the film is superb, excrementally building tension and fascination with a “dare we look further” allure. Visually, sleek, slick, sexy, polished cinematography by Michael Seresin at times borders on that at times borders a high gloss black-blue film noir tint, much as he did with “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.” Stunning to look at. From the opening imagery of an inky black night, a metal bridge and the thick sludge-like appearance of crude floating on top of the river, you are spellbound only to be jarred and jolted with the sudden disruptive PLOP PLOP PLOP (and it ain’t MALKA Seltzer) of large items being dumped over the bridge into the river disturbing the mystery. It is impossible to look away. You are reeled in, begging for more.
And then you meet this strange, weird looking, disheveled man on a witness stand who seems mentally unbalanced. To the audience, one is caught off guard and instinctively red flags of “caution, beware” shoot up on your own radar. Then you hear him speak in this slow, deliberate, almost defective Norman Bates type of cadence and it creeps you out even more. But you listening while being treated to the sweetness of vintage happy family Super 8mm movies. Suddenly, the film strip ends. The voice stops. Another voice is heard – “And what happened then?” By this point you are craving more, dying to know what happened. And the insatiable thirst for the story just keeps building. And the deliberateness of each shot, each movement, each piece of dialogue, all feeds into the every building suspense.
What you have seen and heard – and much of what you see and hear as narrative throughout ALL GOOD THINGS, is the actual trial testimony given by Robert Durst during the Galveston trial. Using this as a base, interviews with friends and family of the real life players are then intertwined and expounded upon, leading to well defined characters, while actual events are incorporated with detailed specifics, and given the uncertain outcome of the story, there is just enough questionability and inconclusiveness to lead to “reasonable doubt”, allowing the audience to come to their own conclusions as to what happened to Kathi Durst/Katie Marks, not to mention learn a few other tidbits along the way that may or may not impact their own impressions. With the framework in place, Andrew Jarecki jumps in with masterful direction.
A chilling psychological portrait of a man, a marriage and a family. An intriguing, fascinating and speculative look at an as yet unsolved disappearance of a talented, vibrant young woman who fell victim to ALL GOOD THINGS. Meticulous. Impeccable. Compelling. Everything is good with ALL GOOD THINGS.
David Marks – Ryan Gosling
Katie Marks – Kirsten Dunst
Sanford Marks – Frank Langella
Directed by Andrew Jarecki. Written by Marc Smerling and Marcus Hinchey.
