On the cinematic evolutionary line after Woody Allen but
before Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach is Whit Stillman. He wrote and directed
three films all released in the 90s and then disappeared for 13 years (his
fourth film, Damsels in Distress
opens this month). As a writer he stands tall among the giants of literate
screenplays written by, for, and about educated people. His characters are
often reflections of his own upbringing in a world of upper class privilege and
Ivy League education. His stories explore issues such as social group dynamics
versus coupling, distinctions between social classes, and conservative
political values. He’s a writer unafraid to give his characters interesting
things to say and have them sound intelligent. If you find yourself
occasionally lost, it’s quite possibly because the conversation is centered on
something outside your experience.
