Review: The Agent
- Article 2 of 2
- Filmstar, October 2009
Ever wondered who decides what you read? A writer and an agent face off in a battle of wills and reveal what makes a book a success
In a world where Dan Brown’s Da Vinci is a worldwide bestseller and even slightly better written books don’t even see the light of day, there has to be something rotten in the heart of publishing. ‘The Agent’ ventures where no other movie dares to tread to show exactly what that might be.
Based on Martin Wagner’s stage play of the same name, ‘The Agent’ sees neglected writer Stephen visiting his Robert Webb-alike agent, Alexander, to find out what he thinks of his new book. When it’s clear Alexander either hasn’t read it or doesn’t think it’ll sell, Stephen takes drastic measures to force Alexander to auction the book to the highest bidder.
For anyone who’s ever written a book, the film is horrifyingly familiar and is pretty much note-perfect and accurate. Much of the story involves discussions between writer and agent about what motivates them, the forces that really drive the publishing industry, and the simple realities of their jobs. Alexander simply doesn’t have the time to read books any more. He also doesn’t get paid enough for each book to be truly motivated on a gamble like Stephen’s worthy potential masterpiece. Stephen isn’t outward-going enough to make his book a success, even though his introversion makes him a better writer. Equally accurately, the film shows Stephen’s book becomes instantly more interesting to publishers once Alexander claims he’s really a photogenic young woman rather than a nerdy 40-something.
Shot on a budget of £26,000, the film is surprisingly dynamic and well shot for a stage-play adaption, although its occasional excursion into handheld work is a step too far. Tense, well acted, and cleverly managing to avoid ‘Misery’ territory, its only real misstep is the ending, which feels more like writer’s paranoia than the natural outcome of the story.