'Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer' has too much Norman
Richard Gere has always been at his best when cast as a species of con artist, and in 鈥淣orman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer,鈥� he gets a chance to show off his motormouth trickster skills. As the fictional Norman Oppenheimer, he鈥檚 playing a man who, though well-dressed at all times, seems to live on the streets. His business card says 鈥淥ppenheimer Strategies,鈥� but the strategies mostly consist of Norman mooching his way into elite business precincts ever in search of a good deal.
Oppressively engaging, his tactics rub everybody the wrong way, especially since Norman doesn鈥檛 appear to have anything to offer anybody except empty promises. Israeli writer-director Joseph Cedar is attempting a modern Jewish fable 鈥� Sholem Aleichem meets high-end Manhattan; when Norman convolutedly ends up as a friend of Israel鈥檚 new prime minister (Lior Ashkenazi), the fable takes wing. But even with Gere鈥檚 standout work, a little of Norman goes a long way, and this film offers up a lot of Norman. Grade:聽B- (Rated R for some language.)聽
