Esther Kahn

Esther Kahn is a series of contradictions: it's a film about late 19th century British theatre from a French director (Arnaud Desplechin), starring Summer Phoenix, an American, as an aspiring British actress. When Esther Kahn (Phoenix), part of a family of Jewish immigrants who work together in a sweatshop, is drawn to Yiddish theater, an old hack actor (Ian Holm) teaches her the mechanics of the profession while a young writer (Fabrice Desplechin) teaches her about love. Unfortunately, the film relies on a distancing male voiceover to explain the thoughts behind Esther's sometimes-blank eyes, and the character is too dour (though Phoenix doubtlessly gave Desplechin exactly the cold performance he desired) to justify a 142-minute visit. Esther Kahn does offer interesting period depictions of backstage life, and delves into important questions that still drive method actors to this day (can you act an emotion you've never experienced?). However, halfway through, the theater musings become central, and the film abandons the more interesting questions of religious and ethnic identity in Esther's life. Ultimately, this indifference over who the character was prevents us from caring about the woman she becomes. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include an interview segment with star Summer Phoenix, a two-minute deleted scene, text filmographies, a trailer, and web links. Bottom line: a skimpy extras package for a somewhat bloated film.] (D. Fienberg)