People I Know DVD Review:

As if Al Pacino didn’t look haggard enough in Insomnia, here comes “People I Know” with the acclaimed actor playing an even more worn-out character. This time, he’s Eli Wurman, a New York PR man who’s seen much better days. Wurman’s list of clients now includes only one celebrity --- Cary Launer (Ryan O’Neal), a movie star with political ambitions. Wurman doesn’t realize it, but he would be better off without the Oscar-winning actor, who cruelly announces he needs younger, more energetic representation.

Proving that no good deed goes unpunished, when Wurman tries to help Launer by taking one of his girlfriends (Tea Leoni) to the airport, he’s persuaded to make two stops which lead to the discovery of an opium den and, worse, result in the witnessing of a murder. Because the various drugs Wurman has ingested dull his memory of both events, he’s not about to worry over a murder he’s not even sure happened. As a dedicated publicist, he’s more concerned about a big turn-out at his fund-raiser scheduled for that evening. It’s a benefit for Nigerians facing illegal deportation, and Wurman wants to make sure high-powered people show up. For some reason, he seems the most anxious about Regis Philbin’s attendance.

After watching this depressing film, I felt as tired as Pacino looked. In the span of one day, his character has to deal with the potential loss of his only remaining client, the last-minute details of a big fund-raiser, the flop of a play he’s invested in, a visit from his sister-in-law (Kim Basinger) who wants him to return with her to Georgia, finding blood in his urine, and the political confrontations between his star attractions (Richard Schiff and Bill Nunn) at the benefit he’s sponsoring. And, finally, Wurner no longer knows who he can trust. Sad to say, but I just wanted it all to end – despite the brilliance of Pacino’s performance. With his slumped-over stance, bags under his eyes, rumpled hair, slow Southern drawl and labored breathing, Pacino nailed this character as well as any actor could.

A once powerful man reduced to such circumstances is not a pretty sight. Obviously, from the pictures in Wurman’s office, he’s worked with many A-list celebrities and been involved in worthy civil rights activities. Nevertheless, Wurner can’t help wondering if anything he’s done really made a difference. In a poignant exchange with his put-upon young assistant (Mark Webber), Wurner finally reveals serious doubts about the life he’s chosen.

“People I Know,” directed by David Algrant (“Naked in New York”) from a script by Jon Robin Baitz (TV’s “West Wing”), is definitely NOT a PR recruiting film. It’s an in-depth character study with a mystery thrown in to add a bit of suspense. Unfortunately, I found the character too unsympathetic (although not as much so as the slimy press agent played by Tony Curtis in “Sweet Smell of Success”) and the mystery of little interest. Still, Pacino fans should not miss this one – like Johnny Depp in “Secret Window,” he’s in every scene.

The DVD bonus features include filmmaker Algrant’s commentary and two scenes that were deleted because they show the World Trade Center prior to 9/11.

Betty Jo Tucker

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