His Real Life Was the Biggest Fantasy of All

My Dinner with Hervé

2018 | R | 1 Hr. 50 Min | Drama Biography |  Daredevil Films

Director: Sacha Gervasi

Writers: 

Sacha Gervasi (story)

Sean Macaulay (story) |

Stars: 

Peter Dinklage

Jamie Dornan

Frida Munting

Synopsis: A look at the life of French actor Hervé Villechaize, co-star of the hit '70s TV series "Fantasy Island", who took his own life in 1993 at the age of 50.

From writer and director Sacha Gervasi (who gave us the amazing documentary Anvil: The Story of Anvil and Hitchcock) tells us a personal story with My Dinner with Hervé filling us in on what happened when struggling journalist Danny Tate (Fifty Shades star Jamie Dornan ) unwillingly takes an assignment to interview actor Hervé Villechaize (Peter Dinklage Game of Thrones) that turned into so much more. After having the French dwarf pull a knife on him and being challenged to delve deeper into the man behind the public persona, an unlikely friendship formed over a wild night in Los Angeles that became a life-changing experience for both men and you the viewer.

Dinklage adopts Villechaize’s high pitched voice and his French accent well and at times is hard to understand but his performance transcends all of that. He brings all kinds of layers of conflict, arrogance, insecurity, and sorrow to a man who was viewed by most of the public as a pop star and a spoiled celebrity. Dinklage should easily be mentioned come award season with a solid shot at the Golden Globe you really felt Villechaize's pain and loneliness through his acting. Dornan, on the other hand, was a little missed placed if you ask me, almost a little to easy on the eyes and when they flash to the guy he is playing you just can not wrap your mind around this guys life that just played out in front of you. Never the less they play well off of each other and you really start to feel an instant bond. 

The movie takes place mainly with Hervé talking, in a restaurant and in his limousine, as the narrative flashes back to vignettes from his breakthrough role in the 1974 Bond movie “The Man With the Golden Gun” and his run as Tattoo on “Fantasy Island. As that story plays out we also see Danny begin to work out some of his own troubles as he pushes Hervé to be thoroughly honest, he feels more empowered to face his own darker truths. Coming off of 30 days sobriety after wrecking his marriage you can quickly see why these two needed each other. 

Even tho you know the outcome you never really want it to get there. It would have been nice to hear about Herve's earlier career before the Bond movie but we do get a lesson in his early artistic career. His relationship with his mother is left for you to decipher as well as his broken marriage that is only slightly touched upon. Overall this is a fun tale of a broken man that I never knew was broken,  like most, I saw him as "The Plane, The Plane" charter and not the pain that came with it. Dinner does open your eyes to his career but I feel it lacks in some of those aspects as well. Don't skip out on Dinner with Herve, in the end, is well worth your time and effort, especially if you grew up on 70's TV. 

4 out of 5 Stars