Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.5

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Blu-ray Movie Review

"...You might as well live."

Reviewed by Justin Dekker January 16, 2025

American writer and poet Dorothy Parker and her life during and after the heyday of the Algonquin Round Table is the focus of 'Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle' which arrives on Blu-ray disc courtesy of Imprint. Perhaps best remembered for her caustic wit and her humorous, surprising, and wise light verse, Parker is brought to life by Jennifer Jason Leigh ('Flesh+Blood', 'eXistenZ') and is surrounded by an all-star cast including Campbell Scott ('Singles'), Matthew Broderick ('Ferris Bueller's Day Off'), Gweneth Paltrow ('Sliding Doors'), and Stanley Tucci ('Conclave'). Directed and co-written by Alan Rudolph ('Trouble in Mind'), 'Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle' is the funny and tragic portrait of one of the United State's most influential and romantic literary figures. Though listed as a Region B release, the film and its supplemental material is playable in Region A players. The release brings forward all of the special features from the 2006 DVD release and adds some new content as well. A slipbox is also included.

When asked to name a female poet from the US's rich but short (comparatively) literary history, most would quickly answer with Emily Dickenson. While not particularly well-known during her own lifetime, the enigmatic and reclusive belle of Amherst endures as a fundamental staple of high school and collegiate American Lit classes. At the risk of oversimplification, Dickenson's life, while not "traditional" in the sense that she did not marry and raise children, was rather staid and proper. She was born to a reasonably well-to-do family and received a solid education. What makes Dickenson a more interesting literary figure, aside from her writing, is a certain air of mystery born of her isolation, and, at least to certain teenage readers, her fascination and fixation on death.

Dorothy Parker, I would argue, is a more interesting and influential writer and personality for all of the right and wrong reasons. After achieving a small portion of success by getting several of her poems published, Parker perceived her goal of being a writer as attainable and secured a position at Vanity Fair. It was not until a few years later, however, that her career would properly take off after a stint lending her pen and considerable intellect to the theater reviews which were normally the territory of P. G. Wodehouse; Wodehouse being the mind behind the comedic stories of a certain vacuous Bertram Wilberforce Wooster and his quietly brilliant butler Jeeves. Her reviews were revolutionarily funny, honest, insightful, and sometimes brutal. Not her only foray into what was (and, to some extent, is still) considered the domain of men, Parker developed a significant appetite for both alcohol and sex, visiting colorful speakeasies during the prohibition years and choosing and enjoying a number of partners in and out of wedlock. She was one of the very few female members of the literal meeting of the minds that was the Algonquin Round Table and endures as more of a household name than most of her male counterparts. Beyond her artistic works she co-founded the Screen Writer's Guild and was an activist who left her estate to Martin Luther King, Jr., upon her death. It's this atypical and complex persona coupled with her clever and often hilarious writing and a troubled personal life stemming from failed romances that worked in concert to make her a more romantic literary figure.

Made for approximately $7 million dollars, an amazingly small figure when one looks at the roster of on-screen talent, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle puts Jennifer Jason Leigh as Dorothy Parker in the middle of virtually every scene. It's a burden Leigh shoulders with ease. Leigh, by this time in her career (1994) had proven her ability to play unusual, atypical characters such as Heart of Midnight's Carol and Single White Female's dangerous Hedra. Here, she's in a man's world, playing men's games, and winning. After careful study and preparation, she tailors her vocal performance in a way that, while authentic, does take a bit of getting used to. Initially unsettling and unusual, her biting drunken lilt quickly grows into being the heart and soul of the film, capturing the core of Parker without imitating her, and becoming emblematic of the alcohol-fueled personalities and nature of the film. Campbell Scott's Robert Benchley, Parker's longtime friend, is another key component, and his own brand of care and compassion shines through and is enhanced by significant romantic tension. He also has the honor of carrying the film's most purely hilarious scene in the recreation of Benchley's first on-stage performance of "The Treasurer's Report". But whereas Scott simmers for the bulk of his screentime, Matthew Broderick's effervescent energy and captivating presence injects much-needed life and sparkle into a production that, for all of its wit, tends to be dour and presided over by the shadow of inevitable tragedy.

The sizable cast of real-life characters that floats through Parker's orbit does a commendable job trading barbs and jokes in rapid-fire fashion that typically feel quite off-the-cuff, and in some instances they were. There are, though, and handful of moments where, in an attempt to convey the the intelligence of a particular character and manner of speaking at the time, the actors are not necessarily up to the task. Lines are performed instead of delivered, leaving them feeling clunky and awkward rather than sophisticated, insightful, or funny. While these are the exception and not the rule, these moments do tend to pull the viewer out of the film and leaves them trying to find a way to better say and feel those words in their own minds.

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

While I am not privy to any of the details of the transfer or any restoration that may or may not have been done, the notes profess to a 2K scan from what I'm assuming, based on what I'm seeing, is a DVD-era master. As such, there is an inherent and consistent softness to the image. In moments where high levels of fine detail should be evident, especially in the frequent close-ups, such particulars remain elusive. Period costumes, hairstyles, sets, and locations suggest a certain richness and intricacy but largely keep their secrets to themselves. The film's pallet aims for a natural aesthetic, but colors seem a bit drab and not as fully saturated as they should be and primaries, while often present, are never afforded an opportunity to pop or dazzle. Blacks are adequate but not as inky as they ought to be. Skin tones are typically very healthy looking, despite the fact that certain subjects are clearly not healthy themselves. Fine grain is present providing a very filmic look and resolves well. Other than occasional specks, no damage was detected. It's certainly watchable, but it could have so much more so.

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle features a serviceable but unexciting LPCM 2.0 stereo track. Dialogue is cleanly rendered and is always understandable. The exception to this being the scenes focused on the action at the Algonquin Round Table. Here, striving for realism, Rudolph allows his actors to talk over each other creating a bit of a cacophonous din forcing the audience to key on certain voices to understand what specific characters are saying, much the same way one would need to concentrate to pick out certain voices, stories, and jokes from conversations overheard at a party. This, as evidenced in various on-disc supplements, was the intent and is not a flaw of the track. Music is well-balanced though it lacks the bottom end to which modern ears are accustomed. Sound effects are primarily of a mundane nature and consist of slaps, closing doors, dropped glasses, and the like. The track is more than capable of reproducing these with appropriate realism. While not complex and sometimes feeling a bit threadbare, the track does what it needs to do.

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

As is often the case with Imprint's releases, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle comes loaded with a healthy array of on-disc features.

• 'A Reflection of a Reflection' - Interview with Director/Co-Writer Alan Rudolph (35.13) - Early on, Rudolph states that this film was the most difficult one that he'd ever participated in with regard to both workload and challenge, as he tried to balance the energy and creativity of the cast with an earnestness in accurately portraying real people. He describes how he was introduced to Parker's work by his father who was a friend of Robert Benchley, who himself was one of Dorothy Parker's closest friends. To prepare for the film, he extensively read Parker's work and visited the Algonquin in New York City before crafting the set that housed so much of the film's action, a set that consumed the bulk of the film's budget. The role of Benchley, he relays, was the most difficult role for him to cast, but upon meeting Campbell Scott, he knew he was right for the role. Various other casting choices are discussed as well, including a rather serendipitous casting of Keith Carradine as Will Rogers. Scouting and shooting in Montreal are also covered, as well as concerns over financing and other topics.

• 'Playing Real People' - Interview with Actor Campbell Scott (2023) (19.50) - In this recent interview, Scott discusses his conception of Robert Benchley, Rudolph's shooting style, watching rushes, and the collaborative creative process. He has many fond memories of the shoot, and has an obvious affinity for working with Rudolph and Robert Altman (who produced this film), whom he credits with helping to attract talented actors for key small roles. In one of the funniest moments, he shares Matthew Broderick's initial bewilderment when he joined filming in the controlled chaos of the scenes at the Algonquin. Despite the fact that filming occurred 30 years ago, his recollections are voluminous and detailed.

• 'Casting Human Complexities' - Interview with Casting Director Pam Dixon (2023) (15.08) - Dixon opens by discussing how she believed that the New York community of actors in the early 1990s was as supportive and collegial as certain aspects of the Algonquin Round Table. She shares how she came into the world of casting, her approach to the work, the differences between casting for television versus film, and her career trajectory. She spends a fair amount of time on Jennifer Jason Leigh and Campbell Scott's casting and their approach to their characters.

• Archival Interview with Director/Co-Writer Alan Rudolph (1994) (6.32) - Rudolph discusses his mindset regarding the project and trying to capture the essence of Dorothy Parker knowing that he would not be able to cover every aspect of her life. He shares that the switch from black and white to color scenes was to inform the audience that the scenes in the 1920s were the scenes they were supposed to key on while the black and white moments with Jennifer Jason Leigh struck more at the core of the character.

• Interview with Composer Marc Isham (2006) (12.14) - After relaying the tale of how he came to work with Alan Rudolph on his film Trouble in Mind, and he recounts how he came to composing for film before settling in on writing the music for this project, his love of jazz the use of which is appropriate here, and the talent that played on the tracks.

• 'Would You Kindly Direct Me to Hell? The Infamous Dorothy Parker' - Documentary (47.56) - Moderated by Wendy Liebman, this archival feature from 1994, with significant input from Gloria Steinem, Fran Lebowitz, Jennifer Jason Leigh, writer Brendan Gill, and others, covers Parker from her birth until her death, detailing her career and her personal life. It also spotlights numerous vintage photos of Dorothy Parker along with a representative sample of her poetry and other writings.

• Theatrical Trailer (2.07)

• TV Spot (0.32)

• Audio Commentary from Director/Co-Writer Alan Rudolph - Rudolph begins by sharing his strategy of using Parker's poetry to get to the core of who she was as a person due to the fact that she was a very private person and did not leave behind any memoirs or autobiographical material, unlike most of her peers from the Algonquin Round Table. He shares numerous details and anecdotes from the shoot and various scenes, as well as biographical information about the real people who these actors are portraying. It's a fascinating listen.

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Perhaps the booziest film I've seen, Jennifer Jason Leigh's Dorothy Parker gives viewers a seat, however briefly, at the infamous Algonquin Round Table, able to enjoy every joke, every witticism, all the while safe from Parker's acid tongue. As some who witnessed the actual Round Table in action would no doubt attest, it's a bit difficult to keep up at times, but it's always worth the effort. Once the footage shifts back to the 1920s and switches to color, the virtually constant drinking at lunches, dinners, and after parties gives Leigh's increasingly gin-soaked portrayal a growing sense of impending doom, not only for her character, but for all those who choose to take a chair. No stranger to unusual or unexpected performances, Leigh adds another to that list, and is supported in her role by an incredible cast, most notably Scott, Broderick, and Andrew McCarthy. While technical merits may not quite be up to snuff, this release is certainly more accessible and affordable than the DVD which has been out of print for some time. With expectations held in check, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle comes recommended.