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Merchant Ivory (2024)

Writer's picture: Kyle BainKyle Bain

-Written by Kyle Bain.


Ismail Merchant and James Ivory were a force to be reckoned with in the film industry, creating Merchant Ivory, a production studio that employed the likes of Hugh Grant, Helena Bonham Carter, and more. The studio has thrived for years, and this documentary is a testament to their time together in the industry, peering beyond what the world already knows about them. 


Merchant Ivory is far too long, longer than any documentary should be, really. The fact of the matter is that the film drones on and on, relaying similar information over and over again. Those aforementioned actors all have similar things to say about the Ivory and Merchant duo. I can appreciate the fact that this team wants to paint the duo in the best possible light–and I don’t really think that’s difficult. So, to repeatedly press the issue, to repeatedly tell the audience the same wonderful things serves no purpose. With that, again, Merchant Ivory is too long. Cut out the repeated glorification of the duo–it’s not necessary, we get it. 


The narration is bland, lacking personality, emotion, and enough gusto to cause viewers to really care about what’s happening. I think the information presented to viewers has the potential to be interesting, if that information is in the right hands. The narration here just isn’t right for the film. Sure, Merchant Ivory is a laid back, straightforward documentary–but I think that warrants, even more, a personality from the narrator. Without any emotion it just becomes hard to care, and given the fact that this is a film about filmmaking, I desperately wanted to care. 


With that, as much as I care about filmmaking, as much as I care about the process behind the films that I love, it became challenging for me to remain focused. Merchant Ivory didn’t do enough to keep me engaged. 


Merchant Ivory is a terribly boring documentary; let’s call a spade a spade. It’s straightforward, doing very little to entertain viewers beyond simply spoon feeding them information. If you love films and behind-the-scenes information on how films are made, then Merchant Ivory is a film intended for you. However, not to beat a dead horse, but it’s a challenging film to remain focused on. Don’t expect any frills, expect a ton of repetition, and anticipate the occasional fit of boredom. 


With everything said, even with how troublesome much of the film was, there’s an aspect of Merchant Ivory that still appeals to me. I was still able to hear the testimonies of incredibly talented actors, I still learned about the process by which some wonderful films were made, and there is a warmness present in the film from start to finish. There’s something there, something interesting that needed to be let out, but I’m not sure that Director Stephen Soucy captures it effectively. 


Directed by Stephen Soucy. 


Written by Jon Hart & Stephen Soucy. 


Starring James Ivory, Helena Bonham Carter, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Vanessa Redgrave, etc. 


6/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE


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