I wanted to but couldn't!

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

In New York, the cast of Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" rehearse the play in a dilapidated theater on the 42nd Street.The arrogant and selfish Professor Serybryakov (George Gaynes) is an elderly intellectual married with his gorgeous and younger second wife Yelena (Julianne Moore) that feels trapped in a prison with her marriage. They live in a farm that supports their lifestyle with the Professor Serybryakov's brother-in-law from the first marriage Vanya (Wallace Shawn), who manages the family business with Professor's daughter from his first marriage, Sonya (Brooke Smith), a plain single young woman and Vanya's mother. The local Dr. Astrov (Larry Pine) visits the family every day since he is in love with Yelena. She talks with him about his feelings for Sonya, but Astrov misunderstands and believes she is also in love with him. One day, Sonya confides to Yelena that she has an unrequited love for Dr. Astrov. When Professor Serybryakov discloses his intention of selling the real estate, there is a crisis in the family."Vanya on 42nd Street" is a filmed rehearsal of Anton Chekhov's play "Uncle Vanya" by Louis Malle. The talkative story about frustrated lives, where every character wish to have a different existence, is surprisingly engaging since there are no costumes or scenarios, but excellent direction and performances. The beginning is a little boring, I agree, but give a chance to this movie and you will certainly have a great (favorable) surprise. My vote is seven,Title (Brazil): "Tio Vanya em Nova York" ("Uncle Vanya in New York")

Malle's adaptation handles Tchekhov's notoriously difficult shifts in mood and context excellently, investing every scene and almost every word with an edge of ambivalence and frustration, and the performances are all first-rate. Moore in particular, from her first appearance in the film (which is without dialogue) to the final scene constructs a really intelligent performance as Yeliena, I feel, and she seems to cover the whole gamut of Yeliena's character from the giggly and superficial to the introspective.With all due respect to the American school this film could have descended easily into overwrought Tennessee Williams-esque Naturalism with lots of method-style spitting and uncomfortable truth. Instead the intellectual, spiritual dimensions of Tchekhov's play are always brought to the fore, in addition of course to Tchekhov's dark brand of humour, where the actors (particularly Julianne Moore) laugh through their tears and visa versa. Avoiding the common temptation of drawing out the play's anguished characters at a snail's pace, Malle also paces the film well, with an emphasis on lightness and subtlety of delivery - the result is both intellectually and emotionally satisfying.

Like many others I was blown away by this film. It is SO hard to film a play, but Louis Malle and the actors have worked some incredible magic.

First, full disclosure: I've seen Uncle Vanya performed by the Bolshoi Theater, and have read the play over a dozen times, in the original Russian. It is dear to me, and I have some rather definite ideas about what it is, and what it should be.Having said that...I must say that while I really liked how the actors were filmed coming into the rehearsal area from the streets of NY, and thought that several deviations from Chekhov were appropriate and even inspired, and though I was awed by the acting of Shawn, Larry Pine, and especially Brooke Smith, ...I had a few problems with this production.Above all--I had a problem with Yelena (played by Julianne Moore) as a giggling airhead. Was this the idea of Moore, or director Gregory, or of David Mamet, who altered the original play? It certainly wasn't Chekhov. Yelena certainly is, in some respects, empty, false, hollow. But having her giggle in response to Vanya's confessions of love is completely at odds with what Chekhov had in mind. She may not be entirely serious, but she does take other people seriously; and her reaction here is more like pity and disgust than like levity and thoughtless dismissal. Yelena is not an airhead valley-girl. The other problem arises from how the play is shot as a movie. As noted by zetes below, theater and film are different media. Obviously Chekhov, who died in 1904, was writing only with the stage in mind. Hence some dialog is bound to be either too weak, or too strong (probably the former). And sure enough, while Brooke Smith is absolutely WONDERFUL as Sonya throughout, her final speech--which in the original play is rousing, inspiring, really uplifting--comes across as way too understated. On the stage, Sonya should give her "We will find peace!" speech at full pitch, packed with emotion; but if Smith had given such a delivery here, with camera in a close-up shot of her as she spoke, the effect would have been completely over-the-top. Her delivery is the best it can be, given the medium; but it's not what Chekhov intended.All this aside, there is a lot to like here, and I'm glad I was able to find this at the video rental store.