Ivans xtc

In a battle for supremacy over a man's soul, a hedonistic Hollywood lifestyle turns out to be more deadly than lung cancer in director Bernard Rose's adaption of Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich, transposed into the corruptive social circles of the film industry in Ivans xtc. (2000).  Facing an uphill battle to secure financing, Rose wound up shooting the project on the burgeoning HD video format, which actually works in the film's favor by stripping away the visual artifice of idealized glamour and wallowing in the behind-the-scenes moral decay that really makes Hollywood run.

 

Danny Huston stars as the titular Ivan Beckman, an ambitious agent whose backstabbing machinations just secured his firm the hottest celebrity in town, Don West (Peter Weller), lured by a script that he single-handedly turned into a hot property.  Unfortunately, his career victory is marred by a doctor's visit that turns up a "suspicious" spot on his lung, a diagnosis that goes from bad to worse in a matter of days.  

 

But that doesn't stop Ivan from indulging in his usual menu of cocaine, booze and casual sex.  In fact, his existence almost demands such self-destructive behavior, even using his girlfriend (Lisa Enos) to seduce Don West into the fold, a gambit she all too willingly agrees to for her own career ambitions.  But as the pain becomes too much to ignore, Ivan questions the meaning of his shallow accomplishments...and lifestyle that has left him with no one to confess his sins but hired strangers.

 

Ivans xtc is a tough watch - and was likely an even tougher sell to an industry that rarely admits its own flaws.  But Rose, who'd already tackled Tolstoy before with 1997's Anna Karenina, doesn't make Ivan completely unsympathetic.  In fact, the film's message isn't as cut-and-dry as the synopsis might suggest, introducing other sharks swimming in the same pool who hold themselves to a slightly higher standard of ethical behavior.  And even Ivan, for all his rotten habits and moral failings, still retains a kernel of human decency; a spark of kindness and regret that's brought out when things are at their worst.  "What will happen to my dog?" he wonders.  It's a tragic moment of self-realization that Huston captures with rare subtlety...much like film itself.  

 

Arrow Video's special edition Blu-ray provides a tremendous showcase for a film far too few people know about.  There are a few viewing options, including two FPS options of the theatrical cut (60i and the original 24fps...which is better unless you like the Curb Your Enthusiasm look) along with an extended producer's cut.  Charlotte's Story is a brand-new documentary on the making of the film from producer / actor / screenwriter Lisa Enos who also contributes a commentary track.  A Q & A, archival interview, outtake reel and theatrical wrap things up.