Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer [2017]

This film is cringingly good.Gere does a superb job as a very nosey, creepy, in yer face, infuriating busy-body chancer of a "fix it" guy.Some of the methods of pressing his overly inquisitive nature upon people is so utterly embarrassing and cringeworthy it put me on edge throughout.So brilliantly done, but at the same time, it left me wishing he would just stop.A fabulous script of twists and turns provide us with a series of multifaceted, layer building circumstances that draws to a remarkable conclusion.I get that all he wants is to get ahead in life, but it is so frustrating to see how, as all the years have proven to him, that his methods just don't work. However, like some inexplicable urge to keep ploughing on, he stumbles upon, either by devine plan or by some means of his scheming ways, place him in the right place at the tight time. With the hope of a big payoff he perseus a course of action that spins out of control with rather dire consequences.The twists and turns, the threads and leads are exquisitely pulled together. Masterfully directed, wonderfully acted, superbly portrayed and produced.This is a joyous journey of intriguing characters, a very moving storyline, a veritable "rise and fall" fiasco, all placed into a set of circumstances that surprisingly, and coincidentally, reflects a real life situation.That said, I managed to get through it all. Mesmerised by the superb character actors and their roles, this film hits home with the unsaid tag of, "we all know a Norman. It may even be you".

In this poignant tale Richard Gere gives a compelling nuanced performance as Norman Oppenheimer, an infuriating New York Jewish wannabe fixer desperately striving to be accepted as a respected member of elite society; a faultless character study of a pitiful outsider whose countless humiliations appear not to dent his indomitable optimism. This hard-working spin merchant / con artist is not a likeable person but Gere’s sublime performance endangers a surprising empathy for this quixotic lonely man The first twenty minutes of the film is hard going as we observe Norman’s numerous failed attempts to persuade people of his value as a catalyst who can make things happen by connecting influential individuals. However, a calculated act of kindness towards a visiting up-and-coming Israeli politician eventually leads to Norman’s assertions being taken seriously with unforeseen consequences as he finds himself swimming in the deep and murky waters of international politics and corruption. This is a classic case of being careful of what you wish for as we witness Norman’s life spiraling out of control as he attempts to honour promises made to friends, family and influential persons. The film boasts a strong supporting cast, including Michael Sheen, Steve Buscemi, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lior Ashkenazi, all contributing to making this an enigmatic movie which I will definitely revisit.

Bumped into this film in the 'you liked this therefore you'll like that' section of my Amazon account. Richard Gere works wonders. His sad, pathetic businessman-come- grifter is a character we've all met and probably walked away from. Excellently captured. Toe curling but 100% watchable . It's like watching our current prime minister explain away his own corruption. But entertaining .

A very relaxing, gentle film.

A really smart idea about a fixer who tries to blag his way into rubbing shoulders with top businessmen in New York. Richard Gere gives a completely different performance than his usual Schtick. But the film becomes quite repetitive and in the final act you become a little tired of the protagonist constantly getting wrapped up in his own lies to the point it feels like it loses its edge and focus

The story was very different from the usual. It was funny but also sad.

Loved this. Such a human and sad character with great acting. Excellent condition

Great, wise film. Richard Gere gives the performance of a lifetime. Beautifully written and acted meditation on morality and being an outsider.