Like the other reviewer there were moments for me when it felt like Andre was going on a bit, but by the end of the film it’s allegorical power and charm started to come through, as a film which may help us to attune to the ‘Wally’ and ‘Andre’ in all of us and the compulsions and openings that life may bring. Bon appetit!
I was surprised to discover that this is not a French film but very much an American movie about two New Yorkers catching up in a New York restaurant. I stuck with it through to the end, partly out of respect for Louis Malle and partly because it raised some interesting points about the nature of life - specifically whether the comforts and conveniences of modern life insulate us from feeling truly alive with the kind of intensity you might feel after a near-death experience.
However it quickly descended into a litany of, “When I was in Tibet..... When I was in the Sahara.... When I was in Israel... when I was... when I was.... etc.”
My advice would be not to accept an invitation to dinner from Andre. He’ll probably pick up the tab but he really is an insufferable bore.