Let Them All Talk

Steven Soderbergh’s latest leans in on his historical strengths, both with leveraging an ensemble cast (as in the Ocean’s series) as well as his penchant for exploring the frontiers of independent or auteur filmmaking (such as his last release, Unsane, predicated in part on the self-imposed constraint of filming entirely on smartphones). For Let Them All Talk, the conceit is right there in the title: Meryl Streep, Candice Bergen, and Dianne Wiest on a cruise ship together, under the guide of Streep as an author taking pains to figure out her next book. With only a rough outline and some criteria as to the ending point of each scene, Soderbergh embraced improvisation into the parts? of the actors—in other words, let them all talk, according to Streep and as reported by IndieWire.

“Here’s to reconnecting the gang of three who we used to be,” Streep offers, complete with a somewhat cheesy split screen of the trio in question. The sound of a wine glass clinking at 0:26 is an audio bridge, spilling over into the next scene; it also serves to cut off the light rhythm track, comprised of a menagerie of shakers and other miscellaneous percussion, that started at 0:10.

The next musical track is decidedly off-beat—most likely the work of the film’s composer, Thomas Newman—with an earnest a cappella choir in the style of “Mr. Sandman” building up a major chord in tandem with the studio title card. “Back to work—or bed—or both. I'll probably work in bed.” Streep deadpans. Dry humour is the order of the day as the choir leads into an off-kilter, syncopated number that mirrors the unfolding comedic drama—never high stakes, but nonetheless high interest, with a focus on the author’s nephew, whose age difference is mined for humour. Our next pause, much in the tradition of almost any comedic trailer of recent vintage, arrives at the halfway point of 0:59; this allows for the squeaking door to sound all the more conspicuous and awkward.

The second half kicks off with strains of guitar from Mattiel’s “Count Your Blessings”, which emphasizes the dramatic side of this film. While at first hearing it sounds of 1960s vintage, it’s in fact only three years old, from her eponymous debut album. Nonetheless, the style works, whether you’re looking at it as a throwback to Streep’s youth or simply as a complement to the earlier a cappella number; it continues to thread that line between intrigue and self-effacement. The vocal line is memorable and worthy of its repetition at the end. Note also how it’s not a title or release date at the end, but rather an invitation to subscribe to HBOMax. The title is instead part of an overall credits card.

By emphasizing Mattiel’s vocals, the trailer’s editors have found a way to pair existing music with an original number (presumably, again, from Thomas Newman’s score) in a way that feels very consistent while also maintaining interest through a sense of progression and variety. It remains to be seen whether letting them all talk was indeed the right strategy to carry an entire film, but if the trailer is anything to do by, it’s a promising premise. Let Them All Talk debuts December 10th exclusively on HBO Max.

— Curtis Perry