IronWatcher’s review published on Letterboxd:
Watched on Apple TV
Who wouldn't want to activate a TV remote control to turn off unpleasant people and make them disappear? Of course, we would never come up with such a crazy idea. The strange Mr. Chance (Peter Sellers) ticks differently and tries it at least once. "Being There" by Hal Ashby is the multi-layered, tragicomic and satirical story of this lovable oddball who has never left his childhood home and largely only knows the world through the screens of various TV sets. With the death of his employer, he has to leave home and is suddenly confronted with the real world. Very quickly it becomes apparent that he is somewhat limited mentally, but that his heart is in the right place and that he is a passionate gardener. By chance he ends up with an extremely wealthy and politically very influential family.
Very skillfully Ashby distributes some satirical tips: There is the possible dulling by excessive TV consumption, the ignorance of grievances and poverty, the longing of the people for a savior, the unthinking belief in political competence, as long as the environment is right, the general dulling of the masses, etc.. The narrative style is always rather calm and chamber play-like. Throughout superb are, in addition to the character drawings, the acting performances of the incredibly stoic Peter Sellers, the seductive Shirley MacLaine, the mischievous Melvyn Douglas and the weakening power Jack Warden.
Very nice to hear was the funk and soul version of Richard's Strauss "Also sprach Zarathustra" as Mr. Chance leaves home for the first time. This is meant as a reference to the famous scene from Stanley Kubrick's "2001 - A Space Odyssey" when the bone is discovered by apes as a tool and flung into the air to the music of Richard Strauss. In Kubrick's film, mankind makes the Earth its subject by developing intelligence, and in this work, the individual Mr. Chance makes the leap from invisible underdog to media star, but just without the necessary intelligence. Both the name "Mr. Chance" and the wonderful final scene suggest his (supposed) qualities as a savior.
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