By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.5 cats
Director: Tom Kalin
Starring: Eddie Redmayne | Julianne Moore | Stephen Dillane
Country: france, spain, united_states
Year: 2008
Running time: 97
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379976/
Michael says: “Director Tom Kalin’s last feature film was SWOON, released in 1992. Sixteen years later, Kalin finally has another film about to open in theatres, and the fact that both films share the based on a true story subject matter — dysfunctional, co-dependent relationship that ends in murder – is merely a coincidence according to the filmmaker. I was eager to see SAVAGE GRACE not only because I had enjoyed SWOON, but because the buzz surrounding Julianne Moore’s lead performance was very positive. Moore’s hit a couple of missteps in recent years, and a strong lead is definitely what she needs.
“SAVAGE GRACE recounts the true story of the Baekeland family. Wealthy Brooks Baekeland was the heir to the Bakelite plastics fortune, and Barbara Daly, the beautiful and charismatic social climber who married him. Barbara quickly took the social world by storm, and the birth of their son Tony certainly did nothing to hold her back. As Tony matures, the relationship between mother and son begins to grow more complicated and unsettling. Barbara is manipulative with bother her husband, who eventually runs away with Tony’s first girlfriend, and her son. Tony, who unleashes his barely hidden homosexuality once his girlfriend is out of the picture, longs for a connection with his father, and simultaneously blames his mother’s frightening mood swings on his departure. The film builds to its inevitable climax… a lengthy, uncomfortable scene in Barbara and Tony’s apartment… that ends in tragedy. It’s a complex story that suffers from a script that can’t possibly contain all the nuances and complexities of reality.
“While Moore acquits herself marvelously, the film suffers from that weak script. Howard Rodman’s screenplay, based on a book by Natalie Robins and Steven M. L. Aronson, leaves out a lot of important character development. In the post-film Q&A with Kalin, I learned a lot about Barbara’s motives and troubled life; things I should have learned in the film itself. This lack of depth leaves the characters unfinished and therefore not deserving of my concern or empathy; and with a emotionally-charged story such as this one, that empathy is vital. Stephen Dillane (FUGITIVE PIECES; THE HOURS) is also terrific as Brooks, Barbara’s long-suffering, in-over-his-head husband. Eddie Redmayne (ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE) is a curious choice for Tony. His almost handsome, awkward on-screen appearance works to his advantage, but there’s something lacking in his performance that prevented me from making any sort of connection. Most likely this was also the fault of the script. Hugh Dancy whirls in like a caricature as the dandy who seduces Tony and beds his mother, solidifying the sexual link between the two.
“Hopefully it won’t take Kalin another 16 years to get a feature made, and it won’t suffer from a plot that is too large for it’s
screenwriter to handle. 2.5 cats”