Julianne Moore Pushes Freudian Implications to Limit in True Story of ‘Savage Grace’

HollywoodChicago.com — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 08:56:55 -0700

Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – The national acting treasure Julianne Moore never shies away from a performance challenge.

From her memorable exposure in Robert Altman’s “Short Cuts” to her willingness to go all the way in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights,” Moore has proven that true vulnerability in a role requires the ability to bare – and bear with – all.

Julianne Moore in “Savage Grace”.
Photo credit: IFC Films

In “Savage Grace,” which is based on the true story of the eccentric Barbara Daly Baekeland, Moore once again puts the acting pedal to the metal.

Moore plays Barbara Baekeland: the socialite wife of Brooks Baekeland (Stephen Dillane). Brooks is the heir to the Bakelite plastics fortune. With the birth of their son, Anthony (Eddie Redmayne), her wealthy lifestyle seems complete.

But signs of her early eccentricities morph into a darker psychological unraveling especially in the relationship with her son.

Barbara begins to notice Anthony’s gay awakening and tries to introduce him to women. Anthony soon takes up with a local girl near their home in Majorca, Spain. His inability to connect in the relationship leads to his father moving in on the girl and soon his parents are divorced.

Eddie Redmayne (left) in “Savage Grace”.
Photo credit: IFC Films

The split puts Barbara into a tailspin that eventually leads to a suicide attempt. She now leans on her son, and when they move to London, a couple extreme confrontations end in tragedy.

Moore’s absorption into the role actually seems better than the thankless craziness written for the character. With each inappropriate outburst, Moore subtly holds onto Baekeland’s obsessive-compulsive nature even when it would be easier to just play one psychotic note.

The story, which spans the 1940s to the 1970s, unfolds with stops and starts in the locations where the Baekeland family lived (New York, Paris, Majorca and London) with barely a breath in between to take it all in.

As characters age quickly from stop to stop, the time line is somewhat confusing.

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The supporting players are underwritten next to Moore’s grandiose character. Her husband, Brooks, is never shown once as happy or satisfied with his marital choice. His leaving seems more elementary than suicide inducing.

Son Anthony – who’s eventually diagnosed as a schizophrenic in real life – is never shown to push the envelope of this madness. He seems more like a willing participant in his mother’s sphere.

Julianne Moore is prepared to take on anything the “mother of the year” is up against including humiliating sexuality and raw depression. Moore’s acting range – up to and including an act of unspeakable wrongness – allows her to dive into the deep end without making Barbara a cartoon. It is the highlight of this otherwise expendable film.

The Chicago engagement of “Savage Grace” began on June 13, 2008 at Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Iron Man’ Sits Indisputably in Club of Highest-Rated Superhero Movies of All Time

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 02 May 2008 09:22:20 -0700

CHICAGO – Move over, Superman. This lush, high-octane playboy never tasted so good.

Robert Downey Jr. fittingly opens “Iron Man” with a cocktail in hand and all the arrogance in the world. As the story goes, his conceit is indeed respected as Earth is his oyster both for the playing and for the taking. With the American marketing machine in full effect for 2008’s first summer blockbuster, the inaugural one lives up to the buildup.

Iron Man is in the throes of a pitched battle with a determined nemesis in “Iron Man”.
Photo credit: Industrial Light & Magic

“Iron Man” has already not only etched itself the mark of the first indisputable blockbuster of 2008 and one of the best-reviewed films so far in 2008 but also one of the highest-rated superhero movies of all time – yes, of all time. The film deserves every million it makes.

Even before he’s Iron Man, Downey Jr. is authentically transformative as the lush, cash-flushed, comedic, all-powerful and all-knowing Tony Stark.

Even those who aren’t fans of the comic series and just enjoy quality entertainment will fall prey to his allure and the blockbuster power of the film in general.

Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts – Stark’s assistant who keeps him functioning and even remembers his social security number for him – is indeed the subservient, selfless character she’s written to be. Hollywood gives her killer hair, too. Paltrow took the role only after Rachel McAdams turned it down.

Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane in “Iron Man”.
Photo credit: Zade Rosenthal

The Chicago-born Terrence Howard as Jim Rhodes – a friend to Stark and sometimes even his unknowing enemy – plays his typical supporting role. Only have we seen Howard as a co-lead in the Warner Bros. flop “The Brave One” (opposite Jodie Foster).

As portrayed in the film version of “Iron Man,” Jeff Bridges as co-worker Obadiah Stane – and later Iron Man’s nemesis (the Iron Monger) – is a tough nut to crack.

While the bald head and bushy face worked wonders for his villainous demeanor, his character development got adversely shafted and edited.

You can’t buy his progression from “do what it takes to get the job done and stuff our pockets fat with cash” guy to “I instigated a mutiny against you in your own company” guy to “I am Iron Monger and I crafted a bigger, badder suit to pound you”.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in his battle-scarred Mark III armor in “Iron Man”.
Photo credit: Zade Rosenthal

You’re never even convinced that Bridges as Stane has the aptitude to steal Stark’s invention, reverse engineer it and spew out his own malevolent model.

Moviegoers will likely overlook and forgive this character transgression in favor of the raw badassness of the film as a whole.

While he’s behind the scenes and is even briefly in a couple, the success of “Iron Man” shouldn’t go without the mention of director Jon Favreau in the same sentence.

Admittedly, I was biting my nails feverishly about whether or not Favreau had it in him. After only directing “Elf” as another notable film, Favreau directing “Iron Man” was a make-or-break proposition. He delivered and it’ll elevate his career in gargantuan proportions.

It should also be noted that Favreau almost didn’t direct “Iron Man”. Instead, he was originally going to direct the 2009 film “Captain America” (2009) as a superhero comedy adventure. With no previous superhero directing experience, Favreau instead chose to direct “Iron Man”. He chose wisely.

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It should also be noted that Quentin Tarantino in Oct. 1999 was approached to write and direct “Iron Man,” which is Marvel’s first self-financed movie.

Favreau describes “Iron Man” as a “kind of independent film espionage thriller crossbreed” and “a Robert Altman-directed ‘Superman’ (1978) with shades of Tom Clancy novels, James Bond films, ‘RoboCop’ (1987) and ‘Batman Begins’ (2005)”. Harkening back to his Altman influence, Favreau often preferred dialogue improvisation.

Interestingly, Downey Jr. this week told hired movie and music gun David Letterman that Favreau avoided CGI effects and shot scenes for real when possible. In addition to delivering a memorable performance in “Love & Sex” in 2000, Favreau was money in “Swingers” in 1996.

“Iron Man” opened on May 2, 2008.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com