Far From Heaven
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Movie Reviews of Far From Heaven
Movie Review: I loved this movie.
Summary: 5 Stars
I just finished watching this movie and wanted to leave a review. A friend bought this movie and so I watched it Saturday July 24th, 2010. I skimmed through the people who left only one star for this movie. I will give my analysis of the movie and acknowledge some of the harsh critiques regarding this movie.
Some reviewers were calling this movie a bad cliché. Having lived in New England myself for a short time during the 90's I completely understand the entire stratification of social class as this movie captured in detail. For those of you who are from other parts of the country and do not know what it is like to deal with people in "high society" you may think that this movie blew it out of proportion. But actually it was quite diluted from real life. From my experience and from the people I know who are from that area it was right on the money. And the curiously disturbing thing for me is how I can identify with what I saw in this movie with my own personal experience having lived in New England for a brief time during the 1990's. I am a Chicagoan; born and bred. I am wondering if many people from other parts of the country cannot relate simply because they do not know people from Hartford, Connecticut or New England.
Now, on with the movie review. I was seduced by everything. Wow! The cinematography, the wardrobes, the furniture and design sets, the New England colloquialisms and of course the acting. I am a big fan if Ms. Moore. I believe I shall now classify this as my favorite "Moore movie." She never disappoints.
My initial response after having watched this film is that a lot of research went into this movie in order to recreate a very authentic time period piece. I am not simply referring to the visual aspect but also the way women were "trained" in order to be the perfect Barbie housewife and mother and always perfectly "behaved." Women were trained to be show pieces - to always look their best and to tolerate unappreciative husbands and to turn a blind eye (with a smile and perfect posture, of course) when their husbands whore around and cheat on them.
The title for this movie is perfect. "Far From Heaven" is the story about a woman from an upper class family who appears to have it all. A successfully employed husband, a gorgeous home, two kids, a maid, a gardener, gorgeous looks and beautiful clothes, etc. But as the movie progresses it is painfully and sadly obvious that she really does not have much at all. Her character is that of a good woman who is ahead of her time. She is progressive about racial issues, is a faithful loving wife and a good mother. Tragically, she gets the short end of the stick on so many levels.
I thought the movie was well done. The mix of racism, sexuality and the 50's era appeal were all captured beautifully. The only thing that could be considered a cliché was the subplot related to racism. But for me this story was more about the lack of equality and power that women had to endure and also having to put everyone else first and themselves last. I found the subplots of sexuality and racism to tie in very well with what women had to endure during a time in our not so long ago history. A story I would watch again and recommend to friends.
Movie Review: Far From "Happy Days"
Summary: 5 Stars
The 1950s were a truly amazing time for America. The decade is remembereed with fond memories of pop culture: I love it that gentlemen still wore hats, suits and ties even to ballgames and ladies daily wore beautiful dresses with big skirts, complimented by a gloves, a pearl necklace and high heels. Coca-Cola came in beautifully sculpted glass bottles. Elvis. We liked Ike and still trusted our leaders. Cars were works of art and gasoline was so cheap you could drive for a month for what you pay for one gallon today. The milkman still came to your front door. Baseball alone was the national pastime and the Dodgers were still in Brooklyn... at least for most of the decade. The evening news wasn't fraught with stories of terrorism and senseless crimes. I saw a Time-Life book on the '50s once and on the cover was a little girl in pigtails and a dress skipping rope, with no adults in sight. That single image evokes the confidence and security America felt during that time... if a little girl could be safe, who couldn't be?
Unfortunately, the 1950s- nor any time- was really as idealistic as we would like to think it was. I don't just mean the threats of nuclear war... the 1950s were not a kind time to African-Americans and others who didn't fit into the mainstream. Few people would dare to live an openly homosexual lifestyle. There is a reason you never saw black people on Lucy, Ozzie & Harriet or Leave it to Beaver... it was about creating a fictional world where these people simply did not exist.
Far From Heaven is a movie that tries to reconcile our image of the 1950s with our 20/20 hindsight of racial and lifestyle prejudices. The film is actually Director Todd Haynes' tribute to Director Douglas Sirk's filmmaking style; only Haynes made the film Sirk could have never made 50 years ago.
As Frank Whittaker (Dennis Quaid) struggles with his homosexuality and his wife Cathy (Julianne Moore) befriends and then falls in love with a black man (Dennis Haysbert), it is an interesting question: what do we have a harder time accepting? Homsexuality among our own particular ethnic group, or an interracial relationship between a black man and a white woman? One of the most interesting scenes in answer to this question is when Frank explodes in an alcoholic rage at Cathy after the "scandal" of her socializing with Raymond Deagan (Haysbert) has been made public by gossips. His own wife caught him red-handed with another man and was still willing to forgive and accept him, but her friendship with Raymond was unspeaskable and out of the question.
Watch this film with someone else so that you can discuss it afterwards. And remember, it's not an attack on the cherished 1950s; just a more authentic look at the "Golden Era."
Movie Review: One of the Best Films of 2002
Summary: 5 Stars
Focus Features came out with two movies in the year 2002: The Pianist and Far From Heaven. The Pianist was a holocaust film and Far From Heaven was a social commentary about homosexuallity and racism in the 50's. I must note that Far From Heaven was a better movie as far as acting goes (with the exception of Adrien Brody, who I thought portrayed his character's sense of horror and shock very well) as well as cinematography and enjoyment. I feel that with The Pianist, it is more of a "one time see" and that Far From Heaven is something that you want to buy and watch maybe once a month if you like it. That statement brings me into my next issue.Most people, I think, will not like this movie that much. It takes a certain perspective, I think, to be able to enjoy this movie. A lot of people I know would stray away from it for its depressing subject matter, but that was the what made this movie. This movie was supposed to look pleasent on the outside, but there is so much devastation within that it shocks you and makes you see the real depth. The synopsis even explains this point. A perfect 50's family (stay-at-home mom, a boy and a girl, and of course, the big executive dad)is torn apart by homosexuality and scandal. Julianne Moore's character is what helps hold everything together...in the mean time.
The cast was wondeful. Dennis Quaid deserved an Oscar nomination and possible win for his best performance as Mr. Whitaker, an advertising executive. He brings his family to the top, but his feelings threaten to tear it back down, and his emotion and cripling suffocation are evident through his movements, through every thing he does. This was Quaid's shining morning. Julianne Moore plays Mrs. Whitaker and her internal devastation is well-portrayed by Moore, whose best performance is this movie. She did recieve an Oscar nomination, and an apparant close win. She would be the first reason to see this movie. Patricia Clarkson also deserved an Oscar nomination who plays Moore's possibly-could-be-less-than-a best friend (if that makes sense). Dennis Haysbert plays his role as Moore's gardener well, but not to an amazing extent.
One thing I noticed about the filming of this movie was how the colors changed. The movie went into a sequence of hills and valleys. There were high points and low points. During every high point, there were bright colors and everything seemed pleasent. But when the low points arrived, the lights seemed to fade and the colors seemed to darken. I think this, among many other reasons, should have influenced the Acadamy's nomination choices for Best Picture.
Bottom Line: Should have been nominated for Best Picture over The Pianist for its outstanding cinematography, story, direction and, of course, acting. (I gave this movie an A+)
Movie Review: Revisiting FAR FROM HEAVEN: Reprise
Summary: 5 Stars
There are times when watching a film from the past serves as a reminder of just how fine that film is despite the presence of similar films made after the theater run of the film in question. Such is most assuredly the case with FAR FROM HEAVEN, a very important film that addresses racial and sexual prejudices from as recently as 1958, a time when many of us were oblivious to what was happening in the tough world outside our insulated arena. Todd Haynes both wrote and directed this study of the cruelty of prejudice in a manner that is disconcertingly sterile on the surface - a surface that the period of the 1950s cloaked everything with that should have been matters of intense public discussion and correction.
Cathy Whitaker (Julianne Moore in a radiant, profoundly sensitive performance) is the picture perfect, carefully groomed, crinolined wife of successful Frank Whitaker (Dennis Quaid), mother of two just right children, and plastic hostess for parties that include her proper friends - such as Eleanor Fine (Patricia Clarkson). Frank drinks too much, makes a few public scenes and it is apparent he is dealing with his private very secret demons: Frank is trying to live a perfect married life but his true physical desires are for men. Cathy copes, confides in her 'colored' gardener Raymond (Dennis Haysbert) and her 'colored' maid Sybil (Viola Davis). Cathy's friendship with Raymond, utterly innocent though it is, is the cause of immediate racial hysteria in the community of Hartford, Connecticut. Frank is having an affair with a man, Cathy discovers this and tries her best to understand, but when Frank comes home intoxicated and threatens Cathy about HER 'affair' with Raymond, the perfect bubble of this plastic marriage bursts. Cathy turns to Raymond for solace but both understand they are living in a time when they cannot be friends because of the racial difference: the core of their relationship is as pure a respectful and honest love as any Cathy has ever experienced. Frank finally confesses his homosexuality to Cathy, they decide to divorce, and Frank goes off to his lover, while Cathy finds some measure of solace in Raymond's honest friendship.
The period of the 1950s is crisply captured not only in the settings and clothes and cars, but also in the phrases of language used during that time: the script is on target. So much has happened since the time of the story of this film - Martin Luther King, Jr's 'We shall overcome' and the changes that started at Stonewall, both only ten years later - and yet we still suffer from the effects of unfounded, cruel prejudice on many levels. Films like FAR FROM HEAVEN should be seen frequently to 1) see how far we have come and 2) see how much further we have to go. Grady Harp, October 10
Movie Review: The film transcends the tale....
Summary: 5 Stars
Far From Heaven is a beautiful, passionate film. It unfolds with the perfect family life for the Whitakers, just like we always saw on TV shows of the era. It seems as though director Todd Haynes was shooting for that look - that perfect look of the 50's that only really existed in black and white TV. The staging of the utterly perfect home and backdrops is in stark contrast to what is really going on in this family. Nothing prepares wife Cathy (Julianne Moore) for the shocking revelation of her husband's (Dennis Quaid's) dark secret. In exploring that secret, and the feelings that Cathy develops for black gardener Raymond
(Dennis Haysbert from "24"), Haynes shows us that the nostalgic feel we have for the idyllic life of the 50's was very much a sham. Racial divisiveness, bigotry, homophobia and secret dual lives....they all existed, and were covered by a thin veneer of pretense in our society. Because journalists and movie makers were not allowed to portray the seamier side of life, we all think of life in the era as picture perfect, based on the films that WERE made. Haynes doesn't let us keep this illusion, but despite his beautiful imagery, the picture perfect costuming, the score, his pace and his skill with the details in a film, it would all be for naught if he were not working with the caliber of the actors that he drew. Haynes prior efforts are notable but little known, "Safe", "Poison" and "Velvet Goldmine" being the most widely distributed, and he's worked with topics like homophobia and flaunting social mores, as well as with Julianne Moore before. This time he brings out the best in her - and she was my favorite for the Best Actress Oscar.
If you can get beyond Moore's ethereal beauty, you'll doubtless recognize the depth she brings to a character. It's true that no one of Cathy Whitaker's background would have probably taken the bull by the horns as openly as she does in her relationship with Raymond,
but Moore plays it believably. We ache for her. Both Quaid and Haysbert give masterful and understated performances - Quaid as a man driven by his needs which he's bottled up successfully inside him, his whole life, and Haysbert, as a man of uncommon dignity, who is forced by society to live in the shadow of his own needs and feelings.
The performances and the uncommon beauty of the film will linger with you long after the tale is finished; but don't miss the extra features of the DVD - so much of what makes this an exceptional picture is mapped out for you that the film takes on even more meaning.
Far From Heaven - a definite must see!