The Passion of Ayn Rand
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Movie Reviews of The Passion of Ayn Rand
Movie Review: Every man for himself...
Summary: 3 Stars
Showtime presented The Passion of Ayn Rand in 1999, a sort of advent to Helen Mirren's rise to her current status as "intermnational treasure". She is indeed fine as the enigmatic Ms Rand. Overly stylish direction by Christopher Menaul hinders the appreciation a bit, heavy-handed and too-often brooding and melancholic. The character who suffers most is that of the fine Julie Delpy, some over-the-top histrionics, and Eric Stoltz never amazes (as we know he can) as the catalyst of Rand's resurgence of inspiration. Peter Fonda seems to have become extremely focused in his later years, coming off an Oscar nom for Ulee's Gold, and he is one of the most interesting characters, played very well. I can't say I enjoyed the film, because it, quite simply, wasn't very interesting. Ayn Rand is both loved and loathed by many, and it takes an actress of Mirren's depth and sincerity to pull it off. She does. Rand's idea of objectivism--in essence, every man for himself--is a rather frightening idea, when you think of the chaos that might develop. I applaud the effort, but didn't really enjoy it, except for some of the acting, and a very fine jazz score. Very few DVD extras, which might've qualified the almost 2 hours of angst and woe.Movie Review: Rent it, don't buy it, even if you're an Ayn Rand fan
Summary: 3 Stars
This film never showed why Rand was (and is) such a cult figure/iconoclast. It merely was a soap opera about her, her milquetoast husband, and a couple of what today would be considered yuppies. It also missed a huge opportunity to explore a major theme that it brought up: how people who advocate complete selfishness can sustain (or not) long-term romantic relationships.
Helen Mirren was fabulous in her portrayal of Rand, rising above the lacking script, and actually made her rather likable in an odd way. On the other hand, Eric Stoltz' character was totally unlikable and unredeeming, and due to the deficiencies of the script I could never understand what Rand saw in him either intellectually or romantically.
Smooth, cool jazz and gorgeous nighttime views of Manhattan added to the ambiance, but overall this film came up wanting. It began with the Julie Delpy character's voiceover (at the time of Rand's death in the '80s) saying she had "loved" Rand, but we were never shown why this could be so. Just another example of why I regret buying this DVD.
The DVD transfer of this was poor: my copy had a line at the top of the screen, as if it had been dubbed from a VHS tape.
Movie Review: Not for the Ayn Rand enthusiast
Summary: 3 Stars
If you are a true, die-hard, Ayn Rand fan, and are familiar with the details of her life, then you will find this perspective a bit hard to take in spots. Definitely a TV drama program...where all of the emphasis is on her personal love affairs, and not much on her as an author, or a prophetic genius of phylosophy. However, if you are willing to objective, and allow yourself to weed through the drama, there are little tid-bits of good film making...but mostly, it is a love story as has been told many, many times before...Movie Review: All Too Human
Summary: 2 Stars
Having studied Rand's philosophy prior to watching this movie, I was put off by her uncompromising, unemotional, atheistic ideas. By watching this movie, I was happy to learn that not even the creator of this pseudo-philosophy could abide by its rules.Ayn Rand is introduced as a cold and calculating philosopher, berating people who do not follow her ideals entirely. But she turns out to be as human as anyone. No John Galt, no superman (superwoman?), her very actions revealed the emptiness of Objectivism.
Rand is the best-portrayed character, although the movie would have benefited from more of her background - the only hint of her past is a brief conversation at a wedding reception. There was a lot more to Ayn Rand than her philosophy and her libido, and the movie failed to show this. Breathing onto a NYC store window, she draws a dollar sign and proclaims it her emblem. Why is this? What personal experiences led Rand to develop this view? The movie leaves these important questions unanswered.
The other characters seem one-dimensional, especially the angst-ridden, emotionally fragile narrator. The production of this movie, while okay for a made-for-cable show, leaves much to be desired.
Perhaps the most revealing scene is when Rand is asked, during a lecture, what "love" means to an Objectivist. She cannot truly answer this question.This fits with so-called disciples of Rand I've encountered: empty souls, a lack of compassion and confusion.
Rand's so-called philosophy still has a cult following, and this movie may anger them. To those who reject this film's message, I suggest the following adage: "Never let a few facts get in the way of the truth."
Movie Review: Ayn Rand deserves better
Summary: 2 Stars
The reviewer keeps using the word "controversial" to describe Ayn Rand. Funny, no one uses that word to describe Karl Marx or Adolph Hilter. I suppose if celebrating individual liberty and advocating for individual rights is "controversial," then controversial she is. It's a shame Hollywood has foresaken Ayn Rand. I suppose she's too "controversial" for the authoritarian elites of tinsle town. Of all the movies to make of Rand's life and art, to focus on her libido seems a bit maudlin. This film disappointed me as a Rand fan. I liked the philosophical debates, but still I don't know why her love affair had to be the focal point. If you have never been exposed to Rand before, I reccommend this not be your first Rand experience. If you don't want to read one of Rand's novels, I would suggest watching "The Fountainhead" made in the 1940s and starring Patricial Neal. "Atlas Shrugged" has been in the making for some time. I won't hold my breath waiting for it to come out. I think it would make a great made-for-TV mini-series. I remember hearing that a 1950s Italian film was made based on "Atlas Shrugged" (in defiance of the oppressive Mussolini years), but I'm not sure about this. Regardless, "The Passion of Ayn Rand" is worth watching although it might disappoint you if you are a fan. The average puppet head, however, probably wouldn't find it too interesting, especially if you are some Marxist bloke living in the BBC's Britain. For most Americans, Ayn Rand epitomizes what life is all about, and why it's worth living. For british chumps and many of their fellow europeans, anything that celebrates life only puts them into further states of depression and perpetual gloom.