moving out... lock, stock and two streaming nostrils.
moving out... lock, stock and two streaming nostrils.
Member since:08.12.2001
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I am a great fan of Julianne Moore, and having seen her stunning performance in The Hours when, the very next night, a friend suggested seeing Far From Heaven I jumped at the chance. This was a film, after all, which along with The Hours, secured Moore an extraordinary Oscar nomination triumph- one in each acting category.
In addition, I was hooked by what I had read of the structure and tone of the movie- a film made in the style of Douglas Sirk (Imitation of Life), shot as if it was contemporary to its setting. What Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine) has effectively done is taken one of those late fifties-sixties films where the issues of homosexuality, racism etc had to be buried beneath a simmering surface, and ripped at the seams, so that all those unmentionable affronts to the morality of the time start to force their way out of the confines of a restrictive social code.
The plot of the film is very basic- Cathy Whitaker (Moore) is the ultimate housewife's dream, married to a successful ad exec who stars their perfect family life in his campaigns. As well as husband Frank (Dennis Quaid) the family is complete with one boy and one girl, a dedicated black maid, Sybil and the envy of all the gossips of the neighbourhood. And slowly, the veneer of respectability starts to slip, as Frank hides a terrible secret- that he is afflicted with the "illness"
of homosexuality. Cathy turns for comfort to the one man who is able to offer her true and honest friendship- her black gardener Raymond (Denis Haysbert).
Let's start with where this film gets it absolutely right. First of all, the two leads turn in pitch-perfect performances. Moore is especially exceptional, keeping the tone of her voice at a constant Doris Day pitch, and never quite losing the naivety and innocence of her sheltered housewife even when she is confronted with the worst that could happen to a woman in her confining society- to discover her husband is less than what her best friend calls "all man" and that when she tries to find comfort she is the target of every local gossip's sharp tongue. Frank, a confused, troubled, but also hypocritical man, is brought out expertly in all his many shades by Dennis Quaid. He is particularly effective in jarring the soft, autumnal prettiness of the world in which we have been immersed- screaming the only swear word you will here at her (after half an hour of "shucks", it's shocking), drunkenly insulting her in front of all their friends and neighbours. Haysbert is warm, funny and intensely likeable as Raymond, the quiet, powerful type and utter antithesis of a Frank who is rapidly reaching breaking point.
Visually, the movie is absolutely stunning. The costume design is simple and effective, with each character taking on a style of dressing and a colour scheme that is uniquely theirs. Moore is either in aquamarine and lilac or in bright pulsing scarlets, and the autumnal setting, with blazing leaves and clear blue skies is the perfect backdrop. If not for the accident of her red hair, would she have been asked to dye it?! All the neighbourhood women are matched in group scenes- weaker shades of Cathy in subtly different dresses. Cathy rarely changes her type of dress until the end, when she is noticeably different though not, it is good to see, too subdued. Raymond, as a gardener and "coloured" besides, is perpetually decked in earth colours, always in a simple brown jacket.
These are great advantages and the reason why, in trying to decide between 3 and 4 stars for this op, I chose the higher number. However, there's a rather unfortunate weakness to this film (one that had the person I saw it with raring to leave), and that is that, for long periods, it can be dull. It seems that what writer-director Haynes has tried to do is have a slow-burning social drama, where not a lot happens, but the intensity of the situation is such that it creates the drama. Well, almost. There are some moments when the pressure mounts beautifully, but it is not consistent. My friend yawned after the film and asked why it had taken almost two hours to show that her husband is gay and she fancies a black guy. Now, I was prepared to be more generous than this. I appreciated that the drama was supposed to be less than completely overt. But at the same time I could see her point. Frank's discover comes very early in the film, and then he's almost put aside for a while, whilst the next issue of the day is dealt with. And short of one act of shocking violence between children, the pressure on Cathy and Frank is never all that impressive. The film never quite makes it clear what the consequences of all the whispering surrounding Cathy will be. Apart from a few frosty looks and a bit of stand-offishness from friends she doesn't really relate to anyway, nothing really happens to her. The suffocating society of the time is not evoked as well as it could be, and things are left hanging rather unsatisfactorily. That's not to say that I need a nice pat ending- far from it- but surely what is interesting in this society is what happens AFTER the crisis, the fallout, rather than during it?
This is still an interesting film, and worth seeing. It is actually very funny, at times, but the lightness is rarely penetrated very deeply. This film hangs in a precarious balance between a light genre film and a slow-burning "issues" film, and that is of course the point. It is trying to tease the depth to the surface of stories that once had to be told with only the faintest of allusions to what was held to be unspeakable. There is a lot in it that would not have been included in a film of the time- such as a seen where wives discuss sexual habits of their husbands- in order to illustrate this. But that leaves us with the problem of never being really satisfying either way. So much has been said since the time Far From Heaven is based in (and gently parodies) about the issues raised and about the claustrophobia of any morality where freedom is constrained for anyone. This is a beautifully set, performed and directed piece. What it cries out for is some judicious editing.
The length is about 1 hour 50 mins, and the rating is 12A.
Check out www.farfromheavenmovie.com for more information.
Thanks for reading!
Alex :)
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Production Year: 2000 - Drama - Director: Gregory Hoblit - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Andre Braugher, Jim Caviezel, Noah Emmerich, Dennis Quaid, Shawn Doyle, Elizabeth Mitchell
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Far from Heavenis a uniquely beautiful film from one of the smartest and most ... more
idiosyncratic of contemporary directors, Todd Haynes (SafeandVelvet Goldmine). It takes the lush 1950s visual style of so-called women's pictures (particularly those of Dougl...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Far from Heavenis a uniquely beautiful film from one of the smartest and most ... more
idiosyncratic of contemporary directors, Todd Haynes (SafeandVelvet Goldmine). It takes the lush 1950s visual style of so-called women's pictures (particularly those of Dougl...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
In the fall of 1957 in Connecticut Cathy Whitaker (Julianne Moore) is returning home from ... more
a day of errands. Her husband Frank (Dennis Quaid) is expected home for a dinner engagement. There's only one problem no one has heard from Frank all afternoo...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
It is the fall of 1957 in Connecticut, Cathy Whitaker is returning home from a day of ... more
errands. Her husband, Frank is expected home for a dinner engagement. There's only one problem, no one has heard from Frank all afternoon.What begins as a curious sna...
Advantages: Moore, cinematography, moving, melodrama (if that's a good thing) Disadvantages: wooden acting, stylized, melodrama (if you're not into that)
OKkaraoke 13.06.2003 (13.06.2003)
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Review of Far From Heaven (DVD)
Advantages: 1950's Slice-of-life, realistic, thought provoking, the acting, the location, the script, etc. Disadvantages: Time seems to move a bit strangely at points in this movie, some may say that its a bit of a satire of itself
TheChocolateLady 11.01.2003 (24.03.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Far From Heaven (DVD)
![Far From Heaven [DVD] [2003]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78502395.jpg "Far From Heaven [DVD] [2003]")
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