Writer/director Todd Haynes makes a 1950s Douglas Sirk melodrama filtered through the cultural perceptions of the 21st Century.
But what Haynes put on screen was far more than a film student exercise, or a simple pastiche of a recognizable genre. Though the early scenes of the film take a jokey approach to setting up the 1950s suburban milieu, Haynes has far more on his mind than simply poking fun at the time period. "Far from Heaven" absolutely aches with feeling, full of characters who yearn for things they just can't -- or at least think they can't -- have. Julianne Moore's performance as a housewife who sees her world shatter when she finds her husband (Dennis Quaid) in the arms of another man brings to mind Jane Wyman's in "All That Heaven Allows," one of this film's primary inspirations, but it's no mere retread. Moore develops a deeply warm, deeply caring character who discovers pools of rebellion in her that she didn't know were there. Quaid, while perhaps having an easier character to play, gives a fierce performance as a man whose struggles with his inner demons are so intense that they manifest themselves almost physically in his face and demeanor.
A lot of criticism has been leveled at the film for its treatment of the character of Raymond (Dennis Haysbert), the black gardener with whom Moore strikes up first a friendship and then a forbidden romance. Detractors say that Haynes stacked the deck too far in Raymond's direction, making him too educated, too articulate, too everything, just to make a point. I can see where that criticism is coming from, but I'd have more of an issue with it if the movie as a whole was less stylized. In context, it works.
On top of the terrific performances and Haynes's meticulous direction, the film is visually stunning, with cinematography and color-coordinated costumes that are used alternately to highlight the harmony and dissonance of a world that looks perfect but isn't. And there simply is not enough praise in the world for Elmer Bernstein's lush score, one of the best ever composed for a film.
Grade: A+
But what Haynes put on screen was far more than a film student exercise, or a simple pastiche of a recognizable genre. Though the early scenes of the film take a jokey approach to setting up the 1950s suburban milieu, Haynes has far more on his mind than simply poking fun at the time period. "Far from Heaven" absolutely aches with feeling, full of characters who yearn for things they just can't -- or at least think they can't -- have. Julianne Moore's performance as a housewife who sees her world shatter when she finds her husband (Dennis Quaid) in the arms of another man brings to mind Jane Wyman's in "All That Heaven Allows," one of this film's primary inspirations, but it's no mere retread. Moore develops a deeply warm, deeply caring character who discovers pools of rebellion in her that she didn't know were there. Quaid, while perhaps having an easier character to play, gives a fierce performance as a man whose struggles with his inner demons are so intense that they manifest themselves almost physically in his face and demeanor.
A lot of criticism has been leveled at the film for its treatment of the character of Raymond (Dennis Haysbert), the black gardener with whom Moore strikes up first a friendship and then a forbidden romance. Detractors say that Haynes stacked the deck too far in Raymond's direction, making him too educated, too articulate, too everything, just to make a point. I can see where that criticism is coming from, but I'd have more of an issue with it if the movie as a whole was less stylized. In context, it works.
On top of the terrific performances and Haynes's meticulous direction, the film is visually stunning, with cinematography and color-coordinated costumes that are used alternately to highlight the harmony and dissonance of a world that looks perfect but isn't. And there simply is not enough praise in the world for Elmer Bernstein's lush score, one of the best ever composed for a film.
Grade: A+