Knight at the Movies Archives
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A French combination of All About Eve and Madonna: Truth or Dare is delicious, mournful fun, Scorsese's bloody picture gets respect
For gay men the list of movies in which a fan worships at the altar of their diva of choice is long and easily recited. In the fictional
realm, at the summit, of course, is All About Eve while in the documentary area Madonna: Truth or Dare would rate very high.
Somewhere between these two is the delicious bit of French hokum, Backstage, in which the über fan Lucie (Isil Le Besco) with the
determination of a teething puppy becomes entwined in the life of her Diva, the bewitching Lauren Waks (Emmanuelle Seigner a/k/a
Mrs. Roman Polanski). This junky, masterpiece of kitsch, enjoyable in that world weary French manner, arrives this Friday for an
exclusive one week run at Chicago's Landmark Century Centre Cinema.
Lauren briefly enters the life of the teenaged Lucie, who lives with her mother and younger brother in a suburb of Paris via a reality
show. Without warning, Lucie returns home to find herself the recipient of one of those dreadful candid camera moments. All at
once the lights blaze, the playback blares, the camera turns and there is the Diva herself singing one of her maudlin dance hits
directly to Lucie. Overwhelmed by the presence of her obsession, Lucie sensibly bursts into tears and locks herself in the bathroom.
Even a personal entreaty by the bored Lauren can’t convince her to come out so the film crew decamps. After regaining her
equilibrium, Lucie heads for Paris to apologize and try to regain the brief moment of intimacy that Lauren has tantalized her with.
Soon the determined young lass has talked her way into Lauren’s suite of rooms at a posh Paris hotel and finds herself, in the grand
Eve Harrington manner, fetching and carrying for the star. Lucie has arrived at an opportune moment – Lauren, whose career is
obviously built on her stunning beauty (she looks like an amalgamation of a drugged out Marilyn Monroe-Debbie Harry-Jessica
Lange) rather than her singing ability – is in Deep Mourning over the end of her affair with the beautiful, dark eyed stunner Daniel
(Samuel Benchetrit) and nothing can shake her blues. But Lucie the oddball, with her innocence and willingness to experiment,
offers a distraction. There’s a nude swimming pool sequence in which it seems the two women will make love and the other
characters talk about Lauren’s free ranging sexual tastes but the hints of lesbianism are just a tease. It’s really Daniel that Lauren
wants and Lucie, being a true fan, decides on a course of action that she thinks will bind her to her Diva forever.
The dialogue offers exchanges like this between Lucie and Daniel about their Diva: “My love was pure before. Now it’s like a drug.”
“She knows how to get you hooked” and the many mournful, glossy, pop/dance ballads that Lauren performs (Seigner did her own
singing) have lyrics like “Show me one more time the path I know to indigo happiness” and “Beneath the velvety apricot I saw you
white as snow.” The movie, co-written and directed by Emmanuelle Bercot wants to attempt a serious examination of the odd
relationship between fan and celebrity and it has its moments of insight – especially in the reality show parody at the film’s outset –
but mostly, the heavy approach helps elevate the movie into the camp arena. The serious approach is underlined by the look of the
film, which is shot in wintry whites, shades of gray, and black. Even that can’t hide its emotional hue – which most decidedly favors
purple passion, hot pink, and tamale red.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Oscar race is on (winners will be announced on Sunday, February 25th at 7pm on ABC) and one of the top contenders this year
is Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, which first hit theatres last fall. After both its surprise win at the Golden Globes and now with a
slew of Oscar nominations, its no surprise the film has been re-released in theatres. Not having reviewed the movie in my column at
the time of its original release (though I did feature it here on the site as part of Knight Thoughts) I thought I’d do so now (and of
course, like ALL my reviews, it's worth endless repeating!)
In this corner we have Jack Nicholson, so delighted with his role of the dreadful, deadly Irish Mafia boss that he practically levitates in
his scenes and in this corner we have Leo DiCaprio, so intense and wound up that he nearly self-combusts. The battle of these two
acting titans is the primary pleasure of The Departed, the movie that is being hailed as director Martin Scorsese's return to form. I
thought The Aviator, Scorsese's Howard Hughes biopic signaled the great director's return to greatness (and it should have won him
Best Director -- shame on you Academy for rewarding Clint Eastwood's treacly, punishing Million Dollar Baby). But that’s not to say
that The Departed finds Scorsese slouching – far from it. It’s yet another example of the director’s fascination with the criminal
element. Brutal and drenched in blood with a body count that rivals any slasher picture The Departed is nevertheless a terrifically
entertaining movie – albeit a tough, raw one. For Scorsese those mean streets are still very much alive.
The story focuses on the ongoing war between law enforcement and the Irish mob in Boston. Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg
(especially fine in a tough talking performance which has garnered him an Oscar nod in the supporting category) send DiCaprio
undercover in an effort to finally get the goods on Frank Costello, the crime boss played by Nicholson. Costello wears purple shirts,
lounges in a leopard robe, listens to opera and has an affinity for Patsy Cline’s “Sweet Dreams.” But this veneer of “class” is
dwarfed by a dreadful vulgarity and monstrous behavior. Costello thinks nothing of pulling the trigger when crossed himself. He’s
cagey and street smart beneath the phony veneer and has planted a rat of his own on the police force to protect his interests.
This is Matt Damon whose golden boy good looks have helped him to quickly rise within the ranks. But he hasn’t forgotten why he’s
there and he’s loyal to Costello and time and again stymies any attempt to go after him. After awhile it seems strange that no one
ever thinks to look into Damon’s past and instantly find the Nicholson connection but doing so would take the picture in another
direction.
DiCaprio and Damon are put in the position of facing off against one another, though neither knows it and here the tension, already
palpable, rises to its thunderous, bloody climax. Scorsese provides multiple scenes that offer plenty of action along with moments
of anxiety in which we see that both DiCaprio and Damon are being torn emotionally apart by their deceptions. Vera Farmiga does
wonders with the movie’s most clichéd role as the woman torn between the two men while Sheen and Alec Baldwin as a crazed FBI
commander gives Nicholson a run for his money in the acting competition.
The picture is set in the present and though cell phones with their differing ring tones play a large part in the plot they’re really just a
nod to the present day culture. This is classic Scorsese – right down to the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” and the other rock songs
on the soundtrack – and the movie could have taken place at any point in the last 40 years. It’s nice to know that some things –
including movies – never change.
realm, at the summit, of course, is All About Eve while in the documentary area Madonna: Truth or Dare would rate very high.
Somewhere between these two is the delicious bit of French hokum, Backstage, in which the über fan Lucie (Isil Le Besco) with the
determination of a teething puppy becomes entwined in the life of her Diva, the bewitching Lauren Waks (Emmanuelle Seigner a/k/a
Mrs. Roman Polanski). This junky, masterpiece of kitsch, enjoyable in that world weary French manner, arrives this Friday for an
exclusive one week run at Chicago's Landmark Century Centre Cinema.
Lauren briefly enters the life of the teenaged Lucie, who lives with her mother and younger brother in a suburb of Paris via a reality
show. Without warning, Lucie returns home to find herself the recipient of one of those dreadful candid camera moments. All at
once the lights blaze, the playback blares, the camera turns and there is the Diva herself singing one of her maudlin dance hits
directly to Lucie. Overwhelmed by the presence of her obsession, Lucie sensibly bursts into tears and locks herself in the bathroom.
Even a personal entreaty by the bored Lauren can’t convince her to come out so the film crew decamps. After regaining her
equilibrium, Lucie heads for Paris to apologize and try to regain the brief moment of intimacy that Lauren has tantalized her with.
Soon the determined young lass has talked her way into Lauren’s suite of rooms at a posh Paris hotel and finds herself, in the grand
Eve Harrington manner, fetching and carrying for the star. Lucie has arrived at an opportune moment – Lauren, whose career is
obviously built on her stunning beauty (she looks like an amalgamation of a drugged out Marilyn Monroe-Debbie Harry-Jessica
Lange) rather than her singing ability – is in Deep Mourning over the end of her affair with the beautiful, dark eyed stunner Daniel
(Samuel Benchetrit) and nothing can shake her blues. But Lucie the oddball, with her innocence and willingness to experiment,
offers a distraction. There’s a nude swimming pool sequence in which it seems the two women will make love and the other
characters talk about Lauren’s free ranging sexual tastes but the hints of lesbianism are just a tease. It’s really Daniel that Lauren
wants and Lucie, being a true fan, decides on a course of action that she thinks will bind her to her Diva forever.
The dialogue offers exchanges like this between Lucie and Daniel about their Diva: “My love was pure before. Now it’s like a drug.”
“She knows how to get you hooked” and the many mournful, glossy, pop/dance ballads that Lauren performs (Seigner did her own
singing) have lyrics like “Show me one more time the path I know to indigo happiness” and “Beneath the velvety apricot I saw you
white as snow.” The movie, co-written and directed by Emmanuelle Bercot wants to attempt a serious examination of the odd
relationship between fan and celebrity and it has its moments of insight – especially in the reality show parody at the film’s outset –
but mostly, the heavy approach helps elevate the movie into the camp arena. The serious approach is underlined by the look of the
film, which is shot in wintry whites, shades of gray, and black. Even that can’t hide its emotional hue – which most decidedly favors
purple passion, hot pink, and tamale red.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Oscar race is on (winners will be announced on Sunday, February 25th at 7pm on ABC) and one of the top contenders this year
is Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, which first hit theatres last fall. After both its surprise win at the Golden Globes and now with a
slew of Oscar nominations, its no surprise the film has been re-released in theatres. Not having reviewed the movie in my column at
the time of its original release (though I did feature it here on the site as part of Knight Thoughts) I thought I’d do so now (and of
course, like ALL my reviews, it's worth endless repeating!)
In this corner we have Jack Nicholson, so delighted with his role of the dreadful, deadly Irish Mafia boss that he practically levitates in
his scenes and in this corner we have Leo DiCaprio, so intense and wound up that he nearly self-combusts. The battle of these two
acting titans is the primary pleasure of The Departed, the movie that is being hailed as director Martin Scorsese's return to form. I
thought The Aviator, Scorsese's Howard Hughes biopic signaled the great director's return to greatness (and it should have won him
Best Director -- shame on you Academy for rewarding Clint Eastwood's treacly, punishing Million Dollar Baby). But that’s not to say
that The Departed finds Scorsese slouching – far from it. It’s yet another example of the director’s fascination with the criminal
element. Brutal and drenched in blood with a body count that rivals any slasher picture The Departed is nevertheless a terrifically
entertaining movie – albeit a tough, raw one. For Scorsese those mean streets are still very much alive.
The story focuses on the ongoing war between law enforcement and the Irish mob in Boston. Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg
(especially fine in a tough talking performance which has garnered him an Oscar nod in the supporting category) send DiCaprio
undercover in an effort to finally get the goods on Frank Costello, the crime boss played by Nicholson. Costello wears purple shirts,
lounges in a leopard robe, listens to opera and has an affinity for Patsy Cline’s “Sweet Dreams.” But this veneer of “class” is
dwarfed by a dreadful vulgarity and monstrous behavior. Costello thinks nothing of pulling the trigger when crossed himself. He’s
cagey and street smart beneath the phony veneer and has planted a rat of his own on the police force to protect his interests.
This is Matt Damon whose golden boy good looks have helped him to quickly rise within the ranks. But he hasn’t forgotten why he’s
there and he’s loyal to Costello and time and again stymies any attempt to go after him. After awhile it seems strange that no one
ever thinks to look into Damon’s past and instantly find the Nicholson connection but doing so would take the picture in another
direction.
DiCaprio and Damon are put in the position of facing off against one another, though neither knows it and here the tension, already
palpable, rises to its thunderous, bloody climax. Scorsese provides multiple scenes that offer plenty of action along with moments
of anxiety in which we see that both DiCaprio and Damon are being torn emotionally apart by their deceptions. Vera Farmiga does
wonders with the movie’s most clichéd role as the woman torn between the two men while Sheen and Alec Baldwin as a crazed FBI
commander gives Nicholson a run for his money in the acting competition.
The picture is set in the present and though cell phones with their differing ring tones play a large part in the plot they’re really just a
nod to the present day culture. This is classic Scorsese – right down to the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” and the other rock songs
on the soundtrack – and the movie could have taken place at any point in the last 40 years. It’s nice to know that some things –
including movies – never change.
Beauties & the Beasts:
Backstage-The Departed
Expanded Edition of 1-31-07 Windy City Times Knight at the Movies Column
By Richard Knight, Jr.
Backstage-The Departed
Expanded Edition of 1-31-07 Windy City Times Knight at the Movies Column
By Richard Knight, Jr.
