VOX LUX

Natalie Portman     Jude Law     Willem Dafoe     Jennifer Ehle     Raffey Cassidy     Stacy Martin

     “Don’t let your kids grow up to be rock stars” could be the theme of this film. Natalie Portman is her usual stunning self in this glittering picture written and directed by Brady Corbet (previously an actor in Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene, Clouds of Sils Maria, and Force Majeure), and now venturing into directing.  The picture starts with a tragic scene in a school in which Celeste (Raffey Cassidy as the younger and Portman as the grown-up) is shot, injuring her spine.  She is a talented, thoughtful young Christian, and to cope with the tragedy, composes a song with her sister Eleanor (Martin), which offers encouragement and solace to all those involved.  

     Celeste undergoes rigorous rehabilitation, and during this time, the song has become a hit not just in their hometown, but across the nation as well, all of which results in bids from people wanting to be Celeste’s manager, one of which is “The Manager” played by Jude Law.  A publicist played by Jennifer Ehle is engaged as well.  

     A bit of sibling rivalry between Celeste and Eleanor runs through the story, but for named reasons, Celeste becomes the star and Eleanor goes with her as her older sister/caretaker, but who remains active in writing songs.  She also becomes a kind of foster mother later for Celeste’s daughter Albertine (Cassidy again in this role).  Plausible family dynamics are woven into the story of Celeste’s rise to fame, enriching the plot.  But while Corbet pays attention to this important aspect, the main thrust of the story is Celeste’s meteoric rise in popularity, her physical/psychological/social vulnerabilities, and the penultimate outcome. Penultimate, because the ending leaves you guessing.

     Natalie Portman gives her all to this performance, as she did in Black Swan, a role which is similar to this one in its story of a talented young woman being exploited by people in the entertainment business.  Both films are left open-ended as to the ultimate outcome.  Here, we see the arc of a rock star’s fame, the erosion of her values and central core, and the question as to whether her family (sister and daughter) can buffer her from the consequences of the path she has chosen.

     A curious omission in this film is the absence of the mother.  She is nowhere to be seen in the film, and her absence is not explained.  This is unfortunate in that her absence could potentially account for some of Celeste’s journey and her relationship with her sister.  But we are given no information.

     The film contains large gaps in time, requiring the viewer to fill in information [e.g., we’re not told about Celeste’s pregnancy; we see her daughter for the first time after she has grown up in the last half of the film (Cassidy in this role too, which is a nice touch)].  The narration delivered with gravitas by Willem Dafoe that occurs periodically helps a great deal in this respect and in making psychological/philosophical sense of Celeste and events in her life.

     Significant assets to the film include the luscious, probing cinematography of Lol Crowley and the score supplied by Scott Walker, with songs by Sia, which are the ones Celeste sings onstage.  The finale is something to see in music and cinematography, and in peak emotionality.  A grande finale indeed, after you’ve thought that disaster was just around the corner.

A rock star born, launched, and riding the peaks and valleys of fame.

Grade:  A-                                    By Donna R. Copeland

A QUIET PASSION

Cynthia Nixon   Jennifer Ehle   Duncan Duff   Keith Carradine   Jodhi May   Catherine Bailey

     A quiet passion is not always so quiet, although it is an apt title to signify a woman whose passions ran so deep, her family had to calm her down repeatedly, after which she would try valiantly to keep those passions quiet.  In the end, she was always a stricter judge of herself than of others, and was praised for the depth of her soul and her honesty.

     The American poet Emily Dickinson is stunningly captured by Cynthia Nixon in Terence       Davies’ dramatization of her life in A Quiet Passion.  As a female in the late 19^th Century, she was sassy even as a child; but her cheek came from her intelligence and thoughtfulness.  The aim always seemed to be to gain knowledge rather than to be simply rebellious.  Her father (Carradine) was remarkably patient and permissive with her, yet he too felt like he had to set firm limits on her.  It was her sister Vinnie (Ehle) who was most effective in countering her arguments and mollifying her.

     Terence Davies’ dialog in the film, helped along with Dickinson’s poetic inserts, is smart and sometimes wittily funny, such as this conversation between Emily and her friend Vryling (Bailey):  [Vryling] “In the long term, honesty is not the best policy.”  [Emily] “Is dishonesty?”  [Vryling] “I prefer to call it diplomacy.”

     In his writing and direction, Davies gives us a vivid picture of the poet.  In addition to her pugnacity (Emily was outspoken about religion and her belief in God, marriage, male/female relationships, and death, for instance), she became increasingly reclusive as she got older and became more mystified about social manners and interactions.  She could be rude, but she clearly had a conscience, as when her sister Vinnie called her on it and when her father scolded her for being rude to the housekeeping staff.  “They’re our employees; not our servants”, he tells her.  She kisses him on his head, and he asks, “What’s that for?”  She answers, “For telling me the distinction”, after which she apologizes to the help, and tells them to keep the prize money for her loaf of bread that she’d won.  She became increasingly disillusioned with the world, referring to herself as a “no-hoper” who “knows best how to starve.”  She would say to Vinnie, “I long for something, but I’m afraid of it.”  In short, Emily Dickinson was a bundle of contradictions, yet had considerable insight about herself.

     As noted, Cynthia Nixon gives an award-worthy performance in fitting herself so thoroughly and neatly into the poet’s character.  Supporting cast members, Jennifer Ehle, Keith Carradine, and Catherine Bailey add dramatic flavor to this fascinating story.  The artistic cinematography by Florian Hoffmeister shows many scenes which could be framed and stand alone as paintings.  One in particular is a view of a window with a vase of flowers, curtained by a fine, sheer fabric, behind which we can see and hear the minister giving his sermon. 

A poetic rendering of images, dialog, music, and movement to convey the essence of Poet Emily Dickinson.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland