Director Tom Kalin's Savage Grace, based on Natalie Robins and Steven M.L. Aronson's book about the famously decadent and dysfunctional family that inherited the Bakelite plastics fortune, turns a real-life tragedy (that ended in murder during the early 1970s) into an overheated melodrama of the sort that Douglas Sirk directed back in the ‘50s. Only child Tony (Eddie Redmayne) grows up under the twisted wing of dreadfully insecure parents: cold and uncaring father Brooks Baekeland (Stephen Dillane), whose grandfather invented plastic, and smothering mother Barbara (Julianne Moore). Reaching adulthood feeling tormented (not surprisingly) by his inadequacies, Tony's relationship with his selfish, high-society craving mother becomes not only incestuous, but eventually turns into a ménage à trois following the arrival of a gay visitor (Hugh Dancy). Ultimately, the sexual gamesmanship and jet-setting lifestyle take their toll—with horrific consequences. During the course of the film (spanning some 25 years), Moore, who unbelievably doesn't age a bit, is a powerhouse playing a role written as a caricature, while Redmayne is saddled with a character presented in episodic fits and starts (Tony's schizophrenia, which figured prominently in the actual court proceedings, is only vaguely hinted at here). A disappointingly uneven film, this is not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette (6 min.), “The Back Story” featurette on the real-life Baekeland tragedy (4 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for a dramatic misfire.] (E. Hulse)
Savage Grace
Genius, 96 min., not rated, DVD: $24.95, Dec. 23 Volume 23, Issue 6
Savage Grace
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