Stage Beauty

A Renaissance drama set during the last days of men playing women in the English theater, Stage Beauty is peculiarly out-of-sync with its own narrative. A historical fiction akin to Shakespeare in Love and Girl With a Pearl Earring, the film stars Billy Crudup (Big Fish) as an acclaimed actor in female roles, whose career is ruined by King Charles II's decree reversing the laws against actresses on the stage. Claire Danes plays his devoted dresser who is also destined to take his place as the toast of the London theatre. It should be an enthralling tale, but too many story elements just don't jibe: Crudup is too masculine and comes off like a bad drag queen (except in strong "straight" scenes when he panics over his disintegrating career), while Danes' rise comes at the aid of a rich pervert patron who--quite improbably--wants nothing in return from the beautiful girl. Plus, it's also curious and incongruous that Crudup's melodramatic actor would or could coach Danes to a remarkably natural performance as Desdemona in Othello, when he himself was never capable of the same. These two are the heart of the story, so as their pivotal contradictions go, so goes the movie. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Richard Eyre, the seven-part behind-the-scenes featurette “Backstage Beauty” (24 min.), including segments on casting, research, and costumes, and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for a disappointing film.] (R. Blackwelder)