Savage Grace (2007)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Tom Kalin

Writers (WGA):

Howard A. Rodman (screenplay)
Natalie Robins (book) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 September 2007 (Singapore)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Truth is more shocking than fiction.

Plot:

A dramatization of the shocking Barbara Daly Baekeland murder case, which happened in a posh London flat on Friday 17 November 1972. The bloody crime caused a stir on both sides of the Atlantic and remains one of the most memorable American Tragedies...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Unhappy Marriage | London England | Dinner | 1950s

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Julianne Moore	...	Barbara Baekeland
Stephen Dillane	...	Brooks Baekeland
Anne Reid	...	Nini Daly
Martin Huber	...	Aschwin Lippe
Minnie Marx	...	Midge Van Den Heuvels
Jim Arnold	...	Joost Van Den Heuvels
Mapi Galán	...	Simone Lippe
Barney Clark	...	Tony at 12
Abel Folk	...	Carlos Durán
Belén Rueda	...	Pilar Durán
Simón Andreu	...	Jean Pierre Souvestre
Eddie Redmayne	...	Antony Baekeland
Elena Anaya	...	Blanca
Unax Ugalde	...	Black Jake Martínez
Melina Matthews	...	Lorna Moffat
Lorea Uresberueta	...	Ticket Agent
Xavier Capdet	...	Gate Man
Kandido Uranga	...	Taxi Driver
Hugh Dancy	...	Sam
Lina Lambert	...	Missy Harnden
Peter Vives Newey	...	Mishka Harnden (as Peter Vives)
Brendan Price	...	PC Roberts
Pol Balibrea	...	Baby Tony
Mariona Perrier	...	Teeny Duchamp

Directed by
Tom Kalin

Writing credits (WGA)
Howard A. Rodman		(screenplay)
Natalie Robins		(book) &
Steven M.L. Aronson		(book)

Produced by
Philippe Aigle	....	associate producer: Celluloid Dreams
Alberto Aranda	....	co-producer
Christian Baute	....	co-executive producer
Johnathan Dorfman	....	executive producer
Temple Fennell	....	executive producer
Peter M. Graham II	....	executive producer
Xavier Granada	....	co-producer (as Xavi Granada)
Stephen Hays	....	executive producer
Tom Kalin	....	co-producer
Pamela Koffler	....	producer
Aitor Lizarralde	....	associate producer
Charlotte Mickie	....	associate producer: Celluloid Dreams
Iker Monfort	....	producer
Yulene Monfort	....	co-producer
Hengameh Panahi	....	executive producer
Howard A. Rodman	....	executive producer
Katie Roumel	....	producer
Elvira M. Sales	....	co-executive producer (as Elvira Morales Sales)
Eugenia Soler	....	line producer
Christine Vachon	....	producer
John Wells	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Fernando Velázquez

Cinematography by
Juan Miguel Azpiroz		(director of photography) (as Juanmi Azpiroz)

Film Editing by
Enara Goikoetxea		(as Enara Goicoetxea)
Tom Kalin
John F. Lyons

Casting by
Laura Rosenthal

Production Design by
Víctor Molero

Art Direction by
Deborah Chambers

Set Decoration by
Juan Carlos Bravo
Isabelle Domingo
Víctor Pavía		(as Victor 'Bili' Pavia)

Costume Design by
Gabriela Salaverri

Makeup Department
Montse Boqueras	....	makeup artist
Vanessa Cubero	....	makeup artist (as Vanesa Cubero)
Xavi García	....	hair stylist
Susana León	....	makeup artist
Ana López Puigcerver	....	key makeup artist (as Ana López Puicerver)
Belén López Puigcerver	....	key hair stylist
Rosario Martínez	....	makeup artist
Natalia Montoya	....	hair stylist
Cesáreo Morcillo	....	makeup artist (as César Morcillo)
Irene Navarro	....	assistant hair stylist
Peter Owen	....	wig maker: Julianne Moore
Sergio Pérez	....	hair stylist
Jerry Popolis	....	hair stylist: Julianne Moore
Susan Reilly LeHane	....	makeup artist: Julianne Moore
José Antonio Segui	....	hair stylist
Ana Urosa	....	assistant makeup artist
Laura Vacas	....	makeup artist
Manel Villagrasa	....	hair stylist (as Manuel Villagrasa)
Dita Vojtikova	....	manicurist: Julianne Moore

Production Management
Yee Yeo Chang	....	post-production supervisor: NY
Nicolás Tapia	....	production manager (as Nico Tapia)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Israel Marco	....	second second assistant director
Olga Pujalte	....	second assistant director
F. Javier Soto	....	first assistant director (as Javier Soto)

Art Department
Juan Antonio Aguelló	....	construction: Stork Club
Andy Chevailler	....	set dresser
Silvia Crivillé	....	assistant property master
Juanjo Garcia	....	assistant art director
Fernando Giner	....	additional prop designer
Beatriz Martínez	....	art department trainee
Pablo Mateu	....	set dresser
Nuria Muni	....	prop buyer
Octavio Tapia	....	property master

Sound Department
Susana Benito	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Juan Borrell	....	sound
Emilio Bustos	....	assistant sound editor (as Emilio Bustos Garcia)
Manolo Corrales	....	foley artist
Bela María da Costa	....	sound (as Bela da Costa)
Gonzalo de la Fuente	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Jaime Fernández	....	sound
Dámaso Hernández	....	boom operator
Mario López	....	foley sound engineer
Douglas Murray	....	adr engineer (as Doug Murray)
Ricardo Viñas	....	sound consultant: Dolby

Stunts
Antonio Higueruelo	....	action coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Thais Batlle	....	video playback operator
Alberto Julia Cano	....	additional electrician
Albert Carreras	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Francesc Carreras	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera (as Francisco Carreras)
Josu Cejuela	....	gaffer
Elias Fernandez Salomon	....	additional electrician (as Elías Fernández Salomón)
Gina Ferrer	....	additional camera loader
Alberto García	....	generator operator
Juan Gonzalez Guerrero	....	company electrician (as Juan González)
Jaume González Nogues	....	grip trainee
Óscar Isach	....	additional electrician (as Oscar Isaac)
Teodoro Maniaci	....	director of photography: New York
Enero Martínex de Lizarrondo	....	additional electrician
Migueltxo Molina	....	still photographer (as Miguel Molina)
Segismundo Mulero	....	key grip
Ferrán Parera	....	additional electrician
Antonio Rodríguez	....	camera loader (as Toni Rodríues)
Guillem Subirats	....	first assistant camera
Daniel Wiener	....	first assistant camera: New York
Marc Zumbach	....	company electrician (as Marc Zumpach)

Casting Department
Pep Armengol	....	additional casting
Rori Bergman	....	casting assistant: US
Kahleen Crawford	....	additional casting: UK
Ali Farrell	....	casting: US
Des Hamilton	....	additional casting: UK
Luci Lenox	....	additional casting
Claire Saunders	....	casting: UK

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Laura Agustín	....	wardrobe supervisor
Mireia Buyó	....	wardrobe assistant
Mireia Guàrdia	....	additional wardrobe assistant
Didier Ludot	....	wardrobe: haute couture
Crispy Valverde	....	wardrobe assistant
Ana Sabina Vergara	....	wardrobe trainee

Editorial Department
Tina Baz	....	consulting editor
Alberto Leirós	....	film lab coordinator
Miguel Ángel López	....	colorist
María Jesús Sánchez	....	negative cutter (as Marí Hesús Sánchez-Morate)
Iurre Tellería	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Amaia Aritzi	....	music production assistant
The Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra	....	musicians: orchestra
José Luis Centeno	....	music preparation
Elena Chouchkova	....	orchestra manager
Félix Divar	....	musician: percussion
Evgeni Kanchev	....	concertino
Iker Martín	....	musician: saxophone
Hasier Oleaga	....	musician: drums
Daniel Oyarzabal	....	musician: piano
Juan Antonio Ros	....	score producer (as Juanan Ros)
Juan Antonio Ros	....	scoring mixer (as Juanan Ros)
Juan Antonio Ros	....	scoring recordist (as Juanan Ros)
Asen Kanchev	....	music production manager (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Luis Botella	....	driver: Julianne Moore
Angel Guerri	....	driver
Javier Guerri	....	driver

Other crew
Naima Abed	....	legal affairs: Celluloid Dreams
Fellipe Barbosa	....	researcher (as Felippe Barbosa)
Andrew Blum	....	intern: Killer Films
Paul Brennan	....	legal services: Sloss Law Office
Tommaso Cammarano	....	researcher
Núria Casanueva	....	script supervisor
Yee Yeo Chang	....	production coordinator: NY
Leslie Charles	....	dialect coach
Nina Chernik	....	researcher
Vanessa Ciszewski	....	production coordinator: Celluloid Dreams
Delphine Clot	....	legal affairs: Celluloid Dreams
Stephane Cordier	....	bank services
Joaquín De Otaola	....	legal services: Sánchez Pintado y Núñez
Jacqueline Eckhouse	....	legal services: Sloss Law Office
Maria Jesus Ezcurra	....	production accountant (as María Jesús Ezcurra)
Ramsey Fong	....	production accountant: NY
Pol Fuentes	....	production trainee
Giordano Giordani	....	technical director: Technicolor
Iván Gómez	....	location manager
Ruben Gomez	....	set production assistant
Amaya González	....	accountant: Monfort Producciones
Roberto González	....	dailies
Pawel Grajnert	....	chief researcher
Abe Halpert	....	intern: Killer Films
Jocelyn Hayes	....	executive: Killer Films (as Joselyn Hayes Simpson)
Mar Henche	....	production accountant
Alison Hunter	....	legal services: Sloss Law Office
Xavier Izquierdo	....	production trainee
Sondra James	....	adr loop group coordinator
Martin Jefferies	....	stand-in: Mr. Redmayne
Phil Johnston	....	researcher
Manolo Juanino	....	projectionist: EXA
Justin Kagan	....	intern: Killer Films
Drew Klein	....	intern: Killer Films
Kate Levy	....	intern: Killer Films
Geneviéve Lhote	....	assistant: Menchameh Panahi, Celluloid Dreams
Aleix Lladó	....	assistant: Mr. Kalin
Juanan Lopez	....	assistant: Mr. Kalin (as Juanan López)
Sebastian Maharg-Bravo	....	script translator
Spyro Markesinis	....	legal services: Reed Smith Richard Butler
Marta Mas	....	set production assistant
Alberto Miragoli	....	trainee: Monfort Producciones
Migueltxo Molina	....	electronic press kit (as Miguel Molina)
Julia Montes	....	legal services: Echa Abogados
Miguel Ángel Muñoz	....	accountant: A Contraluz Films
Emmanuel Nguyen	....	assistant to chief accountant: Celluloid Dreams
Nick Niles	....	researcher
Trilby Norton	....	production coordinator
Eider Nunes	....	production trainee
Denis Offroy	....	bank services
Lydia O'Neill	....	intern: Killer Films
Marc Panadés	....	production trainee
Kevin Pazmino	....	key set production assistant
Natalia Pérez	....	trainee
Richard Philipps	....	legal services: Reed Smith Richard Butler
Alberto Poveda	....	key set production assistant
Marc Prat Trias	....	production trainee (as Marc Prat)
Jeff Prosserman	....	intern: Killer Films (as Jeffrey Prosserman)
Charles Pugliese	....	executive: Killer Kilms
Christina Rice	....	assistant: Julianne Moore
Ana Rubio	....	press: Monfort Producciones
Manuel Salgueiro	....	dailies
Juan Salmerón	....	legal services: Echa Abogados
Robert Franck Sauvineau	....	chief accountant: Celluloid Dreams (as Franck Sauvineau)
Gabriel Sedgwick	....	intern: Killer Films
Gabriel Sedgwick	....	set production assistant
Lluis Servitje	....	assistant location manager
Napua Solsona	....	trainee
Gordon Spragg	....	head of marketing: Cellulois Dreams
Julián Suárez	....	projectionist: EXA
Julie Thiery	....	intern: Killer Films
David Torra Calix	....	stand-in: Mr. Dillane
Guadalupe Balaguer Trelles	....	executive: Monfort Producciones
Karina Userovici	....	legal affairs: Celluloid Dreams (as Karine Userovici)
Esther Villahermosa	....	stand-in: Ms. Moore
Judith Windsor	....	voice coach: Stephen Dillane
Jeremy Zelnik	....	bank services

Thanks
Manuel Monzón Fueyo	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• 120dB Films (in association with)
• A Contraluz Films (co-production)
• ATO Pictures (in association with)
• Celluloid Dreams
• John Wells Productions
• Killer Films
• Montfort Producciones
• Videntia Frames (co-production)

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Asmik Ace Entertainment (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Revolver Entertainment (2008) (UK) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (200?) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Cinéart (2009) (Belgium) (all media)
• Cinéart (2009) (Luxembourg) (all media)
• Discovery Film & Video Distribution (2008) (Croatia) (DVD)
• IFC Films (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2009) (Finland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Axium  payroll services: NY
• BBVA  bank services
• Bulgarian National Radio, Studio 1  score recording and mixing facility
• Cinevent On Line  insurance services
• Cofiloisirs  bank services
• Cuna Catalana D'Osona  catering
• De Lane Lea  adr recording facility
• Duloc Asesores  payroll services
• Echa Abogados  legal services
• El Cantón de la Soledad  score recording and mixing facility (as El Cantón de la Soledad Studios)
• Elizabeth Bardsley & Associates  script clearance
• Exa S.A.  sound mixing facility (as EXA)
• HSBC Bank USA  production banking services: US (as HSBC)
• Joan Pearce Research Associates  script clearance
• La Caixa  bank services
• Moztu Filmak  editing facility
• Noventayn9ev9  adr recording facility
• Noventaynu9v9  post-production sound facility
• Nuncle  design and animation (as Nuncle Group)
• Pocas Nueces  production sound facility
• Post Factory NY  editing facilities
• Reed Smith Richards Butler  legal services (as Reed Smith Richard Butler)
• SIF309 Film & Music Productions  film score recording
• Sloss Law Office  legal services
• Soundtrack  adr recording facility
• Soundtrack  trailer
• Sánchez Pintado Y Núñez  legal services

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

Spain | USA | France

Language:

English | French | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

Singapore:R21 | Taiwan:R-18 | Japan:R-18 | Italy:VM14 | UK:15 | Ireland:16 | Germany:16 | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/18 | Australia:R | New Zealand:R18 | Finland:K-15 | South Korea:18 | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

120dB Films

Goofs:

Continuity: In the opening scene when Barbara arranges a dinner date at a restaurant, there is a pimple between her cheek and her chin. Mid-scene the spot is gone.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2008-05-31)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Lullaby for Tony

A mesmerizing and powerful experience

Loosely based on the book of the same name by Natalie Robins and Steven M.L. Aronson, Tom Kalin's Savage Grace is the stylized depiction of the life of Barbara Daly Baekeland (Julianne Moore), a social-climbing model and would-be actress who married into the Bakelite fortune and whose overbearing love for her son Tony, a promising writer, led to unspeakable tragedy. Savage Grace first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 and had a limited release in the U.S. in May 2008 to less than enthusiastic reviews. The film has been described as dull by some critics used to bathing in showy Hollywood effects, overlooking the fact that its languid air and dreamy look serve a distinct purpose - to underscore the characters' emotional emptiness and enhance its understated cumulative power.

Savage Grace opens in New York in 1946 with the birth of a son and unfolds like a classical tragedy in six episodes that cover four decades from 1946 to 1972, tracking Barbara's crumbling relationship with husband Brooks (Stephen Dillane) and her increasingly unhealthy relationship with her son Tony, played as a boy by Barney Clark and as an adult by the excellent Eddie Redmayne. The family, heirs to the fortune amassed by their grandfather Leo who was the inventor of Bakelite, the original plastic, eats at the famous Stork Club, dining with princes and other royalty and socializing with people such as Greta Garbo, Tennessee Williams, and the Aga Khan. In the restaurant, they play careless games such as Barbara asking her guests to bet on her just going off with the first man that comes along in a car," which she does, leaving her husband and friends on the sidewalk.

The film then jumps to Paris in 1959. In one of the most explosive scenes, Barbara compels Tony, now age 13, to read aloud from the book "Justine" by the Marquis de Sade at a dinner party. When he is reluctant, Barbara goes into a rage, using graphic epithets that drive her visitors from the house. London, Spain, and Mallorca follow soon as the Baekeland's become permanent exiles from the U.S. In Cadaques on Spain's Costa Brava eight years later, Tony begins to come to grips with his homosexuality and enjoys an affair with Jake (Unax Ugalde), at times the two performing their sexual acts in front of "mummy". Later he brings home a girlfriend Blanca (Elena Anaya), which surprises his parents since his homosexuality has become obvious.

Coldly rejecting both Barbara and Tony, Brooks runs off with Blanca and never looks back, resisting his son's futile efforts to reunite them. In a startling confrontation, Barbara follows her husband to the airport where she unleashes a brutal verbal attack on both husband and girlfriend at the checkout counter. Both Barbara's and Tony's emotional stability soon begin to unravel. Barbara takes up with the bisexual Sam (Hugh Dancy) and, when Tony also finds himself attracted to Sam, all three end up in bed in one of the film's more eyebrow-raising scenes. Back in London, years later, after one of numerous suicide attempts, Barbara casually initiates a sexual relationship with her increasing emotionally unstable son leading to the boy's quiet descent into madness and the film's tragic conclusion.

Like Jean-Claude Lauzon's 1992 masterpiece, Leolo, Savage Grace is a mixture of darkness and light that contains moments of humor and warmth along with moments of sheer depravity. Its power is very real because the characters are recognizable as suffering human beings rather than as caricatures. While the appeal of Savage Grace is limited because of its dark subject matter, it is a mesmerizing and powerful experience, impeccably acted by Julianne Moore in one of her greatest performances. While the film's depictions of forbidden sexual activities may or may not have occurred in reality, they are powerfully communicated without melodrama and the film's morbid fascination is maintained until its shocking conclusion.