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52 out of 77 people found the following review useful: Chilling story, 27 July 2007 Author: Paul Martin from Melbourne, Australia
Having seen quite a few films produced by Christine Vachon, I recognised a similar aesthetic in this film. Vachon's films often portray unconventional sexuality or other challenging social themes, but in a stylised way that is more accessible to wider audiences than grittier art-house films. This film would make a terrific companion piece to Christophe Honoré's Ma mère, as it tackles similarly challenging themes, though it is based on a true story and is much more digestible for audiences. The parallels between these stories are remarkable.Julianne Moore is an actress I admire and takes top billing. Her performance was as good as usual, portraying Barbara Daly Baekeland, wife of the Bakelite heir. Eddie Redmayne's portrayal of her homosexual son was for me the stand-out performance. The film is set in various countries - the US, France, Spain and England - and the visuals are excellent. It takes a while to get a handle on where the film wants to take us, but it culminates in a chilling end. Worth seeing for the brave risks it takes and succeeds in delivering.The Melbourne International Film Festival screening I attended was introduced by the director, Tom Kalin.
27 out of 30 people found the following review useful: That of a Mother, 30 July 2008 Author: Joseph Belanger (moutonbear@videotron.ca) from Montreal
When I was growing up, my mother could be a little over involved in my life but she's got nothing on Barbara Baekeland (Julianne Moore). SAVAGE GRACE tells Barbara's story and that of her incalculable influence on the direction of her very tight family. Together, Barbara, Brooks (Stephen Dillane) and Tony (Barney Clark as a boy, Eddie Redmayne as an adult), exist in a tiny bubble where they can be seen by and perform for the rest of the world but ultimately exist solely for each other. Rich beyond their own comprehension, the Baekeland's exude an air of arrogance and thrive on the act of acting. And even though, as the years pass on, the friends, acquaintances and passersby will have run far away, the Baekeland's still have us.The Baekeland's come from money. Well, at least Brooks does. His father was the inventor of Bakelite, a popular plastic. Barbara, a former model and almost famous actress, married into the fortune and it suited her just fine to do nothing but be seen. With no real drama to occupy their time, the Baekeland's must create their own and they become experts in the craft. And like the entirely selfish parents they are, they teach their young son, Tony, everything they know. First time feature filmmaker and brave soul, Tom Kalin, tells their revolting yet tragic story in a manner that neither glorifies nor condemns their demented ways. All the while though, he centers his attention on Tony so that we never forget who the real victim is. This makes it all the more deplorable when Tony abandons reason to embrace his family heritage.SAVAGE GRACE is not for all. Make no mistake, when I say that the Baekeland's ruin each other and bring about all of their own misfortune, I am not speaking lightly. This is a family that shares baths, beds and lovers. Kalin is mindful of his audience's likely discomfort but also never afraid to show that audience the dirty details. Besides, when all the debauchery becomes too much to handle, one can always look to Moore and bask in her brilliance. Moore is flippant one moment and affected the next. Her performance is so delicately balanced between calculated control and callous chaos that one never knows which way she'll turn and one is always shocked to find out. Both Dillane (who is practically unrecognizable) and Redmayne (who could so easily be related to Moore in reality with his pale, freckled skin) do more than simply hold their own. They complete the trio and it is a delight to watch them play off of each other, albeit a disturbing delight.Kalin has not only crafted an engaging film but also a bizarre experience. If you can stomach this true story, then you will be treated to a frankness that is not common in American cinema. You will also get to spend time in dark places you may not be accustomed to. However, when you inevitably arrive safely on the other side, you will know the drastic differences in what it means to be fortunate.
39 out of 60 people found the following review useful: Dark tale of a mother and son doesn't really connect with its audience, 26 May 2008 Author: dbborroughs from Glen Cove, New York
Story of Barbara Daly Baekeland, who married the heir to the Bakelite fortune. We watch as the relationship with her husband slides, the relationship with her son (who narrates) goes weird and everything collides in tragedy.This is a dark little movie. Almost from the first frames the whole world seems wrong and off. The interaction between Barbara and her husband now that they have a son is at best awkward, at worst strained. Its clear from the start that Mom is paying way too much attention to her baby. Its unnerving. Whats also clear up front is that no one is "normal". Everyone is clearly in their own little damaged world (Dad travels, mom is isolated and the kid just tries to cope with all of the weirdness). As a means to an effect, namely making the audience feeling uneasy, it works in spades. As a means of making a film that is something that we can either relate to or want to watch for any reason other than it intrigues our baser instincts its not really the way to go. Forgive me, but I don't know why I was watching this, I mean let me put it simply, these people are nuts. These are rich people who are just strange.Its doesn't help that the performances seem very mannered. All of the actors are very good but I felt as though I was watching a very very British mannered drama.The characters seem to be more a collection of ticks and manners then anything else. Yes I understand that everyone is wrapped up in themselves; behavior thats so guarded that each act (especially sex)seems to be for some ulterior reason, and that any unmannered act is one of self revelation, but at the same time it kept me distant. I never cared about anyone or anything, I only wanted to see how twisted this all got(And it gets pretty funky).Is it any good? Yea, he says begrudgingly. The performances are good, especially Juliane Moore, the film is extremely well crafted and as much as I bitch, it does hold your attention in the same way that a bloody car wreck does (you keep watching to see how bad it gets because you know it has nothing to do with you). I wish it was just slightly better than it is, I wish there was some sign of what life was before the baby came along, I mean why did her husband marry her, I have no clue, nor do I know why he bothered to stay married to her as long as he did. I also wish this was about real people, instead of "martians", I mean most of the characters outside of the central ones seem reasonably normal, I cared more about them then the ones the film was about.Is it worth seeing? I don't know if I would go out of my way to see it. Frankly the chance to see this kind of fell into my lap so I took it, especially since a friend had asked about the film at the instant the chance to see the film arrived. Would I have wanted to pay for it? In the end no, I want to get some thing else from the film then just feeling dirty.
33 out of 56 people found the following review useful: Quite good, actually, 31 March 2008 Author: jackojacko
The film is different. It does stand out amongst hundreds of "seen-this-before" flicks.Juliane Moore is great, of course.One of her best performances, actually.The film has the atmosphere that is hard to find these days; moves kind of slowly but the tension continually grows so you know something (bad) is going to happen eventually although you have no idea what.Cannot understand certain opinions here which, I have a feeling, have been written without even watching the film or, simply, for some unknown reasons, out of spite.See it. It is really good.
16 out of 23 people found the following review useful: A Lost Dog Collar: Impact and Consequences, 29 June 2008 Author: gradyharp from United States
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
SAVING GRACE is screenwriter Howard A. Rodman's adaptation of Natalie Robins and Steven M.L. Aronson's brutally realistic book by the same name of a famous wealthy family's downfall. Director Tom Kalin has previously proved that he can successfully mix biopic with drama ('Swoon'), but alas in this tedious film he fails to make the audience care about any of his characters, despite the fact that he cast this strange collection of edgy types with outstanding actors. In the end, after witnessing an incestuous relationship between mother and son and a subsequent brutal murder, the only moment of tenderness is a very lost boy's need to recover the collar of his childhood dog, long dead but hardly forgotten in the murky soup that has been his life. Knowing that the story is true adds a bit of intrigue: the family of a plastics mogul is in the third generation: Brooks Baeklande (Stephen Dillane) wallows in his wealth without positively contributing to his family reputation; his wife Barbara (Julianne Moor), a former actress and Feline's salesgirl who marries into wealth only to become obsessed with climbing a ladder that repeatedly betrays her 'class'; their only son Antony (Eddie Redmayne) who moves from his mother's worshiped idol to his father's loathed rival at his being bisexual/gay to a series of affairs - none of which he finds satisfying or fulfilling, especially his ultimate incestuous relationship with his mother. The film runs from 1946 (Antony's birth) to 1972 and the tragic finale and during this time the audience is conducted through the superficial corridors of life among the wealthy and influential people of New York, Paris, London, Cadaques. Along the way we meet some interesting characters, paramours of Antony played by Elena Anaya, the gifted actors Unax Ugalde and Hugh Dancy, and a host of other bit parts who enliven the action or act as stimuli for the crumbling downfall of Barbara Baekeland. The various periods of time are well captured by cinematographer Juan Miguel Azpiroz who manages to give us the 'superficial beauty' of these empty souls while keeping a safe distance from their degrading antics. The musical score by Fernando Velázquez is always too loud and falls between the cracks of elevator Muzak and takeoffs on Wagner's leitmotifs from 'Tristan und Isolde'. The major problem with this film is that it is nearly impossible for us to emotionally invest in any of the characters, even as well defined as they are in the hands of such excellent actors. It is this distance that sinks the film, a 'biopic' about rather distasteful folks that offers little insight into the positive aspects of their deranged behavior. Or perhaps that void is what Tom Kalin is striving to depict. It just misses. Grady Harp
30 out of 52 people found the following review useful: A provocative film just for the sake of being provocative, 6 April 2008 Author: Gordon-11 from Hong Kong
This film is about a rich but dysfunctional family trying to hang on to each other, ultimately destroying everyone's happiness.I saw this film only because Julianne Moore is in it. Moore is a fine actress who starred in a lot of high quality films. I was hoping "Savage Grace" would be as good as her other films, but I was disappointed.I find the story slow and poorly developed. Mr & Mrs Baekeland's poor relationship is satisfactorily portrayed, but from this point onwards the film goes downhill. Things happen without buildup and are poorly explained. The final ending is simply ridiculous, as the unexpected twist on Tony's mental state feels very contrived and unconvincing."Savage Grace" could have been a thought provoking and engaging drama. Instead, it fails to be engaging, and the characters not sympathetic. In my opinion, the story unfolds provocatively just for the sake of being provocative.
9 out of 12 people found the following review useful: A Messy and Provocative Story of a Dysfunctional Family, 2 March 2009 Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
In the 40's, the actress Barbara (Julianne Moore) marries the wealth Brooks Baekeland (Stephen Dillane) aspiring social ascension and fortune. They have a son, Tony, and along the years the dysfunctional family lives in New York, France, Spain and England. Tony (Eddie Redmayne) is homosexual and very connected to his perverted mother, while his father leaves Barbara to live with the Spanish Bianca (Elena Anaya). During a crisis in London in the 70's, the unstable Tony stabs his mother for a futile motive.I found in IMDb that "Savage Grace" is based on a true story. Unfortunately the awful screenplay discloses a messy and provocative story of a dysfunctional family, but without development of the characters or even a reference that the drama is based on a true story. Maybe the screenplay writer believes that the viewers might be familiarized with the story of Barbara Baekeland and neglected the necessary presentation of the characters and explanation of the situation. The truth is that the bold plot is full of ellipsis and never engaging, and the production seems to be more interest in the locations, cinematography and the perversions than in the drama itself. I am a great fan of the gorgeous and sweet Julianne Moore and her performance is great as usual; actually the cast is excellent but the poor screenplay does not help them. My vote is three.Title (Brazil): "Pecados Íntimos" ("Intimate Sins")
7 out of 10 people found the following review useful: Thoughtful, but not touching examination of Barbara Baekeland's murder., 3 June 2008 Author: Beginthebeguine from United States
It is hard to understand the fancies of the elite nomadic American rich without first realizing that they are inheritors of a much lower class and always looking to the European aristocrats for guidance. Brook Baekeland is such a man, who's grandfather Leo invented the first synthesized plastic. His grandfather was a common man but his own father lost himself to social climbing and has left Brook a certain amount of disdain for the aristocracy. This disdain leads Brook to join the army, and seek out exploration in third world locations, perhaps to leave a similar mark as his grandfather did. He draws further away from his wife Barbara who lives for the very social world he has come to deplore.Barbara also has a touch of disdain for the aristocrats for in one moment she shows a great wit and the next lashes out at the very people she longs to impress. I know that some have commented that she is overtly sexual, but I think the sex here is more of a response. Perhaps, she has begun to hate herself and throughout the movie more and more so till she destroys everything.Tony, her bisexual son is in the middle of all this. He is the appeaser, the father, the mother and the one afflicted by all those around him. Slowly, he descends into schizophrenia and after participating in a sexual relationship with his mother he kills her and then orders Chinese take out.There isn't a complete story here in this film. The screenplay has massive holes in it but the rhythm of the film moves along at an even pace. It is well shot and the scenery is pleasant. There was great pains taken to not make the sex scene between Barbara and Tony more uncomfortable then it was and the steady ticking of the clock from the mantel was a good touch. This is a hard story to tell and from a regular persons frame of mind impossible to make the characters sympathetic. The director had great courage to take on such a story and was lucky to have Julianne Moore who did a splendid job rushing from one emotion to the next. The supporting cast was excellent, as was the lighting. I might have seen a Ipod in 1969 France sitting on a wall around their house, but perhaps not.
17 out of 30 people found the following review useful: Strangely Unaffecting, 19 June 2008 Author: mocpacific from Canada
I'm a fan of "Swoon" I loved the semi documentary approach at another, true, high society horror story. In "Swoon" the distance the director took from his subject helped us to understand and to involve ourselves in the twisted mind of the protagonists. In "Savage Grace" it works the opposite way. I needed to be closer I needed to be taken step by step in any way you want it but step by step. The shrill performance by Julianne Moore didn't give me and 8th of what Judy Davis gave me in "A Little Thing called Murder" Here you're on your own. No sense of period or class no dramatic structure and feeble performances. What a pity. I had waited for this film with feverish anticipation.
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful: Truly cringe worthy, 18 August 2009 Author: HardCandyJane from Australia
A movie so disturbing that it can only be based on a true story. And, if you go into the movie not realizing it is a true story (like I did) you will get the shock of your life when you reach the final credits! This movie rockets through an incredible number of heavy issues at a breath taking pace, while treating the audience with respect by not making all issues blatantly obvious and forcing the audience to put some of the puzzle together.It explores a dangerously codependent relationship between mother and son. Their relationship is truly cringe worthy and disturbingly fascinating. No yawn moments here.
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