Savage Grace (2007)

I found this presentation text on Savage Grace (2007):

Set against the backdrop of prestigious locations such as New York, Paris and Cadaqués, Savage Grace tells the incredible true story of a scandal that remains shocking to this day. The beautiful Barbara Daly (Julianne Moore, Oscar nominee for The Hours and Boogie Nights) marries Brooks Baekeland (Stephen Dillane, seen in HBO’s mini-series John Adams), the charming heir to the Bakelite fortune. The birth of their only child, Tony (Eddie Redmayne, seen in The Good Shepherd), intensifies an already unstable marriage. As Tony grows up, he becomes an unwitting pawn in his parents’ psychosexual games, and the seeds of a spectacularly decadent tragedy are sown, challenging the most shocking taboos. Tom Kalin’s (Swoon) return to cinema dazzled and stunned audiences from the Cannes Film Festival to the Sundance Film Festival.

So… yes, that’s a very good explanation! However, I would like to add some other films featuring Julianne Moore that I find incredible or excellent: Magnolia (1999), The Big Lebowski (1998) and Far from Heaven (2002). No, you can’t just give two film titles when talking about this actress, who is unbeatable in my Top 10 list of the best.

She was in Body of Evidence (1993), a pale imitation of Basic Instinct (1992) in which Madonna ruined everything (just like in Dick Tracy (1990)).

Julianne appeared in sequels to films that had enjoyed global success, such as Hannibal (2001) and Jurassic Park 2 (1997). Let’s not forget that she was also in the masterpiece Benny & Joon (1993), as well as in the copy-and-paste remake Psycho (1998). That doesn’t stop me from enjoying this film, though.

And, for once, she is incredible in this film. She lights up the screen. When she’s in a scene, she’s the only one you see. I think this is the first time I’ve seen her get so angry! I’ve seen her cry and scream in despair before, but not necessarily in pure anger. On the other hand, I’ve seen her burst out laughing before, and it’s always a treat.

I’ve also seen her fall in love with young women, but not young men. Well, at the same time, she’s in one of her most perverse and disturbing roles. Redmayne and she are truly fearless!

Speaking of Eddie Redmayne, he enters the film about 27 minutes in, and everything becomes even more powerful. He is an excellent actor, but for me, his most important films are The Danish Girl (2015) and The Theory of Everything (2014). Of course, he became better known thanks to the Fantastic Beasts trilogy (2016–2022) and his role in Les Misérables (2012). It’s worth noting that he also appears in a version of Tess of the D’Urbervilles with Gemma Arterton.

This film deeply disturbed me, even though I knew what I was getting myself into. But that didn’t take away from the palpable discomfort, the embarrassment I felt when faced with these people, situations and lifestyles. It’s always disturbing to discover that certain categories of people exist.

This film hurt me everywhere: in my brain, my heart, my stomach and even my private parts. What could have been exciting is actually really unhealthy here. And the director knew exactly what he was doing.

Of course, I can’t say it’s a bad film, on the contrary. But it’s so striking that I wouldn’t need to watch it a second time, whereas I often forget films and happily watch them twice.

I don’t know if I can say that this feature film is moving. Perhaps at times. But it is above all sickening, and I find it difficult to sympathise with certain disturbed individuals who have no limits, even if they suffered in their childhood or in their lives in general and had no choice but to become something else. Or who did not decide to make that kind of choice!

‘People stop understanding you when you need it most.’
It’s a sad reality, which is quite emphasised here.

The story doesn’t necessarily end well, but the ending is still a kind of relief.

‘If you are bored with Paris, you are bored with everything, bored with life.’ It’s quite amusing, because I had heard this phrase many times before, but with London. To each their own favourite city…