Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic movie, 23 Oct 2002
By A Customer
This movie has made an everlasting impression on many, who have watched it, including myself. The Hollywood-industry can make good movies in addition to all its stereotyping entertainment, this movie proofs. Frances is about the life of the American movie actress; Frances Farmer and her encounter with psychiatry, starring Jessica Lange in perhaps her best role to date. It is said, that Hollywood ashamed of its part in the fate of Frances Farmer left the direction to some relatively unknown filmmakers, hoping the movie wouldn't catch the attention of the film audience. I dont know, if it's true, but in case it is, it wasn't succesful. This movie can be compared to "One flew over the cuckoo's nest". Of course the directors uses their share of poetic license in their account of the story of Frances Farmer, but they don't obscure the message as done in "A Beautiful Mind".
|
|
|
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Frances Farmer's Revenge On Hollywood, 26 Oct 2002
Based on Frances Farmer's enthralling autobiography, "Will There Really Be A Morning", this film explores the life of a Hollywood starlet who chose to go against Hollywood stereotyping, refusing to dumb herself down for the movie machine while struggling to maintain her integrity as an actress. In a town governed by men, sex and money this wasn't such a great career move and few people will know her for her acting. She is probably most famously immortalised in the Nirvana song, "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle".This film holds nothing back in terms of Farmer's struggles with her mother, the law and later with mental health authorities, and in this respect is controversial as some dispute the veracity of her story, but it is her story and most definitely is true to her book. Jessica Lange is a dead ringer and gives an outstanding performance as the intelligent and misunderstood young actress. The film is carried along solely on her shoulders with great ease and style. A fascinating and harrowing look into Hollywood's production line and what was considered sane and insane in the US in the 1940s.
|
|
|
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Frances! a Masterpiece Yet To Be Equaled., 3 Oct 2004
I have watched this film dozens of times over my life and i still carry something away with me every time i watch it. Jessica Lange's performance is stunning, frightening, mesmorising, moving and spiritual,this is a film more about what Jessica Lange is about, as much as Frances Farmer!Jessica Lange was nominated for an Oscar and one cant see why she never won it unbelievable, not so, considering the films subject matter, hollywood came out of this one with there hands dirty! Jessica Lange fights for her sanity and she bring's you with her every step of the way, you actually feel your fighting with her, i defy anybody not to be moved by her incredible performance. The story itself is wonderfully crafted, sad, including the haunting music see other reviews for that. If you like your films well acted, if you want to see a performance that will move you to tears this is the one if you have ever felt on your own if you have ever felt unloved, missunderstood,this film may frighten you, because of the intensity of the emotions it unearths. Sam Shephard who play's Jessica Lange's love interest in the film was actually married to Jessica,it may have help bring out jessica's ever strongest performance, maybe even,(and i dont mind sticking my neck out here.) the greatest performance ever commited to celluloid. Hankies at the ready, Frances Farmer died as she had lived, alone!.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|