(I hear that his yet-to-be-released American TV film on Liberace, 'Behind the Candelabra', may be given a theatrical release in Britain. I do hope it does.)
'Side Effects' is especially regrettable coming, as it does, from the same director as his brilliant 'Traffic' (2000).
Jude Law plays a doctor who takes as his patient a depression-prone young married woman who has apparently just made a suicide attempt. The drug he prescribes her seems to have an unforeseen catastrophic consequence in causing her to carry out an horrific, sudden killing which she doesn't recall doing. Court case ensues revolving around whether or not she was of sound mind, which reveals Law's part in providing her with the causal drug after which, because of publicity, his reputation becomes toxic and his partners wish to disassociate themselves from him to save themselves from also going under. He, meanwhile, is determined to satisfy himself as to the 'true' cause of his patient's horrific action and to prove his innocence, while all the while his own marriage cracks up under the pressure.
Jude Law is competent enough while Catherine Zeta-Jones, as the patient's former doctor, does her steely-resolved, duplicitous, ice-queen act again - which, I find, is always a pleasure to watch.
While I can accept the almost constant sepia-tinted look of the film I don't know why it was necessary to make nearly all the indoor scenes so dimly lit, giving it an air of melodrama, enough of which was already in the script.
But the really big downer for me was, about three-quarters way through, there's an interesting twist which sheds a new perspective on all what has gone before. But, instead of just going along with this the film meanders further into increasingly unlikely plot development to the point where, for me, all credibility finally snapped. It became almost risible whereas, truth to tell, up to that point it had been pretty good - and the aforementioned 'twist' was a promising and intriguing one - though for some reason the scriptwriter thought that that wasn't sufficient even though it had been.
It's a film of miscalculation and missed opportunity. As I say, 75% of it is worth watching but I do think that the last half hour or so devalues what we'd seen up to that point.
Overall, then, for 'curiosity value' it earns from me a.......5.5
Another bust......
ReplyDeleteApart from a couple of good flicks you have been pretty unlucky recently ray
One does what one has to do, J.G. But it affords me satisfaction to be 'of service'
DeleteThis just shows you that you can't trust critics. The Telegraph and Mark Kermode both liked this a lot. Mind you I don't believe anything Mark Kermode says - we appear to have extremely opposite tastes in film!
ReplyDeleteI think I may be in a minority, Craig. As at now the IMDb AVERAGE score is 7.5 with some glowing commendations. But what I say is only my own personal reaction - there being, of course, no 'right' or 'wrong'.
DeleteAt least Mark Kermode (whom I always find entertaining, no matter what he says) is, for you, a reliable indicator of what your own reaction is NOT going to be. I find that what he says may or may not be my opinion - it just makes no difference.
Btw: my opinion of 'Side Effects' pretty much accords with the review on Radio 4's 'Front Row'.
Even before I read your review, I decided to skip this one. I see that we are both looking forward to seeing Soderbergh's 'buzzy biopic' based on Thorson's memoir "Candelabra." Usually films of this type are are disappointing, but this one has severeal things going for it: The movie was dismissed by every major studio as "too gay." HBO snapped it up and HBO has a great track record of producing hits. Producer, Jerry Weintraub, a personal friend of Liberace, has been involved in bringing this to the screen since 2000. His stories about Liberace's lifestyle are fascinating. And Matt Damon, OMG! His costumes are glitzy and beautiful. This film promises to have enough 'glitz' to light up Las Vegas.
ReplyDeleteI'd heard about the widespread studio reluctance to take this on, Paul - and the still depressing reason for thinking that way. I wish it had been getting a worldwide cinema release, though it may still get one here. If it doesn't I'll probably miss it as it might only get a late-night screening and I don't have the means to record it, and I've never rented any film yet.
DeleteI never knew about Weintraub's closeness to the big L. His anecdotes must be highly entertaining.
Re the film itself - I just can't imagine Michael Douglas in the role. I'd thought that at the time of filming he would have been significantly older than the age that Liberace himself reached but on looking it up I see he's only a couple of years older than the 67. But I still look forward to seeing him, piano-playing and all! And Matt Damon is one of those actors whom I never liked for a long time but have got to appreciate more as time went on.
Btw: In someone else's blog I recently mentioned L's having sued a British newspaper in the 1950s for suggesting, by very strong implication, that he was homosexual, at a time when all gay acts were illegal, certainly in this country and probably throughout all the U.S.A. too. The blogger (an American lady in her late 50s) wasn't aware of this story and I now wonder how widely known it is on that side of the pond. L actually appeared in court in person to clear his name of this 'scurrilous accusation'(!), won the case and was awarded hefty damages. I think that's when L came up with the phrase, when he was later asked how he felt, that he was "Crying all the way to the bank." When he died in the 1980s and it became clear (not too surprisingly) what the major cause had been, that same newspaper created a bit of a fuss by trying to reclaim those historical damages, but I think the time lapsed since the decision worked against it happening.
oh the pain; it is precisely the sort of film I plan to avoid !
ReplyDeletePerhaps it's one to be reserved for when you're in a masochistic mood, Dr Spo - something we're all subject to from time to time (aren't you too?). But I think it may especially rile someone of your expertise, dealing, as it does, with depression and its treatment by medication. But otherwise I would say it's not really a BAD film.
DeleteANything that 'reminds me of work' is almost by definition a BAD film. :-)
DeleteYes, okay!
DeleteI am aware of the lawsuit brought by Liberace. Several years ago, I read a very interesting book called "Crying All The Way To The Bank" which gave a very good look into the workings of the trial. Because of the time period, one would have expected the newspaper to be the winner in the proceedings. Apparently, the public and the judge were against the paper and Liberace was awarded a very sizeable sum. Given what we know today, Liberace lied. But the journalist who wrote the article (whose name I believe was Cassandra) wrote such a nasty, vicious piece that he deserved to loose.
ReplyDeleteAnother piece of information. The premier of "Candelabra" is scheduled for May 26. I'll have my DVR all set to record. I have a feeling that this movie is going to be big.
Yes, Paul. The journalist did indeed use the name 'Cassandra'. The whole affair took place when I was still a child and probably didn't know what sex was at that time, so I don't recall anything about it as it happened. But I did later read the contentious newspaper article with the author using all the fancy language he could think of, short of using the 'h' word - long before 'gay' came into use. I think at that time calling someone a homosexual directly was just beyond the pale - whereas there was no such reservation about naming someone as a 'murderer'. for instance. But there is no doubt at all that L told a whopper - denying on oath that he was attracted to men.
DeleteActually, sometime in the 70s Liberace gave an interview with the shortly-to-be-defunct British fortnightly paper 'Gay News' in which, strangely, the trial wasn't mentioned (maybe he'd decreed it to be 'off limits'?). But by then he was making no pretence about NOT being gay. I remember how he said to loved to read the contact ads in that paper.
In view of what you've said about 'Candelabra' I'm now even more keen to see it. If it's not on in our cinemas it looks like I'll have to wait until it appears on telly - and, well, just have to stay up all night, if that's what it takes.
I do find Jude rather easy to watch, he's rather sweet to talk to, not like one would expect, but with the exception of Wilde and the Talented Mr Riply, I'm finding it hard to recall something of his that I've really really liked!
ReplyDeleteHi Jase. Long time...... Must admit I'd seen that you were back to blogging but I've kept postponing my visits there till I had more time to do it justice. (Blush!) Well, no excuse now.
DeleteYes, I wasn't aware of J.L. until 'Wilde' - and he was perfectly cast for that part - easy to imagine anyone falling for him, with those dazzling good looks.
I do think he was exceptionally good in the recent 'Anna Karenina' (for me a superb film too). Wearing a quite bushy beard, several had not realised it was him until after the film was over.
I take it that you've interviewed him, then? Or was it something a bit more informal - or even intimate - ;-)
Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies! You know a boy never kisses and tells...... No, it was nothing like that at all, it was a nice little chat, informal, I even called him David! Opps ;)
DeleteI think I'd prefer to have the delicious mystery of not knowing what really happened, Jase, but it's still a nice story.
DeleteBut the next question is.....who was this David you momentarily confused him with? (one assumes this all happened long before we'd heard of David LawS M.P.) Maybe you don't remember - or, more likely, you just don't know.
I usually like Jude Law in just about every movie. My favorite was his character in AI. Soderbergh is either hit or miss with me. I typically stay away from films with dark content and prefer more action adventure, comedies, or romance movies. The plot does intrigue me however.
ReplyDeleteYes, he's always very watchable, B/c. Didn't really care for A.I. myself (the film, I mean) but Law is one of those actors who nearly always lifts the material he plays.
DeleteI'd give 'Side Effects' a chance if you can. From what I see, my reservations are very much a minority view - and the plot is certainly, if nothing else, 'intriguing'.