Review of Factory Girl (2006) by Martin M — 29 Aug 2008

Edie Sedgwick was a girl from a very rich, very dysfunctional New England family who fell into the influence of the diverse, experimental and creative group of people who made up artist Andy Warhol's "Factory" in the mid 1960's in Manhattan. Warhol declared her a "superstar," and indeed made her a running topic in the media of the time, working as a model and a star in his films, and being seen by all the right people at all the right places. This film traces her first meetings with Warhol, their close friendship, and their subsequent falling out over her involvement with Bob Dylan, who is never mentioned by name in the movie. Sedgwick would descend into a downward spiral of drug use - methamphetamines, pills and heroin, from which she would never escape, and though coming close to going clean, she died of an overdose in 1971. It's quite a sad story. She seems to have been a remarkable woman, with a great career as one of the world's first supermodels awaiting her, but her involvement in the drug scene destroyed her chances, and as much money as Warhol was making, he was loath to share any of it with the people who were aiding his rise to fame.

The performances in this film, by Sienna Miller, who is British, as Sedgwick, and by Guy Pearce, who is Australian, as Andy Warhol, are remarkable. They imitate the real people so closely it is almost impossible to tell the difference, yet in real life neither look much like who they are portraying. To me, that is the mark of a good actor, and these two have talent in spades. This film is a great snapshot of a time and a place that is long gone, and will never be back again, and a sad reminder of a life with so much potential that was lost so recklessly. Edie had so many demons haunting her, it's amazing that she made it as far as she did. Ciao baby.