Review of Frances (1982) by Allan C — 25 Jun 2015
Harrowing (and largely fictionalized) account of the life of actress Frances Farmer. The board strokes of her life are here, her meteoric rise as a young Hollywood actress and her decent into alcoholism and mental illness, with subsequent multiple commitments to mental institutions.
On the surface, this film feels like a cheesy Lifetime channel biopic, but Jessica Lange gives such an amazing performance as Farmer that it elevates what I consider rather trite material. Lange takes a character who could easily have been unlikable or have simply been a 1930s version of Lindsay Lohan, but her portrayal of Farmer is very sympathetic and at the same time very troubling.
Overall, the story seemed rather sensationalized and simply an avalanche of misery heaped upon Ms. Farmer, but Lange gives such a strong and compelling performance, that she makes this film something of a classic.
This review of Frances (1982) was written by Allan C on 25 Jun 2015.
Frances has generally received positive reviews.
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