Review of Savage Grace (2007) by Mario R — 09 Oct 2008
Neither savage nor too graceful.Kalin's direction of this drama portraying the dynamics of a decadent and dysfunctional family remains quite flat, at times even boring. The film gets lost in its glamorous, decorative, too clean and posed reconstitution of the lifestyle of that epoque.
It is only barely disturbing failing to dig deeper beyond the surface, delivering the insanity of the family and in particular of the relationship between mother and son. Only before the end do we get a raw and disturbing scene, somehow unexpectedly, as comes the very end of the film.
Kalin also omitted the schizophrenia of the son, which might have been enlightening. Despite the good performance yet a bit too clean and contrived by Julianne Moore and co., the whole remains flat, leaving an "emptiness" feeling, not necessarily evocative of the family's lifestyle.
Not essential.
This review of Savage Grace (2007) was written by Mario R on 09 Oct 2008.
Savage Grace has generally received mixed reviews.
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