Thursday, June 19, 2008

Marlene

Author(s): Stefano
Location: Italy

“Marlene”

Directed by Bill Condon
Written by Bill Condon, Dan Futterman
Original music by Jerry Goldsmith
Cinematography by Lajos Koltai
Art direction by Luciana Arrighi
Costume design by Jenny Beavan
Produced by Martin Richards

Principal Cast:

Kristin Scott Thomas – Marlene Dietrich
Emily Watson – Ona Munson
Natalie Portman – Maria Riva
Vincent Perez – Jean Gabin
Bob Balaban – Billy Wilder
Maury Chaykin – Alfred Hitchcock
Vincent D’Onofrio – Orson Welles
Richard Griffiths – Charles Laughton
Bruno Ganz – Josef Von Sternberg
Greg Kinnear – John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Carmen Maura – Mercedes de Acosta

Tagline: “Beyond the legend… there was the woman"

Synopsis: Kristin Scott Thomas plays the unforgettable role of one of the greatest divas of all-time in this marvelous portrait of legendary German-born actress Marlene Dietrich, written and directed by Bill Condon. The film tells the two opposite sides in the life of Marlene: the first is about her successful career as an internationally-famous movie-star, a celebrated cabaret-performer and an unique fashion-icon, and her image of charm and mystery. The second aspect narrated by the film is the private life of Maria Magdalene Dietrich, and the real person beyond the myth of Marlene: a strong and indomitable personality, a loving mother (and grandmother), and above all an unconventional, transgressive and resolute woman who attempted to challenge the rules and impositions of the world she lived in.

Through the story of the film, we can see Marlene during her professional experiences in Hollywood alongside the most important directors of that time, such as Alfred Hitchcock (Maury Chaykin), Billy Wilder (Bob Balaban) and Orson Welles (Vincent D’Onofrio), while she was on the set of some of her best movies: “Stage Fright”, “Witness for the Prosecution”, starring Charles Laughton (Richard Griffiths), and “Touch of Evil”.

And then, off-stage, there is Marlene’s family-life beside her young daughter Maria Riva (Natalie Portman), and her close friendship with German director Josef Von Sternberg (Bruno Ganz), who launched Dietrich to stardom with masterpieces such as “The Blue Angel”, “Morocco” and “The Scarlett Empress”. The film also explores Dietrich’s bisexual inclinations: her well-known relationships with French actor Jean Gabin (Vincent Perez) and future President John F. Kennedy (Greg Kinnear), and her “scandalous” love affairs with writer Mercedes de Acosta (Carmen Maura) and sensual actress Ona Munson (Emily Watson), who fell deeply in love with Marlene and several years later committed suicide with an overdose of barbiturates.

What the press would say:

Academy Award winner Bill Condon (“Gods and Monsters”, “Kinsey”) directs another extraordinary biographical picture, probably his best movie to date, with excellent performances from the actors and a riveting and witty screenplay written by Dan Futterman (“Capote”) and the director himself, who have adapted one of Dietrich’s numerous biographies.

Academy Award nominee Kristin Scott Thomas (“The English Patient”, “Gosford Park”) gives the performance of a lifetime with her intense, outstanding and chamaleontic portrait of the mythical star and icon Marlene Dietrich, thanks also to her impressive resemblance with the German actress. Kristin Scott Thomas shines in the role of the charming and beautiful Mrs. Dietrich, both in the dramatic and in the brilliant scenes of the film, and she shows an unexpected singing-talent in some of Marlene’s most famous musical numbers (including a spectacular version of her song “Falling in love again”).

The wonderful cast include also a terrific performance by Emily Watson in the heartbreaking role of actress Ona Munson (the prostitute Belle Watling in “Gone with the Wind”), who was involved with Marlene Dietrich in a brief but passionate affair, and dramatically killed herself in 1955, plagued by depression and ill health. Watson, who’s extremely similar to Ona Munson, plays the role of Dietrich’s lesbian lover with such a deep involvement, in one of the best female roles of the year.

MARLENE DIETRICH’S BEST QUOTES:

“I had no desire to be a film actress, to always play somebody else, to be beautiful with somebody constantly straightening out your every eyelash. It was always a big bother to me.”
“In Europe, it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman, we make love with anyone we find attractive.”
“A country without bordellos is like a house without bathrooms.”
“The diaphragm is the greatest invention since Pan-Cake make-up.”
“I’m not an actress… I’m a personality.”
“I never ever took my career seriously.”
“I was an actress. I made films. Finish.”

For your consideration:

Best Picture
Best Director – Bill Condon
Best Actress – Kristin Scott Thomas
Best Supporting Actress – Emily Watson
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home