Ken Russell made a lot of film about artists for TV and this feels like a TV movie - it's mostly a two hander between a young sculptor and the elder crazy woman who became his muse although they never slept together. I'd never heard of the sculptor before - some bloke called Gaudier who was one of many artists killed in World War One.
The central relationship is an interesting dynamic.. but the film really doesn't have anywhere else to go after that. He sculpts, they talk, they monologue, she's a bit mad, he ends up dying. It needed more of a plot - well for me anyway. During the first hour that is - it's two people talking and being bohemian-y. In the last half hour Helen Mirren comes in as a model/rich girl and the film perks up - in part admittedly because Mirren does most of her role nude. But also because she provides another character for the leads to interact with, and because she's a fantastic actor.
Tutin's a fantastic actor too - it's a grand part for a "big" actor, and she goes there, acting all over the shop, Scott Antony, a relative unknown, plays Gaudier. Now he's a nice looking guy and he tries, and he's not terrible... he's just competent. Like say the best actor of the year at a run of the mill drama school. On a soap or cop show he'd be fine. But the role needs more - someone with a dash of madness, someone like say Alan Bates or Oliver Reed. I know they were probably too expensive, but someone like, I don't know, Jon Finch would have been better. He doesn't match Tutin which is bad because it's a two hander without a lot of plot.
It is interesting especially that last half hour, but it does feel more like the movies Russell made for TV. I was wishing for more flamboyance - he's really restrained in this one.
No comments:
Post a Comment