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>> FAR FROM HEAVEN

Starring: Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid, Dennis Haysbert, and more...
Director: Todd Haynes
Genre: Drama




after reading the reviews about this movie and its successful recognition in the oscars last year, i wanted to know what this movie is all about. reading from the synopsis and seeing how the cover looks, i was kinda cynical whether this movie deserves all this high-praised reviews. but it turned out.. it was me who was born on a different time. :D

this is a movie that is stylistically faithful to films made in the 1950's, right down to the musical score, speech and the use of rich but slightly washed out color. but unlike films made in the 50s, the movie explores themes that were never openly discussed or articulated during that time. the two issues explored in detail are that of homosexuality and civil rights, with moore as the main character. she was left to become intimately acquainted with both these subjects, to somewhat devastating effect. her attempts of a resolution of this quandary is the central theme of this movie. the ending was at first unsatisfactory as you expect closure with most movies, but on reflection makes the movie resonate all the more.

so there was this family, the whitakers, cathy (julianne moore) and frank (dennis quaid). the live in a perfect split-level house on a perfect street, where the autumn leaves are turning to gold. their little son is repremanded for rude language like "aw, shucks." of course she drives a station wagon. the local society editor is even writing a profile about their perfection. when cathy was being interviwed for this profile, the editor saw her talking to raymond (dennis haysbert) who apparently the son of their gardener who has died. cathy, who has a good heart, instinctively reaches out to touch raymond on the shoulder in sympathy.. but it only adds to her profile that "cathy is kind to negros."

frank whitaker is one of those big, good-looking guys who looks like a college athelete gone slightly to seed, or drink. successful in his career, he finds that something is missing from his life and avoid his family to do 'other' things. one night cathy makes the mistake of taking frank his dinner when he works late, and opens his office door to find him kissing a man.

the movie accurately reflects the values of the 1950s *at least that's how i understand it*. the background, the plot and the colors, even the language reflects those of the 1950s.. except that it just doesn't go with me. born in younger generation, i find it hard to believe people would actually acted, behaved and dressed like that in the 50s, although the movie does trap us along to the mainstream values they were, along with its characters.

i guess if you are someone who likes to watch the old hollywood movies, you'd enjoy watching this movie. but if you are one of those chick-flick-drama-made-to-have-you-in-tears hollywood version, it's really not your type of movies.

the cinematography are wonderful, although i'm not exactly a big fan of old hollywood movies, i find them totally refreshing to the kinds of movies i watch these days. it's different. one thing i noticed when you watch old movies is that the story is very simple and lacks of irony. and this just portrays it. and because the film deliberately lacks irony, it has a genuine dramatic impact; it plays like a powerful 1957 drama we've somehow never seen before. contemporary movies take so many subjects for grated that they never really look at them. haynes (the writer & director) is able to bring his issues into focus, by moving back in time. we care about the characters in the way its period expected us to.

although i do enjoy this movie, i only give it a 3 stars rating because.. as i said,.. apprently i was born too late too appreciate the simple nature of life it portrays.

>> rated by :: sLesTa | [ ]

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