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| Helen Mirren and Al Pacino with Major Hair |
Record producer Phil Spector (Al Pacino) invites young actress Lana Clarkson (Meghan Marx) to his home and she winds up being shot to death in his study. Arrested for murder, Spector first hires lawyer Bruce Cutler (Jeffrey Tambor) and then importunes an at-first disinterested Linda Kenney Baden (Helen Mirren) to represent him in court. Baden tries to prove his innocence by suggesting Clarkson somehow committed suicide. Playwright Mamet has put together a teleplay that is only suggested by real-life events -- or at least he "suggests" same -- but the basic facts are in the movie even if slanted. Tambor and Mirren [Hitchcock] are excellent and Pacino makes a weird if compelling Phil Spector, decked out in a hairdo that he considered an homage to Jimi Hendrix. Spector's wife Rochelle is not depicted, and the victim, Lana Clarkson, gets very short shrift. Ultimately the whole project is cynical and superficial, bolstered only by some good performances.
Verdict: Holds the attention but not much else. **1/2.
I agree, Bill, what a disappointment, with two of my very favorite actors. They alone make it watchable. HBO has done some magnificent work; I really enjoyed Behind the Candelabra, and of course Angels in America was a masterpiece, but this one is not up to HBO's usual good quality storytelling.
ReplyDeleteJust watched Ms. Mirren last night in The Queen again. She is absolutely divine...
-Chris
Glad you mentioned "The Queen" as it's one I've wanted to see; she's a splendid actress. The Spector project was probably thrown together in great haste.
ReplyDeleteYou will LOVE The Queen, I think! I just heard that Mirren is also doing a stage show reprising the role. Called The Audience, all about her relationships with various Prime Ministers...
ReplyDeleteI'm going to look for "The Queen." Just read a review of "The Audience" and it sounds interesting, although no one was actually ever privy to those conversations between Liz and her PMs. Still it's gotten raves, and a mixed review from the NY Times. I'm going to wait and see what some theater friends think of it, but I'll get the DVD of the movie soon. Best, Bill
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