Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006)

Director:

Steven Shainberg

Writers (WGA):

Erin Cressida Wilson (written by)
Patricia Bosworth (book)

Release Date:

20 October 2006 (Italy)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Turning her back on her wealthy, established family, Diane Arbus falls in love with Lionel Sweeney, an enigmatic mentor who introduces Arbus to the marginalized people who help her become one of the most revered photographers of the twentieth century.

Plot Keywords:

Photographer | Marriage | Female Full Frontal Nudity | Infidelity | Female Nudity

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Nicole Kidman	...	Diane Arbus
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Lionel Sweeney
Ty Burrell	...	Allan Arbus
Harris Yulin	...	David Nemerov
Jane Alexander	...	Gertrude Nemerov
Emmy Clarke	...	Grace Arbus
Genevieve McCarthy	...	Sophie Arbus
Boris McGiver	...	Jack Henry
Marceline Hugot	...	Tippa Henry
Mary Duffy	...	Althea
Emily Bergl	...	Allan's New Assistant
Lynn-Marie Stetson	...	Fiona (Naked Girl) (as Lynn Marie Stetson)
Gwendolyn Bucci	...	Dominatrix
Christina Rouner	...	Lois
Matt Servitto	...	Handsome Client

Also Known As:

Fur (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic nudity, some sexuality and language.

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R | Ireland:15A | UK:15 | Singapore:M18 | Hong Kong:IIB | Finland:K-13 | Portugal:M/16 | Sweden:7 | Argentina:16 | Japan:R-18 | Netherlands:12 | Greece:K-13 | Chile:14 | South Korea:18 | Norway:10 (TV rating) | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Edward R. Pressman Film

Trivia:

Director Steven Shainberg's uncle, Lawrence, was a close friend of Diane Arbus.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: One of the negatives that Mr. Arbus is developing is a Kodak T-MAX 400, which was not available in 1958.

Quotes:

Diane Arbus: I want to take a portrait of you and your wife.
Lionel Sweeney: I don't have a wife.
Diane Arbus: Then I want to take a portrait of you. Just you.
Lionel Sweeney: Why do you want to take a portrait of someone you've never seen, Diane?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Worst of 2006" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Starlight Serenade

A " Must See Again" Film

Had I taken to heart what the movie reviewer in my local paper had written about this film (and his 2.5 star rating) -- I would not have gone. Fortunately, I checked out IMDb and read that someone had compared it to Jean Cocteau's avant-garde "La Belle et La Bete." Enough said. That commendation, and armed, as I was, with the knowledge that Nicole Kidman has done some exceptional films in recent years (particularly "The Hours," "The Others," and one of my all-time favourite psychological thrillers, "Dead Calm"), I was off to the local art film theatre to join the sparse (perhaps a dozen?) audience of viewers.

In short, this film has set the bar extremely high re: all other films I will see in 2007. One finds not only the influence of Cocteau in the film, but also of Kubrick, Hitchcock, and even of Maya Deren. (ie: there is a stunning image of Kidman/Arbus crawling out of the sea -- a few moments of sheer poetry -- that are reminiscent of Deren's "At Land.") (Also, perhaps a little Jane Campion with the underwater shots near the end.)

This is a decidedly painterly film, with everything from Arbus's dresses to the evocative interiors of Lionel's museum/carnival-like apartment and the film's textures worthy of commentary in both film classes and post-film chats with friends. Contrasts are integral to this film. The paint-peeled walls provide an interesting contrast with the elegant satins and aristocratic dining accoutrement (tea pot, cup), and parallel Lionel's declining health. Arbus's smooth skin vs. Lionel's fur. The staged symmetry of Arbus's husband's white-washed, commercial photography vs. the brilliant chaos in Lionel's apartment. Arbus's wealthy, "proper" parents vs. Lionel's menagerie of "freaks". Many of the shots are framed in interesting, geometrical or architectural ways, or echo camera apertures. The use of the colour blue in some scenes is breathtaking.

Great line -- (not verbatim): Allan Arbus -- "I'm a normal guy, now I have a hole in my ceiling and freaks coming through it."

I also felt the chemistry between the principal characters (a rarity), and believe the pacing greatly attributed to the overall success of the film. The framing -- with the nudist camp -- underscored the change/growth in the protagonist.

As my 20 year old daughter said upon leaving the theatre -- "This is the kind of film that really makes you want to live the life you were meant to." Here here. "Fur" gets five big, bold, blazing stars. It is, quite simply, brilliant. Please, tell your friends.