The backstory: Andrew Lloyd Webber, once a sure fire big deal on the musical theater stage, adapted the justly legendary 1950 noir Sunset Boulevard in the 90s. The stage production lost money due to repetitive legal battles and star salaries involving various divas signed to play ur diva Norma Desmond. The show was still considered a minor hit, undoubtedly selling a large quantity of tickets on name recognition and one bulls eye proposition: bank on musical theater fans loving a diva. Close won the TONY for Best Actress in the role
It shouldn't be made into a movie. The problems are threefold.
- It’s not a strong musical. "With One Look" "A Perfect Year" and "It's As If We Never Said Goodbye" ...these could be called highlights within the context of the show but they're rather middling efforts in the larger world of the musical genre. They wouldn't make for thrilling set pieces, would they?
- Billy Wilder’s movie is justly legendary. It’s a 100% bonafide classic. Leave it alone. There are many great stage musicals that have never been films. Hollywood producers ought to be looking at those properties.
- Glenn Close needs to find a new role. Remember in the 80s when Fatal Attraction came as a shock. It's tough to imagine now but she didn’t always play evil or cold goddesses. Her characters did have spine but they weren't always relentlessly dominant brittle and larger-than-life forces. MTV quotes her as saying that she’s ready for the big screen demands of the iconic role that is Norma Desmond. “Oh, man. So ready” she says. I’m sure that she is. She has been rehearsing for it forever. At this point I fear she's over rehearsed. Could there be any spontaneity or surprise in such a performance?
It's this last bit that worries me most. What Glenn Close needs to revitalize her film career --what she needs if she's ever going to win an Oscar (a topic we've discussed before) is an about face role. She needs to take an audience by surprise (think Streep's slick and intimidating glam in The Devil Wears Prada or Judi Dench's brittle lesbian in Notes on a Scandal: both showed off new or underused facets of their actresses). When was the last time Close played a warm character? Maybe she ought to be looking for a strong earth mother role, something you might expect to see Susan Sarandon doing. That would put the audience and award bodies on notice.This fine actress has done the gorgon thing for so long I’m worried that her skills at projecting an interior life will be totally calcified. If Close continues to take these roles, all that might remain is a cool and unyielding surface... a Medusa who turned herself to stone.
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For further reading on related topics, click the labels below. Also over @ Zoom In I'm doing a theme week on other pre-production films. Check it out.
