POSSIBLE SPOILAGE!!!
METHOD is a fun "film within a film" story about a beautiful, glamorous actress who is trying to make a big comeback with her first leading role in 3 years. The cast is headed by Elizabeth Hurley, who after giving birth to a son, took some time away from her own films. In a way, this story of a modern day actress seems to mirror Hurley's own career. Although this film isn't too shabby, it is just the latest of Hurley's films to go straight to video. I'm not sure if this even got theatre play overseas. The reputation of the fictitious actress Rebecka Fairbanks is similar to Hurley in so many ways that I wonder if all the gossip surrounding the filming of METHOD was part of an attempt to get the public to be intensely interested in the film. Among the gossip was an alleged brawl between Hurley and director Duncan Roy in which some harsh things were said and then apologized for. The other big issue was Hurley's husband reportedly being jealous of Hurley's "love scenes". I thought I only saw one very hot love scene, not many.
Before I continue, I guess I need to try to dispel my own confusion and any potential confusion I may cause readers of my commentary. I can only keep my sanity by referring to METHOD in its two entities: the film BELLE, which is the movie Fairbanks is shooting, and the MAKING OF BELLE, which is the documentary-style element in which we get more than just a glimpse of Fairbanks' personal life. See what I mean when I say confusion can set in easily unless things are sorted out???
Hurley as Fairbanks, Fairbanks as notorious 19th century serial killer Belle Gunness. It is the role of a lifetime for Fairbanks, and she wants badly to do her very best to turn in a stellar performance. At least that's what we assume when we first meet her. On the set, her mother Mona (Carmen du Satoy) seems just a little hovery, just a little bossy and just a little domineering. She treats her daughter Rebecka like she's a 5 year old superstar rather than a 34 year old mildly successful actress. Mother's ambition and daughter's resentment become quite clear, and not only because Mona's a pushy "stage" mom.
There is also the matter of Rebecka's costar for the film, Jake Fields (Jeremy Sisto). He used to be Rebecka's boyfriend, and it's obvious he still has feelings for her, much to his wife Bethany's dismay. More reasons are revealed for why Rebecka resents her mother, and they are good, understandable reasons. Instead of the life she would have been overjoyed to have, Rebecka is living the life her mother chose for her. Jake is not as happy as he would have liked to be either, and before too long, the feelings he harbors for Rebecka ultimately drive his wife away.
Yet instead of happiness when they get back together, Rebecka and Jake face strange on-set violence, and off set murders begin happening. Although no suspects are named, certain people seem to have a motive for killing. Both Mona and Jake have been pestered by a sleazy little media mouth named Timothy, and Timothy is found with his throat cut. Jake was not in love with his wife, and Rebecka might have been jealous, and Bethany Fields is found with her throat cut.
The "film within the film" BELLE was fun to watch. I almost want to say that I wish they would have just made a movie about Belle Gunness and been done with it. It was done well. Hurley playing Fairbanks playing Gunness. Sisto playing Fields playing a farm hand named Ray Lamphere who falls under the spell of the beautiful widow and ends up helping her kill and dispose of over 40 men.
On the set, Mona notices that Rebecka is not taking medicines that have been prescribed to her (for bipolar disorder or schizophrenia is my guess, since Rebecka protests to her mother, "They make me tired. I'm forgetting my lines. I can't FEEL anything.") So the actress has stopped her medicine, in spite of Mona's worries, because she wants to capture the spirit of the role she is playing. A method actor, she is. A few days without her balancing meds, and Rebecka seems to be hallucinating the spirit of Belle Gunness, hearing the serial killer's voice telling her that Mona doesn't want her to be happy, that all men are evil. Thus the lines between pretend and reality are blurred.
I'm sure that METHOD will be a film that I will chew on for a while, trying to learn more about it, trying to figure out things that confused me, like: What happened to the little Romanian hottie that Rebecka picked up in the bar??? She took him home, but we don't know if she bedded him, or killed him, or both!!! That was most confusing. And whose was the burnt corpse in the morgue??? Did the Romania guy end up as one of the victims under the house???
As for the acting, well Jeremy Sisto was first rate as always. Hurley was better than usual. Du Satoy was great, and so was Oliver Tobias.
Not perfect, but definitely unusual and fun!!!
METHOD is a fun "film within a film" story about a beautiful, glamorous actress who is trying to make a big comeback with her first leading role in 3 years. The cast is headed by Elizabeth Hurley, who after giving birth to a son, took some time away from her own films. In a way, this story of a modern day actress seems to mirror Hurley's own career. Although this film isn't too shabby, it is just the latest of Hurley's films to go straight to video. I'm not sure if this even got theatre play overseas. The reputation of the fictitious actress Rebecka Fairbanks is similar to Hurley in so many ways that I wonder if all the gossip surrounding the filming of METHOD was part of an attempt to get the public to be intensely interested in the film. Among the gossip was an alleged brawl between Hurley and director Duncan Roy in which some harsh things were said and then apologized for. The other big issue was Hurley's husband reportedly being jealous of Hurley's "love scenes". I thought I only saw one very hot love scene, not many.
Before I continue, I guess I need to try to dispel my own confusion and any potential confusion I may cause readers of my commentary. I can only keep my sanity by referring to METHOD in its two entities: the film BELLE, which is the movie Fairbanks is shooting, and the MAKING OF BELLE, which is the documentary-style element in which we get more than just a glimpse of Fairbanks' personal life. See what I mean when I say confusion can set in easily unless things are sorted out???
Hurley as Fairbanks, Fairbanks as notorious 19th century serial killer Belle Gunness. It is the role of a lifetime for Fairbanks, and she wants badly to do her very best to turn in a stellar performance. At least that's what we assume when we first meet her. On the set, her mother Mona (Carmen du Satoy) seems just a little hovery, just a little bossy and just a little domineering. She treats her daughter Rebecka like she's a 5 year old superstar rather than a 34 year old mildly successful actress. Mother's ambition and daughter's resentment become quite clear, and not only because Mona's a pushy "stage" mom.
There is also the matter of Rebecka's costar for the film, Jake Fields (Jeremy Sisto). He used to be Rebecka's boyfriend, and it's obvious he still has feelings for her, much to his wife Bethany's dismay. More reasons are revealed for why Rebecka resents her mother, and they are good, understandable reasons. Instead of the life she would have been overjoyed to have, Rebecka is living the life her mother chose for her. Jake is not as happy as he would have liked to be either, and before too long, the feelings he harbors for Rebecka ultimately drive his wife away.
Yet instead of happiness when they get back together, Rebecka and Jake face strange on-set violence, and off set murders begin happening. Although no suspects are named, certain people seem to have a motive for killing. Both Mona and Jake have been pestered by a sleazy little media mouth named Timothy, and Timothy is found with his throat cut. Jake was not in love with his wife, and Rebecka might have been jealous, and Bethany Fields is found with her throat cut.
The "film within the film" BELLE was fun to watch. I almost want to say that I wish they would have just made a movie about Belle Gunness and been done with it. It was done well. Hurley playing Fairbanks playing Gunness. Sisto playing Fields playing a farm hand named Ray Lamphere who falls under the spell of the beautiful widow and ends up helping her kill and dispose of over 40 men.
On the set, Mona notices that Rebecka is not taking medicines that have been prescribed to her (for bipolar disorder or schizophrenia is my guess, since Rebecka protests to her mother, "They make me tired. I'm forgetting my lines. I can't FEEL anything.") So the actress has stopped her medicine, in spite of Mona's worries, because she wants to capture the spirit of the role she is playing. A method actor, she is. A few days without her balancing meds, and Rebecka seems to be hallucinating the spirit of Belle Gunness, hearing the serial killer's voice telling her that Mona doesn't want her to be happy, that all men are evil. Thus the lines between pretend and reality are blurred.
I'm sure that METHOD will be a film that I will chew on for a while, trying to learn more about it, trying to figure out things that confused me, like: What happened to the little Romanian hottie that Rebecka picked up in the bar??? She took him home, but we don't know if she bedded him, or killed him, or both!!! That was most confusing. And whose was the burnt corpse in the morgue??? Did the Romania guy end up as one of the victims under the house???
As for the acting, well Jeremy Sisto was first rate as always. Hurley was better than usual. Du Satoy was great, and so was Oliver Tobias.
Not perfect, but definitely unusual and fun!!!