Change Your Image
djdanrobbins
Reviews
About Face: Supermodels Then and Now (2012)
Fascinating.
Here's my spoiler: the point of the documentary is to take a current photograph with legendary women who define the term supermodel.
Leading up to the photograph, however, the film is filled with monologues from each individual telling her own story or most memorable shoot. To hear some of these women speak -- some of whom its the first time I've ever even heard their voice -- captivated me. So much that I have watched this about 20 times since it first aired.
As their stories are being told, the photos they reference are cut onto the screen.
Maybe to a lot of people its a fluff piece ... about something that there isn't a great deal of interest in. I have spent hours completely enraptured listening to these women speak. Most of these women I have loved as they were still on the runway ... others (i.e. Carmen Dell'Orefice) I've seen pictures of but not heard anything about them until now.
A definitive work for anyone even remotely interested in fashion -- as told by the women who were there to help build the industry from the ground up. Bravo HBO for letting this be made. Its not anything you can really see anywhere else.
Making Love (1982)
Arguably one of the most important films -- ever -- about being gay.
I graduated from high school in 1982 - the year this was released. Growing up in rural Connecticut, being gay (in 1982, no less) wasn't something that was very easy to deal with internally. Becoming public about it was in no way an option to me. Pretty much until this movie came along, the only exposure to gay-ness I'd had was horrific comedic references (i.e. Three's Company) and incessant "faggot" jokes in school.
The beauty of this film still resonates today. I can watch this movie right now (at 50 years old) and bawl my eyes out over the sensitivity with which Zach and Claire relate to each other and their pain. It's also horribly brutal in its depiction of how gay men really are toward each other ... which hasn't changed a bit!
Everyone should see this movie ... if for nothing else to experience first-hand the trauma coming out as a gay man can really be (I'm sure its equally as difficult from the female perspective, but cannot speak to that personally for obvious reasons).
I'm willing to bet if this movie were released today, untouched in any way whatsoever, not only would critical acclaim be poured all over it, awards would be showered upon it as well.
Bravo, bravo, bravo to all involved in the making of this film. You were DECADES ahead of your time and should be really proud of yourselves. I can only imagine how many other lives this film positively impacted -- from voices that have never been heard.
PS. I totally understand Goldie Hawn's resistance to play the role of Claire - the dramatic nature of the role would have completely changed her comedic appeal. Bravo to you as well, Ms. Hawn!!