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Film Forum posted early reviews of Far From Heavenlast week, but the film drew more praise and attention this week. It looks to be a major Oscar contender.

Far From Heaven pays homage to the films of Douglas Sirk in its exploration of 1950s mores. Most critics are talking about the way that Sirk hinted at repressed sexuality and social taboos in films like Imitation of Life and All That Time Allows.

Most modern moviegoers don't remember Sirk. They're more familiar with films and shows that emphasize the dysfunction behind the family photo. Thus, they'll be quick to pick up that nothing is as it seems. The only suspense lies in guessing what manner of monster will rear its ugly head.

In this case, there are a host of monsters. The community is rife with prejudice, sexual and racial. Cathy Whitaker (Julianne Moore) seems like the ideal wife and mother, with all her wishes granted. But her husband Frank (Dennis Quaid) is a closeted homosexual. Cathy herself, perpetually lonely behind that smile, suffers from spousal neglect, and thus finds it difficult to resist her attraction to the handsome, kind hearted black gardener Raymond (Dennis Haysbert.) Repressed passions make the characters walking time bombs. Their friends, an array of smiling upper-class villains, keep busy sharpening their tongues for vicious gossip.

The result is an elaborately crafted film with a subtle but honorable agenda. Haynes seems uninterested in defending or condemning sexual preferences. He focuses instead on peeling back the façade of a trouble-free neighborhood to expose the problem of prejudice, the damage done by infidelity, and how those who show love and compassion for persecuted minorities will be persecuted themselves. The film is resonant with insight, but paints a bleak picture of a cold and lonely existence.

Ebert says the film is "like the best and bravest movie of 1957. Its themes, values and style faithfully reflect the social melodramas of the 1950s, but it's bolder, and says out loud what those films only hinted at."

My full review is at Looking Closer.

Eminem's big-screen debut as a rapper with a gift, 8 Mile, continues to receive a mix of praise and criticism.

Robert Jackson (Decent Films) observes, "The F-word … is used literally hundreds of times in the space of two hours." But he also notes, "Eventually [Eminem's character] perceives the necessity of taking responsibility for his actions, of making better choices, and of getting away from the people who are holding him back. As he begins to do so, he starts regaining confidence and doing the things he needs to do to get the kind of life he wants. This film actually could do some good." But he concludes, "Unfortunately, for conscientious Christian viewers—or simply viewers with weak stomachs—the thick blanket of depravity, crassness, and squalor in which 8 Mile wraps its message will make the film simply unwatchable."

Hal Conklin and Denny Wayman (Cinema in Focus) have posted a summary and post-viewing discussion questions for Disney's latest family offering, Tuck Everlasting. They find the idea that "unending life here on earth would be a curse" to be "a profound spiritual statement." Earlier reviews of the film can be found here.

Next week: James Bond returns in Die Another Day, George Clooney faces spiritual mysteries on a voyage to Solaris, and Kevin Kline teaches a tough student in The Emperor's Club.

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November (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46