Avaliações de usuários

The idle rich are boring, which is why the movie is paced so slowly. The subject matter, based on truth is shocking because it is real and sick. You can see where this is going early on, but somehow, it's like a car accident. You don't want to watch but you do? Those of us who don't have money would like to think money cures problems, but as this material shows, if you're sick, you're sick. I thought the actors did a good job portraying their characters. When these things happen to ordinary people, they're statistics. When they happen to rich people, they become the material for books and movies.

Very dark subject matter, played out very frankly, which makes this all the more disturbing.

The movie based on the true story of Barbara Brooks is one the most disturbing movies I have ever watched.There are scenes after watching which you may say," OMG,is that possible"?But yet, the movie holds your attention till the very end.The experience although not pleasant is not bad.I don't say it is one of those classic ones which it surely could have been, had it not been that raw.Yet it scores.The reason being some fine acting shows especially by Julianne Moore and brilliant camera work, as well as use of color.The bleak storyline,some disturbingly torrid scenes,unusual theme and touch of reality make the movie alive.If you have rented this,I would suggest you to spend one and half hour with it and a few more with the thoughts of it.Thoughts however might disturb you though.

The film has received much criticism for its "slow and episodic" pace, "bad" acting, and controversial elements. I will agree with the controversial aspects. This is not a film that cookie cutters will appreciate. They will be disgusted and more than likely bored out of there mind. I on the other hand come from a very dysfunctional family(not as dysfunctional), and at times related to certain characters. TO me the film was very direct in its approach and honestly quite tasteful for the subject matter. The pacing was as it should be. It was gradual not slow, it helped to build the tension. As for it being episodic, it is because the son is telling the story through his letters and journals. As for the acting I found it to be quite good with the exception of the son. I found his performance at times too emotionless. Julianne Moore more than makes up for it with her performance. She is a powerhouse. Brilliant Oscar worthy performance. The final scenes which I have heard are anticlimactic, in my opinion were refreshingly realistic and not overly dramatic.

So bottom line well-done film with an amazing performance by Julianne Moore, but could've been better with a more personal performance by the son

******* out of **********

Story of Barbara Daly Baekeland, who married the heir to the Bakelite fortune. We watch as the relationship with her husband slides, the relationship with her son (who narrates) goes weird and everything collides in tragedy.

This is a dark little movie. Almost from the first frames the whole world seems wrong and off. The interaction between Barbara and her husband now that they have a son is at best awkward, at worst strained. Its clear from the start that Mom is paying way too much attention to her baby. Its unnerving. Whats also clear up front is that no one is "normal". Everyone is clearly in their own little damaged world (Dad travels, mom is isolated and the kid just tries to cope with all of the weirdness). As a means to an effect, namely making the audience feeling uneasy, it works in spades. As a means of making a film that is something that we can either relate to or want to watch for any reason other than it intrigues our baser instincts its not really the way to go. Forgive me, but I don't know why I was watching this, I mean let me put it simply, these people are nuts. These are rich people who are just strange.

Its doesn't help that the performances seem very mannered. All of the actors are very good but I felt as though I was watching a very very British mannered drama.The characters seem to be more a collection of ticks and manners then anything else. Yes I understand that everyone is wrapped up in themselves; behavior thats so guarded that each act (especially sex)seems to be for some ulterior reason, and that any unmannered act is one of self revelation, but at the same time it kept me distant. I never cared about anyone or anything, I only wanted to see how twisted this all got(And it gets pretty funky).

Is it any good? Yea, he says begrudgingly. The performances are good, especially Juliane Moore, the film is extremely well crafted and as much as I bitch, it does hold your attention in the same way that a bloody car wreck does (you keep watching to see how bad it gets because you know it has nothing to do with you). I wish it was just slightly better than it is, I wish there was some sign of what life was before the baby came along, I mean why did her husband marry her, I have no clue, nor do I know why he bothered to stay married to her as long as he did. I also wish this was about real people, instead of "martians", I mean most of the characters outside of the central ones seem reasonably normal, I cared more about them then the ones the film was about.

Is it worth seeing? I don't know if I would go out of my way to see it. Frankly the chance to see this kind of fell into my lap so I took it, especially since a friend had asked about the film at the instant the chance to see the film arrived. Would I have wanted to pay for it? In the end no, I want to get some thing else from the film then just feeling dirty.

I'm a fan of "Swoon" I loved the semi documentary approach at another, true, high society horror story. In "Swoon" the distance the director took from his subject helped us to understand and to involve ourselves in the twisted mind of the protagonists. In "Savage Grace" it works the opposite way. I needed to be closer I needed to be taken step by step in any way you want it but step by step. The shrill performance by Julianne Moore didn't give me and 8th of what Judy Davis gave me in "A Little Thing called Murder" Here you're on your own. No sense of period or class no dramatic structure and feeble performances. What a pity. I had waited for this film with feverish anticipation.

When I was growing up, my mother could be a little over involved in my life but she's got nothing on Barbara Baekeland (Julianne Moore). SAVAGE GRACE tells Barbara's story and that of her incalculable influence on the direction of her very tight family. Together, Barbara, Brooks (Stephen Dillane) and Tony (Barney Clark as a boy, Eddie Redmayne as an adult), exist in a tiny bubble where they can be seen by and perform for the rest of the world but ultimately exist solely for each other. Rich beyond their own comprehension, the Baekeland's exude an air of arrogance and thrive on the act of acting. And even though, as the years pass on, the friends, acquaintances and passersby will have run far away, the Baekeland's still have us.

The Baekeland's come from money. Well, at least Brooks does. His father was the inventor of Bakelite, a popular plastic. Barbara, a former model and almost famous actress, married into the fortune and it suited her just fine to do nothing but be seen. With no real drama to occupy their time, the Baekeland's must create their own and they become experts in the craft. And like the entirely selfish parents they are, they teach their young son, Tony, everything they know. First time feature filmmaker and brave soul, Tom Kalin, tells their revolting yet tragic story in a manner that neither glorifies nor condemns their demented ways. All the while though, he centers his attention on Tony so that we never forget who the real victim is. This makes it all the more deplorable when Tony abandons reason to embrace his family heritage.

SAVAGE GRACE is not for all. Make no mistake, when I say that the Baekeland's ruin each other and bring about all of their own misfortune, I am not speaking lightly. This is a family that shares baths, beds and lovers. Kalin is mindful of his audience's likely discomfort but also never afraid to show that audience the dirty details. Besides, when all the debauchery becomes too much to handle, one can always look to Moore and bask in her brilliance. Moore is flippant one moment and affected the next. Her performance is so delicately balanced between calculated control and callous chaos that one never knows which way she'll turn and one is always shocked to find out. Both Dillane (who is practically unrecognizable) and Redmayne (who could so easily be related to Moore in reality with his pale, freckled skin) do more than simply hold their own. They complete the trio and it is a delight to watch them play off of each other, albeit a disturbing delight.

Kalin has not only crafted an engaging film but also a bizarre experience. If you can stomach this true story, then you will be treated to a frankness that is not common in American cinema. You will also get to spend time in dark places you may not be accustomed to. However, when you inevitably arrive safely on the other side, you will know the drastic differences in what it means to be fortunate.

Others have written some excellent reviews with which I agree so I don't feel the need to go on at length. When I started watching the movie, I was a little bored with it's meandering, talky style, but gradually got sucked into the story. Partly due to some excellent acting, (and may I mention young Barney Clark as the 12 year old Tony, perhaps slightly overshadowed by Eddie Redmayne, but who I thought brought a lot to the role.) As the tale unfolded, I enjoyed the scenery, the gentle pace and it struck me how unique it was and so refreshing after all the special effects, noise and mayhem of much from America. There was a lot missing from the plot, much left to one's imagination but despite that, I am glad I had the chance to see a flawed but enjoyable movie.

In the 40's, the actress Barbara (Julianne Moore) marries the wealth Brooks Baekeland (Stephen Dillane) aspiring social ascension and fortune. They have a son, Tony, and along the years the dysfunctional family lives in New York, France, Spain and England. Tony (Eddie Redmayne) is homosexual and very connected to his perverted mother, while his father leaves Barbara to live with the Spanish Bianca (Elena Anaya). During a crisis in London in the 70's, the unstable Tony stabs his mother for a futile motive.

I found in IMDb that "Savage Grace" is based on a true story. Unfortunately the awful screenplay discloses a messy and provocative story of a dysfunctional family, but without development of the characters or even a reference that the drama is based on a true story. Maybe the screenplay writer believes that the viewers might be familiarized with the story of Barbara Baekeland and neglected the necessary presentation of the characters and explanation of the situation. The truth is that the bold plot is full of ellipsis and never engaging, and the production seems to be more interest in the locations, cinematography and the perversions than in the drama itself. I am a great fan of the gorgeous and sweet Julianne Moore and her performance is great as usual; actually the cast is excellent but the poor screenplay does not help them. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "Pecados Íntimos" ("Intimate Sins")

None of these rich, idle people induce much empathy. Self-absorbed and shallow, the father Brooks (Stephen Dillane), the son Antony (Eddie Redmayne), and the mother Barbara (Julianne Moore) go about their lives with nary a care in the world. Yet, they manage to inflict unhappiness on each other in ways that test the limits of family love.

Complex human relationships with a tendency toward destructive behavior form the premise of "Savage Grace", a true-life story of the Baekeland family, heir to the Bakelite plastic fortune. The film's plot begins in 1946 when Antony is a baby. The plot ends with the shocking climax, in 1972.

Curiously aloof and standoffish, the film suffers from an unfortunate structure. Snippets of their family life allow us to peek in at odd moments between 1946 and 1972. We see them as they jet-set their way through Spain, Italy, and France, and hobnob with the rich and famous. At one point, Barbara, a socialite and former model, concedes a sense of apathy and boredom. "To say that one is tired of Paris is in fact to say that one is tired of life".

But because the plot spans 26 years, viewers must fill in the story gaps as best they can. Though I'm not one for lots of exposition, some added dialogue could have helped the narrative to flow better. As is, the story comes across as disjointed and at times confusing. Viewers must exercise patience to see where this slow, meandering story is leading.

The film's technical elements, including acting, are fine. The main problem is the script, and in particular the plot structure. Still, the film instructs us on how life can disintegrate for people with too much time on their hands and no sense of responsibility. That money can't buy happiness may be a cliché, but this story affirms it, at least for one very dysfunctional family that thought that it could.

I watched it three times and each time I had a different impression. The first time I watched it, I found it boring and didn't even get to the good parts. The second time I watched it I found Barbara to be absolutely repulsive and blamed her for everything. The third time I watched it, I realized some of the subtler points. He was blaming her for making his son gay. Oddly, the son was gay but was attracted to one woman and that was Barbara. The son never separated off from his mother adequately and that was a flaw in their family but this happens in a lot of families. The father was an extremely weak man and that is what caused this. Truthfully, he is the one who is to blame. At the dinner party, the guests all ignored grace and she told them off. She was justified in doing this. The husband dumps her for the sons girlfriend and she tells him off. She was justified in doing this. The son sleeps with all her boyfriends and comes onto her several times. After giving in to this the first time, she attempts suicide - so you know it hurt her to do it, she is not cold and heartless.

She finally throws it all away by totally coming onto the son sexually and it appears this is what he wanted. Then he kills her. After he gets out of jail he also kills the grandma. If you ask me, Barbara was equally as disappointed in the son as the husband and she became the brunt of the son's anger.

The son had no father figure and that was the problem in the son's life. The son had no justification to kill anyone yet he committed two murders and somehow his mother got blamed for both. This shows you how women are forced to take responsibility for everyone else's actions. The father took no responsibility for anything and remained blameless.

"Savage Grace" is not based on this wild child dominatrix I used to date back in college. Kidding! It is based on the appalling true story and murder of socialite Barbara Baekeland, the wife of Brooks Baekeland, the affluent heir of the Bakelite plastics fortune. Sure Barbara was an egocentric, conceited "plastica" but there was never a dull moment in her savage-driven persona. Moreover, Brooks does not lag too behind in the self-centered department. Let's just say that The Baekelands would never have a "Baeke Sale" to raise funds for disadvantaged children. Speaking of children, the Baekes did have one in the form of Antony "Tony" Baekeland. Tony is portrayed as bipolar, spoiled, and bored. Barbara's obsessed & deranged fixation on her son Tony becomes the savage centerpiece of "Savage Grace". Themes such as: jealousy, delirium, obsession, nurture, homosexuality, incest (yes, you heard right), and eventually murder are incorporated within their relationship. Yes, she was a SAVAGE MOTHER! Mommy Babs also gets quite intrigued with Tony's homosexuality-driven lifestyle. Let's just say that Barbara and Tony were never the hit at P.T.S.A. (Parent Teacher Student Association) Meetings. All kidding aside, their relationship had a very sadistic ending when Barbara was murdered by none other than Tony. The murder was well-publicized and gathered enormous media attention and public opinion back then. Julianne Moore's emotional thespian turn as Barbara Baekeland was to die for (sorry Mrs. Baekeland), and should have gathered more attention during awards season. Her fiery scene in the airport as she confronts Brooks with a young mistress is as scene-stealing as they come in the "savage wife" department. Moore continues to bring us "more, more, more" juicy work and I can't wait for even more from the under-appreciated Julianne. However, the rest of the cast of "Savage Grace" was ungraciously inept. Stephen Dillane was for lack of a better invented word- "dullane" as Brooks, and newcomer Eddie Reymayne's monotone performance as Tony was as unauthentic as they come. Director Tom Kalin was a bit lackluster on the pacing of "Savage Grace", but I must commend him for orchestrating showcase scenes for Julianne to exhibit her thespian goods. Screenwriter Howard Rodman's script was profoundly mediocre and should have had more savage verbose within its controversial narrative. Maybe Howard should have hired his brother Dennis to assist him to inscribe more controversy. Kidding, not related! I did enjoy the vivid cinematography of the film, so hats off to Juan Miguel Aspiroz for his aspiring vision. The jewel of "Savage Grace" is the great Julianne, but not even her wondrous thespian touch can save this film from an overall gracious recommendation. *** Average

Having read the other comments on this forum, I went to the London Film Festival yesterday full of anticipation, and was rudely and thoroughly disappointed by a film full of plot holes, pretentious twaddle and dreadful gaps where nothing happened.

Julianne Moore is the only guiding light in a sea of dark and dreadful film-making - I wasn't the only one to think this, as a very famous RSC actor who was sitting in front of me walked out after an hour. Simply dreadful, and if people think that producing pretty screen shots can compensate for a film that makes no sense and is without any meaningful script, then it's a real case of the Emperor's New Clothes.

After 15 years in creation, as the producer wanted us to believe in the pre-screening commentary, it's a shame they didn't take time to give this film more pace and more purpose. A really dreadful film.

I saw the film last night, I was not appalled by the content like some others, but I felt that the film was delivered in such a way that it was impossible to be moved by its story. The single greatest contributor to this was the films out-of-place score. The two scenes that should have been the most powerful moments in the filmed were dubbed over by a score that sounded like something in a ballroom in the 1910's. The acting was something that I would expect in a teen slasher film not a character driven period piece that focuses on the actors in the film. The film also moved at a pace that was slightly slower than a baby snail, it was the kind of movie that really makes you wonder why it is that it made it past pre-production.

The bottom Line is some films should just not be made, Savage Grace was one of those films.

00/10

I.m.o. Moores performance was really poor which ruined the watching experience. A lot of irrelevant dialogue as well, which made it boring at times. Crazy sad story I heard about on a true crime podcast (Morbid) and was excited to see the movie which left me quite disappointed.

Brooks Baekeland (Stephen Dillane) is the heir to the Bakelite plastics from his grandfather. He does no work just like his father. He has a volatile marriage to Barbara (Julianne Moore). He is dissatisfied with their son Antony (Eddie Redmayne). As the family dysfunction increases, Barbara gets ever more closer to Antony leading to complicated sexual relationship along with Sam Green (Hugh Dancy).

Julianne Moore and Eddie Redmayne deliver a couple of solid performances. It's filmed with a cold distant beauty. The movie is missing the intensity and the psychological thrills. The closing text describes some crazy plot developments after the movie ends. The first half could be compressed while the final text could be played out on the screen. This should be a character study of Antony rather than following Barbara.