Far From Heaven

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Tamara K If this movie doesn't rip your heart out nothing will. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/18/24 Full Review Shioka O It looks so classic as if 50s, well directed. Message is clear and important but the storytelling is too melodramatic of me... Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 05/26/24 Full Review Audience Member The movie was okay but moved slow and never had a climax. The setting and time period was done well. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/17/24 Full Review Ronald H I read somewhere that the cast of this movie would burst into hysterical laughter after shooting some of the scenes. That's how absurd this movie is---in spite of its pretense of seriousness. The artifice and affectation are just overbearing. I hated every minute of it. Two stars for the gorgeous cinematography, which faithfully replicates the wide screen technicolor films of the 1950's. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/17/24 Full Review PridePosterStudios Queer joy HAD been invented by this point so there’s no excuse. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 05/09/24 Full Review Matthew D A heartbreaking masterclass from Julianne Moore. Director Todd Haynes (Carol) delivers a touching romance melodrama with his indie film Far from Heaven (2002). It's carefully directed and shot to be subtle and expressive with brief glances at the object of desire and unspoken feelings. It's simply one of the most beautiful pictures ever made. Far from Heaven is very clearly heavily inspired by Douglas Sirk's 1950's pictures Magnificent Obsession, All That Heaven Allows, Written on the Wind, and Imitation of Life. There's love, sympathy, and warmth in every moment of Far from Heaven. Haynes is a wonderful director with Far from Heaven and Carol certified as two of my favorite films forevermore. I'm grateful producers George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh got Far from Heaven made. Writer Todd Haynes takes the Fall atmosphere of leaves blowing in the wind, lush Autumn colors, and tender romantic tragedies from Douglas Sirk's films and makes them his own. He crafts a tale of a lonely housewife, interracial romance, difficult parenting, social outcasts, homosexual relationships, class struggles, and social acceptance all into one touching film. I appreciate him developing all the main characters into complex people with empathetic writing. Julianne Moore is tremendous in Far from Heaven as Cathleen Whitaker. Moore gives Cathy a graceful poise, heart-wrenching loneliness, tender compassion, and devastating rejection by her would-be lover and all her socialite friends. Julianne Moore is one of our finest dramatic actresses and she proves it again throughout Far from Heaven. Dennis Quaid is great as the alcoholic, closeted gay man Frank Whitaker, who is hopelessly miserable married to Julianne Moore. Quaid finds an inner rage and frustration you don't always get in his usual roles. He feels as vulnerable and repressed as Moore. Dennis Haysbert is phenomenal and nuanced as Raymond Deagan, who longs for love and social acceptance, but gains neither. Jordan Puryear is very sympathetic as the hurting daughter of Raymond named Sarah Deagan. Patricia Clarkson is excellent as Cathy's seemingly supportive best friend Eleanor Fine, until even she has her social justice limits, which reveals her ugliest beliefs. Viola Davis is interesting as the supportive maid Sybil, who must observe all. James Rebhorn is great as the callously regressive conversion therapy Dr. Bowman. Celia Weston is heinously cruel as the bigoted and mean town gossip Mona Lauder. Editor James Lyons keeps Far from Heaven briskly paced with a swift 107 minute run-time. We get gently cut drama that lets characters and subplots breathe. Cinematographer Edward Lachman has these strikingly lit and smoothly panned shots. I loved the art direction from Peter Rogness, Miguel López-Castillo, and Jeffrey D. McDonald put green and blue moody lighting into each scene. All the shots are dazzling. Mark Friedberg's stylish 50's house sets are so cozy and quaint. Set decorator Ellen Christiansen's furnishings look antique in style, but new for a believable tone. Composer Elmer Bernstein's soft, melodic symphonic film score is dreamy and romantic. I like how quickly he switches up styles within a piece for dramatic tonal shifts. His music is the stuff of classic cinema. Sound designers Leslie Shatz, Michael "Gonzo" Gandsey, Drew Kunin, Marshall Garlington, Kelley Baker, and Richard Moore let us hear idle gossip and quiet whispers of affection with clear recordings. Costume designer Sandy Powell's lovely gowns and cozy red flannel shirts or cable knit sweaters all look comfortable and vibrant. She brilliantly clothes all the redhead actresses in emerald green gowns, crimson red jackets and dresses, and light lavender shawls for complementary aesthetics. Makeup artists Elaine L. Offers and Hildie Ginsberg give Julianne Moore alluring red lipstick and cute pink blush for her rosy cheeks. I liked that they let her be naturally pale and pretty in her own skin. Hairstylists Alan D'Angerio, Mary Cooke, and Michael Kriston give each lady carefully combed curls to adhere to 1950's fashions. In all, Far from Heaven is like discovering a lost Douglas Sirk romance melodrama with Todd Haynes delivering refined filmmaking alongside Julianne Moore's magnificent display of emotional acting. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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