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Lorenz L Fosse was a legendary, history-making choreographer. His work as a stage director was mostly mediocre with a few bursts of brilliance, but he was most definitely NOT a film director and/or screenwriter. "Cabaret" is kept afloat by its stars; "All That Jazz" is an insanely overlong,overinflated egomaniacal paean to himself. "Star 80" is a mere embarrassment (Eric Roberts is so consistently over-the-top it's exhausting watching him drown is this mess of a screenplay) and should just be forgotten. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 06/09/24 Full Review Jeff M Before the emergence of the late Anna Nicole Smith, one could argue that Dorothy Stratten was the most famous Playboy Playmate of all time. Sadly, a big chunk of that notoriety was due to her untimely death. Fosse's biopic is expertly made - there are individual components here that are 4-5 star material. And while I recommend it beyond a shadow of a doubt, it's a case where the whole is a bit less than the sum of its parts. Perhaps 38 years ago, this would have felt a bit more shocking and original. Today, with the onslaught of crime procedurals, murder documentaries, CSIs, Laws and Orders...well, it seems a bit tame and under-nourished. That being said, there are elements here undeniably great, the most obvious being Roberts in what should have been an Oscar-nominated performance. He plows through this film like a hurricane and obliterates everything in his path. There was a short period of time when Julia was Eric's sister rather than Eric being Julia's brother. This is a reminder - he is spellbinding. Hemingway is less so, and I'm on the fence about her performance. It feels wooden and stiff, particularly compared to Roberts, but giving her the benefit of the doubt, I'm trying to determine whether it's the performance itself or the role. On the other hand, I was mightily impressed by Carroll Baker as Dorothy's mom - had she another big scene or two, I think she would have been a Best Supporting Actress candidate. Fosse only made a handful of movies before his untimely death, and his scorecard is quite remarkable. This isn't atop the list of his achievements, but it's imminently watchable and extremely well made. And Roberts alone makes it a must-see. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/24 Full Review Georgan G Not a bad bio drama, except I didn't like that it began after Dorothy was killed. It certainly was better than the made-for-TV movie version. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/12/24 Full Review Alec B Eric Roberts melds charm, sleaze, and volatility into one unsettling performance. That said, If the movie was a little more focused on Hemingway it could have been a masterpiece. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/05/24 Full Review Audience Member Mariel Hemingway, a young Eric Roberts, and the late Cliff Robertson directed by the late Bon Fossee Based on the true story of Dorothy Stratton who became a 1980s sensation and from the article by Teresa Carpenter She made Playmate of the Year posing for Playboy Magazine when she was recruited by Paul Snider He finds her right out of high school, marrying her and becoming her manager Over time though the fame starts to make her into a victim Paul becomes more toxic, controlling, and abusive Dorothy wanted more freedom but as long as she photographed she got paid This movie presents an examination of the slippages between men view women-as objects, images, as commodities Makes it drip with sleaze and thoughtful experimenting with tone The film shows both their humble beginnings as Paul plays on her youthfulness and insecurities He even revels getting access to meeting celebrities and spending her hard earned money Paul's jealousy starts to rage out of control and when Dorothy opts for divorce tragedy ensues Even diving into the adult industry specifically Playboy they handle their models in a specific way; some view it as smut or nudity while others see their candid photos as works of art A couple of interviews attempt to show her side of things as well as his Paul feels an empty hollowness can be filled but he sees that the Hollywood elite can be patronizing and dismissive Dorothy is more admired than him with her authentic, naïveté innocence True the film is more about Paul than Dorothy herself which in no doubt causes controversy pulling the attention away from the victim Still the emotional experiences we see in him paints a devastating look at domestic violence and where it can originate Possee manages to insert the glamour and glitz of Hollywood while also mounting moods of isolation, entrapment and terror There's also great motifs here; the juxtapositions between Dorothy's real life and the photos she took sexualizing and idealizing her Dorothy felt very trapped more than anything with nowhere to hide from it all The pacing is a bit off and there's a lot of talking But the ending is the most frightening part since it's all been built up to the inevitable It shows Hollywood's seedy underside being it's impossible to witness but hard to shake off Roberts gives one of the most chilling performances and Hemingway is spot on as the late model Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/18/23 Full Review Chris M This is a tragic story and should have been told as a straight forward narrative. So who the HELL thought it was a good idea to give the directing reins to Bob Fosse? An artsy fartsy director that can't tell a straight forward story. The non-linear confusing time jumps back and forward in her life is confusing. Like "All That Jazz", it's needlessly confusing and artsy style for art's sake, not storytelling. Fosse is a great choreographer. As a director? He is a great choreographer. I feel like "Wired" biopic of Jon Belushi, this is very disrespectful to a real person who was murdered at 20 years old. I think this story needs a reboot that sticks to the facts and not trying to make a murder a piece of abstract "art". Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 10/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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