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Posts Tagged ‘elizabeth taylor’

Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story (1995)

Posted in Film Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 13, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Sherilyn Fenn has the unenviable task of playing Elizabeth Taylor in this made-for-TV biopic, made while Taylor herself was still alive (she apparently tried to stop it). It gives a somewhat rushed run-through of the actress’s life, starting with a brief opening demonstrating her mother’s determination to make Elizabeth into a movie star – Elizabeth, it should be noted, wanted to be an actress, according to this biopic at least; her mother wants her to be a movie star because they are rich.

Moving quickly through her first four marriages to Nicky Hilton (Eric Gustavson), the abusive, jealous husband; Michael Wilding (Nigel Havers), who is charming but cuckolded; Mike Todd (Ray Wise) with whom she seems to share real passion, but who tragically died in a plane crash; and most controversially Eddie Fisher (Corey Parker) was married to Elizabeth’s best friend Debbie Reynolds whom he left for Elizabeth, but he clearly has no idea how to handle her or keep her interest.

Naturally enough, large focus is then given to her relationship with Richard Burton (Angus McFadyen) although their subsequent divorce, re-marriage and second divorce are flipped through in a matter of seconds, via images of newspaper headlines.

There then follows a marriage to Senator John Warner (Charles Frank), who seems to love her at least partly because of the fame marriage to Elizabeth Taylor brings with it – she gets depressed and puts on weight. Their marriage ends and she goes to rehab where she meets her seventh and final husband (to whom she has her eighth marriage) , Larry Fortensky (Michael McGrady). They were still married when this picture was made.

This film does not cover a great deal of Elizabeth Taylor’s professional career, sticking instead with the love, marriages and scandal. There are a couple of scenes which show her work for raising awareness of AIDS, which I would have liked to have seen more of.

Fenn was actually great as Taylor, nailing the accent in particular. Most of the supporting cast did a good job, although I felt that Ray Wise put in a slightly overblown performance. McFadyen looked very much like Richard Burton – uncannily so at times – but I that he also over-acted somewhat and never really captured the character convincingly.

Occasionally the dialogue was a bit clunky, a bit daytime soap opera-ish, but despite that and despite the fact that certain events were skimmed over with only the briefest detail, I have to admit that I did enjoy this film. In the same way that I don’t buy gossip magazines but I’ll have a read of one when I’m at the hairdressers – it’s entertaining even when you know that it’s entertainment first and information second. Sometimes some of the actual vintage footage which was used jarred with the more modern footage, due to the obvious difference in quality, but that did not detract from my enjoyment.

I would recommend this biopic to fans of Elizabeth Taylor, more for curiosity’s sake than for any real factual content.

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Year of release: 1995

Director: Kevin Connor

Writers: C. David Heymann book ‘Liz: An Intimate Biography’), Burr Douglas

Main cast: Sherilyn Fenn, Angus McFadyen, William McNamara, Corey Parker, Nigel Havers, Ray Wise, Michael McGrady

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‘The Richard Burton Diaries’ edited by Chris Williams

Posted in Book Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , on June 14, 2015| Leave a Comment »

This book took me two months – to the day – to read. For someone who used to read a book a day and has now slowed down to generally a book a week, that is LONG time. But don’t think that it was because I didn’t enjoy reading this – on the contrary, I loved it, to the extent that I would put it in my top ten favourite books.

Because it is Richard Burton’s diaries, it is not an autobiography as such, but it does paint an revealing and fascinating picture of his life, particularly during his first marriage to Elizabeth Taylor.

The diaries initially start with schoolboy Richard (then called Richard Jenkins) describing his day to day life – with focus on friends, family and sport (and a lot of board games!) but even then you can see his budding interest in books and literature. The majority of the diaries are, as aforementioned, written during his life with Elizabeth Taylor, and they are very absorbing – not just for the private snapshots of their lives together, but also for his thoughtful observations on the world in general, his profession, his children and his reading habits. Because he certainly loved to read – up to three books a day sometimes – and wrote his thoughts about almost everything he read. He had a wickedly acerbic sense of humour and often used quotes by poets, authors and playwrights to support his point.

The diaries tail off towards the end of his and Taylor’s relationship and then start again during his four marriage (to third wife Suzy Hunt). After another long gap, they restart again during his relationship with Sally Hay, and during preparation for the Private Lives tour, when he and Taylor starred together in Noel Coward’s play about a divorced couple who still have feelings for each other. I admire Burton’s widow Sally for releasing the diaries, especially when he writes with such passion and love towards Taylor for the majority of them.

What ultimately emerged from the diaries was a picture of a very intelligent, witty and generous man, with many demons (not the least of which was of course alcohol), but who was all too aware of the flaws in himself, as much as he noticed flaws in those around him.

It’s a thoroughly enjoyable book from beginning to end, beautifully edited (although I would have preferred the notes to be in a list at the back of the book, rather than footnotes on almost every individual page), and one I will definitely pick up and read again. Highly recommended for anyone with even the slightest interest in any aspect of Burton’s life.

(Click here for the official Richard Burton website.)

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Liz & Dick (2012)

Posted in Film Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 28, 2014| Leave a Comment »

This um…biopic made for the Lifetime Channel, attempts to tell the story of the romance between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.  I have a particular fascination for Burton, which is why I wanted to watch this film, despite all the flak it has received.  And – well….I’m glad I watched it, because it was entertaining on one level, but probably not on the level that it was hoping for.

The first problem is that an hour and a half is simply not enough time to tell the story of Burton and Taylor, and consequently, events seem pretty rushed, with the main focus seeming to be on their arguments.  The main problem however is with the inexplicable casting of Lindsay Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor.  Now Lohan has had her issues, and I don’t want to pile on to her just for the sake of it.  I was hoping that she would actually be much better than other reviews had led me to believe, but unfortunately those other reviews were right.  She was terribly miscast as Taylor.  It doesn’t bother me that she doesn’t look like Elizabeth Taylor (neither does Helena Bonham-Carter, but she still did a terrific job in the BBC film ‘Burton and Taylor’) – although if a film is going to make constant references to Taylor’s struggle to keep her weight down, it might be worth not having Lohan looking scrawny at the same time.  What annoyed me more was the fact that Lohan didn’t seem to be trying to emulate Taylor in any apparent way.  Her voice was NOTHING like that of Taylor – which was pretty distinctive – and she just seemed to be playing a generic, mainly fictional film star from the era.  In some scenes she was embarrassingly wooden.

Grant Bowler was more of a success as Richard Burton, and did actually do a good job of mastering Burton’s gorgeous voice.  Again, he didn’t really look a lot like Burton, but he did play the part well, and made me feel that with more time to tell the story, and a better leading actress to star opposite, this film could have been more of a success.

For Burton and/or Taylor fans, it’s worth watching for pure curiosity’s sake, but if you are looking for a film about this legendary couple, you would be better off watching the aforementioned BBC production ‘Burton and Taylor’, which focuses on the period in the 1980s when the couple – now divorced – appeared together in the stage play Separate Lives.

Year of release: 2012

Director: Lloyd Kramer

Producers: Larry A. Thompson, Christopher Monger, Kyle A. Clark, Robert G. Endara II, Philip Harrelson, Lina Wong

Writer: Christopher Monger

Main cast: Lindsay Lohan, Grant Bowler, Theresa Russell, David Hunt, Tanya Franks, Andy Hirsch

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‘Rich: The Life of Richard Burton’ by Melvyn Bragg

Posted in Book Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on August 7, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Despite being acknowledged as an excellent actor both on stage and in films, Richard Burton is largely remembered for his tempestuous marriages to Elizabeth Burton, and his enormous capacity for alcohol.  Melvyn Bragg’s excellent biography delves into his life, to reveal that there was far far more to Burton – that he was a highly intelligent and thoughtful man, a voracious reader, that he was plagued by guilt over his children, and generous to a fault.

Burton’s notebooks (essentially a diary) which he started during his life with Elizabeth Taylor were released to Bragg by Burton’s widow Sally, and here they appear (albeit abridged) for the first time in print.  After describing Burton’s tough but loving childhood and adolescence, and marriage to first wife Sybil, Bragg wisely lets his own writing take a back seat to Burton’s words, as he reproduces large sections of the notebooks.  (It is worth noting that the notebooks have since been released in their entirety as The Richard Burton Diaries; I have a copy of this and intend to read it very soon, but Bragg’s biography is useful in that it provides context.)  I thoroughly enjoyed reading Burton’s words – he was incredibly witty (I laughed out loud on several occasions, particularly when he described social situations), certainly wry, and often melancholy.

The biography is clearly meticulously researched, and while Bragg is never sycophantic, he is always respectful of his subject.  What I did find unusual at first, was that in many ways, it was also a study of Burton the man.  Bragg would offer his own opinion as to Burton’s motivations for certain actions, and it felt as if he was trying to understand certain events in this very interesting life, rather than just relate them.  However, this did not spoil my enjoyment of the book, and actually demonstrated the author’s great interest in his subject.

The book was written with the collaboration of many of Burton’s family and friends, and refreshingly, does not just focus on the more scandalous areas of his life; it concerns itself equally with Burton’s Welsh family, his career, his life after ‘the Elizabethan period’ and of course, his premature death at a time which tragically came at a time when he seemed to have his life back on track.

It’s a thick book – 600+ pages – but so well written, and so very interesting, that I found myself reading huge chunks at a time.  Anybody interested in Richard Burton, or indeed in acting in general, should certainly read this – I strongly recommend it, and will definitely be keeping it to read again in the future.

(For more information about Richard Burton, please click here.)

 

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Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

Posted in Film Reviews, TV/Film adaptation reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 15, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Real life couple Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor star as married couple George and Martha, in this intense and absorbing film adaptation of Edward Albee’s play.  Fuelled by alcohol, and years of resentment, disappointment and bitterness, the couple take verbal swipes at each other, and drag young couple Nick and Honey (George Segal and Sandy Dennis) into their drama – manipulating the younger couple, as well as each other.

This film left me feeling as though I had been through an emotional wringer, but for all that, it was very satisfying, and impossible to stop watching.  Taylor and Burton are both wonderful (if anyone has doubts about whether or not Elizabeth Taylor could act, watching this film will put paid to any reservations).  Martha is, by her own admission, loud and vulgar – the kind of person you avoid at parties, because you know they’re a nightmare when they’ve had a few drinks.  Initally, George seems the more reasoned and put-upon member of the couple, but it becomes clear that in fact, he is just as cruel (crueller, probably) than Martha, and knows exactly how to push her buttons.  Both of them are obviously disappointed by the path their lives have taken, and in each other.  They have both obviously failed to live up to each other’s expectations.  Nick and Honey are both fascinated and repelled by the warring couple – and George and Martha seem to get some kind of perverse pleasure out of making Nick and Martha uncomfortable.  Nick is a young professor at the college where George is also a professor, and while George’s career has not taken him where he and Martha hoped that it would, he sees Nick as a threat – a younger, more handsome man, ready to usurp George.  Martha is quick to exploit this.

Sandy Dennis was wonderful as Honey, who was the most sympathetic character of the four.  That is not to say that she was particularly likeable, but whereas the other three actually came across as unpleasant, Honey is merely irritating, especially to her husband, who clearly does not find her stimulating, either intentionally or physically.  But despite the behaviour of George and Martha, I did find myself feeling sympathetic towards them, especially as the story progresses, and you see that they are acting more out of frustration and dashed hopes, than any kind of intrinsic nastiness.

There are just four members of the cast throughout (to be exact, six people appear on screen, but the other two appear for about 30 seconds each, and one of them doesn’t have any lines), and there is a general feeling of claustrophobia and tension throughout the film.  The glaring close-ups on people’s faces, and fact that it is filmed in black and white rather than colour – quite unusual for 1966 – add to the general atmosphere.

I found the film emotionally draining, and after finishing it, felt like I needed to watch something light-hearted and funny, but Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is also compelling viewing, thanks in large part to the skill of Taylor and Burton, and the screen chemistry between them.  Definitely recommended.

Year of release: 1966

Director: Mike Nichols

Producer: Ernest Lehman

Writers: Edward Albee (play), Ernest Lehman

Main cast: Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, George Segal, Sandy Dennis

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These Old Broads (2001)

Posted in Film Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , on May 2, 2013| 3 Comments »

A television network decides to reunite the three female stars of a 60s movie, for a special programme.  However, problems arise almost immediately due to the fact that the three women can’t stand the sight of each other.  When they do all agree to the reunion, things certainly don’t get any easier….

Starring Debbie Reynolds, Shirley MacLaine and Joan Collins as respectively, Piper Grayson, Kate Westbourne and Addie Holden, this film is a hoot.  The three actresses send themselves up beautifully, and I hope that they had as much fun making this film as I did watching it!  Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor also puts in an appearance as Beryl Mason, agent for all three women, but her role is very small, which is something of a shame, as she seemed to be sending herself up as much as the others.

The first scene where Beryl and Piper meet is very funny in itself, but even funnier if you know the real life background of these two actresses.  There was a huge scandal in the 1950s, when Reynolds’ husband Eddie Fisher, ran off with her friend Liz Taylor, who subsequently married him.  This film is in fact the first time that the two women have appeared on screen together since then.  And in the scene, Beryl apologises to Piper for running off with Piper’s husband ‘Freddie Hunter’ (which was CLEARLY a reference to Eddie Fisher!)  Piper soothes Beryl and says that she forgave her years earlier, before the two women pull ‘Freddie’ to pieces!

However, the rest of the film also has several delights.  The catfights between the women are so funny, and Jonathan Silverman, as Kate’s adopted son, who is supposed to be directing the whole reunion, has a rare old time trying to keep things together without one or other of them storming off.  Add to the mix a prison escapee, and a big secret in Kate’s past, and the stage is set for lots of laughter.

(Bit of trivia: This film was co-written and co-produced by Carrie Fisher, who is the real-life daughter of Debbie Reynolds, the former step-daughter of Elizabeth Taylor, and who played the daughter of a character played by Shirley MacLaine in Postcards from the Edge.)

Admittedly a lot of the enjoyment in this film is the sheer novelty value of seeing four legends on screen at the same time, but it is actually a very clever and funny film in its own right.  Definitely one to watch if you get chance.

Year of release: 2001

Director: Matthew Diamond

Producers: Ilene Amy Berg, Carrie Fisher, Laurence Mark, Elaine Pope, Lewis Abel, John D. McNamara, Deborah Edell Underwood, Sally Young

Writers: Carrie Fisher, Elaine Pope

Main cast: Shirley MacLaine, Debbie Reynolds, Joan Collins, Elizabeth Taylor, Jonathan Silverman, Nestor Carbonell

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The Taming of the Shrew (1967)

Posted in Period drama/comedy reviews, TV/Film adaptation reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 7, 2012| 1 Comment »

This 1967 film, based on Shakespeare’s play of the same name, was perfect for Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, who were three years into their marriage when they made it.

Due to the nature of the storyline (man tames independent woman and turns her into a meek and subservient wife), this is one of Shakespeare’s most controversial plays, but it is also – for my money – one of his funniest. I consider myself to be a feminist, but that doesnt preclude me from enjoying this play immensely – and happily I loved every minute of this adaptation.

Liz Taylor plays the wild natured Kate, and Richard Burton is the lusty, arrogant Petruchio, who determines to marry her for the dowry, and tames her by treating her badly – his methods include refusing to allow her to eat, turning up to their wedding in ragged clothes, and taking off soon after the wedding. However he starts to genuinely fall for her, and actually ends up being tamed himself.

Burton was used to the classics, and had performed in Shakespeare adaptations prior to making this film. It shows – he fitted right into the part and carried it off with ease. Taylor had not done anything like this before, and was apparently very nervous. She certainly pulled it off – as beautiful as she undoubtedly was, I never really rated her as much of an actress, but she captured Kate’s wild spirit, and later her more peaceful demeanour, perfectly.

The supporting cast are excellent – a young Michael York is Lucentio, the man who hopes to marry Kate’s sister Bianca, who is forbidden from marrying any young man until her sister is married, and Cyril Cusack is great as Grumio (Petruchio’s friend), and Victor Spinetti as Hortensio – another potential suitor to Bianca – is extremely funny.

The film is very colourful, and extremely witty, with genuine laugh-out-loud moments, and lots of physical comedy. I enjoyed it thoroughly from beginning to end, would certainly recommend it, and will definitely watch it again in the future.

Year of release: 1967

Director: Franco Zeffirelli

Producers: Franco Zeffirelli, Ricahrd Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard McWhorter

Writers: William Shakespeare (play), Franco Zeffirelli, Paul Dehn, Suso Cecchi D’Amico

Main cast: Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael York, Cyril Cusack, Michael Hordern, Alfred Lynch, Alan Webb, Natasha Pyne, Victor Spinetti

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Click here for my review of the RSC’s 2012 stage adaptation.

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