From Richard Wagner to Eva Peron, there are some celebrities with very complicated legacies, and one really wonders if it's possible to be fair to them to try and tell their stories in a short format like a 2 hour movie (In Wagner's case, Richard Burton's 10 hour miniseries wasn't enough to keep critics uttering the words "But what about....?). The Eyes of Tammy Faye is very kind to a woman who defrauded millions of people (and even kinder to her ex-husband considering he continues to defraud them with End of Days survival packs and fake Covid cures.) But maybe, for the same reasons it was for the musical, Evita, that's okay, because the movie works on its own level. I like this story about this woman believed in herself and her husband and stood up to bullies led by Jerry Falwell. It made me feel a variety of emotions from beginning to the end from giddy to sad and reflective.
Jessica Chastain is phenomenal in the title role. She transforms herself into another person in a way I haven't seen since Charlize Theron in Monster. It's awesome, and she does while making you care about everything she does or says. I could have watched a movie twice this long and not taken my eyes off of her. And i think it's particularly amazing when an actor can do this and make you feel for the person they have become. It's more than an act. Because both other movies came out this year, I compare Jessica here to Benedict Cumberbatch in Power of the Dog and Nicole Kidman in Being the Ricardos. I was always aware I was watching Benedict and Nicole in those movies and constantly alert to the fact they were acting, and to numerous little slip ups where they slipped into their old accents or mannerisms. With Jessica in this movie, there was none of that awkwardness, and I never was under the impression that I was watching someone "act", I was just watching the person. Andrew Garfield and Vincent d'onofrio both deserve applause too, because they both had such chemistry (positive and negative) with Jessica.
This was a wonderful movie in a year where most of the films had glaring problems. Maybe it was a little soft on the real person whose life it depicted, but she did do good and brave things too, and maybe after you watch this movie go read her wikipedia article and decide for yourself. But first, just ignore all that and look forward to an enjoyable time at the movies.
Jessica Chastain is phenomenal in the title role. She transforms herself into another person in a way I haven't seen since Charlize Theron in Monster. It's awesome, and she does while making you care about everything she does or says. I could have watched a movie twice this long and not taken my eyes off of her. And i think it's particularly amazing when an actor can do this and make you feel for the person they have become. It's more than an act. Because both other movies came out this year, I compare Jessica here to Benedict Cumberbatch in Power of the Dog and Nicole Kidman in Being the Ricardos. I was always aware I was watching Benedict and Nicole in those movies and constantly alert to the fact they were acting, and to numerous little slip ups where they slipped into their old accents or mannerisms. With Jessica in this movie, there was none of that awkwardness, and I never was under the impression that I was watching someone "act", I was just watching the person. Andrew Garfield and Vincent d'onofrio both deserve applause too, because they both had such chemistry (positive and negative) with Jessica.
This was a wonderful movie in a year where most of the films had glaring problems. Maybe it was a little soft on the real person whose life it depicted, but she did do good and brave things too, and maybe after you watch this movie go read her wikipedia article and decide for yourself. But first, just ignore all that and look forward to an enjoyable time at the movies.