Melodrama Revisiting Plastics Heir Tragedy Arrives on DVD
In 1907, Dr. Leo Baekeland made a fortune when he invented a new type of plastic he called Bakelite. A couple of generations later, his grandson Brooks (Stephen Dillane) didn't know what he was getting into when he wed a shameless gold digger named Barbara Daly (Julianne Moore).
Worse than the fact that the beautiful redhead married him for his money, was that she was mentally unstable and given to bouts of depression and impulsive angry outbursts. Furthermore, she led a decadent, self-indulgent lifestyle marked by infidelity and substance abuse, so it is no surprise that her marital relationship was unusually stormy.
Some people should never have kids, case in point, the Baekelands. But, unfortunately, they did have a son, Tony (Eddie Redmayne), who turned out to be even nuttier than his domineering mother. No doubt, he was driven crazy by her going to great lengths to change his sexual preference once she realized he was gay.
Not only did she pressure him to date girls, but the incestuous cougar even pounced upon the poor boy to try to turn him straight. But because Tony didn't share her Oedipal inclinations, theirs wasn't a story with a happily ever after ending.
The tragic trajectory of this dysfunction family is carefully chronicled by this warts-and-all bio-pic directed by Tom Kalin. Spanning the years of 1946 through 1972, the picture unfolds against assorted glamorous backdrops in cities like New York, Paris, Mallorca and London.
Don't be deceived by the glitz, for despite the Baekelands being able to afford the finer things in life, their wealth proved to be no defense against such antisocial behaviors as suicide, matricide and grandma-cide. A feel-bad peek at how the other half lives which shows that no one knows what goes on behind closed doors.
Very Good (3 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 98 minutes
Studio: Genius Products
DVD Extras: "The Making of" featurette.
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