For such a consistently good performer Julianne Moore is in serious danger of becoming typecast. She always seems to play attractive, vivacious women (see Short Cuts, Magnolia, Boogie Nights etc) barely able to conceal an excess baggage of neuroses.
Savage Grace once again sees Moore ‘on the edge’ as Barbara Daly Baekeland, the charismatic and opportunistic wife of the heir to a vast fortune. When son Tony arrives it quickly becomes clear that not all is well in the family home; marital infidelities, drugs, class insecurities, incest and eventually tragic murder all make their way into this angst ridden picture.
Inevitably the leading lady’s performance carries the film, but there is more to the film than just Moore doing her strong/vulnerable mental breakdown thing. Savage Grace is a bold and compelling journey into the land of the fucked up, made even more disturbing by the fact that it was based on a true story. Scary.
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