I was quite puzzled after seeing Rosanna Arquette's first directorial effort. Highly difficult exercise in documentary, she's trying to explain the choices and the feelings of 30-something to 45-ish actresses in H'wood. Choices of being at the same time mother, actresses, raising kids, leading artists and...why some just quit.
From Her introduction on THE RED SHOES to the final words of Jane Fonda, I could sense and feel what she was trying to do and express but...I couldn't see the point.
Some actresses here made some very interesting comments (Martha Plimpton is both hilarious and utterly clever). Some anecdotes are sometimes insulting for them (Adrienne Shelly's experience and Melanie Griffith's)others funny or even rewarding for the audience (Theresa Russell, for that matter). There's always something to learn from these artists. You can hate them for being soooooo serious (Sharon Stone, i really do love you but... don't take yourself so seriously, please!) or love them for being so lucid on their job (especially Alfre Woodard and Anjelica Huston). The most rewarding is (indeed) Debra Winger saying that she didn't say no to her acting career, but she said yes to some other stuff that she left apart doing her job.
But after all these comments and laughters and angers expressed...what's the meaning of all this? All I could feel is empathy for some time but I was also annoyed as the camera was always revolving around Rosanna Arquette. Not because she was the interviewer but...the her point of view was too self-centered. And it has no conclusion. As if we saw a rough cut of the documentary (or "experience" as the credits pretentiously say), waiting for some guiding line or some editing.
As a photography of what's going on in the head of actresses between 30 and 50 y.o in this new millenium : excellent cast, fascinating comments :all good. As for the rest SEARCHING FOR DEBRA WINGER proves that it's not with some good intentions that you make a good movie. It still needs something deeper. And a better light, please! Emmanuelle Beart has never been uglier on a screen. Rosanna needs a real camera operator (even if she was the B team C.O) and a decent D.P.
Superwonderscope says : 6
From Her introduction on THE RED SHOES to the final words of Jane Fonda, I could sense and feel what she was trying to do and express but...I couldn't see the point.
Some actresses here made some very interesting comments (Martha Plimpton is both hilarious and utterly clever). Some anecdotes are sometimes insulting for them (Adrienne Shelly's experience and Melanie Griffith's)others funny or even rewarding for the audience (Theresa Russell, for that matter). There's always something to learn from these artists. You can hate them for being soooooo serious (Sharon Stone, i really do love you but... don't take yourself so seriously, please!) or love them for being so lucid on their job (especially Alfre Woodard and Anjelica Huston). The most rewarding is (indeed) Debra Winger saying that she didn't say no to her acting career, but she said yes to some other stuff that she left apart doing her job.
But after all these comments and laughters and angers expressed...what's the meaning of all this? All I could feel is empathy for some time but I was also annoyed as the camera was always revolving around Rosanna Arquette. Not because she was the interviewer but...the her point of view was too self-centered. And it has no conclusion. As if we saw a rough cut of the documentary (or "experience" as the credits pretentiously say), waiting for some guiding line or some editing.
As a photography of what's going on in the head of actresses between 30 and 50 y.o in this new millenium : excellent cast, fascinating comments :all good. As for the rest SEARCHING FOR DEBRA WINGER proves that it's not with some good intentions that you make a good movie. It still needs something deeper. And a better light, please! Emmanuelle Beart has never been uglier on a screen. Rosanna needs a real camera operator (even if she was the B team C.O) and a decent D.P.
Superwonderscope says : 6