Turning her back on her wealthy, established family, Diane Arbus falls in love with Lionel Sweeney, an enigmatic mentor who introduces Arbus to the marginalized people who help her become on... Read allTurning her back on her wealthy, established family, Diane Arbus falls in love with Lionel Sweeney, an enigmatic mentor who introduces Arbus to the marginalized people who help her become one of the most revered photographers of the twentieth century.Turning her back on her wealthy, established family, Diane Arbus falls in love with Lionel Sweeney, an enigmatic mentor who introduces Arbus to the marginalized people who help her become one of the most revered photographers of the twentieth century.
- Awards
- 2 wins
- Fiona - Naked Girl
- (as Lynn Marie Stetson)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaMGM optioned the biography, upon which this film is based ("Arbus"), in 1984 as a possible starring vehicle for Diane Keaton.
- GoofsTowards the end of the movie, Lionel is shown beginning to blow up the canvas raft. He later explains that it is for Diane when he takes his final swim. Someone suffering from such extremely low lung function that he will only live a few months would never be able to inflate a raft that size.
- Quotes
Diane Arbus: [to Lionel] I saw you through my window and right away I wanted to take a portrait of you.
- ConnectionsFeatured in HBO First Look: Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006)
- SoundtracksMidnight Romance
Written by Alain Leroux (as Alain J. Leroux)
Published by Cypress Creek Music
Courtesy of 5 Alarm Music
I loved the use of symbolism and metaphors. Some examples include: The association between the scene where Diane disrobing in the final sequence and the earlier scenes where she dresses up to her neck as part of social etiquette. Then there's the strong contrast between a furry Lionel and the high-classed women who were obsessed with fur and another interesting contrast between Lionel's dark fur and Diane's smooth translucent skin. There are numerous such intriguing symbolism that beautifully stand out. The references to classics like 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Beauty and the Best' and influences of Hitchcock and Kubrick are obvious and brilliantly used. The visuals too represent a strong ideas. They are not just there for mere beauty. The colour blue plays a key role on multiple levels.
Shainberg's direction is awesome but what I liked most was the way Diane felt more 'at home' with the people who were termed 'freaks' rather than her own family or her husband's social circle. Nicole Kidman is magnificent. Robert Downey Jr. too gives an equally subtle and heartbreaking performance. The two share a very passion-filled chemistry which only stresses on the fascination and attraction that draws Diane and Lionel towards each other. Their quiet love story speaks volumes about their internal desires and strong feelings for one another. I've mostly seen Ty Burrell in comedies like 'Out of Practice' and 'Back To You' but here he shows that he can pull off serious roles as well.
Not only is 'Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus' a plot driven film, it can be watched as a character piece, a mood piece, a love story and a period piece. A film that can be appreciated on so many levels, I fail to understand why it gained so little recognition.
- Chrysanthepop
- Jul 20, 2008
- Permalink
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $16,800,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $223,202
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $28,815
- Nov 12, 2006
- Gross worldwide
- $2,312,717
- Runtime2 hours 2 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1