Let's ignore that I'm mentally incapable of keep this straight with the Julianne Moore part of The Hours. They take place in the same era. They were released the same year. Moore got an Oscar nomination for this, even though most people figure it was for The Hours. They are separate movies, but in a few weeks, I will not be able to tell you which of these movies had Patricia Clarkson in it. I really didn't care for this movie. I didn't get what it was up to. This movie is like a survey course in 50s repression, complete with a jaunty music score. It was all very over-the-top, which I gather is sort of the point. Perhaps I need more familiarity with the Douglas Sirk films that it's an homage to. Still, I'm not one to believe that imitation necessitates effectiveness. A proper homage to something doesn't mean anything if it isn't in service of something good on its own. Julianne Moore is very good regardless in this. It's the best serious acting from Dennis Haysbert that I've seen in years. Dennis Quaid has a tough role that I don't think he pulled off. I guess I run hot and cold on Todd Haynes movies. Dark Waters I liked right away. Wonderstruck was well made but tedious. Carol took a second viewing to appreciate. Far From Heaven definitely didn't win me over with this viewing, and I didn't latch on to enough to motivate a second viewing down the line.
Verdict: Weakly Don't Recommend
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