Product: To Die For (1995)
Rating: 5.0
Brilliant Dark Comedy of a Hyper-Ambitious Career Gal
Funny, edgy, and tragic, Van Sant presents us with a brilliant portrayal of society's naked ambition and hunger for fame and notoriety. The movie was funnier and more satirical than the book. Kidman is great as Suzanne Maretto--she's evil incarnate disguised as a cute, perky blonde with a penchant for bright, sunny-colored, coordinated outfits and loud makeup. On the night Larry was killed is when we first see her wearing a dark color. Underneath the Barbie doll is a despicable, dastardly soul hungry to join the ranks of Barbara Walters and Connie Chung. At the same time, we know that Suzanne, for all her disturbed efforts, will never, ever make it in big-time broadcasting. She doesn't have the smarts or the savvy, but in her warped mind, she thinks it is her husband Larry that's holding her back. Kidman is especially brilliant when her Suzanne tries so hard to be professional when delivering the weather reports, but ends up sounding silly and amateurish. Kidman is also great during the cocktail scene with the dirty old network executive and his sycophants, because she makes Suzanne sounds so cluelessly stupid. Additionally, I am amazed at how well Kidman mastered the American accent. Joanquin Phoenix rivals Kidman's performance with his portrayal of the dim metalhead Jimmy Emmett, Suzanne's teenage loverboy and husband assasinator. Alison Folland is also superb as the overweight misfit Lydia Mertz, who is dazzled and bewitched by Suzanne. The movie format is that of a series of interviews of the main characters, tied together with continous commentary by Suzanne which turns out to be a video she is making for her interview with a big-time network executive. It is Suzanne's over-inflated ego and delusions of grandeur which renders her blind to evil in herself and in others; she fails to see that the bigwig network executive is a cold-blooded killer like herself. Joyce Maynard, the author, makes an Alfred Hitchcock-like cameo appearance in the film as well. For me, the most chilling part (no pun intended here) was seeing the frozen body of Suzanne underneath the ice in her little coral pink business suit and gold Monet jewelry. One of the most hilarious and telling scenes was the shot of Faye Stone (Suzanne's overshadowed sister) and Janice Maretto as bridesmaids in Suzanne's wedding. As Suzanne's bridal bouquet sails through the air, these two bridesmaids deliberately move away to avoid catching the flowers. Another fun scene was Janice Maretto skating blithely across the pond that has become Suzanne's tomb. She was the perfect character to end the film with, as she was the only one who immediately saw through Suzanne's cutesy facade.