Posted on December 12, 2013. "Some Velvet Morning" is not based on one of his stage productions, as some of his best-known movies have been, but rather feels like a play on film. I think my jaw is still on the floor somewhere. Fred says he's finally left his wife of 24 years for Eve's Velvet (a name we learn is not really hers, and one she detests), a much younger Brit with whom he’d had an affair. Movie review: ‘Some Velvet Morning’ — 2 stars. When the movie begins, these two characters are blank slates that the … LaBute lets his characters reveal themselves in drips and drabs as they get reacquainted and rehash what went wrong in their relationship. What I didn't expect was a GREAT film. It's a slow burn but the tension is undeniable from the start; these two people are definitely not on the same page, and watching the balance of power teeter back and forth between them is riveting. Stanley Tucci and Alice Eve in ‘Some Velvet Morning’ Some Velvet Morning: Mum's the word For once our movie critic manages to keep his trap shut. But when she rejects his attempts to rekindle their romance, … Though LaBute wrote this for the screen, I mistakenly decided that it must have originated onstage... because the oblique, heavily freighted dialogue seems too elegant and artful for a medium dominated by hacks. At his most brutish, he’s misogynistic and crassly forward in his sexual remarks (shocking coming from a LaBute film, right?). Forgot your password? It helps that LaBute has actors as formidable as Tucci and Eve. Some Velvet Morning is the type of film which makes you yell at the screen and get frustrated to the point you want to jump into the movie and do something. Sydney Morning Herald August 4, 2014 The look of Some Velvet Morning remains clean and flat, the decor [is] mostly hotel-room neutral. LaBute has always been fond of the last-second rug-pull that re-contextualizes everything, but Some Velvet Morning’s climactic revelation is distinct from those of his previous films in a specific, intriguing way, one that trades brutality for something more poignant. You can find Christy's writing at ChristyLemire.com. (She’s previously stood out in supporting parts in films including "Starter for 10" and "Star Trek Into Darkness."). You'll want to watch the film again immediately, and it will rattle around in your head for hours. The absolute ending of "Some Velvet Morning" is a stunner, one that is sure to irk and awe viewers in equal measure (I’m in the latter camp). It’s difficult to discuss “ Some Velvet Morning,” the latest movie from Neil LaBute, without giving away too much. Fred (Stanley Tucci) arrives at the doorstep of his beautiful young mistress Velvet (Alice Eve) after four years apart, claiming to have finally left his wife. All rights reserved. Sometimes he’s like a scolding father figure, while at other times he's like a jilted teenager. Did you see ''Some Velvet Morning''? Review: What a strange but we'll made movie which is based around a conversation between 2 people, about there relationship. Some Velvet Morning (470) IMDb 5.8 1h 23min 2013 Stanley Tucci stars as a man who surprises his former mistress (Alice Eve, STAR TREK INTO DARKESS), claiming to have left his wife. She can be brutal as she brandishes hidden secrets like weapons. ET Dec. 26, 2013 Alice Eve and Stanley Tucci in a scene from the film “Some Velvet Morning.” By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy Desire, love? Running time: 83 minutes. and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango. He can be affectionate as well as passive-aggressive. At the City Cinemas Village East, Second Avenue near 12th Street. Neil LaBute’s 1997 debut film In … Sidney Poitier’s 7 Most Memorable Performances, All Harry Potter Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer. If not longer. Copyright © Fandango. 1 out of 5 stars. We are not responsible for its content. I knew before watching 'Some Velvet Morning' that it would be a good film because Stanley Tucci stars. The major visual idea is to have Eve's red dress and lipstick stand out against a monochromatic backdrop: effective in itself, but not enough. That foray into mediocrity with "Lakeview Terrace" and outright oddity with his remake of "The Wicker Man" seems to have been a blip in retrospect. Unsettling and unforgettable Fred arrives at the doorstep of his beautiful young mistress Velvet after four years apart, claiming to have finally left his wife. It features two actors in an enclosed setting—a tastefully decorated New York brownstone—doing nothing but talking in real time over the course of 82 minutes. Time Out says. As they fumble to form a civilized conversation, they misread each other's signals and tell bad jokes that fall flat. Her reverie (and ours) comes to an abrupt end with the arrival of an unexpected visitor at her front door: Tucci’s expensively dressed Fred, an attorney who has shown up unannounced with whatever belongings he could stuff into his suitcases. Now, with “Some Velvet Morning,” we have the cynical, chauvinist, male character back as the lead. Movie Review | ‘Some Velvet Morning’ LCJ Published 12:12 a.m. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! There is a problem with your e-mail address and we are unable to communicate with you. Read full review It features two actors in an enclosed setting—a tastefully decorated New York brownstone—doing nothing but talking in real time over the course of 82 minutes. This is all thanks to an enraging story and performances by both Tucci and Eve which surely get you into their characters quick. This smallest of films marks a welcome return to the world of interpersonal miniature for the writer-director. There is that horrible climax and then the ridiculous twist that makes you go, oh, this was an even bigger waste of time than I already thought it was. Stanley Tucci and Alice Eve waste their time and ours in a dreadful, boring two-hander about a man who leaves his wife for his much younger mistress. Neil LaBute’s latest film, Some Velvet Morning, is a wild and sometimes shocking ride, starring Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) and … But when she rejects his attempts to rekindle their romance, his persistence evolves into obsession, and a dark history between the former lovers comes into focus. These are people who are in love with language; they choose their words carefully for maximum effect and even sprout off into side conversations about the specifics of certain phrasing. I couldn't have been caught more off-guard. The realistic conversation, almost reminiscent of a David Mamet play in style, was not always pretty or comfortable to watch, but seems to be LaBute’s signature. Some Velvet Morning review: Stanley Tucci lacks sexual menace This film, like the song from which it takes its name, involves a man, a woman, and a certain amount of erotic ambiguity. Highly intriguing and verbally thrilling. The twist at the end will be a slap in the face to some and will undoubtedly spawn debates. crucial, and Stanley Tucci and Alice Eve more than rise to the formidable challenge. Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer. LaBute may not be saying anything novel about constricting gender roles and the cynical ways in which we sell ourselves out, but he is saying it in his signature, provocative style. ... Movies Reviews Velvet Morning. Really. Christy reviewed films for The Associated Press for over 14 years. This is by design. But that description makes "Some Velvet Morning" seem uptight, and it’s anything but that. And flirting. LaBute is back to being his black-hearted self once more. That’s good news for fans of his earlier work, like “In the Company of Men” and "The Shape of Things," and bad news for people who like their films filled with hope and redemption. Some might view the end as a cruel prank at the expense of moviegoers while others might consider it a cop-out, but perhaps the point of it all is that we should not rush to judgment when it comes to Mr. LaBute's theater of cruelty. The only reason why I gave this movie a chance was because of Stanley Tucci, who usually makes good movies, and after seeing this film, … LaBute's latest, Some Velvet Morning, was written for the screen, but it might as well be a theatrical exercise. While Some Velvet Morning was not written for the stage, it may as well have been. Please … Some Velvet Morning: Movie review. Movie review Some Velvet Morning. The film might have worked if Fred’s cluelessness were meant to be ironic, and if there were a sense of real give and take between the characters (as there was in the similarly themed Two Girls and a Guy), but Some Velvet Morning is a rigged game—another La Bute monologue disguised as a dialogue. This cliché ridden film is a staggering disappointment: a morally offensive, done-on-the-cheap movie with a lifeless single location. The fact that LaBute shoots their conversations in long, single takes, often from a hallway or another room, adds to the sensation that we're eavesdropping on them. But when she rejects his attempts to rekindle their romance, his persistence evolves into obsession — and a … Lee was aware was of this and later said: “We were accused of doing a lot more than just singing, so we decided well, hell, we might as well play it up.” "Some Velvet Morning" is a song written by Lee Hazlewood and originally recorded by Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra in late 1967. One revelation leads to another, as well as the expected sexual confrontation, but then there's a moment of gentility, of grown-up understanding, and even, well, tenderness of a weird order. Film, Drama. Christy Lemire is a co-host of the YouTube film review show "What the Flick?!" With Some Velvet Morning, LaBute returns to the provocative style that made his name. Now they can finally be together, he insists happily—and whether Velvet actually wants that, or ever wanted that, is at the heart of the debate over the rest of the film. Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password. Some final contextual cues hint that we shouldn't be so sure and suggest that Labute has something to say about ends justifying means. Velvet, meanwhile, is the cool and confident icy blonde in the great Hitchcockian tradition. And eventually getting physical with each other. They play beautifully off each other, even as (or perhaps especially when) they're hurling ugly sentiments back and forth. We can say this: It represents a return to the kind of writing and filmmaking with which Neil LaBute made his name. In such a scenario, the casting and chemistry of the actors are Not rated (language, violence, sex). Her classic good looks and pleasant demeanor suggest a softness to her femininity, but in time she proves she's both quick-witted and quick-tempered. It was subsequently released as a single before appearing on the 1968 album, Nancy & Lee. Eve's constant evolution makes her fascinating to watch, and she more than holds her own opposite the veteran Tucci. by J.R. Jones; Dec 18, 2013 Eventually, pent-up resentments bubble to the surface. Despite the lack of action involved with two people having one long conversation, the film is somehow completely hypnotic. It's a tantalising walk on the dark side and LaBute is the ultimate manipulator: I was enthralled, repulsed and intrigued, often feeling like a voyeur peering into a labyrinth of intimacies. It's all transactional. In all his character's forms, Tucci remains vibrant and unpredictable—intimidating, even, despite his slight stature. LaBute lulls us with a long establishing shot during the opening titles: a slightly blurry overhead look at Eve lounging on a couch in a bright red dress, listening to music on her headphones. Fred alternates between being needy and condescending. It first appeared on Sinatra's album Movin' with Nancy, the soundtrack to her 1967 television special of the same name, which also featured a performance of the song. Fine acting aside, this is a story that should have remained untold. This dark and dismal psychological exercise features two winning performances in a film that warrants excited discussion after its closing frames. Before too long, a dark history between the two has come into focus. If only the journey to that destination were a bit more flavorful. Some Velvet Morning Synopsis. She's also on Twitter @christylemire and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/christy.lemire2. Some Velvet Morning, released in December of 2013, has been described as one the most “fucked-up mainstream movie[s] of the year.” It was written and directed by Neil LaBute and stars Alice Eve and Stanley Tucci. And bickering. He never disappoints. Some Velvet Morning is absorbing and enraging, sure to spark debate both about its meaning and its method. I came away from this malevolent exercise with the sense that these two add up to little more than the sum of their awfulness. and the Terms and Policies, Sign up here. I hope he stays here a while. LaBute wisely lets a lot of individual moments in Some Velvet Morning play out in long takes, giving the actors the time and space to build the scene. Aside from the awkwardness of their first few moments together, Fred and Velvet endure an emotional roller coaster and they drag us along for the ride. The ultimate news source for music, celebrity, entertainment, movies, and current events on the web. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS | Dec 12, 2013 at 1:23 PM . The film received mixed reviews upon release, with Jason Di Rosso from ABC Australia saying that the audience was "treated with utter contempt by the director and his accomplices". More importantly, it’s a phenomenal performance piece, with LaBute capturing the incredible gifts of two masters of pretense. Some Velvet Morning is at best a missed opportunity and mercifully, a short one. Don't have an account? It's pop culture on steroids. Movie reviews: 'Some Velvet Morning,' 'The Crash Reel' By Joe Neumaier. Share Tweet Submit Pin. Wow. The look of Some Velvet Morning remains clean and flat, the decor [is] mostly hotel-room neutral. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here. Some Velvet Morning plays perfectly to the sexual mystique that Hazlewood and Sinatra established. Fred and Velvet’s battle builds to a painful crescendo, but it’s not the last word on their relationship. "Some Velvet Morning" is not based on one of his stage productions, as 1 out of 5 stars. some of his best-known movies have been, but rather feels like a play on film. The trouble with "Some Velvet Morning" is that it’s impossible to discuss why it's so powerful without giving away much about the very revelations and plot twists that help make it so. Anyone game to watch two effortlessly volatile and vulnerable performers trade barbs for 83 minutes ought to give this due consideration. Visions of Friendship: Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin on The Climb, The Lynchian Aspirations of Losing Alice Underwhelm Rather Than Intrigue, CW Reboots Walker but Forgets to Give Him a Personality, Something as Extraordinary as Birth Itself: Kornél Mundruczó and Kata Wéber on Pieces of a Woman. 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