Fuzzy Freaks

Once again, I am probably part of a handful of people who has actually seen this film in the theatre but it was one I couldn’t resist. The film that wetted my appetite this time was Steven Shainberg’s follow up to Secretary namely, Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus.

Diane Arbus was an American photographer known best for her portraits
depicting outsiders such as transvestites, dwarves, giants, prostitutes and ordinary citizens in poses and settings conveying a disturbing uncanniness. Her choice of black and white only enhanced their documentary feel. She committed suicide at the height of her career.

Set in 1950ies New York, Diane (Nicole Kidman) is living in her husband’s shadow as his assistant while he embarks on a career as fashion photographer. She is being suffocated not only by her job but also by her strict upbringing. From the window of her lonely Uptown apartment, she locks eyes with a masked figure on the street, a mysterious new neighbour (Robert Downey Jr.). Drawn to the man who intrigues her and determined to take his photograph, Diane ventures to his apartment and embarks on a journey that will unlock her deepest secrets and awaken her remarkable artistic genius, launching Diane on her path to becoming the artist she is meant to be.

Fur is an exceptionally beautiful film paying a well deserved tribute to one of the mysterious, enigmatic, and frighteningly bold artists of the 20th century. The film is rather slow moving and would normally irritate me but compensates this by painting an incredibly accurate and atmospheric portrait of the fifties which was so mesmerizing that it was able to finally convince me that setting actually matters. Shainberg has an eye for detail as he once again audaciously walks a fine line between ridicule and reality in creating a balance between the wonderfully surreal and the blatant absurd.

Nicole Kidman, who has at least one annual dabble in the art house scene gives a brave and touching performance as woman who is torn between her life and her passions. Robert Downey Jr on the other hand is delightfully playful (as always) as he weaves a web of mystery around his beastly being while driving the tension to the limit.

The surroundings and vibe were a true work of art combined with incredibly bold performances and an unusual story that contained a few strangely endearing scenes (shaving has never been so erotic!) which once again have convinced me of the genius of Shainberg.

Fur explores an unlikely romance that leads Arbus into a strange new world, sparking her evolution into one of the most provocative and visionary photographers of all time.