In 1971 Diane Arbus committed suicide at the age of 48. She took a drug overdose and slit her wrists. Arbus was one of America’s greatest photographers and was famous for her shots of dwarfs, giants and nudists. She was responsible for exhibiting the splendour of these much maligned members of society.
Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus is a dislocated and unconventional biopic set in 1958. "Imaginary" is the operative word here. I learnt very little about Diane’s life or art from watching this film.
Director Steven Shainberg (of Secretary fame) together with his writing partner Erin Wilson decided to focus on the moment in Diane’s life when domesticity is abandoned for art. They invent what they imagine were the events leading up to Arbus taking her first photograph.
The catalyst for Diane’s’ change is her introduction to the character of Lionel; a hairy masked man who moves in upstairs. He is a metaphor for Diane discovering the beast within herself and those around her. And Robert Downey Junior brings to the role, tenderness and the right touch of black humour.
Shainberg’s first choice for Diane was Nicole Kidman. He knew she could hit the required emotional notes. But for me, this 'imagined portrait" was a cold and selfish interpretation that left no room for empathy.
The film is shot beautifully, like a series of portraits. Almost as though Shainberg is hinting at the type of work Arbus was bound to do, but on the whole, the film left me frustrated. I just thought it was at times pretentious and doing the audience a disservice in being so obscure.
Diane Arbus was such a great artist and a fascinating woman that I really wanted some details of her real, not imaginary, life.
There were beautiful moments but on the whole I wanted so much more: 2.5 stars.
