SWIMMING POOL

Glamming Down

In François Ozon's Swimming Pool, Sarah (Charlotte Rampling), is a writer whose editor/lover encourages her to vacation at his French country home.

Film Review by Hariette Surovell

In François Ozon's Swimming Pool, Sarah (Charlotte Rampling), is a writer whose editor/lover encourages her to vacation at his French country home. His daughter Julie (Ludvigne Sagnier) soon shows up and thus begins the Chabrol-esque thrill-fest... unnerving, hypnotic, surreal, maddening and confusing. And startling, too, because Rampling, one of the silver screen's most elegant beauties, whose rare film appearances are breathlessly awaited, plays completely against type. Wearing expensive but masculine clothing, with an unflattering cropped haircut, her prudish admonitions to Julie enhance a school-marm'ish air. Julie, in her 20's, is blonde, voluptuous, tanned, promiscuous and exhibitionistic. She suns her bare breasts by the swimming pool by day, and parties with strange men at night.

Rampling earns special admiration. It is unusual for an actress to willingly downplay her beauty and sexuality in deference to a younger model-to "glam down".

Rosanna Arquette's documentary, Searching for Debra Winger (currently showing on American television), focusses on actresses complaining that they cannot get roles unless they try to artificially prevent aging through plastic surgery, botox injections and enforced anorexia.

But while these complaints are valid, I admire the true thespian who has the guts to "glam down".

Katharine Hepburn constantly glammed up or down depending on the role. She could be a debutante or a missionary's sister.
Bette Davis had the same quality as Hepburn, but she was downright homely in Elizabeth the Queen. Both she and Joan Crawford zestfully emphasized their sagging facial features in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?.

Teams of makeup artists were employed to make lovely Olivia de Haviland "plain" and "drab" in The Heiress... and she won an Oscar for her cooperation in glamming way down.

Ultra-glam girl Faye Dunaway was shabby and mousey as an alcoholic in Barfly. Meryl Streep was an even more repulsive drunk in Ironweed.

In the award-winning television movie, beautiful Judy Davis, playing the adult Judy Garland, eerily transforms into a balding, crepe-necked, exhausted drug addict.

Mia Farrow rarely plays it glam. Her performances in Rosemary's Baby and Radio Days were enchanting-her coiffeur and couture were not.

True thespians would do well to remember the ferocity of Gloria Swanson's performance in the mega-classic Sunset Boulevard. Former superstar Swanson had once been an astonishing beauty, herself "adored by maharajahs". What passion and bravery it took for her to essentially play herself by playing aged "imaginary" forgotten star Norma Desmond.

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