Natalie Portman is over the top in this controversial film about tragedy and fame that we alternately loved and hated. It starts with a horrifying school shooting in 1999. A young girl and her sister see their fellow students murdered before their eyes in their own classroom. Celeste is shot, but the sisters survive.
Award winning writer/director Brady Corbet has the first half of the film to cover the next 17 years showing how the horrifying incident changed the lives of Celeste (Raffey Cassidy), and her sister, Eleanor (Stacy Martin). Corbet organizes the plot into “Acts” using Willem Dafoe as his slightly sneering narrator. The sisters slowly become known for writing and singing songs of hope around the tragedy. Even at her age, Celeste sees this horror and grief as the chance of a lifetime. They perform, then record their songs. Celeste becomes a superstar. Fast forward to the girls grown up.
Now a pop star icon guided by one very sleazy manager, (Jude Law) Celeste is deep into the decadence of fame in the music business. She’s never seen without wearing the signature chokers that cover her scars from the shooting which is a constant reminder of her victimhood. It’s also part of the affectation that infects Portman’s performance. As we watch her character descend deeper into looney, exaggerated tirades, we wonder if Portman lost her way acting this role, and Director Corbet didn’t know how reign her in.
Celeste is resentful of the public life she now leads. Portman plays this role totally unhinged, yelling and screaming in a very broad Staten Island accent, which feels more cartoonish than authentic. That adds to the madness. Her portrayal of Celeste gets crazier and crazier. When we first see Portman as adult Celeste, she is already messed up. And she has a teen daughter, Albertine played by Raffey Cassidy, unusual casting in a dual role. Cassidy does commendable as both characters. Playing young Celeste and then as her daughter, Cassidy creates such distinctly separate characters, it will takes you awhile to realize they are the same actress.
Watch our interview with Natalie Portman and Writer/Director Brady Corbet talking about her prep for the film and his using Cassidy for both roles.
Portman’s pop-star diva bad behavior doesn’t present Celeste well as a shining example of motherhood or any hood. Her dealings with the press are strident and out of control. She becomes the lead in her own theater of the absurd. And her Manager doesn’t do much to stop it because he’s just as fried. Jude Law’s slack, oily Manager is not intense, loving or evil enough to make us care anything about him. His only job is to get his paycheck, Celeste, up on stage. With all that she’s going through, it’s a miracle she even makes it to the stage.
Everything points toward the climactic concert. Corbet does what few, if any directors have done in a music themed feature. The last 15 minutes of the film is Celeste’s full diva performance. Natalie Portman channels all of Celeste’s manic craziness into this original music dancing (choreographed by Portman’s husband, Benjamin Millepied) and singing (for the first time) with drive and energy that is explosive. This is where Celeste seems more comfortable and alive.
Portman is able to carry off the outrageous leather rockabilly outfit that morphs into the glittering silver bodysuit. The glitzy, rhinestone-heavy make-up is curiously reminiscent of Black Swan. Looking at Natalie Portman’s history, her triumphs (Black Swan, Jackie) are generated by great direction. But Brady Corbet has put too many issues into the bag including the troubling element of international terrorism that obliquely relates during the concert.
The entire film rests on Natalie Portman. There’s no question about her commitment to this role, but we think that it’s too over the top and becomes tedious, especially with it’s abrupt end which left us in stunned silence. This will not go down as her greatest film role, nor as her worst. In Latin Vox Lux means voice of light. This movie, however, is very dark.
