FACTORY GIRL
CAROLINE: We’ve just seen “Factory Girl,” and the moral of the story is: Drugs are bad.
RYAN: The official subtitle should be “The Life and Hard Times of Kyra Sedgwick.”
CAROLINE: That’s Edie to you. I have to say, I enjoyed this movie. I really wasn’t expecting to, so perhaps that’s why – maybe I had lowered my expectations. But it’s not so much a movie as it is a look at the rise and fall of an ingénue. And that was fine with me.
RYAN: This is a terrific period piece. It’s a great glimpse into the era of the mid-to-late ‘60s.
CAROLINE: Totally! They did such a great job capturing the ‘60s, especially with the costumes and Sienna Miller’s fabulous eye make-up.
RYAN: And all the performances were really good.
CAROLINE: Hayden Christensen is taking a beating from the critics for his performance, but he’s ok. He’s probably not quite as good as the others. But Guy Pearce is amazing.
RYAN: Guy Pearce is freakishly skinny. Like, gaunt. He was great, but a little one-note.
CAROLINE: But I loved his sing-songy voice.
RYAN: Yes, but it was kind of how Helen Mirren was in “The Queen.” Once he got the voice down, he said every line in the same way.
CAROLINE: Fair enough. And who knew Sienna Miller could do an American accent?
RYAN: I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but Sienna won me over. She was fantastic, and almost nomination-worthy in this film.
CAROLINE: I’m not gonna argue with you on that. She captured the spirit of the character really well. Maybe she was high for the entire filming of the movie.
RYAN: That could be. And rumors are abounding that in the love scene with her and Hayden Christensen, they’re actually doing it.
CAROLINE: One never knows.
RYAN: I liked seeing Mena Suvari in this movie.
CAROLINE: We haven’t seen her in a while.
RYAN: And Illeana Douglas.
CAROLINE: And blink-and-you’ll-miss-her Mary-Kate Olsen.
RYAN: Ha, that’s right. She’s reportedly in the background of one scene.
CAROLINE: No, she is there. She had a part in the movie but they cut all her scenes. Now it’s just a cameo. Sorry, M-K.
RYAN: What does that tell you about her acting chops?
CAROLINE: Ha. Bottom line?
RYAN: It’s a fine film. It’s entertaining and dramatic. And ultimately, Edie Sedgwick’s story is pathetic.
CAROLINE: It’s really fun to see the superficiality of her friendship with Andy Warhol, and how desperately she just wanted to be “someone.” And she got to be someone – but with the worst possible demise.
RYAN: And if your life is all about drugs and sex, you’ll totally relate to this movie.