Some Velvet Morning (2013) Reviews

• It's as dark as it is Impressive.

  merqabah2014-07-09

  Lets get this out of the way, its not a very entertaining movie, after all it contains only one location, 2 actors and it draws more from La butte's theater background than film language, this is also an oddity as it is a straight drama(occasional joke aside) unlike Labutte's dark comedies of the past; that said, solid and disturbing dialog, a surprising ending and a powerhouse performance by Stanley Tucci raise this as one of the most interesting films to come out in a while. As said in the summaries, the movie pits a bitter and unstable character played by Stanley Tucci against a woman played by Alice Eve, who seems to hold secrets in both her own life as well as the shared common past between the both of them, and as their conversation prolongs, secrets, bile and nastiness are spread all over the clinical white townhouse. Stanley Tucci, as said previously, steals every scene he is in, while Alice eve plays it more subdued, but then again, her character doesn't have as many grand moments, and she does a magnificent job, especially towards the end of the film. The cinematography and set design fit the movie perfectly, contrasting the neat empty house with the fiery discussion that takes place in it, and while I'm sure it was a deliberate decision, the hand-held camera seems to be operated by someone with Parkinsons disease, there are scenes where it seems to shake and bob all over the place, becoming a bit distracting. The movie may be off putting to many, first of all because the dialog is an exercise in spitefulness and cruelty, which many people will find hard to stomach, secondly at first glance there appears to be a randomness in the plot, which is to be expected as this is a dialog driven film, however this lack of entertainment may drive away some, finally there's THAT ending, some may feel cheated, some will think its one clever piece of cookie, and to say anything about it here would spoil the film in its entirety, Finally, i guarantee you, that if you make it past all the prejudices that could arise from watching something like this, you will find a very original, brilliant and haunting piece of cinema.

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• ... finest performance to date

  bjarias2014-06-10

  ... he's been there, done that time and again.. she is undoubtedly the wonderful surprise in this film. Beautiful and talented.. a very winning combination. It's not a movie that's going to get much mainstream recognition, but there's no doubt, she was absolutely phenomenal, exhibiting just how good an actor she truly is. A fan previously, but she's now amped it up to a new level of commitment. The storyline is as unrealistic as it can get, but you're not clued in until the final moments of the film. It's also a film that will benefit from repeated viewings.. what you might have missed the first time round will impress in added screenings.

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• The battle of the sexes, terse, modern, and unresolved.

  jdesando2013-12-29

  "Some velvet mornin' when I'm straight I'm gonna open up your gate And maybe tell you 'bout Phaedra And how she gave me life And how she made it end." Lee Hazlewood. Writer/director Neil LaBute acknowledges Swedish playwright August Strindberg after the credits of Some Velvet Morning. And well he should, for his Some Velvet Morning has naturalism with touches of Ibsen in an entertaining two hander that barely covers the violent potential of its male, Fred (Stanley Tucci) and female (Alice Eve). The film is contemporary-dialogue driven, and that works swell for me, a word guy. Lee Hazelwood's lyrics, above, sung by Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra in the '70's, suggest that the mythical Phaedra, whom Hippolytus spurned, holds questions to be unanswered about the ballet between the sexes. LaBute's modern romance, albeit she is a prostitute, suggests few answers for lovers are yet to be found even over thousands of years. As in Strindberg's Miss Julia, the sexual play is masked by a restraint that is in check only part way through the film. Fred returns to Velvet after four years expecting her to drop everything for him. The dialogue dance grows intense as it's clear she does not want to resume the relationship. She repeats, "You need to leave, before I get..." as he demands she finish the thought. Hers is largely a reactive role that harks back to times when women were barely heard or seen. Although the intense sexual battle in the film might lead to violence, as it did in the Phaedra legend, restraint holds sway, just as you might expect from attorney Fred and classy call girl Velvet. The verbal violence does not have the high class intonations of, say, Tracey Letts' August: Osage County or the middle class rudeness of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf; it does deftly display the hidden horror of relationships gone bad. LaBute lets his actors suggest the bad blood between former lovers and by extension the dangers of any male-female contests. I hope the film's success does not rest on the surprise ending, which may trivialize an eternal contest between males and females. The hooker- with-a heart of gold motif doesn't apply. This Adam and Eve are in charge of their fates, and it's not pretty.

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• Good acting, dialoge and directing but not very entertaining.

  demetriocoffman2013-12-24

  The movie revolves around two people in a home talking, discussing, arguing, fighting, crying and looking back on their past relationship, that's it seriously. You immediately think to yourself that this would be perfect for a two person play and how did it make it to the big screen. But to seat there in your seat and watch Fred (Stanley Tucci), an attorney behave like some 16 year old and gorgeous Velvet (Alice Eve)have to speak to Fred like a child is almost insulting to your intelligence. As the conversation continues you begin to sense that their relationship is somewhere in the Fatal Attraction category. Fred speaks to Velvet like she is on the witness stand but Velvet is the adult in the room. After a while the conversation is getting old,scary and you wish the thing would just end. Not so fast, the movie ends in a very unique way that will make you take a deep breath and say "You got to be kidding me."

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• Very Pleasantly Surprised with a Unique Independent Film

  matthew-messina2014-05-03

  I found this movie on Amazon, and it sounded pretty interesting, and when I saw a short running time, it made me curious. In my experience, independent movies are either far too long, or the perfect length. Likewise, they vary from pitiful, instantly forgettable, or phenomenal, like most films I guess, however independent movies are even more difficult to analyze as there is little in between. At less than an hour and a half, I knew I wouldn't have that problem. What I watched surprised me even more and was extremely impressive. Only two characters throughout the entire film, in one location. This is an extremely difficult task for any filmmaker, but as opposed to others with similar types of settings, this took place in real-time, even more difficult. Alice Eve delivers another brilliant performance, who I hope will get some more starring mainstream roles soon. I loved her in She's Out of My League, and she has done a string of indies, all of which she was impressive. This film will certainly help her career. Stanley Tucci was, for lack of a better word, Stanley Tucci. Always spot on, and will always add extra depth to whatever character he is playing. What I loved about this film was the on-going back-and-forth between the two. There is a deep history between the characters, with anger growing between both, and a history of problems. What made this so interesting, is that it is never actually stated what the issues are, but the viewer completely understands the complexities of both characters. I was riveted to see what was going to happen with the facts given, and those not given explicitly. The ending is perfectly executed. I thought I guessed the surprise ending, and I was right...right up until the second shocker came and my mouth was dropped wide open. This film will stick with you. It is a great watch, and a short film, which makes it all the more satisfying. I hope this can get some more play and some buzz about it. It is certainly deserving.

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