Savage Grace

It was Sunday afternoon and blazing hot here in New York City. Ducking into a well air-conditioned theatre seemed like the way to go.

I knew practically nothing about the Barbara Daly Baekeland murder case when I entered the theatre. It happened in ’72; I was only 11 at the time.

What I knew I got from the poster in the theatre window. It was a high society murder, and the son stabbed her to death.

Julianne Moore is Barbara Daly Baekeland, a woman who married out of her class. Eddie Redmayne plays the grown-up version of son Tony.

Both have incredible anger issues, yet spend a good portion of the movie gliding aorund being very fashionable.

The pace and cinematography remind of the 1971 film Death in Venice.

Without a doubt all of us sitting in the theatre were anxiously awaiting the murder. The murder scene is almost anti-climatic, when compared to the decadence before.

I don’t do spoilers, but if you are easily disturbed please read a bit about the case before buying your ticket.