Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Rubia Carolina .

  
  "Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus" could easily be a modern "Beauty and the Beast" directed by Tim Burton. I have to say that the beast is not that bad; he actually looks like a cute dog, maybe a Cocker Spaniel. But the fact is that, in this case, David… More
  "Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus" could easily be a modern "Beauty and the Beast" directed by Tim Burton. I have to say that the beast is not that bad; he actually looks like a cute dog, maybe a Cocker Spaniel. But the fact is that, in this case, David Lynch could fit better with the Arbus's work. Don't get me wrong, the movie is directed by Steven Shainberg, the same director of "Secretary". Not having seen Secretary yet, my interest was totally in Diane Arbus. Even knowing it was "an imaginary portrait", I expected something more biographical and maybe more faithful to the image I have of Arbus. Her photos can lead us to such a portrait, but knowing a bit about her we know she was not "one of us"*, but was more to a nice intruder. (Susan Sontag talks about it in "On Photograph"). Also, Nicole Kidman's Diane, and this is not her fault, could be both a model of Allan's ads or Arbus's strange photos, not mentioning that she seems a contemporay version of her previous Viginia Woolf. The film is not bad but it ends up resuming Diane Arbus into a fetishist herself and tries to explain her work by her supposed inner freak. But don't take me that seriously. "Fur" can be a good watch, specially if you like fantasy genre. *Freaks, directed by Tod Browning. <br> <br>

• Randy T

  
  "You see someone on the street, and essentially what you notice about them is the flaw." -Diane Arbus A provocative tribute to misunderstood genius, <i>Fur</i> is one part biography and two parts fairy tale. Ominous yet oddly endearing.

• Jim H

  
  The title cards before the film warn that this is not an historical biography, but I don't think that disclaimer releases the filmmakers from somehow connecting the main plot points to Arbus's art or artistic mission. What specifically attracts Arbus to the… More
  The title cards before the film warn that this is not an historical biography, but I don't think that disclaimer releases the filmmakers from somehow connecting the main plot points to Arbus's art or artistic mission. What specifically attracts Arbus to the "freaks" she photographs? And what is the connection between these subjects and her trip to the nudist colony, which frames the film? Additionally, the film offers a half-hearted criticism of how women were treated in the fifties, and of course, the criticism is warranted. But the "patriarchal" husband is certainly more supportive than William H. Macy's character in Pleasantville ("Where's my dinner?"). I might have missed something (because the DVD skipped in the middle of the film), but from the best that I could tell, Allan Arbus was not terribly oppressive. So, at the film's conclusion, Kidman's character doesn't earn our sympathy, and the tribute to her estranged husband at the end falls flat. Overall, the performances were good. Perhaps it's my ignorance of Arbus's work, but the film does nothing to connect a very basic story to an "extraordinary" artist.

• Wahida K

  
  Brilliant Movie that makes you think after watching it.

• Film C

  
  Its a pretty weird and quite a surreal film to be honest im not to shore wot to make of it and it takes talent for a film to leave you speechless coz you dont know whether its good in between or crap this movie is purely about emtions and feelings and is quite good in the way it… More
  Its a pretty weird and quite a surreal film to be honest im not to shore wot to make of it and it takes talent for a film to leave you speechless coz you dont know whether its good in between or crap this movie is purely about emtions and feelings and is quite good in the way it captures that but nicole kidman plays a character who seriuosly has a weird fetish about strange people ! Its a movie that if you dont like slow not very much going on and to lovey dovey movies then you'll seriously hate this movie!

• Elvira B

  
  Diane Arbus is a fascinating artist. A single one of her photographs can awaken and excite dozens of feelings, questions, curiosities going in all different directions. I remember seeing some of her photographs at the pompidou a while ago without even having heard her name ever… More
  Diane Arbus is a fascinating artist. A single one of her photographs can awaken and excite dozens of feelings, questions, curiosities going in all different directions. I remember seeing some of her photographs at the pompidou a while ago without even having heard her name ever before, and being very intrigued by them. Obviously, the writers of Fur understood the enigmatic character that permeates Arbus's work and came up with this <i>imaginary</i> biopic. This is a fictional account of how Diane went from being a dissatisfied, restless housewife and assistant of her husband's photostudio, to an independent, bold artist. Die-hard fans of Arbus can either love or detest this idea. Personally, and in a very psychodynamic attitude of mine, I prefer to think of this all as a metaphor of an internal transgression of hers. I think it's evident that she, at some point, had to take a step to break free of convention and into the lifestyle that would become her signature. A mysterious man moves into Diane's building, where she and her husband not only live but have a commercial photography studio. Diane is immediately intrigued by this individual. Her repressed tendencies towards the seedy and the <i>freak</i>y begin to surface. When she finally finds the courage to meet him, and surrenders to the pleasure of being frightened, she begins to change, to experiment, and surround herself with people and environments that make her happy, but which prove scary to her family, and of which they all disapprove. I can't say much for Nicole Kidman. She plays in the same, generic soft spoken way that has become her habit. A few inspired moments are not entirely her responsibility, they just happen to fit into her mold. When, of course, she should adapt herself to the script. Robert Downey Jr. plays the mysterious neighbor: a character that could've been, and to a lot of people is, ridiculous. The fact that he actually gave a good performance, being both charming and obscene, through a cape of fur is admirable and it's one of the things I enjoyed the most about the film. The art direction, the cinematography, and the director's slow, contemplative pace benefited the film tremendously. I think the filmmakers had the necessary awareness of Diane Arbus's meticulous cool approach to translate it onscreen. The hushed, understated soundtrack, the warm/cold palette and careful composition also add visual charm that may, at times, make up for weak points of a story that lacks credibility (although we ought to expect that, since this is an imaginary portrait) and a strong lead performance. I have seen Fur more than once and not because of Diane Arbus, but because of these outstanding visuals. Fur was never going to be a commercial success. It wasn't. The director should've foreseen this and refrained from casting Nicole Kidman -assuming he did it to give his film more publicity and increase the sales-. A more versatile actress than Kidman, which could have been basically anyone, would've given this movie, maybe, the extra strength it needs. Unfortunately, without that push, Fur borders on mediocrity. Unless you are visually enamored with it like I was, or unless you find something in the fairy tale to hook you, you might be disappointed. Still, I think, it meant well, and as an exercise it's intereting enough.

• Red L

  
  It is interesting reading other's reviews for Fur. People pan the fact that this movie may have nothing to do with Diane Arbus, or that it was boring or bizarre. I prefer to see it as the beginning of Diane's career as a photographer. During this movie she changes from… More
  It is interesting reading other's reviews for Fur. People pan the fact that this movie may have nothing to do with Diane Arbus, or that it was boring or bizarre. I prefer to see it as the beginning of Diane's career as a photographer. During this movie she changes from being her husband's assistant to a member and photographer of New York's "freaks". Perhaps she is drawn into this interest because her neighbour happens to be a little strange.

• Dean M

  
  Bold, experimental and often confronting piece of work. Nicole and Robert Downey Jr. do nice performances in this drama film.

• Curtis L

  
  Oh goodness. Save yourselfs from this film. "Diane Arbus" (not at all) aka nicole kidman plays a freak who leaves her husband for a wolf man, and when he dies she wears his hair suit and breathes his last dying breaths. This writter is sick. I like weird stuff, but this… More
  Oh goodness. Save yourselfs from this film. "Diane Arbus" (not at all) aka nicole kidman plays a freak who leaves her husband for a wolf man, and when he dies she wears his hair suit and breathes his last dying breaths. This writter is sick. I like weird stuff, but this is like 'masturbate with poopy bum underwear' sick.

• William D

  
  [size=3]"Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus" is a stunningly unique film. I can honestly say that there's never been a film like it.[/size] [size=3][img]http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2006-12-21/movie_reviews4-1.jpg[/img][/size] [size=3]It's not a… More
  [size=3]"Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus" is a stunningly unique film. I can honestly say that there's never been a film like it.[/size] [size=3][img]http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2006-12-21/movie_reviews4-1.jpg[/img][/size] [size=3]It's not a singular triumph. There are serious flaws. But there are also transcendent moments. Its mission is to try to use the distinctive paintbrush of cinema to draw a picture of the inspiration and skewed viewpoint of a serious artist. How glorious to find a film that even knows what a serious artist is. [/size] [size=3]In a culture that considers "The Departed" and "Little Miss Sunshine" the most significant artistic achievements in cinema in 2006, I suppose one can't be surprised that an astonishingly original work of art like "Fur" would be greeted with bafflement and derision. (The film has a 30% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.)[/size] [img]http://cdn.channel.aol.com/pmms/productpagemovies/0e/06/2183161[/img] [size=3]What's thrilling about the film is that not only is it a work of art, it also refuses to imitate artwork that came before it. This is very daring. Originality is hated by most humans, it seems to me. It triggers what appears to be a subconscious fear response. So artists have to weave some familiar formulas into their work to soften the blow -- to counteract some of the originality. This usually comes in the form of imitation. Im[/size][size=3]itate something that was radical in its day but has come to be accepted, that way the more fearful in the audience can be put at ease because they recognize something. Give them something familiar to hold onto.[/size] [size=3]To my astonished delight, "Fur" makes no such concessions. Its bravery is unsurpassed. Director [b]Steven Shainberg[/b] (who also directed "Secretary") deserves some kind of national medal of honor for artistic courage. So does actress [b]Nicole Kidman[/b].[/size] [size=3][img]http://images.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2006/11/10/fur/story.jpg[/img][/size] [size=3]The only artistic progenitor that I could see Shainberg influenced by would be David Lynch. There are numerous long hallways, quiet passages with no dialogue, strange set design and other Lynchian tropes. But these are subtle. The film so much has its own voice and style that it took me a while to notice that there was a hint of Lynchianism.[/size] [size=3]The film is about legendary American photographer Diane Arbus, who occupies an odd place in the pantheon. First of all, she was female. Second, she was a photographer. And third, she is, paradoxically, both lionized and unknown. Anyone who knows anything about art would recognize her name. But I don't think many have seen her work. I'm actually a perfect example. I have known of her for years and associate her name with heavyweights like Henri Matisse and Jackson Pollock. But I can't conjure up in my mind's eye any of her photographs. This unusual quality makes the film even more interesting.[/size] [size=3]Arbus is presented as having had an artistic impulse from birth. There's a staggering scene of her as a girl, coming upon a dead body while walking with her mother in Central Park. Her mother shields her eyes, but Diane is touched by the experience somehow. When she returns home, 10-year-old Diane goes out her bedroom window and stands on the ledge about 20 flights up. Frozen in fear, she whispers to herself: "Be brave. Be brave." Hardly the kind of thing the average 10-year-old does![/size] [size=3]But Diane cowers in the face of her aristocratic family's brow-beating and doesn't even try her hand at art until her photographer husband encourages her over and over. Even then, it takes a new neighbor (played by [b]Robert Downey Jr[/b].) to really inspire her. Downey's character has a major genetic flaw: long hair grows on every surface of his body. When he goes out, he has to wear a mask. [/size] [size=3]His "freakishness" somehow awakens Diane's artistic spirit. It helps that she also falls in love with him. Pretty soon, she's taking photographs of his friends, who all seem to work in sideshows but who have very deep inner lives, presumably in response to their complete social marginalization.[/size] [size=3]Nicole Kidman does a very good job in this role. There aren't many actresses who could pull this off. But I wouldn't say her performance is great. There's just a little something missing, it felt to me. But this is still an important achievement. I'm very impressed that Kidman continues to lend her star power and considerable acting abilities to the handful of directors who are genuinely trying to advance the cinematic art form. With films like "Dogville," "Birth," and now "Fur," Kidman has participated in radical new forms of cinematic story-telling. [/size] [size=3]I would even venture to guess that these films might not have gotten made had she not agreed to star in them. Or if they had been made, I'm sure that without her they wouldn't have gotten the kind of distribution they received. In this sense, I think Kidman has become an artistic mover and shaker in the last 10 years.[/size] [size=3]Downey does a good job. But there was something juvenile and awkward in his performance, I felt. I didn't see much heartbreak in his eyes either, and I think I was meant to. Bill Nighy might have brought more to this role. Nighy showed in "Pirates 3" that he can transmit oceans of feeling while covered in a full-face mask. Downey, who wears a mask through almost all of "Fur," doesn't have such skill. Or at least he doesn't show it here.[/size] [size=3]Despite these drawbacks, "Fur" is a must-see for anyone who seriously cares about the state of the cinematic art form in the United States.[/size] [size=3][/size] [size=3][A biographical tidbit about Arbus that I found out after seeing the film: Her major period of creativity was the 1960s. She killed herself in 1971 in NYC.][/size] [size=3][/size] [size=3][/size] [size=3][/size]

• Walter M

  
  [font=Century Gothic]In "Fur," Diane Arbus(Nicole Kidman) is living in New York City in 1958 as the daughter of wealthy parents(Jane Alexander & Harris Yulin), wife of Allan Arbus(Ty Burrell), a photographer who owns his own studio, and mother of two girls,… More
  [font=Century Gothic]In "Fur," Diane Arbus(Nicole Kidman) is living in New York City in 1958 as the daughter of wealthy parents(Jane Alexander & Harris Yulin), wife of Allan Arbus(Ty Burrell), a photographer who owns his own studio, and mother of two girls, Sophie(Genevieve McCarthy) and Grace(Emmy Clarke). Her husband had given her a camera but she has not used it until a mysterious masked man, Lionel(Robert Downey Jr.), moves into her building. He catches her attention by clogging the pipes and sending down a key.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Fur" is a strangely intoxicating and erotic movie that features a very dignified performance from Robert Downey Jr. It certainly helps that Nicole Kidman manages to give a quality performance for once...and that brings me to one of the main themes of the movie which is to always be as open minded as possible. But it is hard in 1958 when a near rigid conformity is in place as almost all of the men have short hair and are clean shaven.(Well, unless you're in Cuba...) Diane is uniquely open to Lionel introducing her to a new world and everybody needs somebody like that.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]The movie serves as an imagined origin story(mind the geekiness) for renowned photographer Diane Arbus(1923-1971). I did not know that much about her art going in but I am definitely curious now. What I can see from the film is that she was very much interested in the natural, everyday bodies that none of us should be ashamed of. At the beginning of the film, Diane has no confidence in her own body as she is about to enter a nudist colony where the naked body is on display in all of its varieties and nobody gives it a second thought.(How very mature.) Compare that scene to the posed and falsely smiling models that her husband photographs for popular magazines. Also the movie makes a point of death being perfectly natural but not people wearing furs.(This is about the only time I will agree with animal rights activists.) [/font]

• William G

  
  A peculiar movie about peculiar people.

• Marion R

  
  Just didn't get the point. I thought this film was going to be about her work and life, but the film takes place before she even got started.

• Remi L

  
  I only watched it because of Robert Downey Jr. I just don't understand why Nicole Kidman is so famous and considered beautiful. She seems pretty ordinary to me.

• Sunil J

  
  A visual mindfuck. I had to stop.

• Stefan P

  
  Amazing movie. An odd and intelligent story with incredible depth. Nicole Kidman fits perfectly for the role as Diane Arbus and performs outstanding. Every facial expression seems flawless and genuinly real, I can't remember when I last got so moved by a character. Visually… More
  Amazing movie. An odd and intelligent story with incredible depth. Nicole Kidman fits perfectly for the role as Diane Arbus and performs outstanding. Every facial expression seems flawless and genuinly real, I can't remember when I last got so moved by a character. Visually stunning and I like how they portrayed feelings and thoughts. Instead of spelling it out load they give the viewers some credit by making it with subtle visual clues. Highly recommended if you like innovative, tense and character-based stories!

• David S

  
  A film that no-one seems to have heard of but that deserves to be seen. Excellent performances from Kidman and (especially) Downey Jnr. The film celebrates the photographer Diane Arbus with an imaginary tale of her life which includes many surreal elements and images that might not be… More
  A film that no-one seems to have heard of but that deserves to be seen. Excellent performances from Kidman and (especially) Downey Jnr. The film celebrates the photographer Diane Arbus with an imaginary tale of her life which includes many surreal elements and images that might not be to everyones taste but if you love art and films that defy the conventional then this a great story that pulls an emotional punch with the central couple.

• Linda K

  
  Without a doubt, it is a bizarre film from beginning to end, but it is beautifully done. Nicole Kidman is always at her best and Robert Downey Jr is eccentric as always. I recommend the film especially if you like photography.

• Robert F

  
  Not everything "Our Nic" has done lately has been bad (see: The Golden Compass). Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus is one of the strangest films I've seen in quite a while - meaning it was GREAT. The acting was superb all around. The music was perfect too. Stick… More
  Not everything "Our Nic" has done lately has been bad (see: The Golden Compass). Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus is one of the strangest films I've seen in quite a while - meaning it was GREAT. The acting was superb all around. The music was perfect too. Stick to indie films, Nicole - I like you in them so much more.

• FanGirl B

  
  A film that centers around a wolfman and a budding photographer, you know it's going to be weird and in a good way.

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