Surrender, Dorothy (2006)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: B- Feature: C+
Diane Keaton has been playing all kinds of victims
lately. I thought she had done about
all she could in The Family Stone, reviewed elsewhere on this site, but
here she is again in Charles McDougall’s drama Surrender, Dorothy. Though this was shot for TV, it seems the
idea it would be a theatrical release was toyed with, but it ultimately landed
up a telefilm and Sony Pictures Television now has it on DVD.
Keaton is Natalie Swedlow, a loving mother who keeps in
touch with her young daughter Sara (Alexa Davalos) by saying the title of the
film as a calling card. They were fans
of the 1939 Wizard Of Oz (which has too much baggage of its own outside
of the film to go into here, including sexuality and socio-economic politics)
and that is a topper to their loving relationship. When one of them suddenly dies, it is a disaster emotionally for
the survivor.
Though the film has some predictable, typical moments, but
Keaton carries through enough to make this more watchable than expected
reminding us of a time when TV movies always had heart and soul. That started to disappear in the early
1980s, but Keaton is better actress than that and she suddenly exceeds her star
persona when the script needs it most.
I was still somewhat unsatisfied overall, but Surrender, Dorothy
is worth a look if this is your kind of material.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image was shot in
Super 16mm film (500 speed) by the great cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, but
is soft and grainy in a strange way that this critic strongly believes has
nothing to do with how he shot the footage.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is fine for the music in the surrounds, but the
dialogue sounds too compressed by comparison.
Extras include two audio commentary tracks with the director joined by
Keaton and Zsigmond, as well as previews for other Sony TV on DVD
releases. Film fans will want to hear
the Zsigmond commentary and though it is not up to what he offered on the great
Deer Hunter set, reviewed elsewhere on this site, it has its moments.
McDougall is a director on the rise, turning in competent
work on series like Cracker, Queer As Folk, Wonderland, Sex
& The City, Desperate Housewives and the noted telefilm (reviewed
on this site) Call Me: The Rise & Fall Of Heidi Fleiss. His work here is noticeably good and we look
forward to see his next features.
- Nicholas Sheffo
