Applause

(2009 d. Martin Zandvliet)

7.5 out of 10

The story may be nothing new (alcoholic actress deals with repercussions of her addiction), but it's the central performance that elevates this movie. This is a one-woman show, a performance showcase for Paprika Steen. Steen is a celebrated Danish actress (check out Open Hearts and Vikaren) and here she's allowed the full expression of her talents.

Cross cutting with her character's stage performance of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, things take on interesting dimensions. It's a famous actress (Steen) playing a famous actress (Thea) playing a character (Martha) who's playing a character (the reformed alcoholic). After getting out of rehab and returning to the stage, her quest becomes regaining custody of her two sons. The tagline is "sometimes life is the hardest performance of all" and that pretty well sums up the movie.

It's fascinating to watch this film as an actor. First of all in just wondering how Steen achieved such a depth to her character. She just felt completely real, without any tricks, and was able to communicate so much inner struggle while outwardly attempting to hide these emotions from those around her. I strongly felt (more than in most films) the bleakness and desperation of her dilemmas and setbacks.

And while it's not like the blurring that happens in Cukor's A Double Life, questions are raised. Does Thea's own alcoholism help her play Martha? Or does living in Martha's world inflame her real-life problems? Are the highs and truths of the acting art really enough to sustain a person for all the hours they aren't in performance? Do some creative people live in a state of higher energy that "normal" people can't possibly sustain? And do people only play characters in life, or is there a true, authentic self existing somewhere that can interact with the world?

Applause