MOVIE REVIEW: “Factory Girl”
“Factory Girl” (2006)
Directed by: George Hickenlooper
Writer (story): Aaron Richard Golub
Writer (screenplay) (story): Captain Mauzner
Writer (story): Simon Monjack
Cinematography: Michael Grady
Starring: Guy Pearce, Sienna Miller
**** out of a possible 4 Stars
A brilliant hard-edged film about a brilliant hard-edged era. This film completely captures the essence of the Warhol world of the mid 1960’s in New York. The choice of the 1960’s rock and roll sets exactly the right mood.
Sienna Miller, playing Edie in the first few scenes into the film, is seen running through oncoming traffic in the streets of New York, her own voice over describing an encounter with a palm reader who froze upon seeing Edie’s hand. Edie looks up from her outstretched hand and says, “ I know my life is broken. I won’t live past 30.”
Edie Sedgewick was born into a very traditional blue blood family. One of her forebears was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Others of her family were building New York before it became New York.
After you see George Hickenlooper’s “Factory Girl,” grab a copy of Jean Stein’s Edie, An American Biography, edited by George Plimpton in 1982. It has been almost 25 years since I read it myself. I do remember it as a riveting, anxious, insane tale of the Warhol world, which was the center of the universe at that time. Any alternative to that statement is a lie! George Hickenlooper completely gets it.
Sienna Miller is fantastic and believable as is Guy Pearce playing Andy.
Edie actually becomes the central spotlight personality of Andy’s films. She appears in or (stars) in “Kitchen,” 1965, “Beauty part II,” 1965, “Poor Little Rich Girl,” “Lulu,” and post Andy, “Ciao Manhattan.” Edie was on the scene in Paris, New York, Philadelphia, and ultra quickly became “The American Pop Girl” of 1965. In describing Edie, Andy gave the world the new phrase, “superstar.”
Lending heavily into the authenticity created by this film is the use of black and white footage, intercut with color footage, sometimes reminiscent of Andy’s paintings, at other times replicating footage of Andy’s films and then all edited flawlessly. Look out Peckinpaw!
One of the most captivating and powerful scenes is when Edie brings her new love and mentor Bobby Neuwirth to the Factory to meet Andy. The tension between the two is loud and subtle. Edie has already been in several Warhol films and wants, with all her soul, for Bobby to become a part of this, her identity.
Andy, sensing all of this, yet emotionally distant, as always, awkwardly tries to engage Bobby into making a movie. Bobby sees right through this. He recognizes Andy’s manipulative process. He isn’t taken in. Later he tries to tell Edie how Andy uses people, consumes them, goes through them.
I could go on and on. I have a personal history with some of these people and New York beginning in 1966. I’ll vouch for the authenticity of this film—I was there. Thank you to Harvey and Bob Wienstein for putting your money and faith into this project. “You’re the boss, Applesauce.”
