Far From Heaven (DVD)

Remember all the TV shows and movies that came out of the US in the late 1950's? Back then, there were many about "perfect" families, and even some about not-so perfect families. But for some reason, when one of those families were in the latter category, they were always portrayed as lovably funny, cutely bumbling or adorably confused - all making silly mistakes that got them into laughable situations. Showing a family with the type of real-life problems and dilemmas that couldn't be solved with a nice cup of tea or a simple withering look from a parent followed by a sincere apology from the child and then hugs all around, just wasn't done. In Todd Haynes' ...

Below the lovely autumnal colours of the trees surrounding her home, the incredibly well coutured and made-up figure of Cathy Whitaker lives a seemingly perfect life. Her husband Frank is high up and busy in the world of a company making and selling those new television set things (this is the 1950s, of course). Her daughter is a young dancer and has the knack of saying a perfectly decent compliment to her Mummy at the right time. And her son, well, he's just a tiny bit late in helping the home help (with her one, immaculate dress uniform) in with the shopping, but you can't have everything. Seemingly perfect, yes, but it must be said also busy. ...

As soon as this movie begins, you know that you’re in for a quality viewing experience. Visually, for sure. It starts off in a very cinematic, beautiful way – the use of something very reminiscent of 50s Technicolor (indeed it may even use that, if it’s possible nowadays) and also the way it is filmed, instantly threw me into that “classic” cinema mode. All of which perfectly conjures up the period when “Far from Heaven” is in fact set. The scenes, fashions, and the almost melodramatic execution also play their part in these tale from the suburbs of post war Connecticut. “Far from Heaven” is a ...