"Some Velvet Morning" is a song written by Lee Hazlewood and originally recorded by Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra in late 1967. It features two actors in an enclosed setting—a tastefully decorated New York brownstone—doing nothing but talking in real time over the course of 82 minutes. Some Velvet Morning review: Stanley Tucci lacks sexual menace This film, like the song from which it takes its name, involves a man, a woman, and a certain amount of erotic ambiguity. Read full review Sometimes he’s like a scolding father figure, while at other times he's like a jilted teenager. Some Velvet Morning is absorbing and enraging, sure to spark debate both about its meaning and its method. The major visual idea is to have Eve's red dress and lipstick stand out against a monochromatic backdrop: effective in itself, but not enough. Anyone game to watch two effortlessly volatile and vulnerable performers trade barbs for 83 minutes ought to give this due consideration. Fred alternates between being needy and condescending. I think my jaw is still on the floor somewhere. A sad example of what sometimes happens when a writer of gripping stage plays controls his own independent movie to his own selfish, labored self-satisfaction. Fine acting aside, this is a story that should have remained untold. You can find Christy's writing at ChristyLemire.com. The film received mixed reviews upon release, with Jason Di Rosso from ABC Australia saying that the audience was "treated with utter contempt by the director and his accomplices". One revelation leads to another, as well as the expected sexual confrontation, but then there's a moment of gentility, of grown-up understanding, and even, well, tenderness of a weird order. More importantly, it’s a phenomenal performance piece, with LaBute capturing the incredible gifts of two masters of pretense. 1 out of 5 stars. and the Terms and Policies, At the City Cinemas Village East, Second Avenue near 12th Street. It’s difficult to discuss “ Some Velvet Morning,” the latest movie from Neil LaBute, without giving away too much. At his most brutish, he’s misogynistic and crassly forward in his sexual remarks (shocking coming from a LaBute film, right?). 0. comments. Now, with “Some Velvet Morning,” we have the cynical, chauvinist, male character back as the lead. Though LaBute wrote this for the screen, I mistakenly decided that it must have originated onstage... because the oblique, heavily freighted dialogue seems too elegant and artful for a medium dominated by hacks. Movie review Some Velvet Morning. It features two actors in an enclosed setting—a tastefully decorated New York brownstone—doing nothing but talking in real time over the course of 82 minutes. Some Velvet Morning is the type of film which makes you yell at the screen and get frustrated to the point you want to jump into the movie and do something. LaBute wisely lets a lot of individual moments in Some Velvet Morning play out in long takes, giving the actors the time and space to build the scene. Highly intriguing and verbally thrilling. We can say this: It represents a return to the kind of writing and filmmaking with which Neil LaBute made his name. Note: The movie review posted on this page reflects a personal opinion of one user. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! Her classic good looks and pleasant demeanor suggest a softness to her femininity, but in time she proves she's both quick-witted and quick-tempered. But that description makes "Some Velvet Morning" seem uptight, and it’s anything but that. LaBute lets his characters reveal themselves in drips and drabs as they get reacquainted and rehash what went wrong in their relationship. LaBute is back to being his black-hearted self once more. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy Sign up here. Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer. The trouble with "Some Velvet Morning" is that it’s impossible to discuss why it's so powerful without giving away much about the very revelations and plot twists that help make it so. (She’s previously stood out in supporting parts in films including "Starter for 10" and "Star Trek Into Darkness."). Movie review: ‘Some Velvet Morning’ — 2 stars. But when she rejects his attempts to rekindle their romance, … Of action involved with two people having one long conversation, they misread each other, even despite!, while at other times he 's like a jilted teenager male back... Sometimes he ’ s anything but that description makes `` Some Velvet Morning, was written for Associated..., chauvinist, male character back as the lead an enraging story and performances by both Tucci and Eve surely! And that things ended badly 12, 2013 Some Velvet Morning, was written for the.... 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