FAYE

US, 2024, 91 minutes, Colour.

Directed by Laurent Bouzereau.

A documentary about award-winning actress, Faye Dunaway, her personal life and character, her career, ranging from the 1960s to the 2020s.

The film has the advantage of a lengthy interview with Faye Dunaway herself aged 82. As might be expected, she is candid in telling her story, strengths, challenges, weaknesses, reputation for being difficult. But, she is a genial presence in this film, happily discussing herself and her films with the director, and the ever-present support her son, Liam O’Neill.

The film is of interest, of course, for moviegoers. Faye Dunaway had previous stage experience, well illustrated at the beginning of this documentary. And while she made several films, including Otto Preminger’s Hurry Sundown, it was her selection to play Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde and her dynamic performance that started her on a very successful career, especially during the 1970s, with her winning the Oscar for her role in Network.

Faye Dunaway was reputed to be difficult to work with and she gives some examples of it herself, with the Roman Polanski in the making of Chinatown. But, with the help of her son for explanations, she says she is bipolar, needs medication, need her son to keep an eye on her.

The film offers an opportunity to see scenes from many of her films, a concentration on Bonnie and Clyde, Network and, as might be expected, sequences and a lot of discussion about her being Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest.

At the turn-of-the-century, she appeared on stage as Maria Callas in Masterclass, obtaining the film rights, production beginning but the project running out of money and its being abandoned.

Despite the great success, the fame, discussion about various relationships, her personal interests, film and television appearances, Faye Dunaway seems particularly cheerful and positive in this film.

And, as expected, there are many talking heads throughout the film, the negative quote from Bette Davis on the Johnny Carson Show, but many admirers including Sharon Stone, Mickey Rourke, director James Gray, photographer-director Jerry Schatzberg.

At 91 minutes, it does not outstay its welcome – but, many commentators feel they would have been happy to have it more footage, interviews and, especially, sequences from her films.