Factory Girl
Movie Review: Factory Girl
Stars (Out of 10): 4
One Word Summary: Tumultuous
A young woman named Edie Sedgwick heads to New York where she becomes entranced by and alternately entrances budding artist Andy Warhol. Her life becomes increasingly wild and crazy, and she earns fame and notoriety for her dual role as an actress in Warhol’s film and as a party queen slash drug addict in the New York scene. As Edie becomes more obsessed with her new life, both her well-being and her circle of friends spiral downwards. I can’t say that I’m very familiar with the whole Andy Warhol era and all of his and Edie Sedgwick’s scandalous activities. As a result, when I saw this film, I judged it based on its artistic and cinematic merits. From the clips of Warhol’s work that are shown in the film, it seems that “Factory Girl” is actually made in a manner very similar to Warhol’s movies. I do not see this as a good thing, as it lacks many supporting details and a compelling structure.
The story is certainly an interesting one, and Edie’s degenerating condition makes for an excellent but tragic film subject. Regardless, the film does not bother to really define anyone but the two central characters, Sedgwick and Warhol. The film also makes the fatal mistake of “going down with the main character,” which is to say that when the protagonist suffers a lapse or downfall of some kind, the film follows in similar fashion. When Edie goes off the edge, the film loses any of the remaining structure it had, and spirals downward for the remaining time.Sienna Miller and Guy Pearce, as Sedgwick and Warhol, respectively, are certainly having a blast playing their roles. Miller puts on a bizarre, unidentifiable accent which is thoroughly obnoxious. Pearce draws out every sentence, seeming disconnected and unattached. Whether they are excellent or terrible is a difficult decision. We, the audience, are made to feel about them as most of the public of their time probably did: they are fascinating people whose lifestyles are at the same time despicable and admirable. The movie starts off the same way, but sadly chooses to go the despicable route.
