Sandy Kenyon reviews 'Vox Lux'
Every so often a movie comes along that fools others into thinking it's profound, and as I sit there suffering through it, I take comfort from thinking about the many ways it rings false and how much fun it will be to show you why it's fake. "Vox Lux" is just such a movie.
Natalie Portman channels her nasty side into playing a pop star who is one of the most unpleasant and self-absorbed characters in recent memory in a film that aims high and falls flat. She's a bad mom, and a terrible sister, and a challenging client for her manager played by Jude Law who has to deal with Celeste passing out before a show.
"Vox Lux" is as pretentious as the title would suggest and, are you as bored as I am with hearing about the price of fame? Case in point when Celeste raves and rants that she is, "sick of people treating me like I'm not a person."
This is being sold as a Natalie Portman movie. Her best according to one review -- but the star doesn't show up until almost an hour into it and the movie is just as dishonest as the trailer.
The movie begins with a school shooting that leaves a young teen, Celeste Montgomery, injured and many of her classmates dead. Celeste can't really sing that well so it's almost impossible for me to believe this traumatized teen grows up to be one of the world's most famous performers.
To pretend to command an audience is a long way from actually doing it. Just because you're an Oscar-winning actress doesn't mean you are in the same universe as Lady Gaga! How are you going to compete with her charisma and those pipes? Or with Katie Perry or with Sara Bareilles or any of the performers who sell-out arenas for real?
Songs by Sia help give "Vox Lux" whatever shred of credibility it has, but I urge you to avoid this dark and depressing, fake and phony film.
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