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Vox Lux

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Summary

Celeste, a 13-year-old music prodigy, survives a school shooting in Staten Island in 1999. Guided by her sister and a talent manager, the young star transforms into a pop star. Eighteen years later, Celeste finds herself on the comeback trail when a scandal, personal demons and the perils of fame threaten her career. Drama, starring Natalie Portman, Jude Law and Stacy Martin

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Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Andrew Collins

Composer Scott Walker's discordant fits and starts suit this torrid but oddly cold melodrama for our times about two sisters (Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin), who survive a high-school shooting and find a queasy fame with a cathartic, self-penned anthem (actually written for the soundtrack by Australian Grammy nominee Sia). The first act is truly shocking, although the story gets going once audacious director Brady Corbet (The Childhood of a Leader) races forward to when the elder sibling is a 30-something pop diva (in the mould of Janelle Monáe or even Hazel O'Connor's punk singer in 1980 Brit flick Breaking Glass), and played with demanding hauteur by Natalie Portman, while Cassidy confusingly plays her daughter. Their strained relationship offers up some entertainingly decadent exchanges, and there are some choice scenes involving Jude Law as Portman's English manager. Corbet dresses up his part-meaningful, part-trashy tale in grand conceits, such as a full credits crawl at the beginning and self-important chapter headings, but there's no doubting Portman's performance skills at a choreographed comeback arena show, nor the impact of what happens subsequently. But it is Walker's final score prior to his death in 2019 (his second for Corbet) that really elevates a cautionary tale to true grandeur.

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5.8/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameCelesteNatalie PortmanThe managerJude LawYoung Celeste / AlbertineRaffey CassidyEleanor Montgomery, "Ellie"Stacy MartinJosie, publicistJennifer EhleMs Stephanie DwyerMaria DizziaNarratorWillem DafoeCeleste's motherMeg GibsonCeleste's fatherMatt ServittoThe journalistChristopher Abbott

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Crew

rolenameDirectorBrady Corbet

Details

Theatrical distributor

Curzon Artificial Eye

Released on

2019-05-03

Languages

English | Croatian | Chinese

Guidance

Violence, swearing, drug abuse

Available on

DVD and Blu-ray

Formats

Colour

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