LIZ AND DICK

US, 2012, 88 minutes, Colour.
Lindsay Lohan, Grant Bowler, Theresa Russell, David Hunt.
Directed by Lloyd Kramer.

Liz and Dick is very much a tabloid title for the relationship between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, the headline relationship of the 20th century in the media celebrities world, from the early 1960s until the death of Richard Burton in 1984.

In many ways, this is a tabloid treatment of the story – although it begins early in the piece in establishing the meeting between the couple during the filming of Cleopatra, various sequences being filmed, the work of director Joe Mankieuwicz.

Lindsay Lohan is made up to look like Elizabeth Taylor and generally carries off the impersonation – although her life and reputation undermined this performance with many audiences. New Zealander Grant Bowler is Richard Burton, presenting the voice but not physically resembling the actor. The couple do get opportunity to re-enact moments from Cleopatra, the VIPs as well as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

Richard Burton had been married to his wealth wife, Sybil, and managed by his brother, Ifor. He had a successful career on stage and was a film star at this time. He also drank, had affairs. This interpretation is his deliberately targeting Elizabeth Taylor, with charm as well as affrontery. She had taken Eddie Fisher from Debbie Reynolds and was in something of a tenuous marriage. At this stage, she was 29, had appeared in movies since the age of nine, and had already four marriages.

The film shows the obsession between the couple, their quarrelsome life together, the films that they made, her Oscars and his losing, their spendthrift life, her obsession with two point and his buying her jewellery, getting the children from both marriages together.

The film has the device of having the actors sitting in chairs as if on set reminiscing about their lives and their relationship.

The writer is writer-director, Christopher Monger, a Welshman, sympathetic to Burton. Lloyd Kramer has directed a number of genre films including two from Mitch Albom: The Five People You Meet in Heaven and For One More Day.

As time passes, this episode will fade into 20th century history and gossip.

A more effective film about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton was Burton and Taylor with Helena Bonham Carter and Dominic West, looking and sounding more like the original couple.

1. Audience knowledge of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, their initial encounters, the filming of Cleopatra, the marriage, stormy times together, love, separation and divorce, remarriage? Audience interest in them?

2. The period from 1961 to 1984, the couple meeting, on the set of Cleopatra, Rome? The affair, the respective spouses and families, the divorce? The marriage? The period of the marriage, the films together? Separation? Richard Burton and his illness, death? Elizabeth Taylor’s reaction, visiting his grave, the letters?

3. The device of having the couple sitting in the chairs, at the end of Richard Burton’s life, the reflection on their life, relationship, repartee between the two?

4. Elizabeth Taylor, from England, the presence of her mother and protection? Film at nine, in Hollywood, protected? Her marriages? Divorces, Mike Todd’s death? Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds? The encounter with Richard Burton, the antagonism, the affair?

5. Richard Burton, Wales, his marriage to Sybil, family, his brother as his manager? His success on stage, Shakespearean reputation, his cinema career? His drinking? Affairs? The initial encounter with Elizabeth Taylor?

6. The background of the filming of Cleopatra, Joe Mankiewicz as director, accommodating his stars? The scenes, the costumes, the filming? The paparazzi, the photos, compromising? The publicity department against the paparazzi?

7. The initial meeting, Burton’s line, Taylor walking out, the later meal in the restaurant and his continuing his speech? The antagonism on the set? The pursuit, the change? Each in love with the other? Elizabeth Taylor and the alienation from Eddie Fisher, his visits, Burton’s declaration, the divorce? Sybil Burton, the scenes of her being upset, her health, saying that Burton had achieved what he wanted, career and fame, the divorce? The children, from the two families, being together?

8. The relationship, the photographers, the articles, the condemnation of the Vatican? Their not caring? The time in Switzerland? Elizabeth Taylor bored, with her children, the phone call, visiting Burton? The VIPs, the character, the clashes – and echoing real life?

9. Burton and his brother, help, his brother beginning to like Elizabeth, challenging his brother, his collapse and injury?

10. The sparring between the two? The jewellery, Burton buying Elizabeth the necklace? The financial advisor, the couple being broke, going through the money? Hotels? The living in sin question? The decision to buy the yacht, in Italy, less expensive, avoiding taxes? The private plane, going to Hungary? Is doing Bluebeard for the money only? Burton buying the plane?

11. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, the scenes? Echoing their lives? The Oscar nomination, Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Lee Marvin winning and Burton’s reaction, bad loser? Not going to the Oscars, the nominations, Elizabeth winning, his losing and his brother’s criticism of him?

12. Burton on stage, his Hamlet, Elizabeth on stage? The acclaim?

13. Elizabeth, her health, diagnoses, recovery? Burton, his drinking, affairs? The newspapers?

14. Elizabeth Taylor’s reactions, the separation? Her love? Her angers and tantrums?

15. Her further marriages? His marriages? Their going to Africa and remarrying? The short length of time?

16. One of the celebrated media relationships of the 20th century? The personalities? The media attention? As in this telemovie?