THE CHAPERONE
UK/US, 2018, 108 minutes, Colour.
Elizabeth Mc Govern, Hayley Lu Richardson, Geza Rohrig, Campbell Scott, Blythe Danner, Victoria Hill, Matt Mc Grath.
Directed by Michael Engler.
A very entertaining portrait of two women drama designed for an older audience. Many of those behind Downton Abbey were involved in this production, especially Elizabeth Mc Govern, Countess Grantham in the popular series, who has commissioned a screenplay from a novel by Laura Moriarty, written by Julian Fellows, the power behind Downton Abbey, directed by Michael Engler who directed episodes as well is the feature film of Downton Abbey
This is an American story from 1922 with a postscript in 1942.
It is a story of a young woman, ambitious, carefree, embodying the changing mores in the United States after World War I, Louise Brooks. She was to make films in Hollywood in the late 1920s but, especially, went to Germany where she appeared in films which became German cinema classics of the period.
The initial difficulty was that she came from Wichita, Kansas, and while she received an invitation for a modern dance school course in New York City, her parents would not let her go unless she had a chaperone. She was in her mid teens.
Intertwined with Louise Brooks’s story is that of Norma Carlyle, a respected matron of Wichita, somewhat prim in her respectability but who seizes the opportunity to accompany Louise as her chaperone.
This is one of Elizabeth McGovern’s? best performances, becoming more complex as more of the plot is revealed. And Hayley Lu Richardson as Louise Brooks indicates, as she did in films like Five Feet Apart, that she can be a powerhouse screen presence.
The narrative intertwines the two stories, Louise discovering New York City, her dance course, the emergence of her talent and the support of the owners of the school (including Miranda Otto), her increasing wilfulness, wanting to break free from the chaperone, getting herself involved in some stupid messes, eventually getting opportunities for a career. But, in her interactions with Norma, helping Norma to come out of herself.
We find that Norma wanted to go to New York City because she was an orphan, entrusted to the care of the nuns, taken on by a farming couple from Kansas who brought her up with care and love. At sixteen she married a lawyer, had twins, and lived her life quietly – although quite a trauma is eventually revealed. She wants to know who her birth parents were, eventually getting the help of a handyman at the orphanage (Geza Rohrig from Son of Saul) to find some documentation. Which, of course, led to quite some emotional complexities for Norma even as she chaperones Louise.
The 1942 epilogue offers some surprises, Louise and her failure in her screen career and coming back to Wichita, Norma and her relationship with her husband and with the handyman and his daughter.
With Norma and her central role, the film is one of elegance even as Louise tries to sabotage the elegance with her would-be flapper behaviour.
A satisfying drama in plot, performance, dialogue, reflections on change in American society, especially for women, during the 1920s.
1. The title, the term, the words from the past
2. Based on actual events, Louise Brooks and her origins, her career?
3. The 1920s, the city of Wichita, the atmosphere of Kansas at the time, homes, streets, socials, the railway station, train journeys? New York City, the streets, apartments, parks, the orphanage, the dance studio, the nightclubs, the theatre? The musical score, classics and Jazz?
4. Norma story, the linear events, the hints about Alan Carlyle, the flashbacks and the narrative being filled in, her being an orphan, at the orphanage, with the nuns, the family adopting her, going to the farm, care and love, married at 16, a married life, her twin sons, the gradual revelation is about Alan and his relationship, her reactions?
5. Louise Brooks, a teenager, performance, dance, her mother’s pride, speech and introducing her, the mother playing the piano, the dance, Norma and her being wrapped by the dance? Norma and Raymond’s presence, indication of issues? Norma overhearing Mrs Brooks, offering to be the chaperone, the visit to mother and daughter, it is being settled?
6. Louise’s story, her age, talent, dance, the application to the studio New York City, accepted? Her parents, her stern father, enthusiastic mother? New York is a goal, the farewell of the station and her father strictness? Her verb, not innocent, revelation about sex experience with her instructor who drove her to church? Gratitude, the flapper attitude to the 1920s bold and knowing,?
7. The travel, the interaction between the two women? Norma and her being prim, the rules, expectations? Norma and the revelation of her story, gradual? Alan, his relationship with Raymond, Norma’s discovery, the talk about the divorce or not, her intense anger? Alan and his calm, his reputation, financial support, the sons? Norma wanting to search for her parents? Gratitude towards prohibition and drinking, the norms of propriety, keeping close watch on Louise, settling at the apartment? The taxi driver and Louise is charm?
8. Louise, travelling, flapper, her look, changing her hair, dancing, precocious, her success of the school, the demonstrations, her being favoured by the managers, the discussions with Ruth? The performance, the offer to go to Philadelphia, her being accepted?
9. Louise is bold, in the bar, flirting, sneaking out to the club with him? And drinking, Floyd to dismay, his previous meetings and discussions with Norma? Who is sick, Norma going to the orphanage, her urging Joseph to come to rescue Louise?
10. Norman, going to the nuns, meeting Joseph and his helping her to wait, sister Delores and the interrogation, no information? Her return, seductive manner with Joseph, his resisting, her persuading him to help, his opening the office, her finding the letter, unlocking the door? Writing to Mary, meeting her in the park, her mother’s story, leaving, the revelation about her father, Mary having a new life, family, not telling her family about the past? The flowers and her leaving them?
11. Norma needing Joseph, the rescue Louise, going back, they’re walking, his mind the posy? The night, the effect on the relationship, sister Delores seeing them, ousting joseph, his daughter, they’re coming to the apartment, intentions to go to Brooklyn, Norma inviting him to go back to Wichita?
12. The effect of the prologue, 1942, no Norma going to the door and wanting to see Louise?
13. Norma’s memories, returning to Wichita, setting up the household, the complexities with all present, the boys at the war, Joseph and his daughter, Alan and his partner?
14. The visit to Louise, her mother’s reaction, the aftermath of her career, the experience in Germany, Norma giving her the hundred dollars, insisting on her to leave Wichita?
15. Centrepiece, the household, Joseph?
16. Louisa subsequent career, shop girl, writer, winning acclaim? The final credits and the clips of Louise Brooks in her films?
