FOSSE/VERDON
US, 2019, 350 minutes, Colour.
Sam Rockwell, Michelle Williams, Norman Leo Butz, Aya Cash, Nate Corddry, Kelly Barrett, Paul Reiser, Juliet Brett, Blake Baumgartner.
Directed by Thomas Kail.
This television series about the lives and careers of cancer/choreographer/director, Bob Fosse, and his partner, dancer, Gwen burden, won many awards nominations, especially for its stars, an extraordinary performance by Sam Rockwell (Oscar for Three Billboards…) Immersing himself in the character of Bob Fosse and for Michelle Williams, who can take on a great variety of roles, showing her musical talent in The Greatest Showman.
The scope of the series is to focus on Fosse’s creative years but also to go back into his past, flashbacks about his childhood, difficult family, his dancing talent, employment and’s exhilaration, is introduction to sexuality by the the strippers and dances in burlesque. It moves over his period as dancer in the MGM musicals and other films of the period. The film also has flashbacks to Gwen burden’s early life, married young, a son whom she gave up, early attempts at a career.
The film moves backwards and forwards in time but the linear development is of the meeting between Bob Fosse and Gwen burden for Damn Yankees and its success, they collaboration on Sweet Charity, the film opening with the choreographing of A Big Spender (reprised at the end in rehearsals for revival, Fosse dying of a heart attack in the street on his way to the opening).
One of the coproducers of the film was their daughter, Nicole Fosse, who abuses a character throughout the series, is a young girl with star parents, onset, backstage, growing up, a touch precocious – and following through her teenage years, her ballet classes, her being lonely when present at adult parties, her experimentation with alcohol and drugs. The film indicates that her mother retired to live with her but died only a few months later. Nicole Fosse went into rehabilitation.
Those who noble Fosse’s career, the film is interesting in its overview of his contribution to damn Yankees, Sweet Charity and accepting that it was a cinema flop, the intense work on cabaret, the television special catalyser with a Z, the background to his choice of working on Lenny, finally being persuaded to do the choreography for Chicago and his dissatisfaction with Queen and her age and her retiring to have throat surgery, and then the filming of All That Jazz. He won many awards, Tony, Emmys and the Oscar for directing cabaret. There is only a sentence about his last film, Star 80 and the fact that it was poorly reviewed.
There is great emphasis on Fosse and his talent, song and dance, his distinctive choreography and body movements, recognisable as his style.
Both Fosse and burden were previously married, meet when preparing Down Yankees, begin an affair, Barry, decide that they want to have a family, scenes explaining Fosse’s infertility, the suddenness of the pregnancy and their bringing up Nicole, their different attitudes towards her, her living with each of them and their partners at various times. Fosse was very difficult personality, a womaniser, very much the casting couch kind of director, finding love with and writing in the latter part of his life.
Playwright Neil Simon becomes a significant character in the series, especially as close friend of Fosse, with Gwen burden a close friend of his wife, Joan, suffering from a terminal illness, a strong minded character in her declarations, sadness at her death and the friends meeting to reflect on her life toasting her.
Dramatist Paddy Chayevsky is also a significant friend, Jewish background, forthcoming and strong advice about Fosse subjects, his behaviour, his health – with Fosse silently dancing and exiting his funeral.
Fosse was very difficult person to like despite his talent. He was highly ambitious, and the need for approval and applause, won awards but was not always confident. And he relied very much on Gwen burden, especially the cabaret, for technical advice and support. He smoked constantly, drink, was dependent on drugs and medication. He was harsh with his casts, verbally harsh, abrupt in treatment, clashing with people, bluntly talking to them, bluntly dealing with when herself clashes and reconciliations.
Gwen also has a strong ego, as well is a talented awards, loving her daughter, willing to overlook womanising and help with the editing of cabaret but all the time wanting Fosse to choreograph Chicago. When he finally did, he seemed to be setting her aside, willing to replace her, the difficulty of her throat operation, the drama of her not having a solo at the end of Chicago but sharing a duet with Cheetah Riviera, eventually going on to with Chicago and preparing the revival of Sweet Charity. It also shows her relationship with aspiring actor, Ron (Jake Lacey) and her being too demanding for him.
A series of ups and downs, high and lows, creativity, disappointments and acknowledgement.
