Burton and Taylor (2013)

Year: 2013
Running Time: 83 minutes
Director: Richard Laxton
Writers: Noel Coward ( excerpts from "Private Lives), Alexander Walker (additional research from book "Elizabeth"), William Ivory
Cast: Dominic West, Helen Bonham Carter

Burton and Taylor premiered on Australian television on BBC First on 3rd August 2014 and is now available in Australia from BBC /Roadshow DVD.

The Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton romance was and still is legendary for the way in which the relationship was driven by both intense passion and furiosity. Richard Laxton's made for television biopic, Burton and Taylor covers just one small period in the saga between the two stars and as a result doesn't give a complete portrait of the infamous relationship in the usual fashion. However, it does give a wonderful imprint of the undeniable chemistry between the two that was evident during and after their two marriages due to wonderful performances by both Dominic West and Helena Bonham Carter. The film is only a small snippet of a relationship that was still showing sparks after two decades, but still has quite an entertaining screenplay to keep it enjoyable and enthralling.

The year is 1983 and Richard Burton (Dominic West) and Elizabeth Taylor (Helena Bonham Carter) have been divorced for over six years when they both sign on to do the Noel Coward play, "Private Lives" on Broadway. While the two have both moved on and been married and divorced once more to other people, there is no denying that there is still a strong connection between the two which provides both comfort and inner turmoil. The run of "Private Lives" becomes tumultuous behind the scenes and although Burton and Taylor try to hold it together on stage for the public, their private life is once again open for everyone to see.

When making a film about real life events surrounding popular figures such as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, there is an incredible amount of pressure put on the film makers. As is demonstrated in the film, Taylor had and still has an incredibly large fan base who are exceptionally defensive of their beloved starlet. The challenge for filmmaker, Richard Laxton was always going to be how not to offend this fan base in any way and not ostracise the audience who are not watching the film for the love of Taylor. Burton and Taylor does only focus on one part of their lives, which is after their two marriages and divorces to each other. This in itself is not a cause for anyone to get upset by, but what some will find problematic is that they don't give much of a run down of the history between the two of them besides letting everyone know that they are working together again after being married twice.  There is almost an assumption there that people already know who Taylor and Burton are and the basics of their history. It is a dangerous assumption to make as while this generation would know the two actors by name, they wouldn't necessarily know their history.

However, the way in which the characters of Taylor and Burton interact and the chemistry between the two says more about their history as a couple than words could. The screenplay allows for the characters to tell the story of why they fell in love and why it didn't work in such an unique and admirable way. It is such an art to be able to tell a story about the past and present at the same time without telling it in the obvious fashion. Burton and Taylor may be about two superstars of their day, but it is also a study of a relationship between two people which at it's core would be the same whether they were famous or not. The way we see Burton and Taylor interact with each other tells us how and why the two fell in love with each other, which is that the two had an obvious understanding of each other and as well as being wildly attracted to each other, they also adored each other as friends. One of the things that also worked for the Burton/ Taylor marriage was that they both (particularly Taylor) strived on drama, but this was also their undoing. While it is obvious that they enjoyed the spontaneous bickering and violent outbursts, this was also their undoing. This aspect of their relationship took too much of an emotional toll on the two of them and the marriage(s) could not survive. Taylor's substance abuse and Burton's alcoholism also played a large part in this. All this is determined just from the actions of the characters and not from what the viewer is told, which is a wonderful method of both storytelling and character development.

While many fans will notice there are a number of inaccuracies and some situations are enhanced for the sake of the film, the screenplay is really quite wonderful. The period in which the film is set is covered very well and the script rather witty and often hilarious, particularly the banter between the couple and Taylor's scatter-brained dialogue. Burton and Taylor is also quite nostalgic. As it is set in the early 1980's, the musical score and production and costume design all work well to flesh out the time period and give the film a playful feeling rather than it feeling like a rewatch of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Dominic West and Helena Bonham Carter are both perfectly cast as Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. The first scene of Burton and Taylor where the two are participating in a press conference for "Private Lives" is not a great representation of this perfect casting, but about 15 minutes into the film you are completely convinced that you are actually watching Burton and Taylor. West completely personifies Burton with his mannerism and his stance gives him the presence Burton once commanded. His final scene in the film is so beautiful and a wonderful piece of acting. Carter is a brilliant Elizabeth Taylor. Once again, she is the perfect personification of the Taylor of the 1980's physically and in the way she spoke with her British/American accent. While many would like to see more of the infamous Burton/ Taylor fights, their confrontations are really quite entertaining and powerful. The on screen chemistry between West and Carter is fantastic. They have no problems in convincing that they are two people who have known each other for decades and are unable to stop caring for each other.

Burton and Taylor is not just a film about Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, it is a film about a couple who could not be without each other in their lives despite knowing they could never live with each other. A wonderful biopic which tells as much about the past as it does the present.

8/10

RIP Elizabeth Taylor

I'll always remember driving through Bel Air back in July 2008. Bel Air is widely known for being one of the most exclusive suburbs in Los Angeles in which many stars past and present have made their homes. The driver turned around and said to me "See that white house up on that hill over there? That's Elizabeth Taylor's house". I was in complete awe. It was the closest I had ever been to a living old Hollywood legend. Well, that's actually untrue. When I was 7 and on a family trip to Hawaii my family and I actually met and had a photo with Tony Curtis, but this was different. Back then I didn't know about the grace and glamour of old Hollywood. Today it absolutely amazes me and if I was able to go back in time, give me a premiere of one of the 1930's or 1940's movies in Hollywood any day. Anyway, I cannot describe the way I felt when I looked at that house and knew that at that point in time, she was in that house I was looking at. That night I went home and imagined what it would be like if I was ever to meet Elizabeth Taylor. I would just be lost for words in a moment like that. I wouldn't know what to do or say, I think I would have just burst out in tears. She was such an amazing beauty, such a strong woman and an absolute firecracker of an actress.

Now, I will never know what it would have been like to meet Elizabeth Taylor. On the morning of Wednesday the 23rd of March, the legendary Elizabeth Taylor died of congestive heart failure. Taylor was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center six weeks ago with complications of her long suffering illness. During this time, she was completing her memoirs from her private diaries she had kept over the years which one would expect to have some pretty interesting informations. She must have known her time was running out. I didn't want to believe it when I first found out about the memoirs, but I think I knew that the day would come soon. She is survived by her four children, ten grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Elizabeth Taylor was born on February the 27th 1932 in Hampstead, London. Shew was born to American parents who relocated back to the United States during 1939 when war was on the horizon. It wasn't long after that young Elizabeth found her way into the movie business after people started commenting on the beauty of the Taylor's young daughter. She was signed with MGM and stardom found her when she was cast in "National Velvet" in 1944. Taylor blossomed into a beautiful young lady and starred in such classic films as "The Last Time I Saw Paris", "Giant", "A Place In The Sun", "Cleopatra" and "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof". However, her two greatest film roles are considered to be in "BUtterfield 8" and "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?", both which she won Academy Awards for. She was nominated for another three Academy Awards.


It wasn't just her amazing acting which she won media attention for over the years. She is also remembered for her tumultuous private life. Taylor was married eight times to (in order) Conrad Hilton Jr, Michael Wilding, Michael Todd (who died in a plane crash while married to Taylor), Eddie Fisher, Richard Burton twice, John Warner and Larry Fortensky. She was also extremely involved in fundraising for AIDS research and awareness as a result of her close friendship with Rock Hudson.

Taylor was an extremely lucky lady. She has come close to death various times, but each time she still had more to achieve in life and her will to live was so strong. During the filming of "BUtterfield 8" she was pronounced clinically dead. It was clearly not her time though, and she went on to win the Oscar for her performance in that film. Shirley McLaine, who was also nominated that year for her performance in "The Apartment" is famously quoted as saying "I lost out to a tracheotomy" as it was widely assumed that Taylor won based on a sympathy vote. She was had a brain tumour removed in 1997, was placed on life support in 2008 and had heart surgery in 2009. She was a battler. She wanted to live and she had so much to achieve before she left the world.



Elizabeth Taylor lived an amazing life. She personified the golden years of Hollywood and never let go of her grace and elegance. It is devestating to lose her, but she achieved so much and the world was lucky to have had her. RIP Liz Taylor.

To end on a lighter note, here is my favourite YouTube clip of Liz which makes me laugh everytime.