An uncommon love story of the questioned friendship between an heiress and her lower class butler...
http://www.hbo.com/films/bernardanddoris/
Not being a large fan of "Drama" category movies, I was pleasantly surprised by the HBO film, "Bernard and Doris". I had some prior knowledge of the publicly questioned relationship between heiress Doris Duke and her strange butler Bernard Lafferty, yet I entered the story with an open mind. Those who have given slashing online reviews of this film have closed themselves off to good old fashioned Hollywood style storytelling. Movies are "stories" often told through the "interpretation" of several different individuals, and therefore should not be critiqued as historical fact unless the thing is previously so proclaimed. This story does not follow the tabloid headlines or outright accusations that were made against Bernard, nor it is a glowing reflection on the character of the high ranking personality that Doris was in life. What the movie does is to suppose that events took place in a romantic version that Ms. Duke may have wanted us to believe took place, albeit simplified and a bit sloppy on some details, (some props were re-used without care to the timeline). She gets things her way in the end and her butler comes out as a most faithful companion -- this pissed some people off!
Doris Duke was played by Susan Sarandon, of whom I'm not a fan mostly because of that "Drama" thing again, but I nearly adored her in this role. She is just as believable as a powerful heiress in control of her world as she is an eccentric stoner afraid to be alone. Some have interpreted her actions in the movie as those of a slutty pot-head, but I think it's reasonable that a worldly unwed aging woman who could afford the very best would have a right fine piece of ass in her bed and a fat doobie in hand! I also think the directorial purpose of the (few) scenes regarding her sexual partner were intended to express that Duke was not desperate enough to be seduced by her butler, born of a lower social class than she and homosexual to boot. Further, when Duke discovers her lover offering a sloppy second to the maid she's disgusted and fires them both in outrage, expressing the same firm control over her world and need for loyalty as she does in a later scene where she discusses finances with her lawyer. This is a strong woman who lives by her instincts, and those gut feelings tell her she can trust Bernard with her friendship, and later her very life.
Ralph Fiennes, (aka Lord Voldemort), is both charming in his flamboyant stillness and quietly scary in the severe alcoholism he portrays, (The man made an evening gown work for him as well as he did a Harry Potter style cloak). Early on, his character expressed a lack of personal strength by allowing Doris to draw upon his homosexuality more and more often, eventually making him into a living doll of sorts, so it should be no surprise when he shows a nearly fatal ability to avoid the house wine cellar. Doris, however, does not begrudge him the theft or dishonesty, and for this he seems to totally offer his life in her service.
The movie tried to tell the personal perspectives of the main characters rather than to docu-search historical facts. No one will even know the truth of Bernhard and Doris in real life, unless a lost diary is discovered. I think these were two people who both needed someone drastic in their lives an found those needs fulfilled within each other. I prefer to believe, as the story tells us, Doris was able to confide in her friend, and Bernard was loyal to her beyond the end. THAT makes for good storytelling!
And so they -- sort of -- lived happily ever after.