Fur

Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus is an enthralling film released in 2006 starring a crew of great actors including Nicole Kidman, Robert Downey Jr., and Ty Burrell. The movie is a peculiar mix of biography and fantasy that delves deep into the escalated world of famed photographer Diane Arbus. It is an audacious foray into the mind and artistic development of one of the most intriguing photographers of the 20th century.

Nicole Kidman dazzles as Diane Arbus, a woman initially restrained by the societal norms of the 1950s but ultimately driven on a provocative journey of self-discovery through her encounters with the enigmatic figure Lionel Sweeney, portrayed by the broad-ranging Robert Downey Jr. Ty Burrell brings to life Allan Arbus, Diane's accommodating husband, providing a profound and sensitive touch to the film.

The film's title, 'Fur', is an apt metaphor for the exploration of the strange, the odd, the conspicuous and the startling world that Arbus becomes drawn into. This world ultimately gives rise to her innovative and controversial photographic style. The symbolic fur is intimately associated with Lionel Sweeney, a former circus performer suffering with hypertrichosis, a condition causing excessive body hair. His presence and the dramatic unveiling of his character takes the audience into a realm far from the ordinary, reflecting the eccentric and bizarre subjects that Arbus was notorious for capturing in her photographs.

As Diane becomes more fascinated with Lionel, deviating from her trite world of fashion photography and high society, the movie unveils her transformation into a groundbreaking artist. Her photographic lens shifts focus from conventional beauty towards subjects that are denoted as outcasts in society: dwarfs, giants, transgender people, and even Lionel himself. Yet, it isn’t a biographical narrative that faithfully chronicles Arbus's life and the creation of her renowned works, rather, it caricatures the surrealistically conspicuous world that infuses her imagination.

Strikingly, Nicole Kidman brilliantly interprets the angst and estrangement of Diane and the life-changing impact of her encounter with Lionel. Her transition from a reserved persona to one thriving on the extraordinary charms the viewers. As for Robert Downey Jr., his calculated and mesmerizing performance as Lionel Sweeney plays a pivotal part in fermenting and cradling Diane’s evolution into a controversial photographic artist.

In turn, Ty Burrell, as Allan Arbus, shows an immaculate understanding of his character, a man who loves his wife dearly yet becomes unable to hold her back from the enchanting yet chaotic world she plunges into.

Directed by Steven Shainberg, whose affinity and understanding for Diane Arbus's persona and the factors that promoted her experimentation in art shines throughout the movie, Fur is an exquisite construction that leaves the viewers contemplating long after its conclusion. He has expertly put together an elegant yet disturbing film influenced by Arbus’s charged era.

Visually captivating, the cinematography in Fur successfully speaks to 1950s era America. It fuses together the drab palette of Diane's life as a dutiful wife contrasted with the vibrant and diverse colors of the world she discovers through Lionel. These stark contrasts push against the boundaries of the cinematic canvas and grip the audience with its enigmatic charm.

Diane’s radical transformation, embodied powerfully by Kidman, the curious influence of Downey Jr.'s Lionel and how they both navigate the discovery of unusual aesthetics make for an intense, thought-provoking film. Fur is an artistic flight of imagination that captures the eccentric essence of a well-known individual veering away from the shackles of society into a distinctive odyssey of shocking charm and novel artistry.

With its arresting aesthetics, high-caliber performances, and intelligent direction, Fur captures the essence of life, society, and art during the era in which Arbus lived and worked. By introducing audiences to the bizarre world of Diane Arbus, Fur uncovers the intricate interplay of beauty, eeriness, art, and individuality. It serves as a labyrinth of intriguing explorations and revokes a subtle, harsh critique of societal norms, thus making it a must-watch for enthusiasts of deep, thought-inducing cinema.