Underrated Film Series Begins

I am going to start reviewing some films from the past that I believe are underrated, to the point that some of you may not of heard of them. I want to get people aware of these films, so that they can go view them and see what they think. Not every film I choose to review will be your cup of tea, but hopefully one or two of them get added to your list of favourite movies.

I am starting my underrated film review series with a gripping drama starring Jessica Lange, so any fans of that particular genre or any Jessica Lange fans... pay attention.

'Frances'

Before she gained a new wave of fans after taking on the lead role in the highly rated TV series 'American Horror Story', Jessica Lange was the star of many amazing movies from her Supporting Actress Oscar winning performance in 'Tootsie' during the 80's and her Leading Actress Oscar winning performance in 'Blue Sky' during the 90's. None of these performances however quite match up to her mesmerising display of actress Frances Farmer in the biopic movie 'Frances'.

It's no secret that Jessica Lange is a fantastic actress, she can display a range of characters with ease, as she has shown in 'American Horror Story', where one season she is an evil witch whose health is slowly deteriorating, and then in the next she's the head of a freak show stood on stage singing David Bowie's 'Life On Mars' in a German accent (CLICK HERE - to view). She makes it look so effortless, to ditch one character and move onto the next immediately, she is up there as one of the greatest actresses around but sadly many people are not aware of her greatest ever performance.

In the film directed by Graeme Clifford, Lange takes on the biopic role of Frances Farmer, an American actress who became famous in the 1930's, after staring in films such as 'Come And Get It'. Farmer became successful because of her looks, and was cast in roles which revolved around this, she became tired of doing the same thing, she wanted to be known for her acting ability. This is when she started to rebel against Hollywood, and started acting in theatres. Farmer is probably most well known for her professional and personal downfall, and the events which took place after, this is what the film 'Frances' focuses on.

The film centres around Farmer's involuntary commitment to a mental hospital, where she was mistreated. This film is difficult to watch at times because of this sequence, but Jessica Lange's performance grips you to the screen. You can't look away for fear of missing one facial expression, or one gesture which completely covers how the character is feeling in that moment, that is the power of Lange's performance in this film. She portrays Farmer's breakdown impeccably, almost as if you were watching Frances herself. This film is emotionally tiring, by the end you don't know how to feel, I just found myself staring at the screen as the credits played on, thinking about what happened.

Any other year and Jessica Lange would've been walking away with the Leading Actress award at the Oscar's ceremony, but unfortunately for her she was up against Meryl Streep's best ever performance in 'Sophie's Choice'.

I highly recommend this film to any fans of dramatic cinema, Oscar films or general Jessica Lange fans, as it will definitely fit in with everything you want. This film has been underrated in awards and in the media, but I believe that the solid acting as well as the gripping story deserve more.