Bussell never had the chance to meet Audrey Hepburn, but in
a documentary for BBC One, she was given the chance to take a close look at the
places and events that shaped the legendary actress and fellow ballet dancer. “She
has inspired and intrigued me since I was about ten,” Bussell told The
Telegraph in 2014. “She was dark and elfin, so different from the blonde
bombshell actresses of the fifties and sixties.”
If you’re a long time Audrey Hepburn fan, this isn’t the
kind of documentary that electrifies with shocking revelations. It offers
little in the way of new insight, even though it has some fun tidbits. Did you
know Vanessa Redgrave was a few years behind her as a student at Ballet Rambert
in London? Bussell’s interview with Redgrave is a highlight, giving a sense of
what it was like to be around Audrey at the very start of her success and
towards the end of her life.
There’s also a session with a makeup artist who worked on Hepburn,
and explains how her unique doe-eyed features were specially tailored to as she
came to exemplify the changing tides of beauty standards. And an interview with
the granddaughter of Oliver Goldsmith, shedding light on the earliest examples
of what we think of now as celebrity endorsements. That bit’s a little dull,
but if the costuming in Two for the Road
catches your eye, you might enjoy it.
Throughout, Bussell sits down with Hepburn’s sons, and both
of them offer pretty well-worn stories that don’t do much to illuminate her
private life. Hepburn was a private person, so it makes sense that they wouldn’t
be too keen on gossiping. What does make it strange is that there’s very little
discussion of the film roles taken after Breakfast
at Tiffany’s, tipping the interest of the documentary towards the home life
and then not really investigating it.
What makes it worth watching – instead of any other
well-crafted documentary about Audrey Hepburn – is the road trip aspect.
Bussell visits Holland, Switzerland and Rome; sees the hotels Audrey stayed at,
visits the places where she lived and filmed. It’s a fascinating glimpse at how
much and how little has changed, and the photography is beautiful. Darcey
Bussell makes a charming tour guide, tooling around in her little blue car with
her own version of Audrey’s sunglasses.
All in all, it’s pleasant look at an often discussed icon,
and should satisfy anybody who likes more atmosphere than dirty laundry. I
think it would be great to mix in with a marathon of Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and My Fair Lady.
If you’re an Audrey Hepburn fan and you’ve never seen it,
give it a try!
February should be Audrey month because February is all about love and everybody loves Audrey Hepburn! ;)
ReplyDeleteAudrey Hepburn could totally be a Valentine's goddess, she was the best!
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