'The Great Lillian Hall' showcases Jessica Lange's enviable talent as she brilliantly slips into the shoes of fictional actress Lillian Hall. Hall, a respected theater star, finds herself tackling the difficulties of memorizing lines for her role in 'The Cherry Orchard' due to early dementia.
Lillian's journey is both personal and professional, as she tries to navigate through the rehearsals whilst simultaneously dealing with her diagnosis. Her performance starts with wavering lines but eventually takes a deeper, more profound form.
Off-stage, she continues to portray a woman who is seemingly undaunted by her aging body and encompassed by an air of grace. Lange's portrayal makes Lillian's character a seamless blend of the vulnerable woman and the stellar actress, gripping the viewers' attention.
The movie is strewn with stellar performances by co-stars like Kathy Bates, Pierce Brosnan, Lily Rabe, Jesse Williams, and others. Bates's character, Edith, shows a coarse yet deeply affectionate side towards Lillian. Brosnan, as Ty, a neighbor with a conveniently nearby terrace, brings unnecessary but seemingly necessary late-night chats to life.
Despite the later shift into sentimentality that the film takes, Jessica Lange's intelligent, subtly nuanced performance holds the audience's attention. In an emotionally overpowering scene, Lillian is compelled to take a memory test, where she fails but retains her calm, giving the audience a glimpse into the harsh reality of her situation.
'The Great Lillian Hall', directed by Michael Cristofer, ties together elements of the stage and cinema smoothly, creating a cinematic masterpiece. Elisabeth Seldes Annacone's screenplay, while leaning heavily onto the parallels between Lillian and the play's heroine, Lyuba, adds an extra layer of reality to the film.
There are nostalgic undertones throughout the film, especially when Lillian reminisces about her husband's take on theater – "Eternity in a moment". Lange's right on the point portrayal and her ability to bring the character alive on screen makes the film a heart-wrenching yet joyous celebration of life and art.
