She eventually moved to Berlin, where she made two of her most well-known films, Pandora’s Box and Diary of a Lost Girl, both with director G.W. But she didn’t like Hollywood and clashed with studio executives. She went on to appear in movies like A Girl in Every Port and Beggars of Life.Īs a star, Brooks’s distinctive bobbed hair and bangs made her instantly recognizable, and she became an icon of the 1920s flapper style. It was there that she was noticed by a Hollywood producer, who signed her to a contract with Paramount. Denis and was eventually fired.Ī few years later, Brooks had transitioned to dancing on Broadway. She later joined the school’s prestigious touring company, but she clashed with founder Ruth St. As a teen, she became interested in modern dance, eventually moving to New York in 1922 to study at the Denishawn School. Louise Brooks was born in Kansas in 1906. Who was Louise Brooks? Louise Brooks | Eugene Robert Richee/John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images While Cora, not Louise, is the novel’s protagonist, the novel and the TV adaptation borrow incidents from the future star’s life to tell Cora’s story. As Louise explores the city, Cora has her own plans, which include visiting the orphanage where she was raised in an attempt to discover more about her past. In Moriarty’s novel, a 36-year-old Kansas housewife named Cora Carlisle accompanies 15-year-old Louise Brooks to New York City, where the teenager is spending the summer studying dance. What is ‘The Chaperone’ about? Haley Lu Richardson in The Chaperone | Courtesy of Barry Wetcher/PBS Distribution The movie tells the fictionalized story of a young Louise Brooks (Haley Lu Richardson), who would eventually go on to become an iconic silent movie star, and her chaperone Norma Carlisle (McGovern). It stars Elizabeth McGovern (aka Cora Crawley, the Countess of Grantham) and was written by Downton screenwriter Julian Fellowes. This 90-minute film is based on a book by Laura Moriarty. Then, on November 24, The Chaperone premiered on PBS. In September, the beloved TV series made the leap to the big screen in a movie that continued the story of the Crawley family and their servants. Even though Elizabeth McGovern is a star, the movie needed more than her.It’s been a good year for Downton Abbey fans. I watch you for your drama, heartache and all-around amazing quality content, but I expected more from The Chaperone. PBS, I love you, but don’t settle for anything below your highest potential. I wish there were more substance to the movie - especially since it’s based on a true story and there’s no way the conflict could have been that clean in real life. Despite everything that happens in the movie, everyone somehow ends up friends again. The 20-year flash forward at the end is sweet but wraps up the loose ends a little too neatly. But, like the other potential plot lines, it fizzles out too. There’s one twist in the movie that’s pretty unexpected. While the 1920s aspect was fun, it needed more glitter, glam and scandal to be enough. ![]() The movie is slow and doesn’t have a real climax. You’d expect some sort of scandal within that plotline, yet nothing comes of that either. Elsewhere, Louise and her male (married!) dance teacher flirt and seem to have some sort of connection. ![]() But nothing really comes of it - there’s no conflict, nothing juicy. In fact, lack of twist seems to be a recurring theme throughout the film.įor instance, Norma is adopted, and the movie spends a lot of time on her search for her biological family in New York. While Norma and Louise’s relationship is sweet at times, the cautious-adult-and-reckless-kid power struggle is a little overdone, and The Chaperone doesn’t exactly put a unique twist on the theme. Norma slaps some reality back in her and tells her to “just get on a train and go!” The film flashes 20 years forward at the end, and Louise is washed up, back in Kansas and doesn’t want to perform anymore. But by the film’s end, Norma is more open and supportive. ![]() At first, the chaperone is standoffish and wary of Louise’s crazy and reckless spirit. Seeing Norma’s character development throughout the film is enjoyable. The dance scenes in particular are some of my favorite parts, with Louise twirling and dancing around. The movie’s Jane Austen-esque ambiance is beautiful, with its pastel dresses and light piano music.
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