Hey folks, Harry here. Ya know... As I read SPYder's spoiler free review of FLORA PLUM, I found myself beginning to salivate at the concept of this film. You see, there are very few places and times in history that I have an undying affinity for. A 1930's Circus with Freak SideShow is one of them. The time period where to be a geek meant you bit the heads off of a live chicken and didn't have the SPCA coming down on your ass. You ever seen TOD BROWNING'S FREAKS? It is, hands down, one of my all time favorite movies. Now, I don't expect that type of film, but I do have to say... for this film to be 100% super cool, I highly recommend Rick Baker to transform Russell Crowe into the BEAST. It's practically required. And Baker is a huge fan of Lionel, the most famous of this style freak. This film went from nearly ZERO interest to a whole bunch of interest real quick. I can't wait to watch Russell Crowe be the dog face boy!
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Geeks of All Ages,
While refining the timing of my high-wire act in the upper strands of my
humble web, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye while in
mid-flip. My concentration broken, I barely managed to shoot out a web-line
just in time to prevent an embarrassing mishap. After gathering my wits about
me and making a mental note to work on my landing, I made my way over to the
distraction. Oddly enough (and it is all too often odd around here) a poster
for Herbert Little’s Traveling Circus had been affixed to one of the gossamer
strands of my little web. Even stranger was the bulge under the poster.
Delicately peeling away the poster I found, of all things, a screenplay
entitled "Flora Plum."
Imagine that.
If I recall correctly, this is the project that Jodie Foster chose to direct
rather than reprise her role as Special Agent Clarice Starling in a little
picture called "Hannibal" now shooting in Florence, Italy. Given that it now
has Mr. Russell "Gladiator" Crowe attached, I thought that "Flora Plum" might
be of some interest to the members of the AICN viewing public. I also believe
that Ms. Claire Danes may also be involved, as the title character. Beyond
that, I don’t know a whole lot about the project. The draft left for me is
dated mid 1998, so it’s possible that there have been changes since then.
The story takes place in the 1930’s, centering on the world of a traveling
circus as it makes its way around the United States (the mid-west and east,
mostly). We begin with footage from a documentary filmed in the early 1940’s,
interviewing various members of the circus who are talking about Miss Flora
Plum. We get the clear sense there are different impressions of her. Their
footage takes back to 1933, when a 19 year old Flora first joins her
relatives in the circus. From there, we see the world of the traveling
circus; the ups, downs, hardships, and heartbreaks that the various
performers endure hoping for their big break: discovery by and recruitment
into Blade Devin’s circus. Along the way, Flora becomes closer to success as
a performer and to various members of the show, particularly one called The
Beast (though his friends call him Jake). As the performer’s hopes rise, the
tensions mount, hearts are broken, and drama ensues. Combined with the
documentary footage shown along the way, you begin to wonder if Flora is an
innocent thrust upon the cruel waves of the real world, or a cleverly
conniving manipulative bitch whose true motives are unknown. I’ll skip the
ending for you, as it would answer that question to some extent.
The script, written by Steven Rogers, is very well done. The dialogue is
tight and feels real. The story and characters capture what it must have been
like to be live the life of a traveling circus performer. The funny moments
actually had me laughing out loud while reading.
Reading this, Russell Crowe has got to be Jake (The Beast). For all of you
X-Men fans out there, this would not be the lovable blue furry Dr. Hank
McCoy. This is more like the Dog Faced Boy acts where the performers are
afflicted by a rare genetic disorder which produces hair growth all over ones
body and face, a la Lon Chaney Jr.’s Wolf Man. I could almost hear Russell’s
"Gladiator" voice when I was reading The Beast’s lines (maybe with a little
more mid-west and a little less drunken Royal Shakespeare Company). The
character is street-wise and sensitive, tinged with the hard edge of having
to deal with a world that treated him like a freak his entire life before he
found the circus.
Ms. Danes will no doubt make a perfect Flora Plum. I had initial concerns
that she might make it a little too weepy (like her Cossette in "Les
Miserables"), but then remembered how she surprised me with her Shakespeare
in her earlier "Romeo + Juliet" role. I think she’ll do a fine job.
Overall, "Flora Plum" reads well, and has the beginnings of an enjoyable
movie. I’m hoping any changes made since this draft will only enhance what
has already been done.
Off to perfect that back-flip,
A Spyder
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