Playing off an age-old question, I wonder, “If a supreme talent made a WWII drama in the woods and no one was around, would it make a noise?”
The star in question is the phenomenal Cate Blanchett, while the movie is “Charlotte Gray,” a survivor epic of hope and faith that made little noise at the box office and now arrives on DVD in a compact package from Warner Bros. “Gray” cast Blanchett as adventurous Brit Charlotte Gray, whose knowledge of French earns her a role in her country’s war efforts. Her eventual love of a pilot gives her new reason to exist, but when her squeeze goes down behind enemy lines, Gray takes it upon herself to confirm his whereabouts and assist in his rescue.Without Blanchett, “Gray” would be whitewashed. Typically known for distancing her parts by appearing physically transformed from film to film, Blanchett actually tries on several faces in this film alone, each one more radiant than the next. Where Gillian Armstrong’s film goes wrong is in making Gray try on too many hats for too few minutes, never allowing Blanchett or the audience time to flush out either role or coinciding plotline. Charlotte’s quest for her lover gets shuttled the minute she touches down in France, and a “spy games” subplot careens us off in a completely different direction. Gray herself alternates wickedly from spy to lover to mother-figure to hero. None of the personas come off completely convincingly, though some flourish more than others in Blanchett’s capable hands.Grade: C+THE EXTRASArmstrong, herself, sits down for a screen-specific audio commentary on the “Gray” disc, but her comments prove as lackluster as her direction. Her film speaks better for itself, shot beautifully on location with crisp cinematography and proficient portrayals. Let the actors speak. This clearly is their show.Two smaller featurettes also accompany the “Gray” DVD. Both run approximately five minutes long and feature interviews and production clips.Grade: C-OVERALL EXPERIENCE: CA film with promise, “Gray” never chooses a tone or path, though Blanchett does her best with every curve she’s thrown. Her performance alone intrigues, though little else measures up.By Sean O’ConnellJuly 16, 2002