Stage Beauty grips you from the very beginning as you are beguiled and horrified by the painted faces of the men that take the stage as women. They story follows Ned Kynaston (Billy Crudup) as England's best "Female" actor and his dresser Maria Hughes (Claire Danes) as they traipse through life on stage and behind the scenes. Kynaston hides behind his female counterparts long after the curtain has dropped and Hughes harbors two secret desires--one being her love of acting and the other being her love of Kynaston.
As Hughes's career skyrockets while Kynaston's descends, she finds that perhaps she isn't as brilliant an actress as she thought while he finds that he knows absolutely nothing of how to be a man. The movie takes you through these realizations at lightning speed, not bothering to hold your hand and spell it out. Danes's character, still harboring affection for Crudup's seeks him out, and the two embark on a journey to teach the other what they know: how to electrify the stage and how to be yourself in a world that will pigeonholed you to the part they think you should play. Danes and Crudup shine in this drama. A truly beautiful and original film. 7.2/10
As Hughes's career skyrockets while Kynaston's descends, she finds that perhaps she isn't as brilliant an actress as she thought while he finds that he knows absolutely nothing of how to be a man. The movie takes you through these realizations at lightning speed, not bothering to hold your hand and spell it out. Danes's character, still harboring affection for Crudup's seeks him out, and the two embark on a journey to teach the other what they know: how to electrify the stage and how to be yourself in a world that will pigeonholed you to the part they think you should play. Danes and Crudup shine in this drama. A truly beautiful and original film. 7.2/10