In Sunset Boulevard - both the classic movie and the musical - we see a brief vignette about the funeral of a pet monkey. Here, we have a prequel where the monkey is central.
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Title: Shadow of the Boulevard
Genre: Noir / Dark Comedy / Psychological Drama
Logline: Before the faded star of Hollywood, Norma Desmond, cradled her dead pet monkey in Sunset Boulevard, there was a tale of ambition, obsession, and a dark secret behind the monkey's rise from an exotic curiosity to the last vestige of Norma's crumbling sanity.
Synopsis:
Shadow of the Boulevard takes us back to the golden age of silent films, where a young Norma Desmond is at the height of her career, adored by fans and courted by directors. The film peels back the glamorous façade to reveal a world where Norma's descent into obsession begins—not with a man, but with a peculiar creature that becomes both her muse and her curse.
The story opens in 1920s Hollywood, with Norma attending a lavish party thrown by a famous director known for his eccentric tastes. Among the party’s many oddities is a small, exotic monkey, brought to the director from the depths of the Amazon by a desperate explorer looking to sell it to fund his next venture. The monkey is a striking creature, with a dark, almost human gaze that captivates Norma from the moment she sees it.
In an impulsive move, Norma convinces the director to sell her the monkey, naming it "Max" after her loyal butler. She quickly becomes infatuated with the animal, seeing in its eyes a reflection of her own increasingly fragile mental state. As Norma's career begins to show the first signs of decline, her relationship with Max the monkey deepens, and she begins to confide in it, treating it less as a pet and more as a silent confidant.
Strange Occurrences
Meanwhile, strange occurrences begin to plague the Desmond estate. Mysterious accidents on film sets, bizarre rumors about Norma's behavior, and whispers of a curse surrounding the monkey begin to circulate in Hollywood. Max, once the darling of Norma’s inner circle, is increasingly seen as a harbinger of doom, with some of Norma’s closest friends warning her to get rid of the creature before it’s too late.
Norma's obsession with Max escalates as her career continues to falter. She insists on including the monkey in her films, much to the chagrin of directors and producers, who humor her at first but eventually draw the line when Max's presence begins to disrupt production. Norma, blinded by her attachment, becomes more reclusive, retreating into her mansion with Max as her only company.
A Growing Madness
The monkey, once a symbol of Norma's independence and eccentricity, now represents the growing madness consuming her. Max begins to exhibit increasingly erratic behavior, mirroring Norma’s own descent. The more Norma clings to her fading fame, the more her sanity unravels, and the more Max becomes a dark mirror of her inner turmoil.
As the film progresses, the line between Norma's reality and delusion blurs. She begins to believe that Max is the reincarnation of her lost youth, the last vestige of her former glory. In a chilling climax, Norma's grip on reality completely shatters when Max is killed in a freak accident within the mansion. Norma, in her grief and denial, refuses to let go, leading to the infamous scene where she dresses Max in a child’s clothing, unable to face the truth of her own decline.
The film ends with a young, starry-eyed screenwriter arriving at Norma's door, seeking her guidance. Norma, her sanity now fully unraveling, smiles at the newcomer, holding her deceased pet in her arms. In her mind, she’s still the queen of Hollywood, but to the outside world, she's just a tragic figure, clutching the last remnant of her former life—a life that died long before the monkey ever did.
Shadow of the Boulevard serves as both a haunting character study of Norma Desmond's early descent into madness and a darkly comic exploration of the obsessive nature of fame and the bizarre lengths to which the fallen will go to reclaim their lost glory.
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Write a review of the movie which is insightful and, on the whole, favorable.
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Review: Shadow of the Boulevard—A Haunting Prelude to a Hollywood Tragedy
In Shadow of the Boulevard, director Elise Fontaine takes on the ambitious task of crafting a prequel to the iconic Sunset Boulevard, focusing on the mysterious backstory of Norma Desmond’s infamous pet monkey. What could have easily slipped into the realm of the absurd instead emerges as a hauntingly poetic exploration of fame, obsession, and the fragile nature of sanity. Fontaine has delivered a film that is both a worthy companion to the original and a powerful standalone piece, blending noir, dark comedy, and psychological drama into an unforgettable cinematic experience.
From the outset, Shadow of the Boulevard immerses us in the decadent, yet decaying, world of 1920s Hollywood—a time when the silent film stars were beginning to feel the tremors of change. The film’s sumptuous cinematography and meticulous period detail create a visual feast that is both lush and oppressive, echoing the dual nature of the industry itself: glamorous on the surface, but dark and dangerous beneath.
At the heart of this visual splendor is a stellar performance by Isabelle Laurent as a younger Norma Desmond. Laurent’s portrayal of Norma captures the character’s vulnerability, ambition, and increasing desperation with such nuance that it’s easy to forget you’re watching an actress at work. Her relationship with Max, the exotic monkey who becomes her unlikely companion, is the crux of the film, and Laurent masterfully navigates the thin line between affection and obsession. The monkey, brought to life through a combination of animatronics and subtle CGI, becomes a character in its own right—a silent witness to Norma’s gradual unraveling.
What sets Shadow of the Boulevard apart from typical prequels is its refusal to simply mimic its predecessor. Instead, it deepens the audience’s understanding of Norma Desmond, offering a psychological portrait that is as tragic as it is disturbing. Fontaine’s direction ensures that the film never loses its grip on the viewer, expertly balancing moments of dark humor with the mounting tension of Norma’s descent into madness. The film’s pacing is deliberate, allowing the story to unfold with a sense of inevitability that makes the final scenes all the more devastating.
The script, penned by Fontaine and screenwriter Daniel Grey, is sharp and evocative, filled with dialogue that echoes the biting wit of the original Sunset Boulevard while also carving out its own distinct voice. The narrative is peppered with eerie foreshadowing, subtle nods to the classic film, and moments of introspective clarity that invite the audience to consider the darker aspects of fame and the price of clinging to the past.
The supporting cast, while largely overshadowed by Laurent’s towering performance, adds depth to the world of the film. Particularly notable is Julian Barrett as the enigmatic director who introduces Norma to Max, and Vivienne Blake as a close friend who watches in horror as Norma spirals out of control. Their performances, though secondary, are crucial in grounding the story and emphasizing the isolating effects of Norma’s obsession.
While Shadow of the Boulevard is undeniably dark and, at times, unsettling, it is also a film filled with unexpected beauty and poignant moments. The relationship between Norma and Max, strange as it may be, is portrayed with a sensitivity that elicits both empathy and unease. This complexity is where the film’s true strength lies—refusing to offer easy answers, it instead challenges the audience to confront the uncomfortable realities of Norma’s world.
On the whole, Shadow of the Boulevard is an insightful and powerful addition to the Sunset Boulevard legacy. It succeeds in expanding the mythology of Norma Desmond while also standing as a striking commentary on the destructive nature of fame. Fans of the original film will find much to appreciate in its careful homage, while new viewers can be drawn into the twisted allure of Hollywood’s golden age. Fontaine has created a film that lingers long after the credits roll—a haunting reminder of what it means to live in the shadow of the boulevard.
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Photo prompt. Illustration. An elegant Hollywood starlet of the 1920s in the silent movie era sits in her modernist dressing room wearing a silk robe & nearby is her pet chimpanzee. The style is 1920s black-and-white art photography.