de facto film reviews 2.5 stars

Capturing the life of one of the most enigmatic artists in history is no easy feat, an effort few filmmakers have attempted for Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí. While director Mary Harron (American Psycho, I Shot Andy Warhol) paints a somewhat compelling portrait of Dalí’s later years in Daliland, the film ultimately proves that the artist’s enigmatic existence is far too challenging to showcase effectively. Ben Kingsley plays the famous painter in this biopic with an authenticity unlike any other portrayed prior, supported by excellent performances from Barbara Sukowa as his wife and muse, Gala, and Rupert Graves as Dalí’s employee, Captain Moore. The film’s centerpiece, however, is Christopher Briney’s James, a young, doe-eyed gallery assistant who falls in with Dalí and his entourage, entering a world – the eponymous Daliland – unlike any he has experienced before.

The decision to view Dalí’s tumultuous life through the eyes of a relative outsider is brave. It better encapsulates the artist’s mystifying personality than focusing on the man himself, which invites even more risk and criticism for such a historically odd figure; through James’s perspective, however, the audience can connect to Dalí and his group of thespians and musical stars with a more controlled neutrality. This structure makes Daliland far easier to digest, though it arguably detracts from the film’s central plot element: the relationship between Dalí and his equally inexplicable wife, Gala. Their rollercoaster love is an integral feature of nearly every on-screen appearance of either character and penned by John C. Walsh in an intriguing yet relatable way. It is unfortunate, then, that James’s bland story chews up so much of the scenery these two otherwise fascinating characters live and breathe in.

Daliland' Trailer: Ezra Miller Plays Salvador Dali Ahead of 'The Flash' – The Hollywood Reporter Courtesy Magnolia Pictures 

James appears to exist merely to offer the audience a reprieve from Dalí’s insanity. Unfortunately, we see little regarding his character or personal journey that justifies his inclusion apart from that dedicated role. And while one emotional scene toward the film’s end between the man and his inspiration nearly accomplishes this justification, it becomes impossible not to wonder how much more effective Daliland would have been without another less interesting fictional third-party protagonist entering the picture. Despite this, Harron admirably displays Dalí’s ubiquitous creativity and magnetism through windows into his artistic process and sexually-charged party scenes while simultaneously portraying his tender love with Gala through flashbacks (featuring the controversial Ezra Miller as a young Dalí).

Daliland’s stunning cinematography and fantastic soundtrack elevate the film, and the costume and makeup departments deserve praise here too. By all accounts, the film looks and feels appropriate for its subject matter, despite never being able to show any of Dalí’s work. This exclusion is likely a rights issue, but it quickly becomes a glaringly apparent missing element from the most prominent Dalí biopic in cinematic history. The lack of paintings is forgivable since the focus is on Dalí and Gala’s relationship and James’s involvement in their world; still, as the runtime progresses, Daliland appears to suppress more than just its titular character’s mysterious nature, but a more engaging, sharper film too.

Daliland is now playing in limited theaters and will open in Ann Arbor Sunday, June 11th.