Mommie Dearest (Frank Perry, 1981)

With: Faye Dunaway, Diana Scarwid, Steve Forrest, Howard Da Silva, Mara Hobel

Plot: Based on Joan Crawford's daughter's memoir, this scathing profile of the hellish actress follows their difficult mother-daughter relationship

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Jesus Christ! I read that the filmmakers attempted to make this seem a bit more even handed than the book, so I can't imagine what nightmares go on in that. This is the ultimate lurid voyeurism, undeniably thrilling to watch because it's (allegedly) true but also camp and hysterical which keeps us detached enough to not feel too bad about it all. It's tough to imagine this was ever going for anything other than the status of camp classic, but the sad story behind it manages to be compelling enough to keep its histrionics going off the rails, and although it doesn't do too much exploration, the demented psychological figure of Joan Crawford is laid bare for us to poke and analyse. Dunaway chews the scenery until there's nothing left, which is probably appropriate for this kind of thing, and Scarwid and Hobel as the daughter at different ages both simmer quietly with resentment and fear to a marvellously matched effect. Essential viewing for anyone even slightly interested in celebrity.

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