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Best known
for playing muse to Andy Warhol, Edie Sedgwick was a dazzling
young socialite who found herself at the apex of the pop art
scene in 1960s New York. In FACTORY GIRL, Sienna Miller is the
enchanting, enigmatic Edie, offering a moving characterization
of the extremely troubled model/actress. The film kicks off as
Edie, the daughter of a well-to-do horse rancher, leaves art
school and moves to Manhattan in the mid-'60s. Her friend
Chuck Wein (Jimmy Fallon) introduces her to Andy Warhol (Guy
Pearce), and Andy is immediately taken with the waifish,
wealthy Edie. He welcomes her into his Factory, the silver
aluminum-foil covered loft where an assortment of artists and
oddballs assisted him with his projects. Edie quickly falls
into the hard partying, drug-addled scene, starring in Andy's
experimental films and becoming his constant companion. She
becomes well-known for her unique style, and the fashion
industry taps her as its very first "It" girl. Edie is flying
high on Andy, speed, and stardom, when she happens to meet the
Bob Dylan-esque "Folksinger" (Hayden Christenson). She falls
in love with him, and in doing so, falls out of Andy's favor.
Her drug addiction spirals out of control, her parents cut off
her cash flow, and her very bright star seems to burn out
almost as quickly as it rose.
As with most biopics, people are sure to quibble over the
accuracy of FACTORY GIRL, and whether it offers fair
portrayals of so many larger-than-life cultural icons.
However, viewers are sure to agree that it makes a poignant
statement about the pitfalls of fame. When Warhol tells Edie's
mother that her daughter is going to be "super famous", Mrs.
Sedgwick coldly responds: "And what exactly would be the value
of that?" Judging from the very tragic, short life of Edie,
there wasn't much value in it at all.
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