Official Synopsis:
Inspired by the true story of tobacco billionaires Doris Duke and her devoted Irish butler Bernard Lafferty, the touching HBO Films drama Bernard and Doris stars Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking) and Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient).  After failed relationships with her previous waitstaff, Doris meets Lafferty, fresh out of rehab and without a penny to his name.  She takes him on as her butler and he is put in the unenviable position of having to convince the notoriously demanding Duke to keep him in her employ. Directed by Oscar nominee Bob Balaban (Gosford Park), the film effectively captures the elegance of a bygone era and is scored with countless musical standards, such as Peggy Lee’s “The Best Is Yet To Come.”  Bernard and Doris tells the witty and endearing tale of an unconventional bond between a society “princess” and her flawed “pauper” of a butler.

Our Take:
Bernard and Doris is typical of many HBO films in that it provides pleasant insight into a lesser known historical event or persona.  In this instance, HBO decided to shed its light on Doris Duke and her butler, Bernard Lafferty.  As a result, the film is quick viewing and highlighted by excellent starring performances, but it just doesn’t seem to have anything to say and feels more like you are watching a visual mini-research paper.  The fact that Doris Duke was the Paris Hilton of her time (only more so since she was richer and far more intelligent and cultured) goes unexplored.  The film could have been a scathing look at those like Hilton who have comparable wealth and publicity and how common their exploits have become when compared to a Doris Duke, but it isn’t. 

Alas, the film decided to narrow its focus to the relationship between Doris Duke and her butler, Bernard Lafferty. There would have been more to the film if there were more depth in the relationship between Duke and Lafferty.  Instead, the film presents thus; Duke was a tumultuous well-to-do woman and Lafferty was a gay man with a drinking problem.  That an intriguing film does not make. Ralph Fiennes shines as Lafferty doing his best to add a depth of emotion to an otherwise shallow role.  The audience is never allowed to get much background on Lafferty, only that he is gay and is an alcoholic.  Even when Lafferty begins a downward spiral of alcohol abuse, the film depicts it in broad strokes and even Fiennes painful expressions of guilt and secrecy (in the one or two scenes it’s allowed) do not go far enough to make the audience care. 

Susan Sarandon, as a rich older WASP with a slight drinking problem and tenacious approach to life, is quite in her wheelhouse.  She plays the role as one would expect Sarandon to play it, on point and accurately.  Sarandon is aided by some extra depth and material that unfortunately was not afforded to Fiennes.  We get to watch her tackle not only violent drunken stupors, but also poignant scenes where her character reflects on how she got her fortune, the way the world perceives her, and her acceptance of death.  Of the two leads, Fiennes puts in the greater effort, but the film’s leaning towards Duke allows Sarandon to come away with the more commanding performance.

Bernard and Doris contains the following bonus features:

* Audio Commentary with director Bob Balaban.

* Growing Up Rich: The Real Doris Duke (10 minutes) – A featurette, narrated by director Bob Balaban, detailing the life and times of the real woman behind the headlines.

Bernard and Doris is an informative film with a narrow focus, like most HBO films, that is more a research essay than a work of cinematic art.  Therefore, while the performances are as strong as they can be, it’s hard to come away from the film feeling as if you truly experienced anything other than mere information gathering.  If such educational experiences entice you, as opposed to, say, typing the lead characters’ names into a Wikipedia search, then Bernard and Doris is the film for you.

Overall Picture:
Movie: B-
DVD:  C+

- Matthew Orlando
Staff Writer