Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus

Bouncing between near misses (Cold Mountain) and outright dogs (the risible Stepford Wives), Nicole Kidman could use a surefire hit, at least critically. Whether or not this so-called imaginary portrait of doomed photographer Diane Arbus will be the tonic for Kidman’s post–Oscar malaise is an intriguing question. Looking almost too clean and bright for its subject matter, Fur appears to suggest that Arbus was molded by a mysterious presence—here, in the form of a hairy Robert Downey Jr., who lurks in an apartment below her studio. To suggest that Arbus was anything but a visionary on her own terms is sadly typical of Hollywood’s general squeamishness about artists, especially female ones. Director Steven Shainberg scored an art-house hit with his bland Secretary, and in casting Kidman’s perfect face (instead of, say, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s softer, less-chiseled mug), you wonder if he hasn’t missed the point of Arbus’ entire oeuvre.