JAMES RASIN

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BBBB

USA, 2010.  Flowerside Creations, JJay Productions. Screenplay by James Rasin.  Cinematography by Martina Radwan.  Produced by Elizabeth Bentley, Gill Holland, Jeremiah Newton.  Music by Gerald Busby, Louis Durra.  Film Editing by Zachary Stuart-Pontier.  

The life and times of Andy Warhol superstar Candy Darling are examined in this highly enjoyable documentary, a great companion piece to Superstar In A Housedress and Little Joe. Darling was the loveliest of the three starlets that Warhol made famous in the late 60s, along with Jackie Curtis and Holly Woodlawn, and was so convincingly glamorous that many who came in contact with her (including some of her photographers) had no idea that she wasn’t assigned female at birth.

Darling starred in a handful of movies, became an underground sensation, then sadly died of cancer at the young age of 29. This probing film features testimonies by her companions and friends, a wealth of photographs and film footage as it seeks to celebrate the myth of Candy Darling while also revealing the true story behind it: until the end of her life she was always broke and quite often felt lonely and unloved.

Rather than indulging in tragedy, however, director James Rasin wisely allows the negative elements of her life to shed light on her personality while still insisting that Darling’s legacy of glamour and beauty is well remembered for a good reason.