HUTSON: Lange, Sarandon bring big personality to roles in ‘Feud: Bette and Joan’

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GABI HUTSON

It appears as if Ryan Murphy has topped his ever infamous series American Horror Story with new Feud: Bette and Joan. The saga follows the ‘feud’ between two iconic actresses from the golden age of hollywood film, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. The two actors are played by two other actors who are iconic in their own right, Susan Sarandon (Bette) and Jessica Lange (Joan).

No two women other than Sarandon and Lange could bring that old hollywood panache to television. Sarandon perfectly captures Bette’s superiority complex and the famous attitude that could take a room to silence in seconds. Lange is superb as the obsessive and determined Joan. Joan Crawford is known for her big personality and controlling ways that I think Lange absolutely dominates.

The story behind the making of Bette and Joan’s first and only film Whatever Happened to Baby Jane is infamous in its own right but to see it brought to life by two phenomenal actors takes it to a whole new level. I also love to see the two momentarily alliances from time to time to take on  the misogyny of old hollywood they are forced to face as two aging women in show business.

Listen, I am an old hollywood fanatic. I can’t tell you how many nights I’ve spent scouring the “classics” section of Netflix looking for something I haven’t seen. In specific I know the golden Hollywood legend of Bette and Joan’s rivalry very well so if there were any inaccuracies I would be able to point them out but I simply can’t find anything to nitpick at. Everything is put to a T,  even costuming and script. I can see Joan and Bette wearing every outfit Lange and Sarandon sport and saying every line they utter, I am floored by this precision.

At only one episode in I can tell this is going to be my new obsession and I’m not a very avid fan of television series. This show has something new and refreshing, I mean the show is so good that the network allowed for Murphy to get away with putting the word c*** on air. You’ve got to have pizazz for that pass.