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• Region: Region 4 (Read more about DVD formats.)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000CQOGMU
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,720 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Splendor That Is Natalie Wood, June 24, 2006

By 

Noirdame (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mystery of Natalie Wood [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.4 Import - Australia] (DVD)

I was so excited when I heard that they had made a TV movie about Natalie. I have been a fan of her for years now, and after many movies have chronicled the lives of celebrities, it was her turn in the spotlight. There are some flaws and problems with "The Mystery Of Natalie Wood", to be sure, but it was - and is - clearly a labor of love with Natalie's sister Lana as producer.

Justine Waddell was a good choice to play Natalie, although I do think that she bears more of a striking resemblance to Natalie's eldest daughter, actress Natasha Gregson Wagner. Natalie's struggle with growing up in the limelight, dealing with a domineering stage mother, trying to have a "normal life", her traumatic experiences, phobias, love affairs, marriages, and tragic and mysterious death are handled expertly, with interviews from those who knew her and photographs a highlight. One of the biggest mysteries concerning Natalie, apart from her strange passing, is the identity of the famous actor who raped her. As his name has never been revealed, we can only speculate. (I think I have a pretty good idea who it is). There is also some rumor as to what caused her first marriage to Robert Wagner to destruct, and what happened on the yacht that tragic night.

Michael Weatherly was good as Robert Wagner, and Matthew Settle could definitely pass for the young Warren Beatty. Nick Carpenter is one of the better actors to have portrayed James Dean, Paul Pantano is a dead ringer (pardon the pun) for Sal Mineo, and Alice Krige did a formidable job in the demanding role of Maria Gurdin, Natalie's obsessive, controlling and star struck mother. She lived vicariously through her daughter, almost sadistically. Nathalie Roy was an excellent choice to play the adult Lana Wood, Colin Friels was right on as Natalie's father, and Jason Smith was impeccable as Natalie's first love, the rebellious, leather jacket wearing Jimmy Williams. His attempted suicide, after young Natalie, persuaded by her mother, painfully and regretfully, ended their puppy love romance, is heart-wrenching and the viewer weeps with him and Natalie.

Now, on to the problem areas: Sophie Monk did an decent job of portraying the legendary Marilyn Monroe in her first scene, when Natalie was a child, on the set of "Scudda Ho! Scudda Hay!", but in her second and final scene, the night before the Oscars in 1962, she is wearing a horrible white wig, and her lips are way too wet, and her voice has become very distracting. Even more self-defeating is the news clip footage of the real Marilyn, that is shown as Natalie and Warren learn that she had died. Monk did not resemble Monroe in any way in her last scene, so the newsreel footage is a real letdown. Rachel Scobie, although talented, was just the wrong actress to portray Joan Collins - she didn't even remotely resemble her!!! Steve Widler was not chunky enough to play Natalie's second husband, Richard Gregson, and I found Malcolm Kennard's portrayal of Christopher Walken to be annoying.

The recreation of the film sets that Natalie worked on, the costumes, locations (I found myself forgetting that it was actually filmed in Austrailia), and songs featured in the film were so fitting and fantastic, and all of the child actors in the movie were adorable and delightful. The two little girls that Natalie talks to in the bathroom of the restaurant towards the climax were obviously to serve as a parallel to Natalie's own daughters, and it was expertly presented. It was entertaining, had a lot of insight, and was a fitting tribute to this beautiful and talented actress whose work and legacy continues to endure to this day. It has its blemishes and unanswered questions due to Natalie's bizarre and sad demise, but it is also a movie, so that is to be expected. All in all, it is a good film, well made, and entertaining. We will let Natalie and this picture "entertain us!"

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars solid, well-acted and absorbing, May 22, 2006

By 

Byron Kolln (the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Mystery of Natalie Wood [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.4 Import - Australia] (DVD)

An absorbing look into the life of one of Hollywood's most beautiful leading ladies, THE MYSTERY OF NATALIE WOOD is based on Suzanne Finstad's authoritive biography entitled "Natasha" and stars Justine Waddell in a very eerie performance as Wood; with expert direction from Peter Bogdanovich.

Using interviews with Natalie's family, friends and workmates, the movie traces Wood from her origins as young Natasha Gurdin, whose calculating stage mother 'Mud' (Alice Krige) pushed her into the spotlight and kick-started her career as a child-actress. 'Mud' famously presented Natasha on the set of "Happy Land", and convinced director Irving Pichel to find a small role for her. Pichel was impressed and immediately cast her in "The Bride Wore Boots" as well as "Tomorrow is Forever" that same year, where she played an emotionally-scarred German war orphan. With the new name of Natalie Wood, acclaimed performances in "The Green Promise", "The Ghost and Mrs Muir", "Miracle on 34th Street" and "The Star" followed, but success as an adult performer alluded Wood until she was cast opposite James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause". She followed that with "Marjorie Morningstar", "Splendour in the Grass" (considered her greatest performance), "West Side Story" and "Gypsy".

From childhood, Wood was crippled with agonizing fears including, most prophetically, water. Her mother loved telling the story of a mysterious gypsy fortune-teller who predicted that Wood would become a famous star, but should beware of dark water. Wood's fears were almost realised when she had a bad accident on the set of "Green Promise", falling off a bridge and into a torrent of water which nearly pulled her under. During filming of Denie's attempted suicide scene in "Splendour in the Grass", Wood was required to swim in a river, a task she undertook with great trepidation.

The movie also recounts her marriages to Robert Wagner (they were married in 1957 but divorced and later re-married in 1972) and Richard Gregson. Her later life was quite happy and Wood was able to become the wife and mother she had always wanted to be. But her shock accidental death in 1981 when she fell off her yacht near Catalina Island remains a mystery which will never be fully-explained. This movie attempts to address the question, and indeed the scene is very harrowing, but Wood's death was never anything but a strange and cruel accident, the prophecy of the fortune-teller had seemingly been true on all counts. But the film ends with a wonderful montage of the real Natalie at the happiest times of her life and career, and that's how we should remember and treasure her.

Justine Waddell ("Wives and Daughters", "Great Expectations") is thrilling as Natalie and it is quite spooky at just how much she resembles Wood.

THE MYSTERY OF NATALIE WOOD was filmed at Fox Studios Australia with various locations filmed throughout Sydney. The supporting cast includes many well-known Aussie faces including Sophie Monk as Marilyn Monroe, Rupert Reid as Henry Jaglom, Jason Smith as Wood's first love Jimmy and Colin Friels as Natalie's father. Michael Weatherly is also fine playing Robert Wagner. Originally shown in two parts.