Eeeeeeeeeeeeeew grossssssssss

For those of you who know me, you have a pretty good idea that I'm a fan of true crime stories, especially those that may involve psychopathy. And yet. I found Savage Grace, based on the book of the same name, to be nothing short of......icky.
The film will probably be coming to you in an "arthouse" theater due to the casting of Julianne Moore - indie darling - in the starring role of Barbara Baekeland, wife of the grandson of the inventor of Bakelite plastics. If you must, go and see it; but don't say I didn't warn you.
Before she married Brooks Baekeland, Barbara was a model and a wanna-be actress who finally found happiness when she married into wealth and was able to act the part of the socialite. Apparently, she had some personality disorders that led her to some wild mood swings and ultimately inappropriate (to put it mildly) behavior with her only child, a son named Antony. Antony displayed homosexual tendencies; in the American worldview of the 50's and 60's, a decided handicap for a mother trying to break her son into society. Antony's father finally washes his hands of the whole mess when he takes up with a younger woman (once Antony's girlfriend) and divorces Barbara. Unfortunately, that leaves Antony with only his mother and by the age of 25 he has killed her.
The film seems to follow quite closely the details of actual happenings, but as an audience, we must still hold some disbelief for what is presented to us. I also contend we must feel compassion for Antony, the fundamental victim; but it's difficult to do when we are shown by the director such graphic acts of incestuous sexuality. In my humble opinion, I would have felt greater emotional empathy for all characters if the most dysfunctional happenings were left to my imagination.
As a side note, the editing of the film feels extremely choppy, and there lacks emotional continuity between the years presented. NOT recommended.