Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Edith Bouvier Beale
91 min
TLDR
Devotees of Grey Gardens, this is for you.
What it's about
After a socialite life as Jackie Kennedy’s aunt and cousin, "Big" Edie and "Little" Edie Beale live a reclusive life in a derelict mansion called Grey Gardens, later depicted in classic direct cinema documentary of the same name.
The take
After the 1975 release of the Maysles brothers’ Grey Gardens, Big and Little Edie Beale’s story captivated viewers and spawned a musical and a dramatized biopic about the reclusive, impoverished socialite mother-daughter duo. The Beales of Grey Gardens is a compilation of the remaining unreleased archival footage, released after the death of both subjects and David Maysles. For those unfamiliar with their story, the film might feel a bit random and contextless. But for Beale fans, and those familiar with their first documentary, this sticks close to the classic cinema vérité style of the Maysles, while also uncovering other sides of these interesting, eccentric former socialites, becoming a lovely tribute for them and their fans.
What stands out
It works best watching after Grey Gardens, but the two women are still so interesting even for new viewers like me.