Upon hearing that Kevin Kline was going to portray Errol Flynn in a new movie, I was dubious, but I shouldn’t have been. Kline is and has always been a very good actor whose movie roles haven’t always matched the level of his talent. He was notorious early in his career for being choosy; thankfully, that phase has passed. Over the last few years he has made more movies than ever, and he has been good in all of them that I have witnessed. Including The Last of Robin Hood, in which he portrays screen legend Errol Flynn in his last years.
Flynn is quite a character, elegant and suave, seductive and beguiling to everyone he meets, usually smashed or high, but always polite and gentlemanly. It is this polish of class that allowed Flynn to adroitly avoid the legal pitfalls that awaited him for his pursuit of very young women and fiscal irresponsibility throughout his life, yet remain a fan favorite. Women loved him and he returned the favor as often as he could. As must be evident, this is a flamboyant role and Kline does a nice job not only with his impersonation but also bringing Flynn’s real character to light.
Yet the film isn’t so much about Flynn as it is aspiring chorus girl Beverly Aadland (Dakota Fanning) and her mother Florence (Susan Sarandon). Flynn sees Beverly and is instantly smitten; soon he has raped her and wants to continue the relationship as a romance. The script sort of whitewashes Flynn’s behavior in this regard because Flynn himself doesn’t regard his behavior as criminal; he just cannot help himself. And even Florence forgives him when she becomes convinced that he is deeply in love with her daughter. It’s a strange mix of moral turpitude and romantic mush, all, of course, based on fact.
Flynn tried to boost Beverly’s career as an actress; he tried to get her the title role in Kubrick’s Lolita, but the director wouldn’t budge. Instead, she ended up with a tiny role in Too Much, Too Soon and the lead role in Cuban Rebel Girls, which was, sadly, Flynn’s final film before succumbing to a heart attack at age 50. The film documents this period of time in vivid detail, claiming that Beverly loved him and was eagerly expectant of becoming Mrs. Flynn number four.
The film, written and directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, intimates a great deal about Beverly and Flynn, as well as Beverly’s mother Florence, who wrote a book about their relationship that was published in 1961. I don’t know how much of the intimate detail is true, as I just don’t know enough about Flynn and his wicked, wicked life to tell. I suspect that there is as much fiction as fact in this account, particularly involving Beverly’s feelings, but I just don’t know.
Dakota Fanning is excellent in some scenes, most of them late in the movie, and vapid in others. Perhaps that is what makes me distrust the film’s perspective. On the other hand, Susan Sarandon is terrific as Florence all the way through; it is her character that often determines what her daughter will do and who she will become.
As a result of all of this, I’m torn about the movie. I don’t know if I should accept it as historically accurate, even though its dramatic value is impressive. I enjoyed the film but it also creeped me out, which I also realize is intentional. At some point I will see it again, hopefully after doing some research on Flynn and his wild life. In the meantime, I’ll recommend The Last of Robin Hood (a title which I really dislike) as a cautionary tale about how Hollywood fame and fortune can enable people to genuinely mess up their own lives, and those of others. ☆ ☆ 1/2. 13 Sept. 2014.