Faye Dunaway took risks, racking up three best actress Oscar nominations (and one win) for playing a string of problematic women who dared the audience to have their backs. In turn, Dunaway herself was equally admired and feared, and she rarely felt the public’s warm embrace. So it’s understandable that after decades of polarizing press, the now-83-year-old feels safe revealing herself only to Laurent Bouzereau’s friendly and defanged documentary “Faye” - a far gentler portrait of a difficult woman than everything else on her résumé.
Honestly, it’s pleasant to witness Dunaway getting the kid gloves treatment. In lieu of harsh questions, Bouzereau pokes affectionate fun at her foibles with B-roll of their sit-down. The film opens with her taking control of his production before, it seems, she was aware that the camera was recording. Dunaway wants to angle her shoulders just so; she wants a glass of water, not a bottle; and she wants to start shooting now because she’s ready to go. Once the tape is rolling, she volunteers that she’s difficult - in fact, she admits it, comfortably - empowering Bouzereau and the editor Jason Summers to splice in these bits as acknowledgment. Yes, Dunaway is headstrong, because she wants everyone else on a set to match her urgency, fastidiousness and iron will.