I knew watching Duet for One would be difficult, because it focused on a woman's struggle with Multiple Sclerosis, but there was an added realism that made it especially tough. Julie Andrews, who had a terrible tragedy with her vocal cords, put an eerie touch of denial in her performance. When she first started stumbling and dropping glasses from her weak hands, her immediate (and I mean absolute immediate, without a beat for surprise, shame, or sorrow) reaction was to start giggling. It was so chilling to see Julie Andrews, poised to perfection, use a knee-jerk reaction of laughter when confronted with her symptoms of MS. Her front was un-breakable, and in those early scenes, she never cracked.
Of course, the story continues, and she runs the gamut of all the emotions you'd expect. Her character is a famous violinist whose career, of course, comes to a screeching halt. Her star pupil, Rupert Everett, is heartbroken, and her conductor husband, Alan Bates, pulls away from their marriage. Her therapist, Max von Sydow, is a sounding board for when she travels through all her moods. She's angry, ashamed, and hates that she has to go through the rest of her life as a cripple. She baits Alan into fighting with her, and she tries to shock Max with her "life is short" revelation. The biggest problem I had with the story was the character of Julie's housekeeper. She judges Julie's behavior and literally prays that she'll stop, which I thought was heartless. Julie's life, as she knew it, is over, and in my opinion, she's entitled to grab any happiness she can find.
If you just love Julie Andrews in her musicals, you might not want to watch this depressing drama. It's very dark, she uses language that Mary Poppins would be ashamed of, and she acts in ways that would shock Maria Von Trapp. But if you like her heavier work, like That's Life! And On Golden Pond, you'll appreciate this very fine piece of acting.
