User Reviews

I never believed that Sienna Miller was a “real” actress but she actually managed quite well in Factory Girl. I am not sure if it is because she can act or just because – having been an IT girl herself - she identified with Edie Sedgwick, the IT girl of the 60s. Whichever way, it worked out. Based on the real story of Sedgwick, we follow her from her art studies to the world of the Factory, where an exploitative Warhol is ready to take advantage of her beauty and connections to get a hold to the upper class of New York. It is not clear what Edie’s talent was, as she was a mediocre actress and modeled very little, but talent was not a requirement for Warhol’s superstars. Warhol was a complex figure, perhaps a great artist or just an able manipulator, but his unpleasant nature is no secret. He had an adoring gang of “superstars” and would be artists, working for him in the Factory (probably the most pretentious art lab of the time). In the movie we see how he liked to pick the next “superstar”, to replace the previous one he grew bored with. The script suggests Sedgwick was replaced by Nico (who undoubtedly was a more complex and interesting woman). More controversy is added by the mystery love story with Dylan (which might or not have happened, but is denied by Dylan). According to the script, Edie interest (even love?) for Dylan was another reason why the jealous Warhol dropped her. Not being able to have her undivided attention, not her money – since her father cut her of her inheritance – Edie was dropped by Warhol to deal alone with her addictions. Luckily the script does not even try to make the audience feel sorry for poor little rich girl Edie. Coming for old money, she had a difficult relationship with her father and tragedy struck early in her life with the suicide of her brother. However, her problems were compounded by her self-destructive nature and her Factory experience contributed only to send her down faster, where she probably would have ended anyway.

This film is so pretentious I can feel Andy Warhol awkwardly turning in his grave. This serious attempt to expose the abuse of love plays like a preschool playground romance. It is shallow and of little value to those who can remember the 60s or the MTV generation. It's appeal is representative of glamour and on the surface is enjoyable as a caricature of history. Despite strong casting the illusion of performance is evidence of style over substance. Hickenlooper exploits the memory of Warhol and Sedgwick and disrespects art in the process.