Review of "Bernard and Doris"

photo credit Victo Spinelli/HBO

Early on in HBO’s Bernard and Doris, director Bob Balaban’s “imagined relationship” between heiress Doris Duke (Susan Sarandon) and her gay Irish butler Bernard Lafferty, the heiress asks the rather colorless servant what his true colors actually are. “Well, I live in other people’s worlds,” he says. “So if their world is beige, I suppose my world is beige.”

And actor Ralph Fiennes absolutely does inhabit this man who is indeed a chameleon with little discernible personality of his own. Fiennes gives an outstanding performance as the alcoholic Irishman, and Susan Sarandon is just as good as the imperious “poor little rich girl” Duke. Meanwhile, the production has an impressively lavish look despite a budget of only $500,000.

Alas, Doris and Bernard is far less than the sum of its parts. Studied performances do not necessarily make for riveting drama.

The film is set in 1987 and opens as a penniless Bernard arrives at one of Duke’s palatial homes. (She hobnobbed with the likes of Imelda Marcos and U.S. presidents routinely extended her invitations.) The movie implies that Bernard’s lifelong drinking problems might have cost him his last position, something that the perceptive Duke quickly deduces, but overlooks. It’s never made clear exactly what he had done for his previous employers, but Lafferty had worked for both Elizabeth Taylor and Peggy Lee, making Duke another in a string of iconic women to which Lafferty appeared to be drawn.

photo credit Ken Regan/HBO

After Bernard joins Doris’ household, the film quickly moves to scenes of the Irishman whipping Duke’s staff into shape, as well as looking on somewhat disapprovingly as she frolics with gardeners and other assorted boy toys, all the whil being protective of anything having to do with her.

Doris quickly comes to rely on him, and he accompanies her on trips around the world as he moves into that gray area between employee and confidante. At her urging, he starts to dress more extravagantly and starts wearing his hair in a ponytail and occasionally indulging in drugs. She tries to seduce him once, but he demurs, explaining he swings “the other way.”

As for drama or plot, well, there isn’t a great deal of either, which is disappointing since this is an “imagined” story, a conceit that would seem to leave room for both. Instead, it is a forgone conclusion that Bernard is going to fall off the wagon. Indeed, after becoming ensconced as Doris’ favorite, we eventually see him furtively hauling bags of empty liquor bottles out to the trash. The only question is how Doris will react when she finds out.

Inevitably Doris learns of his theft and another staff member gleefully asks if he should fire Bernard. Instead she fires that staff member and sends Bernard into exile and rehab.