‘Mapplethorpe’ Trailer: Matt Smith Brings The Controversial Photographer’s Life To The Big Screen

Filmmaker Ondi Timoner is no stranger to making films about rock stars and celebrities. Having directed films about Russell Brand, The Dandy Warhols, and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, the director is an expert on the private lives of those that seem larger than life. That makes her seemingly the perfect choice to co-write and direct “Mapplethorpe.”

As seen in the first trailer, “Mapplethorpe” chronicles the life and career of celebrated photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Covering the ‘70s and ‘80s, from his time with musician Patti Smith to his later career as a highly-respected photographer, Mapplethorpe experiences all the highs and lows that come with sudden stardom, including those pesky self-destructive impulses that seem to doom many geniuses.

“Mapplethorpe” stars Matt Smith as the titular person, along with Marianne Rendón, John Benjamin Hickey, Mark Moses, Carolyn McCormick, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Kerry Butler. As mentioned, filmmaker Timoner is best known for her documentary work, winning the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in 2004 for her film “Dig!”

“Mapplethorpe” hits theaters on March 1, 2019.

Here’s the synopsis:

Robert Mapplethorpe is arguably one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Mapplethorpe discovered himself both sexually and artistically in New York City throughout the 70’s and 80’s. The film depicts Mapplethorpe’s life from moments before he and Patti Smith moved into the famed Chelsea hotel, home to a world of bohemian chic. Here, he begins photographing its inhabitants and his new found circle of friends including artists and musicians, socialites, film stars, and members of the S&M underground. Mapplethorpe’s work displayed eroticism in a way that had never been examined nor displayed before to the public. Exploring the intersection of his art, his sexuality and his struggle for mainstream recognition, MAPPLETHORPE offers a nuanced portrait of an artist at the height of his craft and of the self-destructive impulses that threaten to undermine it all.