Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus 2006

The film begins with Diane Arbus (Nicole Kidman) visiting a nudist colony in order to capture photographs. Welcomed by Jack Henry (Boris McGiver) and Tippa Henry (Marceline Hugot), she is invited to disrobe if she wishes to take any pictures. The narrative then shifts back to New York City in 1958, where Diane, the assistant to her husband Allan (Ty Burrell), grapples with the restrictions of her affluent upbringing. Raised in a wealthy family, with a mother, Gertrude Nemerov (Jane Alexander), and a furrier father, David Nemerov (Harris Yulin), Diane feels suffocated by her mundane role as a city wife and mother to their two daughters, Grace (Emmy Clarke) and Sophie (Genevieve McCarthy).

During a party at their home, Diane gazes outside and catches the eye of an enigmatic neighbor whose face is shrouded, save for his eyes and mouth. That evening, she confides this incident to Allan after boldly exposing her bra on the patio. Days later, when her daughter mentions a plumbing issue, Diane uncovers hair clogging a pipe, from which a key unexpectedly falls. Curious, she asks her neighbor about it, leading him to suggest a visit to the basement. There, she stumbles upon an ornate chair and a sideshow poster of a “wild man,” which is dusted off by Althea (Mary Duffy), who Diane mistakenly assumes to be the man’s wife.

Unable to shake her curiosity, Diane finally takes the plunge and approaches the mysterious neighbor, Lionel Sweeney (Robert Downey Jr.), who suffers from Hypertrichosis and works as a wig maker. In their initial meeting, he invites her to return later, asking if she brought the key. This sets off a profound connection between them, as he shares videos of his life as an outcast due to his condition. Diane, intrigued and empathetic, reveals her own repressed desires and fantasies, igniting a spark of attraction that draws her deeper into Lionel’s world, filled with societal outcasts.

Lionel introduces Diane to people on the fringes of society, including transvestites and dwarfs, and Diane yearns to escape from her constrained life. She communicates her desire to focus on her own photography, starting with her neighbors. Though supportive, Allan is eventually made aware of their growing bond, as Diane becomes more entwined with Lionel’s life, even involving him in family affairs.

During their anniversary celebration, Diane discovers Lionel experimenting with substances that endanger his health. In a heart-wrenching moment, they share an almost kiss, but it’s interrupted by Allan, who senses the tension between them. Despite her promise to Allan to end the affair, Diane finds herself drawn back to Lionel’s apartment, leading to a night of intimacy where he reveals his dark intention to end his life by swimming into the ocean.

Their love is both tender and tumultuous, leaving Diane in turmoil as she grapples with her emotions. Meanwhile, Allan discovers her hidden talent for photography when he accidentally develops her films, awakening in him a newfound admiration for her artistic abilities.

As Lionel gifts Diane a fur coat made from his own hair, their last encounter unfolds at the beach where he joyfully swims away, leaving her in reflective devastation. Finding herself unable to return to her previous life, she returns to Lionel’s apartment, where an unexpected party unfolds in his honor, filled with his unique friends. Here, she receives a photo album meant for her, filled with invitations to document her journey.

In an empowering closing scene, Diane is seen at the nudist camp once more, but this time, she seeks out a deeper connection with her subject as she invites a woman to share a secret before taking her photograph. Through her journey, Diane transforms, recognizing her passion and direction, ready to embrace her artistic identity.