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- What Is Skincare About?
- Who Is Dawn DaLuise?
- How Skincare Adapts DaLuise’s Story
As a film enthusiast and someone who deeply respects artists’ rights, I find myself utterly dismayed by the recent turn of events surrounding the movie “Skincare.” It’s one thing to draw inspiration from real-life stories, but it’s another to adapt someone’s life without their consent. In this case, DaLuise’s harrowing experience has been eerily mirrored in the film, creating a sense of unease and betrayal that goes beyond mere coincidence.
On August 16, 2024, I find myself awestruck by the uncanny resemblance of reality to art in Elizabeth Banks’ movie “Skincare”. The filmmakers maintain they were oblivious to its real-life inspiration while creating this gripping thriller. In a twist that has left many scratching their heads in Hollywood, a professional facialist named Dawn DaLuise has accused “Skincare” of stealing her life story and turning it into a movie without her approval.
Despite Banks and director Austin Peters asserting that the parallels to DaLuise’s tale are coincidental, the resemblances are too striking to be overlooked. Consequently, it’s essential to examine the intricacies of DaLuise’s actual narrative and whether Skincare exploits her life without consent. This narrative unfolds as a battle of rivalry and retribution, as Skincare, whether intentionally or not, seems to reenact DaLuise’s story. The tale delves into the significance of maintaining an image in the glamorous world of Hollywood.
What Is Skincare About?
In this unique take, Austin Peters directs an engaging thriller titled “Skincare,” co-written with Sam Freilich and Deering Regan. The film features Elizabeth Banks as Hope Goldman, a renowned skin care specialist catering to Tinseltown’s elite celebrities. Eager to expand her career, Hope dreams of establishing her own skincare business for greater accomplishments. However, her aspirations face a setback when Angel Vergara (Luis Gerardo Mendez), a rival skincare expert, opens a competing salon right across the street.
In her suspicion that Luis’s skincare business success is a cruel prank, Hope retaliates with fiery anger, determined to thwart Luis’s enterprise. As the revenge-themed thriller progresses, it plunges into alarmingly violent depths as Hope transgresses laws and norms in pursuit of her vengeance. In her relentless quest to unmask the enigmatic figure behind Luis’s success, Hope’s personal and professional life disintegrates, leaving her close to despair in her pursuit of victory. The intriguing aspect about Skincare is that it seems to parallel the true-life story of skincare specialist Dawn DaLuise, at least as Dawn claims. However, the filmmakers dispute this connection.
Who Is Dawn DaLuise?
Dawn DaLuise, well-known aesthetician in Hollywood, gained widespread recognition following unfounded allegations of an attempted murder on a rival in March 2014. Prior to this incident, she had established her reputation by catering to high-profile clientele, including Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Nicki Minaj, Christian Slater, Alicia Silverstone, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and many others.
In March 2014, DaLuise, aged 55, owned Skin Care Refinery – a small facial and waxing salon situated in West Hollywood. DaLuise found herself in handcuffs due to allegations that she had hired an assassin to take out her rival beauty professional, Gabriel Suarez, who had recently set up shop in the same building with his business Smooth Cheeks. As per reports, the suspected assassin was a former Detroit Lions football player named Christopher Geile. After her arrest, DaLuise spent 10 months behind bars before she was exonerated and released from custody.
DaLuise claimed that stalkers Edward Feinstein and Nick Purgo (the Bling Ring organizer) falsely set her up for an arrest. As reported by People, DaLuise stated that she was being stalked shortly after Smooth Cheeks moved into the building. However, when she reached out to the police for assistance, they instead accused her of planning to murder Suarez.
In the realm of cinema critique, allow me to share my personal account of an intriguing tale that unfolded off-screen. Back in 2015, I found myself embroiled in a peculiar situation with Suarez, whom I had reason to suspect was stalking me. In jest, I confided this fear to my friend Feinstein, expressing a whimsical wish for someone to eliminate the nuisance. Little did I know that this casual comment would have far-reaching consequences.
How Skincare Adapts DaLuise’s Story
As reported by Page Six, DaLuise alleges that the filmmakers of “Skincare” have used her life story without her consent. The filmmakers argue that the similarities are merely coincidental, despite the significant attention the story received in Hollywood a decade ago. Concerned for her safety, DaLuise has warned she may sue the producers of “Skincare”. Furthermore, DaLuise fears that if this movie is released, it could prevent her from sharing her own story, stating that “Skincare could take away my chance to tell my personal tale myself.”
In the world of skincare, it appears that Hope will go to great extremes to eliminate a Latino competitor. The resemblance between Angel Vergara in the questionable revenge thriller and Gabriel Suarez in the DaLuise case is striking, leading one to wonder if this is mere coincidence. The setting, featuring Hollywood’s elite and their affluent lifestyles, closely mirrors that of DaLuise’s tale. It’s challenging to believe that the creators of Skincare were unacquainted with DaLuise’s true-life crime story, yet they claim otherwise.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Banks stated:
“I was completely unaware of it beforehand. Neither had I come across any information about it. All along, I was deeply immersed in Hope Goldman’s storyline and the LA setting.”
Banks mentioned that her inspiration came from Johnny Depp’s actual skincare specialist, a gentleman named Matty, who has his practice on downtown 3rd Street.
In my imagination, she strongly resembled Hope Goldman, as she owned a quaint apartment on 3rd Street in Los Angeles. This woman was suggested to me by an agent, who happens to represent Johnny Depp. He mentioned that Johnny Depp had also been one of Mattie’s clients, along with others. So, while reading the script, I found myself envisioning the character based on Matty. In essence, I thought, “I will model this character after Matty.”
Regarding Rivers, the director asserts that he hails from Los Angeles and the city’s profound connection with “visual representation,” was the catalyst for the creation of his film titled “Skincare“. He elaborated on this point in an interview with EW.
“The exploration of truth, aesthetics, and artificiality unfolding within a genuine and frequently raw setting truly captivated me. My passion for the noir style, coupled with the concept of crafting ‘Sunshine Noir’ in my hometown against the backdrop of the beauty industry, sparked the genesis of this movie.”
It remains unclear if Banks and Rivers were previously aware of DaLuise’s tale; nonetheless, anticipation builds as Skincare prepares to outshine its rivals at cinema release on August 16, 2024.
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2024-08-11 18:31