October 17, 2003

Sylvia and Ted, a Potboiler

By DIANE MIDDLEBROOK

Dying is an art ... I do it exceptionally well.

I do it so it feels like hell.

Those are the opening words of the movie Sylvia, spoken over a tight close-up on an unblinking eye in a woman's face. She is prone. She might be dead. She might be anyone -- you can't identify her. But the words are from "Lady Lazarus," a monologue written by Sylvia Plath. So what is this movie going to be about -- the art of dying, or the art of writing about it? Want to make a

Digital or Print Subscription

Web Pass

Already have an account? Log In Now.