- Film Review
- Reviewed By Lorien Haynes
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3 out of 5
Not as successful for director Jane Campion as The Piano, this costume drama based on Henry James's novel nevertheless makes for compelling viewing. Nicole Kidman is captivating as heroine Isabel Archer, an independent American woman who is seduced into the machinations of "friend" Madame Serena Merle (Barbara Hershey) and lover Gilbert Osmond (John Malkovich). Caught like a bright bird in their trap, her loss of spirit following her unsuccessful marriage is the central tragedy of the film and doesn't make for easy viewing. Where Stephen Frears's Dangerous Liaisons combined sexual games and social climbing with humour, here there's nothing to laugh about. Beautifully shot and capturing the spirit of the novel, you walk away with a troubled brow.
Plot Summary
An American heiress goes on a tour of Europe after the death of her parents, and ends up marrying an enigmatic art collector - unaware he considers her to be nothing more than another piece for his collection. Period drama set in the 1870s and based on Henry James' novel, starring Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich, Richard E Grant and Barbara Hershey.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Isabel Archer
- Nicole Kidman
- Gilbert Osmond
- John Malkovich
- Madame Serena Merle
- Barbara Hershey
- Henrietta Stackpole
- Mary-Louise Parker
- Ralph Touchett
- Martin Donovan (2)
- Mrs Touchett
- Shelley Winters
- Lord Warburton
- Richard E Grant
- Countess Gemini
- Shelley Duvall
- Edward Rosier
- Christian Bale
- Caspar Goodwood
- Viggo Mortensen
- Mr Touchett
- John Gielgud
Crew
- Director
- Jane Campion
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