Madame Bovary

Mia Wasikowska is striking in this retelling of the classic novel, playing a 19th-century doctor's wife who goes to desperate lengths to find excitement both romantically and socially. Director Sophie Barthes's interpretation strips Bovary's world down to the essentials, with dark rooms lit by candlelight to match the film's often overwhelmingly dour tone. For all the grit and charisma in Wasikowska's performance, the story lacks passion and, as a result, Bovary's downfall doesn't grab the viewer as it should, particularly in the final act. There are treasures to be found in the cast, despite an odd mix of accents. Rhys Ifans is fun as a sinister merchant, while Ezra Miller fits perfectly as Bovary's brooding young lover. A grim, abrupt ending brings to a close a film that, despite the skill of the cast, feels laboured and listless in a portrayal of a story that should be anything but.