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Director: Iain Softley
Helena Bonham Carter, Kate Croy
Linus Roache, Merton Densher
Charlotte Rampling, Aunt Maude
Alison Elliott, Millie Theale
This visually pleasing period film, adapted from, but not precisely faithful to, the Henry James novel, takes place in London and Venice in 1910. Kate Croy, a relatively poor young woman, lives with her wealthy Aunt Maude, who wishes her to marry an aristocrat. Kate's inamorata, Merton Densher, a journalist, is unacceptable to Aunt Maude. Enter Millie Theale, a young, beautiful, wealthy American on a tour of Europe, who takes an immediate fancy to Merton Densher, and the subtle complications of the book and film commence. The story unfolds slowly in London, but accelerates in Venice to the point where some scenes moved too quickly. In addition, a key piece of information is told verbally to the audience after-the-fact, when depicting it visually, in sequence, would have been far better. A brief street sex scene, photographed murkily, would never have happened at that time and place by these characters. The penultimate scene, wherein Kate and Merton examine motives and conscience while in dishabille, would have been a satisfactory conclusion, but the brief, silent scene which follows is puzzling, not clarifying. The acting is competent throughout except for Linus Roache's bland performance that fails to develop a personality where one is needed. Preceding criticism notwithstanding, this is an interesting film that many will find worthwhile.
4/2004