From Deseret News archives:
The House of Mirth
House of Mirth, The
Film review
Despite its title, "The House of Mirth" isn't the jolliest of movies.
To be honest, director Terence Davies' big-screen adaptation of the Edith Wharton novel is suffused with sadness almost to the point of becoming unbearable which is why it's fortunate that the movie has a rich, sumptuous look and a talented cast that many other films would kill for.
As a result, "The House of Mirth" actually resembles one of the handsome literary adaptations of the Merchant Ivory production team, especially "The Remains of the Day." However, its tone is somewhat darker as is the manner in which Davies renders the story which brings "The Wings of the Dove" more to mind.
That's a pretty bold move to make with such material, as is the lead casting of "X-Files" TV star Gillian Anderson, who may have won Emmys for her work on that show but has remained an unproven commodity on the big screen . . . until now.
Anderson stars as Lily Bart, Wharton's seemingly ill-fated heroine whose naivete may spell her doom.
Suddenly, Lily finds herself without friends or means of support, as her many patrons suddenly decide she should repay their "favors." She also seems to have estranged herself from Lawrence, and her debatable actions have made her less desirable to her only remaining suitor (Anthony LaPaglia).
Filmmaker Davies (the director of "The Long Day Closes" and "The Neon Bible") is a bit of a perfectionist with the material he even uses decade-specific colloquialisms in the dialogue, which do take a while to get used to.
Also, his pacing is a bit off. Though the material would naturally dictate a slow pace, the action meanders along and sometimes gets bogged down in the details.
Davies' real strengths here lie in his direction of the cast, particularly Anderson, who gives a heartbreaking performance that is also surprisingly subtle. (Why she didn't get an Academy Award nomination for her work here is anyone's guess.)
Similarly, Stoltz hasn't been this good (or likable) in a film for a very long time, and the supporting performers also make strong impressions with limited screen time, especially the always-sterling Linney and LaPaglia; he makes you wish he had more scenes with Anderson.
"The House of Mirth" is rated PG for prescription drug fraud and abuse. Running time: 135 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com
Comments
Cast: Gillian Anderson, Eric Stoltz, Dan Aykroyd, Laura Linney
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