The Portrait of a Lady (1996, Jane Campion)

I love period pieces. The moment I see the corsets I get a tingling down my leg. Even more so, if the one in the corset is Nicole Kidman – she was born to wear Victorian clothes. Now, all I need is a relatively good narrative and an efficient direction and I’m in heaven. Jane Campion gives me much more than that. I’m surprised this film is not better known. It’s a marvelous feminist saga. Kidman plays Isabel Archer, an American heiress who doesn’t want to be trapped in a marriage. But when Isabel travels to Europe, she meets and falls for Gilbert Osmond (played by John Malkovich), who is really a fortune hunter. Kidman is eye-candy. Also, she has never looked more beautiful. Barbara Hershey is also excellent in a key supporting role. Hershey’s sly Madame Serena Merle is the highlight of the film. Martin Donovan is also good as Kidman’s dying cousin. Only John Malkovich failed to impress me. I really don’t understand why he is often cast as a womanizer – personally, I find him creepy and unsightly. The sets, the costumes, the music score by Wojciech Kilar, are all first rate. Still, a much-underrated costumer.

~ by gelpi2008 on Monday, June 8, 2009.