Coming from the Merchant-Ivory team, The Golden Bowl is visually stunning, but the filmmakers have difficulty in transporting the characterizations of the Henry James novel to the screen.
Coming from the Merchant-Ivory team, The Golden Bowl is visually stunning, but the filmmakers have difficulty in transporting the characterizations of the Henry James novel to the screen.
The distinguished director/producer/writer team of James Ivory, Ismail Merchant, and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala returns to the works of 19th century novelist Henry James in this adaptation of his tale of love and treachery. Wealthy American art collector Adam Verver (Nick Nolte) is traveling Europe with his daughter Maggie (Kate Beckinsale) following the death of his wife. In their travels, Adam and Maggie encounter Mrs. Assingham (Anjelica Huston), an American socialite who enjoys playing matchmaker,
whether or not her subjects are interested. She introduces Maggie to Prince Amerigo (Jeremy Northam), a handsome but penniless member of Italian royalty, and after a bit of prodding, they announce their intention to marry. Mrs. Assingham also pushes Adam into a relationship with Charlotte (Uma Thurman), a close friend of Maggie, and they too decide to wed. However, no one else knows that Amerigo and Charlotte were once lovers, who broke off their relationship because he couldn't marry a commoner with no money. Their passion is eventually too strong to resist, and they embark on an adulterous affair, which becomes even more dangerous when Mrs. Assingham learns of it. The Golden Bowl was Merchant/Ivory/Jhabvala's third film based on a James novel, following The Europeans (1979) and The Bostonians (1984). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Makes the viewer wish that Ivory had cast a more accomplished actress -- Kate Winslet, perhaps, or Cate Blanchett -- who could give dimension to the character and indicate subtext in a way that Thurman can't.
Decent screenplay, superb acting, fantastic set design and photography: so why doesn't this movie feel great? Mainly it's just that the metaphors deployed are fairly obvious and the slow, played-out peacocks' dance of romantic discovery and recrimination
A disappointing movie to say the least, with such an all-star cast. Nick Nolte was at his good point here, but still could only do the best he could for the scripted role he played. Uma Thurman a beautiful women even in this movie, Anjelica Houston, I could go on and on, as you see a star studded cast, and a wash out
of a movie, the version I watch seemed like it was at one time supposed to be a mini Series that was cut up to make a movie. Put out by BBC Films, one of the few disappointments that they have put out. I can only manage to give it 2 stars.
December 28, 2009
Bruce Bruce
Super Reviewer
I didn't like this movie the first time, I've watched it couple more times and it has grown on me.
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