The Golden Bowl (2000)

One of my all time favorites.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

This film has much to recommend it, including great performances by both leading actresses. Unfortunately it is unlikely to be watched by anyone but fans of Henry James' novels, and they will find it unsatisfactory in most of the ways that count. The symbolism comes over as creakingly obvious, and some of the performances -- Nick Nolte's in particular -- are mannered in a way that does not work in a naturalistic medium. There is a scene in which he sheds a sentimental tear that I found unbearably fake. An even more toe-curling moment comes when James Fox makes a snorting whahay! noise as he cuddles up with Angelica Huston. She however provides the most Jamesian performance of them all, cool, intelligent, principled, and yet irretrievably corrupt. Kate Beckinsale is perfect in the part of Maggie, a John Singer Sergeant portrait come to life. Uma Thurman as Charlotte provides the required blend of sexuality and desperation. But the impact of these performances is all too often dissipated by heavy-handed direction and an over-insistence on significance at the expense of naturalism. The loaded set pieces like the swashbuckling scene of Italian erotic intrigue and the peculiar oriental mime are unnecessary and laboured to death. The comic song at the Matcham weekend is incredibly irritating and yet it is brought back in over and over again. Overall the film succeeds in capturing the sense of the destructive power of the Ververs with their enormous wealth and passion for collecting things -- people as well as objects. But it does so with an over-reliance on artifice. Unfortunately much the same is true of the novel, as it is of late James in general. This project was doomed from the start.

The film is very effective in conveying the spirit of the novel. By the end you will have that bittersweet taste in your mind, as it usually happens with Henry James stories... Not a single character can say that their heart is completely content. Once again, as in other Merchant Ivory productions, the cinematography and art direction is impeccable. Also, the costume design is both classic and risky (Uma Thurman at the ball is exotic and sensual). Now, the main flaw in terms of editing is pacing. While this type of narrative calls out for a slower pace, at times it just didn't feel right. It is like different hands took over parts of the movie.As for acting, it is quite good in general. Kate Beckinsale starts out very stiff, but warms up throughout the story. As for handsome Jeremy Northam, his Italian accent seemed contrived and was a bit distracting.

This film was pretty bad. Uma Thurman was painfully bad in a hysterical over-the-top performance, Jeremy Northam - who I usually love - had this really weird Italian accent going on and Kate Beckinsale and Nick Nolte, while giving decent performances, were just boring. It's a combination of boring characters and characters which are just awful – and not in the fun Dangerous Liaisons kind of way – that make this film kind of painful in a "I can't believe I stayed up until 2:00am watching this crap" way. I only gave it a 3 because some of the scenery is very pretty to look at. If you are a huge Henry James fan, then you might want to give it a try, otherwise, run! Run far away!!

I found this movie to be plot less. You are led on to believe there is a twisted 'Love Square' going on. When really it is merely a story that could be figured out in a matter of minutes. A cheating husband, a daughter tragically attached to her father, and a best friend to betray her ( as it always your best friend that will sleep with your husband). The movies jumps with little to no detail. The dialogue lacked flow and seemed forced.***********Spoilers Ahead*********** I am quite the fan of Kate Beckinsale, and though her acting never faulted, I think it was a mistake to take the role. It made her out to be oblivious and dim-witted. To blind to see that her husband was cheating on her with her best friend, coincidently her fathers wife. Everyone around her was trying to protect her 'innocence' and yet she never acts out against it and instead remains loyal to those who kept it from her. Another mistake is that she is the main character. The story is really centered around Uma Thurman and Jeremy Northam. Their acting is believable, though I must say I found it hard to not think of Uma trying to kill bill while I watched her act hopelessly in love with a married man. The father in the story seemed oblivious but when he did appear to know he seemed to quickly forget it and go along with his plans to build a museum in American City.This movie was a waste of my time in all regards, not something to watch when you are not quite awake as you will fall asleep, not that is a problem as nothing really happens the entire middle hour and a half of the movie. So in conclusion if you are looking for relatively good acting this is an OK movie, but if you are looking for a story with decent dialogue go somewhere else or you will be very disappointed.