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Pulman does a much better job with The Golden Bowl by turning one of the novel's side characters--an elderly man with a nosy wife--into its narrator; and in the hands of top-notch Cyril Cusack, this narrator combines seeming obliviousness and sly understanding as he unwinds the story of a perhaps overly close father and daughter, whose familial bond threatens to destroy both of their marriages. The Golden Bowl also benefits from a lively, handsome cast and some gorgeous fashions--style mavens will drool over the creations of costume designer Ian Adley. The Spoils of Poynton, though not ranked highly among James' works, proves enormously entertaining as a mother and son manipulate a kind-hearted young woman in their fight with each other to claim the treasures of the family estate. Gemma Jones, Ian Ogilvy, and especially Pauline Jameson (as, of course, a scheming matriarch) skillfully balance light and dark as simple acquisitiveness turns into bitter struggle. The last two adaptations are movie-length, but what they lose in detail they gain in momentum and dramatic force. The American stars Matthew Modine as a wealthy American in love with a widowed Parisian gentlewoman; Diana Rigg is magnificently poisonous as the young widow's mother who spurns Modine, driving him to seek revenge. The most visually stylish of the set, The American takes a minor James novel and gives it plenty of zest; Modine, often bland, is perfect here, earnest and direct and all the more appealing for it. Finally, The Wings of the Dove vividly captures James' vision of Europe as shark-infested waters in which naive Americans get chewed up. Two British lovers, prevented from marrying by their lack of money, try to solve their problem by taking advantage of a wealthy American orphan, Milly Theale. Lisa Eichhorn's performance as Milly is so endearing and so hapless that the machinations around her grow increasingly horrifying--especially as the lives of the lovers themselves turn to ruin. --Bret Fetzer
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
James Portrayed,
By
This review is from: James;Henry Collection (DVD)
This DVD is Henry James at his best. The four dramas, each of different length, are a study of situations and characters. James has an in site rarely emulated in other authors.The productions date back to the seventies but the quality of the DVD is excellent. In 1972 on BBC TV I saw the 'Spoils of Poynton' and remembered how excellent it was, what a joy to have found it again.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
HENRY JAMES TRIUMPHS AS DRAMATIST,
By
This review is from: James;Henry Collection (DVD)
Although gaining modest renown as a novelist and short story writer, Henry James never succeeded as a dramatist on the London stage. But now, via television, his stories work in dramatic form! The Spoils of Poynton (1970)and The Golden Bowl (1972) are two of the best written and subtly acted plays in the history of BBC television drama. Sometimes the camera movements could be more imaginative and the backdrops painted less crudely but - almost forty years ago - equipment and financing were probably limited. Usually the superb acting more than compensates for technical deficiencies. The Henry James Collection is a set to cherish; and the plays can be watched over and over, as one would re-read a great novel.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
A little bit too old for me,
By Ophelia "Niky" (canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: James;Henry Collection (DVD)
Eventhough I liked the stories, the versions are a little too old for my taste, except perhaps The American, and it seems that the ending are always the same kind of ending. Not totally bad but not enough originality for my taste even if I liked most of the books Henry James wrote. Cant compare with Washington square!
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