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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Fatally cautious,
By
This review is from: Possession (DVD)
Neil LaBute's adaptation of A. S. Byatt's novel is far slighter than it needs to be. LaBute and co-writers Jones and Hwang wisely ditch most of the poetry and don't even attempt to stage a lot of what Byatt wrote, but in paring the story back to "the essentials" they've forgotten most of what makes it a good one. The Ash-LaMotte romance is ultimately a conventional Victorian tale of adultery, illegitimacy and suicide, but what really makes the novel sing is Byatt's take on contemporary academics: their cut-throat competitiveness, blinkered theorizing, personal obsessions and hunger for fame. These are the energies which drive the plot, and without them nothing is at stake. So LaBute's film winds up being just two drippy love stories and some lovely sets. I guess this is partly because he makes Roland too strong, sidelines Cropper (who could have been a devilish villain), and axes most of the other amusing characters: lesbian-feminist Leonora Stern, the motherly Beatrice Nest, and Roland's hilariously bitter partner, Val. He seems to have decided that a love story involving two attractive and recognisable American stars is more likely to engage an audience. The boxoffice returns suggest otherwise. Moreover, LaBute's version fails to capitalise on the inherent visual drama of many of the novel's key sequences, such as the seance and the stormy grave robbing near the end. The result is a film that feels stilted, reverential, fatally cautious and underdone. It has none of the wit and spark that makes the book come alive. In the hands of a capable comic writer, like Richard Curtis ("Love Actually"), it could have been superb. The cast is good, and much of the little pleasure the film does bring comes from the performances. Gwyneth Paltrow is surprisingly effective as Maud, and Tobey Stephens nails Fergus Wolfe perfectly. Aaron Eckhart is the only exception. Not only is the decision to make Roland an American a bad one, to then cast Eckhart is bordering on ludicrous. This is one case where a director's friendship with an actor is to the detriment of the film.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Doesnt quite work,
By Dangle's girl (Astoria, NY United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Possession (DVD)
If you loved the novel, the movie "Possession" will be a disappointment but hardly a tragedy. It's entertaining enough, with a diverting performance by Paltrow and a strangely magnetic turn by Aaron Eckhardt. He's hardly believable as an academic, but interesting to watch nonetheless. The period interludes don't fare as well, with Jennifer Ehle making the choice to act only with adoring glances--she seems to think that looking like she belongs in the 19th century is enough. Jeremy Northam is hot as usual, but the whole romance falls flat. The director makes the wise choice to trim a lot of the academic skullduggery and bad poetry of the book, but the scraps of story and atmosphere that are left never hang together. Altogether, not worth a buy, but worth a rental if you're in the mood for something without sex or violence and a few nice shots of the English countryside.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Jennifer Ehle saves it...,
By F.Faulkner "F.F." (Hartford, CT USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Possession (DVD)
I love Gwyneth Paltrow, but she was an ice maiden in this role, not portraying the character with any warmth, passion, or conviction. Vacant is the word that comes to mind.Why oh why did the producers/writers have to change Roland into being an American? I'm American, but it totally disrupts the romance between the two leads, and he was not a thief to the extent portrayed in the film. Awful. Jennifer Ehle is magic. She brings as much passion and life to this character as she did to Lizzie in Pride and Prejudice! Only Colin Firth could have improved the sensational love story here between the two poets. The actor who portrayed Randolph Henry Ash was lost in Jennifer Ehle's performance. She so overshadowed him. Lovely movie, but the modern day romance falls flat on its face... much to my disappointment.
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