The Governess
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Movie Reviews of The Governess
Movie Review: One of Minnie Driver's best performances.
Summary: 4 Stars
The Governess is one of the best period pieces I have ever seen. The cinematography, the costumes, and the charactar development and perfomances throughout the film is compelling and interesting. If you want a movie which makes you think, entertains you and provokes dicussion about unrequited love and emotionally stunted relationships, this is the one for. Very much teh same vien as a Jane Campion film. Minnie Driver delivers a powerful performance, worthy of a golden globe.Movie Review: Attempt at artsy film lacks depth and consistency
Summary: 3 Stars
Curiosity got the better of me when I heard this movie was a feminist, Jewish woman in Scotland film - with Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. I watched with an open mind, but was left disappointed and confused with the supposed theme. What the movie lacks, in a word = DEPTH.
Minnie Driver's character begins in a whirlwind moment from being an affluent Jewess, to force-employing herself as a fake british Governess to a family in Scotland. The family..... a bored stuffy mother, bratty sociopathic daughter, and melancholy older son (JRM) lend no reasons to be as dysfunctional a family as they are - weakening their purpose in the plot. The only insight into any of them is the introverted, weak, scientific husband (Tom Wilikinson)... who eventually falls prey to Driver's wiles and exotic creativity.
Driver's character, Rosina, is very conflicting. She is eager to be useful, too easily wanton, and industrious/creative when it comes to the discoveries of "photography" in the movie. For these aspects she is a budding feminist - aware of her body and determined to be acknowledged for her part in the discoveries of science.
But on the other hand, she also begs for forgiveness and attention, weeps in tantrums, and the film shows hardly any of her supposed education/teaching (which is the reason she is employed there in the first place). So from this aspect she is a weak female depending on her employer-turned lover. Her inconsistency is irritating and has no development. Then a dramatic turn - she suddenly becomes the scorned lover, vengeful and reckless of who's family she ruins, embracing her heratige and new-found knowledge... an unexpected strength from her.... again attesting to the character's inconsistency.
To make matters worse, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers character is but a blip in the film, solely there to reveal Driver's true identity to his Father and play the overdramatic part of the infatuated young son. His obsession with the Rosina is over the top, considering how little film time it gets. It's like it comes out of nowhere - and when she leaves the family near the end - he is flailing naked in the ocean, curled up in the fetal position weeping in the sandy waves!?! It was just too much, with little basis. Not to mention that here and in the "lover" scenes of the film - male full frontal nudity seems placed solely for attempt at "dark artsiness."
So - Rosina becomes an empowered woman, going 'back to her people' with the stolen photo lenses, creating her own photography business. There is no time frame to gauge how quickly her broken family is taken from rags to riches again - but that is attributed to the film's choppy storyline throughout.
All in all, the film's characters were cliched when they could have been better fleshed out. The movie lacked depth and attempted at artsy-fartsiness.... but failed in my opinion due to it's inconsistency, rushed timelines and chopiness.
Movie Review: Beautifully shot, yet lacking in insights
Summary: 3 Stars
"The Governess" has Minnie Driver playing a feisty Sephardic Jewess in 1840s London whose diminished circumstances compels her to seek out a position as Governess with a well-heeled family in Scotland. She assumes the false identity of Gentile Mary Blackchurch and has to deal with a very dysfunctional family - there's the man of the house played by Tom Wilkinson, his haughty and whiny wife, a morbid young daughter Clementine, and the teenage never-do-well rebellious son [played by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers].
Soon, a close bond develops between Rosina and the master of the house, and results in an affair. Whilst indulging in each other, Rosina takes the opportunity to master the finer points of the art of photography, which was in its developmental stages at the time. The rebellious son meanwhile becomes hopelessly infatuated with Rosina, even more so after he discovers her true identity as he is drawn to her 'differences'. There's lots of emotional drama that ensues and Rosina struggles to find her place in the world.
The strength of the movie lies in the camerawork. The cinematography of the Scottish coastline is beautiful as is the portrayal of the photography lessons. But most striking of all for me was the hypnotizing and beautifully shot scenes of the Jewish rituals that seemed almost magical and surreal.
What I felt was lacking though was true insights into the characters - the Gentile family that Rosina works for is portrayed as dysfunctional, but there is no credible explanation or exploration as to why this is so. The viewer is supposed to just accept this as a fact.As for Rosina, though her character was well-portrayed by Minnie Driver, I felt there was no deep insight into the conflict between her close affinity for Judaism vs the stressful situation engendered by her assuming a false Gentile identity. What did seem genuine was Rosina/Mary's true affection for Tom Wilkinson's character. Minnie Driver does have expressive eyes and she uses this to great effect. Tom Wilkinson's character was also credibly drawn, though I didn't think the full frontal nude scenes were necessary [both him and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers].
On the whole, I did like this movie from an aesthetic point of view, though it could have done with more insightful characterization.
Movie Review: Duty bound feminism
Summary: 3 Stars
There were several favorable reviews from fellow Amazonians regarding THE GOVERNESS, and it was recommended by the dear hearts at Amazon, so I took a shot in the dark on this one.
The lushness of the Isle of Skye is absolutely breathtaking (great direction w/the sweeping camera shots), while you can feel the grittiness and urban setting of Victorian London (the "ladies of the night" egging Rosina on is a particularly standout moment). Minnie Driver's portrayal of Rosina da Silva is fragile, yet strong, curious, yet introverted when it comes to opening up to her charge, Clementina. She only seems to "blossom" fully when the master of the house Mr. Cavendish begins to lavish a *ahem* special attention upon her.
The viewer never really understands WHY Rosina is so enthralled with a man who is distant, self-serving, and cold, cold, cold as a popsicle in a blizzard. She spurns the handsome, interesting son of the home (the always dashing Jonathan Rhys Meyers-who is NOT showcased properly) for a man old enough to be her father. Perhaps it's the ever-present "turning to a man for lack of daddy's love" theory rearing its head.
3-star effort for cinematography, the bits and pieces of JRM, and the fascinatingly morbid Clementina ("I dreamed little baby Jesus made me eat all of the chocolate or else He'd cut off my legs!").
Movie Review: Eye Candy
Summary: 3 Stars
The strength of this film is not in the plot or the depth of characters. In 19th Century London, a wealthy Jewish merchant is murdered and, for some unknown reason, leaves his family destitute. His intelligent and ambitious daughter pretends to be Christian in order to accept a position as governess for a dysfunctional family living in Scotland. She immediately, and simplistically, wins over her charge, an irritating little girl. Soon , the governess becomes an assistant to the reclusive father who is obsessed with finding a way to preserve photo images. Add a discontented mother who hates being stuck in Scotland and an obsessive post-adolescent son and you have a standard plot. What makes "The Governess" so enjoyable are the beautiful and intriguing images of the people and places. The film is candy for the eyes. Sit back and enjoy the sights and don't worry too much about the plot.