Vanity Fair (Widescreen)
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Movie Reviews of Vanity Fair (Widescreen)
Movie Review: Superb film of a great story with a terrific cast and fabulous costumes
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a wonderful movie on many levels. First, it is a good adaptation of Thackery's novel. Of course it is not the novel as any one of us read it and made it our own. And since it is not a mini-series it has to make many cuts and still keep the story going. Some of the scenes you wish were given more length as in the book have to be just a few important words and then to the next piece. This does help keep things moving for modern audiences and gets more beautiful images on the screen, still, there is a lot to be said for dialogue.
The next wonder is the magnificent Becky Sharp. Not that she is a sweet or noble creation, but that she is such a wonderful protagonist. She is so talented, brilliant, and ambitious that even her unlikable features are almost, but not quite, forgivable. She really cannot care for others and though the movie makes her more likable than the novel does, her coldness to her son shows in the way she never hugs him, never dotes on him, and is even willing to send him away to get ahead. There are also many other wonderful characters in the story. It seems to me that Margaret Mitchell got some aspects of Ashley Wilkes, Rhett Butler, Scarlett O'Hara and Melanie Hamilton from this story.
Then there are the exotic settings with wonderful costumes. We have Regency England with its great aristocratic wealth in London and the country estates along with otherworldly India contrasted with the slums and poverty that exist nearly invisibly however close in proximity to grandeur and privilege. The costumes in this film are terrific. We see the sumptuous garb of the truly wealthy, the worn expensive clothing of those whose wealth is past but who must keep up appearances, to the army, the middle class and the very poor. And, again, the Indian influence on the dress in this film is fantastic.
Finally, there are the performances. Reese Witherspoon is always a fine actor and this role lets her shine almost blindingly. I don't have space to list each of the actors in this film, but I wish I could because they are each special in the way they bring these characters to life and make them memorable even though they are nearly all unsympathetic in some ways. That is one of the great things Thackery pulls off. The characters have their good and bad moments. Sometimes they are awful, but most of them you end up finding something good about them anyway (although George makes it really difficult). What a treat compared to the one dimensional characters in most movies where each stays within the domain of being a good guy or a bad guy.
This is a real treat and I recommend it highly.
Movie Review: A Sparkling, Colorful, Beautifully Packaged VANITY FAIR!
Summary: 5 Stars
Some stories seem to never run out of audiences, no matter how old the tale. In the case of VANITY FAIR this nineteenth century novel by Thackeray has found its place on the stage, in various versions of publications and on at least one other film version. There is a reason for the popularity of this work: it is a finely paced examination of the social mores of the time and introduces one of the first 'feminists' in the embodiment of Rebecca Sharp.
The story is well known and can be summarized as follows: young lass born of humble parents (her father an artist, her mother an opera singer) is placed in a home upon the death of her parents - an orphan set upon the world. Upon reaching proper age she is released into the home of the Crawleys as a governess and quickly charms this odd family of mixed sorts (Eileen Atkins, Bob Hoskins, James Purefoy, Douglas Hodge, Meg Wynn Owen, etc) into seeing that she has potential despite her lack of 'breeding'. She wiles her way into the arms of Rawdon Crawley and marries him only to discover this is unacceptable social movement. She has a child, but as her life develops she eventually leaves her child in the care of her closest friend Amelia Sedley (Romola Garai). Rebecca sails to the heights of wealth and then falls back to the streets on enough occasions to finally find her as a 'singer/performer' in a less than respectable place in Germany. Along the way she ha meaningful encounters with characters portrayed by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Rhys Ifans, Gabriel Byrne, Jim Broadbent - a veritable call schedule of some of England' finest actors. The tale bends and weaves and whirls and changes like so many of the novels of this period. But always at the core of the message is the inequality of class and the futility of striving after vanity and acclaim when not born into that stratum.
Reese Witherspoon gives a dazzling performance as Rebecca Sharp. She looks the part, sounds the part, and manages to maintain our empathy if not sympathy through practically every frame of this two and a half hour film. With this role she becomes an actress who will demand attention. The sets and costumes are brilliant, the photography is moody and celebratory, and the pacing of direction by the gifted Mira Nair makes this tale of an amoral woman sparkle and spin past our eyes in a film that seems almost too short! The DVD adds an alternative ending (one that is more apropos that the one given in the film itself) and several other featurettes that are worth watching. Well worth your time and attention. Kudos for a fine cast and crew! Grady Harp, February 2005
Movie Review: Becky Sharp meets Bollywood
Summary: 5 Stars
Film director, writer and producer Mira Nair (Salaam, Bombay!, Monsoon wedding) admits to a life-long love affair with William Makepeace Thackeray's novel Vanity Fair after reading it as a teenager. This is evident in the beautiful cinematography and the painstakingly recreated and lavish sets of the current screen version starring Reese Witherspoon, Gabriel Byrne, James Purefoy et al.
Literary fans of the ever-aspiring Becky Sharp will definitely be able to chart the rise and falls of her desperate attempts to climb England's unforgiving and unforgetting ladder of social acceptance. The outstanding performances of the well chosen actors (Witherspoon never looked better than in period costume and her accent is convincing) and the underlying story lines of unrequited love and the Napoleonic War helps to win the interest of the movie viewer.
Reese is the flamboyant embodiement of "pluck" in her portrayal of the iron-willed and somewhat ruthless lower-class schemer and a whirlwind of action dominates her scenes. But if Witherspoon's Becky is the storm, then her finishing school friend Amelia is the calm in the eye of the storm. For when the madonna-like actress Romola Garai (The Last of the Blonde Bombshells) graces the screen, the frenetic pace slows down and scenes of buccolic romanticism unfold.
Naturally, many of the subplots and characters that were fully fleshed in Thackeray's 700 page novel get short shrift or no mention at all in Nair's adaptation. There are many unanswered questions and scenes that hint at the complexity of the novel Vanity Fair which is not realized in the movie.
However, the real "jewel in the crown" is Nair's skillful direction that never loses sight of the Indian influences throughout Thackeray's novel. Before he was sent to school in England, Thackeray was a native of India, where he spent his early childhood in Calcutta while his father worked for the East India Company.
It seems proper that Nair uses caste-locked India as a frame for the retelling of Thackeray's satiric analysis and deconstruction of the highly stratified life, marriage customs and mores of early 19th century England. Viewing Nair's adaptation of Vanity Fair is almost like a homecoming for Thackeray.
Welcome home, William.
Movie Review: Reese in the role of her career
Summary: 5 Stars
Vanity Fair, like most great films based on beloved novels, must be looked at separately from the novel to be appreciated. It is impossible to make great art without developing your own tone or thesis, and Mira Nair's adaptation of Vanity Fair is a great piece of art on its own.
Reese Witherspoon--here is a lady, as others have said, born to play Becky Sharp! Her interpretation is more vulnerable, some have said, than the Becky Sharp of the novel. A great actress always brings her own interpretation of a character, and Reese Witherspoon triumphs. Her unconventional beauty and shining personality have never burned brighter, and in this film she proves herself more than box-office gold and a comedic actress, but a genuine dramatic actress to rival the likes of Nicole Kidman.
The story, or at least Nair's interpretation of the story, is equally brilliant. Here we have a main character, Becky Sharp, who we sympathize with, since she is born into the unfair caste system and society, where one is only as good as his ancestral lineage or bank account. It is still relevant today, because so much of your social position now depends on wealth and appearance.
Becky Sharp, we discover, is more than a "mere social climber" but a "mountaineer!" She marries for love, but with a man in a social position much higher than her own. He, in turn, is left out of the will of his wealthy aunt, leaving them both back on the poor side of the spectrum. Becky schemes to win the affection of a rich man who is prepared to give her anything, but in turn betrays and breaks the heart of her adoring husband. This was her flaw and her ultimate mistake, but the movie poses an important question. Can we blame Becky for wanting more, given the intolerant society that surrounded her?
Vanity Fair is an A+ adaptation of a timeless novel. Its theme is still relevant and powerful today. The performances and production values are astonishing. The music is poetic and lovely. Although Reese Witherspoon may not see her Oscar this year, the Academy is now in her debt.
Movie Review: One of my favorite movies of all time!
Summary: 5 Stars
This has to be one of my favorite movies of all time. In many ways it reminds me of Gone With the Wind, as the characters of Scarlett O'Hara and Becky Sharp are quite simular. The anti-heroine.
The thing that stands out most about this movie to me is the beautiful imagery and music encased this movie. The costumes and the settings are lush and exotic starting with the credits of the movie. The two parts in the movie where these really stand out is the a exotically and beautifully arranged scene at London's Vauxhall Garden and a Bollywoodesque dance scene starring Reese Witherspoon. The music in this movie is particularly lush, Byron's poem " She Walks in Beauty" is set to music, as is a poem by Tennyson. There is also some beautiful indian music as well.
This movie has a great cast, Reese Witherspoon, Gabriel Bryne, Jim Broadbent...Need I say more?
The only problem I had with this movie is that I could not understand what made Becky Sharp so mean and why everyone did not like her. She seems pretty innocent to me. I think I would have liked to see her more scheming or more mean. I have not read Thackery's book, but I would imagine that she would be more spirited on it's pages. This movie is also pretty long, so be prepared for that.
Overall I would say, give this movie a try. You won't be disappointed!