A Good Woman (2004)

...and female enemies. She causes a splash as soon as she reaches Amalfi and soon the gossip begins. But is she really a wicked woman trying to split up the blissfully happy Windermeres, or is there more to her?

Director Mike Barker served his apprenticeship in British television, which may explain why this film feels like a BBC costume drama. There's nothing wrong with it - there are some good performances and the attention to period ...
...this is derived from is a bitchy farce rather than a period piece. It doesn't help that the American cast members seem uncomfortable with the anachronistic dialogue, leading to flat and emotionless delivery. The Europeans are far more at home with the pithy repartee and pitch their performances at an altogether more mannered tone. Perhaps that's the difference between those actors brought up in the theatre tradition and those who've done their apprenticeship ... more

Summering on the Italian coast the newlywed Windermeres have it all; youth, beauty, money and most importantly love. But their idyllic existence is threatened by the arrival of the mysterious Mrs Erlynne. The vivacious divorcee causes scandal wherever she goes, picking up male admirers and female enemies. She causes a splash as soon as she reaches Amalfi and soon the gossip begins. But is she really a wicked woman trying to split up the blissfully happy Windermeres, or is there more to her?

Director Mike Barker served his apprenticeship in British television, which may explain why this film feels like a BBC costume drama. There's nothing wrong with it - there are some good performances and the attention to period detail is superb. But the story meanders along without any sense of urgency, despite Wilde's witticisms requiring snappy pacing to give it real zing. It's as if Barker has forgotten that the play this is derived from is a bitchy farce rather than a period piece. It doesn't help that the American cast members seem uncomfortable with the anachronistic dialogue, leading to flat and emotionless delivery. The Europeans are far more at home with the pithy repartee and pitch their performances at an altogether more mannered tone. Perhaps that's the difference between those actors brought up in the theatre tradition and those who've done their apprenticeship in film and television. Either way the director should have ironed out the differences. On the other hand, his visuals are wonderful, bathing the movie in golden light when in Italy (though it sometimes feels like a tourist board vision of the area). He builds layers of opulent period detail to give the impression that this is how the decadent other half lived. There are a number of beautifully shot romantic sunsets, which are countered by lots of shadowy corners hinting at the secrets hiding in the darkness. Mrs Erlynne's New York is shot in blue tones to reflect the cold shoulder American high society is giving her. It's a shame the cinematography occasionally goes awry, making backgrounds appear to be sneaking away from the action. It's also never made clear why the action is set in the 1930s, as no reference is made to outside events. But despite these shortcomings, Barker has made a thoroughly enjoyable film that would happily while away an otherwise dull Sunday afternoon.

Howard Himelstein's screenplay is true to the spirit of Oscar Wilde's "Lady Windermere's Fan" but not the letter. It fiddles with the chronology of the original and introduces the characters to each other at the same time as the audience so there are no preconceptions of them. The historical period of the film has shifted so the shape of the language has changed to match it and there is less formal dialogue as a result (though formalities are observed). It still feels like a high level of language because the majority is made of barbed witticisms that are too studied to feel natural. For example; "I like America. Who can name another country that's gone from barbarism to decadence without bothering to create civilisation?" That being said, the decision to change the nationality of the Windermeres from British to American is a puzzling one. This removes an aspect of the class comedy from the film because social standing has always been less of an issue in a society that has no rigid class structure. The only reason I can think of for this is to get funding from American sources. Himelstein attempts to keep up the breakneck pace of Wilde's original but as a result of the direction, it feels as though we are stuttering from one pithy comment to the next.

I'm never sure if I like Helen Hunt. I know she's won an Oscar and everything but she has such a peculiar manner. As the enigmatic Mrs Erlynne she gets to play against type as a "wicked woman", who lives outside the accepted norms of society. Hunt gives a good performance as a woman well aware of her infamy, but brings a warmth to it that suggests the character isn't all bad. The distracting thing is her distinct piping speech patterns that make her sound like she's often talking outside her normal vocal range. It's a minor bugbear but it threatens to undermine the role.

Oscar nominee Scarlett Johansson seems to be frittering away her talent at the moment. There is little she can do with the role of Meg Windermere; a girl so wet you could mistake her for a flannel. Johansson seems uncomfortable with the constraints of the script and her place in the film. She's never allowed to show any fire and as a result is too sweet and naïve to convince. As usual Tom Wilkinson brings warmth and charm to the part of avuncular aristocrat Tuppy. Though outwardly bumbling he's got inner steel that shows in his determination to get what he wants, though he goes for it with a bluff, courtly manner. The large, multi-national cast of supporting players appear to be having a whale of a time with Himelstein's witty script. Though many are playing stock characters, they do so with gusto. So Stephen Campbell Moore is slimy as smug, lascivious cad Lord Darlington. John Standing makes the most of a limited role as the perpetually rumpled Dumby - an eternally underestimated and easily confused gossip and buffoon. But my favourite amongst the incidental characters is Contessa Lucchino, played with aplomb by Milena Vukotic. She takes real pleasure in delivering her lines, especially the one about children; "It's best to get them out of the nest before they turn on you."

The costume design throughout is superlative, bringing to life the glamour and elegance of the upper classes in the 1930s. We are presented with an array of delicate chiffon day dresses with fluted sleeves and floral patterns, teamed with dainty gloves and hats. The detail of the costume is showcased in the many evening gowns on display, using a variety of costly silks and satins that have been embroidered, beaded or sequinned to within an inch of their lives. These are combined with jewel-coloured paste accessories and tiny evening bags that look barely large enough to hold a lace handkerchief. The men are similarly refined in their beautifully tailored suits and panama hats and there's nothing like a dinner suit and starched shirtfront to make a man look smart. The attention to detail continues in the set design that layers expensive antiques in dark, heavy woods with expensive chintzes and exquisite upholstery to create a sense of careless ostentation that no longer exists.

The soundtrack combines period jazz recordings with an original score by Richard G Mitchell. He carries the jazz motif through the film whilst incorporating traditional orchestral movements to add a sense of class. His scoring is simple and never overpowers the film and is light enough to compliment the witty repartee.

If you're looking for a film that oozes quality without the inconvenience of emotional depth, this could be your cup of Earl Grey. It is beautifully presented and contains some sparkling turns and wonderfully witty dialogue. But ultimately it is emotionally hollow and gets bogged down in the period setting. This should have been a glittering class comedy; instead it is an intermittently amusing period comedy-drama that requires a firmer directorial hand and a little more oomph from its leading ladies. Still, it's not at all bad and there are far worse ways to spend an hour-and-a-half of a summer afternoon.
 

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