Every once in a while, I come across a great period film. This time, it's this :
The Age of Innocence, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder (who won a Golden Globe for her performance here). The movie also won an Oscar for best costume design.
Wikipedia extract :
Newland Archer (Day-Lewis), an affluent lawyer in 1870s New York, is engaged to May Welland (Ryder), a beautiful but conventional socialite. Newland begins to question the life he has planned for himself after the arrival of May’s cousin, the exotic and sophisticated Countess Ellen Olenska (Pfeiffer). Ellen is not seeking a divorce from her abusive husband, a Polish count, but everyone believes she is, which has made her a social outcast and greatly displeases her family, who are afraid of scandal. As Newland grows to care more and more deeply for Ellen, having convinced her not to press for a divorce, he becomes increasingly disillusioned with the society to which he belongs and the idea of entering into a passionless marriage with May. The question at this point, is whether he will follow society's dictates, or his heart. The film, closely mirroring the novel, gives no simple answer.
My take :
Ryder is truly beautiful in this movie - probably the best I've ever seen her. Pfeiffer is odd - because the last I most remember of her is in One Fine Day - and I just couldn't get used to her being the scandalous witch in period dress. Day-Lewis was awesome, totally completely - his eyes were mesmerizing.
It's a sad story, where 2 people meet at the wrong time. On the other hand, I'm glad that Newland stuck with May - who, brainless as she portrays herself to be, knows that her husband "gave up the one thing he truly wanted in this whole world" just to fulfill his responsibilities to her. Triangle-affairs are always messy, and this movie portrays it well. I'm a sucker for romantic movies that make your heart ache that little bit when the credits roll i.e. Before Sunset (another one of my all-time favourites). They don't really make movies like that anymore, do they?
1 comment:
wow... both winona ryder and michelle pfeiffer dont look like themself in the poster! i had to relook at the photo b4 i could really recognize it's them :P
u recovered fr the itchy throat and running nose dy?
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