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Tag Archives: James Fox

The Golden Bowl

05 Sunday Jun 2016

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 33 Comments

Tags

2000's, Anjelica Huston, James Fox, James Ivory, Jeremy Northam, Kate Beckinsale, Merchant Ivory, Nick Nolte, Period Drama, The Golden Bowl, Uma Thurman

Film Title

The Golden Bowl

Director

James Ivory

Starring

  • Uma Thurman as Charlotte Stant
  • Jeremy Northam as Prince Amerigo
  • Kate Beckinsale as Maggie Verver
  • Nick Nolte as Adam Verver
  • Anjelica Huston as Fanny Assingham
  • James Fox as Colonel Bob Assingham

An adaptation of the Henry James novel brought to the screen by Merchant Ivory, The Golden Bowl is an elegantly mounted story of betrayal, adultery and love that is finely acted by a star-studded cast and filled with the right period touches you’d expect from a literary production like this.

It’s the turn of the century and Prince Amerigo is a charming but impoverished Italian prince, from a once noble family. The Golden Bowl PosterThankfully, he is engaged to the pretty Maggie Verver; an American heiress whose doting father Adam is a billionaire business tycoon whose work largely relates to the world of art. Yet into the pretty picture once the couple are married and have a baby son is Charlotte Stant, who is a friend of Maggie’s from school, but also the former lover of Amerigo. The couple, as we find out, had to part with one another due to both being poor, but the passionate Charlotte is still very much in love with Amerigo. None of this is known to Maggie, who is a sweet and green girl who thinks the best of everyone. Amerigo panics with Charlotte back in the frame and tries to dissuade her, but he himself can’t deny the fire that still burns intensely within him for her. The two resume their affair, while the driven Charlotte, in an attempt to be closer to him and also secure a comfortable lifestyle, marries the much older Adam. The pair believes that due to Maggie being extremely close to her father that their indiscretions will go unnoticed, which id not the case. Watching from the sidelines is society maven and matchmaker Fanny, who knows the secrets of all parties involved due to her eagle-eyed ways. Nick Nolte and Uma ThurmanBut as betrayal rises and passions spill over, so do suspicions from Maggie and Adam that something is going on with their spouses. What consequences will emerge due to the intertwined relationships?

The work of Henry James is renowned for at times being difficult to transfer to the screen, but with the talents of James Ivory, Ismail Merchant and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala on board, The Golden Bowl makes for a dazzling film. James Ivory as director loses none of the scathing indictments that Henry James so often focused on, instead bringing out the deceit and treachery with subtle touches and foreshadowing. Amerigo and CharlotteThe symbolism of the eponymous bowl is a great metaphor for the seemingly ideal but cracked underneath unions as the bowl looks so splendid, but has  a flaw when one looks closely upon it. Another excellently written script from Ruth Prawer Jhabvala contributes to the intelligence of the story and the ways that little phrases of dialogue and exchanges can have an extremely big impact on the overall events swirling. Threats and observations from characters are made but hidden behind a veneer of polite society as manipulations begin to figure heavily. Social standing and fortune do come into the story, but The Golden Bowl is much more concerned with the complexities of the heart and the cruel side of human nature when desire comes into play, which it explores magnificently and with assurance. Anjelica Huston The Golden BowlThere are a few times when the pace falters during the running time, but that flaw can easily be forgiven due to the engaging and intelligent work on display. A visual style of opulence is employed and contains some stunning pieces, particularly a dance recital of Arabian Nights that also doubles as an expression of the passion and secrets being guarded by everyone. A grand score imbues the film with a passionate core while highlighting the dangerous and manipulative treachery carried out by many of the characters in the name love and station.

One of the biggest draws from The Golden Bowl is the utterly splendid and distinguished cast it has. Making a huge impact is Uma Thurman as the driven and willful Charlotte, whose desire to be with Amerigo and her emotional slips that threatens to bring down the tidy house of cards he has built with Maggie. Any other actress would probably have made Charlotte very villainous, but Uma Thurman wisely plays her as definitely manipulative and sly, yet still with a deep sense of desolation and obsession that can’t be stopped. Jeremy Northam in the part of the impoverished but charming Amerigo shines too; revealing a man caught right in the middle of two women and unable to resist the temptation of the temperamental Charlotte, despite his conscience. Kate Beckinsale is equally as good portraying the initially naive and almost childlike Maggie. Kate Beckinsale The Golden BowlYet once Maggie gets an inkling of something untoward going on, Beckinsale magnificently charts her emergence from the innocent victim to steely and quietly ruthless survivor with conviction. It was good to see Nick Nolte in this film making his character of the gentlemanly Adam appealing, yet laced with the feeling that you wouldn’t want to cross the man with your life. Clearly having an absolute ball in The Golden Bowl is a delightful Anjelica Huston who stars as the meddling matchmaker Fanny, who knows exactly where to put her loyalties and when to play her cards right. Fanny is one of the supporting characters, but Anjelica Huston’s work brings memorability to the character. James Fox is quite amusing as Fanny’s husband, who is a jolly man who leaves matters of the heart and intrigue to his wife, but is still protective to save any bother for her.

With eloquence and subtlety, The Golden Bowl emerges as an underrated film from Merchant Ivory, that more than deserves to be better known due to its compelling story, visual splendour and first-rate performances.

The Russia House

06 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

1990's, Drama, Fred Schepisi, James Fox, John Le Carre, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Roy Scheider, Sean Connery, Spy, The Russia House, Thriller

Film Title

The Russia House

Director

Fred Schepisi

Cast

  • Sean Connery as Barley Blair
  • Michelle Pfeiffer as Katya Orlova
  • Roy Scheider as Russell
  • James Fox as Ned
  • Klaus Maria Brandauer as Dante

Based on the book by John Le Carre, The Russia House is a slow-burning spy film with danger, loveThe Russia House and politics all coming to the forefront. Relying on old-school spy conventions such as secret meetings and the handling of touchy information rather than shoot-outs and car chases, The Russia House weaves excellent performances, lushly romantic music provided by Jerry Goldsmith and Cold War intrigue into a smooth and complex thriller, that boasts stunning and authentic locations of Russian cities and monuments.

Barley Blair is the hard-drinking and irascible head of a publishing firm who has a special interest in Russia. At one of his writer’s conventions in Moscow, MCDRUHO EC009he is spoken to by a mysterious stranger called Dante who listens to Barley talk of tension easing with the West. The meeting at first seems like nothing, but it sets in motion a series of dangerous events. A month later, a manuscript is brought to Barley, after being intercepted by the British Government. The manuscript was sent by a Russian book editor named Katya, who insisted it get to Barley immediately. It transpires that the manuscript contains sensitive and explosive information that could alter the course of power between various countries. Barley is then reluctantly hired by the Government in a co-operation with the CIA to track down Dante and find out if the work is genuine or a dubious political pawn. He arrives in Russia where he is met bRussell The Russia Housey Katya, a beautiful and sensitive mother of two who is the linchpin between Barley and Dante. But nothing is as it seems and the case gets more complicated, especially as Barley and Katya fall deeply in love in the process.

If it’s chase sequences, fights and fast cars, then The Russia House may not be for you. But if it’s a slow-burning and subtle spy film with a style reminiscent of old 60’s spy films, then The Russia House will most certainly appeal to you. The use of the beautiful sites of Moscow and St. Petersburg are stunningly shot. Jerry Goldsmith contributes an evocative and smooth jazz score that accentuates the growing attraction between the reluctant Barley and the guarded Katya. In the leading role, Sean Connery expertly shows us a man who has nothing to gain but Barley and Katya The Russia Houseends up losing his heart in the process. He exudes a weariness and reluctance rarely seen in his performances. Matching him every step of the way is the excellent Michelle Pfeiffer, who radiates warmth, beauty but a certain guarded and moving quality. Her Russian accent is a supremely convincing asset to her talent. It is through Katya that Barley and Dante are linked, and we realise the life risking tasks she has undertaken to see Barley. The chemistry between the two crackles with excellent dialogue as we watch them slowly develop deep feelings for one another. Supporting them is Roy Scheider and James Fox as the heads of Government and the CIA, their scenes together show a humorous quality as they often debate the next move in the complex case. As Dante, Klaus Maria Brandauer presents a mysterious figures whose motives are never made entirely clear until the case begins to unwind.

If you’re a fan of Le Carre adaptations and the pace of them, The Russia House is the film for you. A superb espionage thriller with a Cold War sensibility and believable romance, enlivened by two outstanding performances from Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer.

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