Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 8/3/06 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Based on the play Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde, A Good Woman is the story of a seductress who meets a newlywed as she raises the suspicions of the newlywed's bride. Directed by Mike Barker and screenplay by Howard Himelstein, the film is an exploration into the world of the upper-class set in 1930s Italy before the era of Facism as it plays into a young woman dealing with the idea of infidelity as well as the mystery over the appearance of this older woman. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Helen Hunt, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Campbell Moore, Mark Umbers, and Milena Vukotic. A Good Woman is an engaging and worthwhile film from Mike Barker.
Fleeing New York City onboard a ship to the coast of Amalfi, Italy, a notorious seductress of rich men in Mrs. Erlynne (Helen Hunt) sees a paper about the arrival of a couple of newlyweds who are to stay in Amalfi to celebrate the 21st birthday of the young Meg Windermere (Scarlett Johansson). In Amalfi, Meg and her husband Robert (Mark Umbers) just bought a new villa for the summer season where they’re surrounded by a posh company that includes the young Lord Darlington (Stephen Campbell Moore), Contessa Lucchino (Milena Vukotic), her daughter Alessandra (Giorgia Massetti), and Lady Plymdale (Diana Hardcastle). Meg had just met Darlington in a glove store where she’s often surrounded by the company of Lucchino who does nothing but gossip. Robert meanwhile, is surrounded by the company of older men including Cecil (Roger Hammond), Dumby (John Standing), and a lord named Tuppy (Tom Wilkinson).
While shopping for some jewelry, Robert meets Mrs. Erlynne who suggests that he buys a fan for Meg where the two have lunch where their frequent meetings arouses some suspicion. During another get together, Mrs. Erlynne meets Tuppy, who is smitten by her charm. Despite all the gossips surrounding Mrs. Erlynne and her affairs with rich husbands in America, Tuppy sways away from the gossip to learn more about her. Meg, walking around the town doesn't suspect anything of Robert's meetings assuming that he's working as she accompanied by Lord Darlington where she's aware that he's flirting with her. During a night in the opera, Meg starts to hear the rumors about Mrs. Erlynne, whom she met earlier at a clothing store, where she hears some Robert trying to defend her.
Meg has some suspicions about Robert's comments as he learns that Tuppy will be going to her birthday party the next day as Robert will ask Tuppy not to bring Mrs. Erlynne. Tuppy meanwhile, is invited to Mrs. Erlynne's villa where she is staying as he reveals he's been divorced, twice, while he wants to marry Mrs. Erlynne because of her wit and charm. Mrs. Erlynne admits to be wooed by Tuppy as she claims that she's not a good woman to be with but Tuppy doesn't care. After another visit from Lord Darlington to help her party, his flirtations continue as she starts to learn that what everyone had been gossiping. Feeling heartbroken, she turns to Lucchino for advice while Robert tries to get Mrs. Erlynne out of the country in order to not reveal a secret that's overheard by Dumby. The night of the party begins where Mrs. Erlynne does show up with Tuppy as Meg shocks partygoers with a new dress that she had earlier suggested was indecent as she is angered at Robert's supposed affair. Things only get worse when Darlington's flirtations gets to her as does her anger towards Robert. Mrs. Erlynne watches everything that goes on hoping to save Meg from a mistake she's about to make as she does something sacrificial.
While the film carries its flaws due to often rushed-pacing style and the miscasting of a couple of actors. The film is very true to the playful wit of Oscar Wilde as director Mike Barker and screenwriter Howard Himelstein does create an entertaining, witty film that's really about a young woman whose is ravaged by gossips of adultery and nearly commits one only to get help from the most unexpected person. The script succeeds in not developing the characters but also making an interesting subplot in the relationship of Tuppy and Mrs. Erlynne since that story is about a woman who is unaware that the right man is trying to woo her. Barker does some great work in using the actual Amalfi locales where the film is shot on location in Amalfi that is true the Italian villa for its posh atmosphere. Even the approaching of setting the film in the 1930s does succeed in what Wilde had been trying to say about the upper-class society and their ignorance. Overall, it's a fine film crafted by Barker and company.
Helping Barker in capturing the rich atmosphere of the Italian coast is cinematographer Ben Seresin whose wonderful depth of camera work from the exterior settings of Italy, especially in the night shows its beauty. Even the interior settings is wonderful light with an array of yellow sunlight and greenish surroundings give the film some of its beautiful settings. Production designer Ben Scott and art director Pier Luigi Basile also does some great work on the locales, notably the interiors of the villas which has a breathtaking feel to the poshness of upper-class Europeans. The costume design of John Bloomfield works to convey the feel and dazzle that is the 1930s. Editor Neil Farrell does some excellent work in the perspective cutting and the structure of the story where the only problem was its rushed pacing. The film's music features a wonderfully buoyant and dramatic score from Richard G. Mitchell filled with flourishing arrangements with a soundtrack filled with 1930s jazz cuts.
The film has a great supporting cast filled with excellent British and Italian actors. Smaller parts from Giorgia Massetti as the nerdy Alessandra and Diana Hardcastle as Lady Plymdale are hilarious for their parts in how they assume things. Roger Hammond and John Standing are also wonderful in their roles as the gossiping men of Cecil and Dumby, respectively, where Standing has a bigger role in the way he accidentally eavesdrop on an important information that is crucial to the film's plot. Milena Vukotic is excellent as the aloof, gossiping Contessa who is often accompanied by her little dogs and always say some of the most ignorant things as she brings in a memorable and funny performance. Stephen Campbell Moore is also wonderful in his role as the charming, flirtatious Lord Darlington with good looks and concerned personality as Moore manages to make the Darlington character a real standout with some depth. Mark Umber however, isn't as successful when playing Robert Windermere where despite a few scenes, he often comes across as bland and uninteresting making the Robert Windermere character to be very one-note.
Tom Wilkinson is the film's best supporting performance as the smitten yet intelligent Tuppy. Wilkinson manages to be a real standout among many of the supporting cast by being the only character who doesn't judge anyone and tries to understand people. He's a man of good intentions and manages not to make a fool of himself, even when he isn't aware of what's going on. Wilkinson brings a lot of pride and respect to the character as it stands out to be one of his finest performances. Helen Hunt is alright as Mrs. Erlynne where she has some good scenes with Wilkinson though is often one-note at times as it's not one of her finer roles. Finally, there's Scarlett Johansson in a fantastic performance as Meg Windermere as this young woman trying to find herself as a wife where she deals with the idea of her husband's infidelity as well as the temptation to cheat on him as it's really one of Johansson's finest performances.
The Region 1 DVD from Lions Gate shows the film in a 16x9 widescreen format of 1:78:1 ratio with 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound and English/Spanish subtitles. The only extras the DVD features are trailers for several of Lions Gate features like The Cooler, Girl with a Pearl Earring, and Shattered Glass which is their alternative to the horror films they've been releasing. The only special feature on the DVD is a commentary track from director Mike Barker and producer Alan Greenspan.
Their commentary is relaxed and enjoyable though at times, they stop just to watch a scene. Yet, Barker and Greenspan talk about a lot of the difficulty of making the film, due to finding locations where a lot of the interiors were shot in Rome and weather conditions where they shot from October of 2003 to February of 2004. Barker goes more into technical detail on the film while revealing the difficulty of hiding Helen Hunt's pregnancy. Barker also talks about Scarlett Johansson's professionalism and how the film schedule stretched due to the fact that she was getting a lot of praise around that time for Lost in Translation and Girl with a Pearl Earring were she had to fly from the U.S. to Italy and so on to promote those two films. Overall, it's an enjoyable commentary.
A Good Woman is an enjoyable and witty film from Mike Barker thanks in part to Scarlett Johansson's splendid performance as well as the supporting performance of Tom Wilkinson. While it is a film with some flaws as it can be described as style over substance. It is still a compelling film that explores a young woman dealing with the presence of an older woman in a case of misunderstanding and confusion. In the end, A Good Woman is a pretty good film from Mike Barker.
© thevoid99 2014
Written, directed, and starring Woody Allen, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is the story of an insurance investigator who is hypnotized by a crook to steal some jewels with an efficiency expert. The film is another return to some of the earlier comedies of the 1970s that Allen did while infusing it with the suspense films of the 1940s where the film is set. Also starring Helen Hunt, Dan Aykroyd, Charlize Theron, Elizabeth Berkley, David Odgen Stiers, and Wallace Shawn. The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is a disappointing and humorless film from Woody Allen.
The film revolves a brilliant insurance expert who is sparring with a new efficiency expert at their office where the two are hypnotized by a crooked hypnotist at a party where they both steal jewels as they’re unaware of their crimes. There, the two reluctantly have to work with each other to discover what is really going on as suspicion is occurring over the thefts. It’s an interesting concept as it is set in 1940 where it plays into that world of crime and mystery but Woody Allen’s screenplay often gets a bit repetitive at times where the humor is often forced at times while some of the plotting doesn’t have any weight to the story. Notably in the tumultuous love-hate relationship in its lead characters in investigator C.W. Briggs (Woody Allen) and the efficiency expert Betty Ann Fitzgerald (Helen Hunt) where they bicker and fall in love and so on. It’s that aspect in the script that really bogs the story down though there are a few moments that are funny but the eventual payoff in confronting the true criminal is disappointing.
Allen’s direction is quite straightforward as he aims to go for something that is reminiscent of the mystery films of the past though he wisely doesn’t go for any kind of voice-over narration. The compositions do have some flair in some of the tracking shots and wide shots to display the feel and chaos of the office though some of the intimate moments don’t have that same spark. Notably as there’s a lack of real suspense in many of the mysterious aspects of the film where it’s more about Briggs and Fitzgerald bickering and trying to find out what’s really going on. Even as its outcome is a bit flat and predictable where it becomes quite obvious and doesn’t really have a sense of surprise or fulfillment that endings have. Overall, Allen creates a film that doesn’t have much weight or broad humor despite a few moments that keeps the film being a total failure.
Cinematographer Zhao Fei does fantastic work with the film‘s photography as it has a lot of style in its look as well as its approach to lighting for many of its interior settings as it‘s one of the film‘s big highlights. Editor Alisa Lepselter does nice work with the editing to play up some of the humorous moments and montages of the thefts that happen throughout the film. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with set decorator Jessica Lanier and art director Tom Warren, does amazing work with the set pieces from the office that Briggs and Fitzgerald work at to some of the places they go to in their investigation.
Costume designer Suzanne McCabe does brilliant work with the costumes with the look of the many dresses the female characters wear from simple and colorful to more radiant and dazzling in its different looks. Sound editor Robert Hein does terrific work with the sound to play up some of the atmosphere in the office as well as some of the scenes in the theft. The film’s excellent soundtrack includes a lot of jazz music from Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Harry James, and several others.
The casting by Laura Rosenthal and Juliet Taylor is superb as it includes some notable appearances from Brian Markinson as a fellow investigator of Briggs, Wallace Shawn as another investigator/amateur magician who would play a key role in unveiling the mystery in the third act, Elizabeth Berkley as a secretary that works in the office, and David Odgen Stiers as the hypnotist Voltan who is the mastermind of the thefts. Dan Aykroyd is terrific as the company boss Chris Magruder who is having an affair with Fitzgerald while Charlize Theron is amazing as the seductive socialite Laura Kensington who tries to seduce Briggs.
Helen Hunt is alright as Betty Ann Fitzgerald as she brings some energy to her role though she’s not given enough material to make her character more interesting. Finally there’s Woody Allen as C.W. Briggs where Allen is miscast in a role that requires a much stronger personality where Allen brings a different spin on his persona but doesn’t really put a lot of effort into his character while he and Hunt have no chemistry in the scenes they have with each other.
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is a terrible film from Woody Allen despite some of its technical moments and Charlize Theron’s supporting performance. While there are moments that are worth watching, it’s not enough due to its lack of suspense while the humor feels flat. In the end, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is a misguided and underwhelming film from Woody Allen.
Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money and Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love and Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows and Fog - Husbands and Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Bullets Over Broadway - Don't Drink the Water - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet and Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra’s Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2013
Directed by Robert Altman and written by Anne Rapp, Dr. T and the Women is the story about the life of a Texan gynecologist whose life begins to fall apart after his wife’s mental breakdown as he finds himself seeking companionship in the form of a golf instructor in the wake of his daughter’s upcoming wedding. The film is an exploration into the life of a man and the women he’s surrounded by as he tries to deal with the changes in his life. Starring Richard Gere, Helen Hunt, Farrah Fawcett, Laura Dern, Shelley Long, Kate Hudson, Tara Reid, Liv Tyler, and Andy Richter. Dr. T and the Women is a witty yet sensational comedy from Robert Altman.
The film is about the tumultuous life of a renowned Texan gynecologist who is beloved by the rich women of the state as things around him starts to fall apart. His wife has a mental breakdown that has her regressing to a childlike state while his sister-in-law has moved in to his house as they’re all getting ready for the wedding of his eldest daughter who is carrying a secret of her own. Meanwhile, a former golf pro has arrived into his golf club as he forges a relationship with her to escape from his chaotic life until some big news about his daughter and his wife come ahead as well as an overloaded schedule that finally culminates into his daughter’s wedding. For this man known as Dr. Sullivan Travis aka Dr. T (Richard Gere), it’s a world that he lives in surrounded by all of these women where he does find time to hang out with the guys. Yet, he remains devoted to the women in his life no matter how crazy they are.
Anne Rapp’s screenplay is quite loose in its premise though it does take time to explore the other characters such as the eldest daughter Dee Dee (Kate Hudson) and her younger sister Connie (Tara Reid) where the latter is a conspiracy theorist. Along with his loopy sister-in-law Peggy (Laura Dern) and his wife Kate (Farrah Fawcett), the film explores this unique family life that Dr. T has where he does love them no matter how screwed up they are. Yet, Kate’s mental breakdown and regression into a childlike state has the family, with the exception of Connie, going into all sorts of trouble where Peggy drinks and stumbles into situations while Dee Dee is being secretive underneath her posh exterior as it concerns her maid of honor Marilyn (Liv Tyler). For Dr. T, all of these revelations and troubles has him going to this former golf pro in Bree (Helen Hunt) who offers him an escape from his troubles while she becomes aware of the crazy world he live in.
Robert Altman’s direction is fascinating for the way he explores the life of this gynecologist who lives in Dallas, Texas. Particularly in a posh setting where many of Dr. T’s clients are these rich women who adore him and some try to flirt with him. Still, there is that element of chaos in Altman’s direction in the way he presents the waiting room where there’s a lot of women chattering or talking to the reception for an appointment or scenes in the mall where Kate would have her breakdown. While a lot of the framing is straightforward as Altman shoots on location in Dallas and other nearby locations. The film’s climax near the end that involves something that Connie feared but it would be in a bigger context that relates to the chaos that Dr. T had been through. While the presentation of that scene is imperfect, it does make sense of what Altman was trying to say. Overall, Altman creates a delightful yet whirlwind film that explores the world of a doctor and the women in his life.
Cinematographer Jan Kiesser does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography to capture the beauty of Dallas in its exteriors as well as some of the scenes in the film‘s interior settings. Editor Geraldine Peroni does wonderful work with the editing to capture the chaos in the waiting room as well as some of the film‘s comical moments like Kate‘s breakdown in the mall. Production designer Stephen Altman, with set decorator Chris L. Spellman and art director John Bucklin, does nice work with the look of Dr. T‘s office and his waiting room as well as Bree‘s apartment and the home that Dr. T lives in.
Costume designer Dona Granata does terrific work with the costumes to display the world of posh Texas without any cowboy gear as well as the camouflage clothes that Dr. T and his male friends wear on their hunting trips. Visual effects supervisor Charles Gibson does some good work with the film‘s lone visual effects sequence although it doesn‘t look realistic. Sound editor Frederick Howard does some fine work with the sound to capture the chaos of the waiting room with its overlapping dialogue as well as the scenes involving the rain. The film’s music by Lyle Lovett is amazing as it is mostly a playful take on country with bits of jazz and blues to complement the world that is Texas.
The casting by Pam Dixon is phenomenal for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small roles from Robert Hays, Matt Malloy, and Andy Richter as Dr. T’s hunting buddies, Lee Grant as Kate’s examiner Dr. Harper, and Janine Turner as a flirtatious patient who keeps insisting that there’s something wrong with her. Tara Reid is pretty good as the conspiracy-obsessed Connie who is suspicious about her sister’s possible secret while Kate Hudson is OK in a somewhat underwritten role as the older sister Dee Dee who aspires to be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader while carrying a secret as she’s set to get married. Liv Tyler is terrific as Dee Dee’s friend Marilyn who also knows about Dee Dee’s secret as her meeting with Dr. T ends up being very awkward. Laura Dern is very funny as Dr. T’s sister-in-law Peggy who always stumble around certain things as she definitely has a drinking problem.
Shelley Long is wonderful as Dr. T’s loyal assistant Carolyn who helps him deal with the chaos while keeping a secret of her own towards that revolves around Dr. T. Farrah Fawcett is superb as the troubled Kate who regresses into a childlike state where Fawcett brings a lovely sense of humor to her role. Helen Hunt is excellent as Bree Davis who befriends Dr. T as she represents the one woman whose life isn’t filled with lots of complications as she sympathizes with Dr. T. Finally, there’s Richard Gere in a marvelous performance as Dr. T as he is this very kind man that finds his life falling apart as he is desperate to hold on to whatever he has left only to nearly fall prey to the chaos of his life.
Dr. T and the Women is a remarkable film from Robert Altman that features a superb leading performance from Richard Gere. The film is an interesting view into the life of a man who surrounds himself with the women in his life while dealing with all of the turmoil that occurs as things start to fall apart around him. It’s also a film that showcases the world of women and they seek the help from a man in order to help them find themselves. In the end, Dr. T and the Women is an extraordinary film from Robert Altman.
Robert Altman Films: (The Delinquents) - (The James Dean Story) - Countdown (1968 film) - (That Cold Day in the Park) - M.A.S.H. - Brewster McCloud - McCabe & Mrs. Miller - (Images) - The Long Goodbye - Thieves Like Us - California Split - Nashville - Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson - 3 Women - (A Wedding) - (Quintet) - (A Perfect Couple (HealtH) - Popeye - (Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean) - (Streamers) - (Secret Honor) - (O.C. and Stiggs) - Fool for Love - (Beyond Therapy) - (Aria-Les Boreades) - (Tanner ‘88) - (Vincent & Theo) - The Player - Short Cuts - Pret-a-Porter - (Kansas City) - (The Gingerbread Man) - Cookie‘s Fortune - Gosford Park - The Company (2003 film) - (Tanner on Tanner) - A Prairie Home Companion
© thevoid99 2013
