Rent The Portrait of a Lady (1996)
3.2 of 5 from 95 ratings
2h 18min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Nicole Kidman is Isabel Archer, a young woman of daring independence and equally fierce desires. But her headstrong innocence is no match for the manipulations of her duplicitous friend Madame Merle (Barbara Hershey) and the devious Gilbert Osmond (John Malkovich).
- Actors:
- Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich, Barbara Hershey, Mary-Louise Parker, Martin Donovan, Shelley Winters, Richard E. Grant, Shelley Duvall, Christian Bale, Viggo Mortensen, Valentina Cervi, John Gielgud, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Catherine Zago, Alessandra Vanzi, Amy Lindsay, Katherine Anne Porter, Eddy Seager, Pat Roach, Emanuele Carucci Viterbi
- Directors:
- Jane Campion
- Producers:
- Steve Golin, Monty Montgomery
- Writers:
- Henry James, Laura Jones
- Others:
- Janet Patterson
- Studio:
- Universal Pictures
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Romance
- Collections:
- Getting to Know: Nicole Kidman
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 24/04/2017
- Run Time:
- 144 minutes
- Languages:
- English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English LPCM Stereo
- Subtitles:
- English
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.35:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Bonus Feature Documentary
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Reviews (1) of The Portrait of a Lady
Off the boil? - The Portrait of a Lady review by BN
Nice music. Dull film. Haven't read the book. Was looking for a good story along the lines of Judy Davis in My Brilliant Career, a feisty Victorian/Edwardian girl asserting her independence - but honestly switched my attention off , just let the film run on as I did other things, in case it got better. It finished and started again....then I thought, hang on, what was all that scene at the beginning with a gaggle of modern girls looking like a modern version of Picnic at Hanging Rock? Was it ever explained? Thought it was an ad for another movie as I was aware TPOAL was late 1800s.
Found Nicole's hairstyle weird, looked like Harry Houdini. Not a fan of Mr Malkovich either, he worries me and his simpering voice in his stilted speeches is most off-putting. The other men lusting after the women were oddly casted: Viggo? Richard E. with a beard? Not familiar with Martin Donovan but he was ok. Don't even know where Christian Bale fitted in.
Gielgud was simply Gielgud in a short part as yet another rich guy dying and leaving his fortune to someone. Of course they were all obsessed with money and class. Shelley Winters was almost unrecognisable apart from the drawly voice. Barbara Hershey was quite good.
Apparently, despite Jane Campion directing, this was not considered a particularly interesting film by various critics. Has she gone off the boil? I do like costume dramas but this just didn't do anything for me, which is a shame. I'm sure I'm missing something profound, it's a well known story by Henry James, but...
I'm just about to view The Undoing with Nicole and Hugh Grant. Let's hope that's more gripping.
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