Minnie Driver is horribly miscast as the lead in this film, in as much as her on-screen appearance is neither friendly, nor inviting (in the future she should also shy away from anything that involves her getting 'wet' argh!-I can't Even imagine watching "Hard Rain"). As the Annabella Sciorras, and the Emma Thompsons before her, Ms. Driver will have to quickly accept the fact that she has little to offer in a role that is supposed to 'carry' a film. She just has not the acting skills, nor the on-screen magic that someone like Kate Winslet or Gwyneth Paltrow has, nor has she the energy or effervescence that, say Rose McGowan has.
I grabbed the film for Tom Wilkinson anyway, having recently become quite the fan of this British J.T. Walsh. A wonderful character actor who has raised his profile in the US significantly of late with appearances in "Shakespeare in Love", "The Full Monty", and "Sense and Sensibility".
The story fails even the Driver-factor, ambling on like one of those scripts developed in a screen-writing class: 'who has an idea?' 'how about a young Jewess loses her money and has to take on work in Scotland in the 1800s' 'good, but we need some conflict in the first act'.'maybe she falls for the master of the house, but the son has eyes for her as well'.'good'.you know the rest.
And it goes from bad to worse. It's impossible to complete this puzzle with so many ill-fitting pieces.
I grabbed the film for Tom Wilkinson anyway, having recently become quite the fan of this British J.T. Walsh. A wonderful character actor who has raised his profile in the US significantly of late with appearances in "Shakespeare in Love", "The Full Monty", and "Sense and Sensibility".
The story fails even the Driver-factor, ambling on like one of those scripts developed in a screen-writing class: 'who has an idea?' 'how about a young Jewess loses her money and has to take on work in Scotland in the 1800s' 'good, but we need some conflict in the first act'.'maybe she falls for the master of the house, but the son has eyes for her as well'.'good'.you know the rest.
And it goes from bad to worse. It's impossible to complete this puzzle with so many ill-fitting pieces.