The House of Mirth (2000)

Directed by Terence Davies. Starring Gillian Anderson, Eric Stoltz, Laura Linney, Anthony LaPaglia, Elizabeth McGovern, Jodhi May, Dan Aykroyd, Terry Kinney, Eleanor Bron, Penny Downie, Lorelei King, Pearce Quigley. [PG]

The stuffy atmosphere is so sedate among the privileged players of Edith Wharton’s New York City high society novel that you have to hone in on the cruel underbite of the pleasantries to catch all the waspish venom in the words. This activity is most recommended for the uninitiated, as writer/director Davies’ entryway to the narrative is insular and thematically forbidding. The fussy theatricality of Anderson’s portrayal of an abruptly-impoverished socialite never quite sits right, but casting is a curiosity across most of the board (Aykroyd as a would-be sugar daddy, anyone?). When the errant plot finally takes wing, instincts go unchecked and the filmmaker commits to melodrama—laudanum has never really been a cinematic narcotic. A pity, because the clever snap of the dialogue pairs well with dagger eyes while the flinging of woo lands like slush. Capable of holding one’s attention without ever fully engaging with it. Exquisite period costumes and set decoration credited to Monica Howe and John Bush.

62/100