Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truth and love, March 25, 2008
Is there such a thing as a bad movie made in Italy? Probably, but at least the scenery's usually good. I can't imagine A Good Woman working in a setting like New York or London, but I don't have to. It's set in 1930's Amalfi, the perfect background for a story like this one. Professional mistress Mrs. Erlynne flees to Italy when too many wives are on to her at home. On the ship, she notices a newspaper photo of a young couple, and she knows exactly what her next move should be. The young wife is innocent and naive, and all sorts of innuendo and gossip go flying around Amalfi that season.
This is a woman's picture, and Helen Hunt as the adventuress has never looked more beautiful. Her voice, unfortunately, is rather too clipped and less sultry than it need to be, but in the end, she pulls of her role. Scarlett Johanssen is well-suited to her character, and both women turn out to be more than they seem at the end. Beautiful wardrobe, very subtle music, and a fine performance by Tom Wilkinson, as a jaded, expat Brit who has learned a little something about reality and happiness, add to the success of this production.
I'm now off to read the Oscar Wilde original.
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20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
(3.5 STARS) Decent Adaptaion of Oscar Wilde's 'Lady Windermere's Fan', December 31, 2005
The film is titled `A Good Woman,' but it is actually filmed version of Oscar Wilde play `Lady Windermere's Fan.' Wilde's original, which was put on stage in 1892 and became the first `hit' for Wilde, was set in the drawing room of end-of-the-century England, but `A Good Woman' shifted the background to the Amalfi coast (South Italy) in the 1930s. The director is Mike Barker from England (`To Kill a King'), but some of the main characters' roles are played by American actors.
Two women play the central roles in `A Good Woman.' One is Mrs. Erlynne, `a woman of experience' (Helen Hunt, cast against type) a seductive middle-aged woman from New York. Shunned by the aristocratic society, she still hopes to win the love of gentleman - a rich gentleman - and here in Italy, it seems, she has already attracted some of them. One of them is `Tuppy' (delightful Tom Wilkinson), who refuses to listen to the rumor about Erlynne.
The other woman is Lady Windermere, `a woman of innocence' (Scarlett Johansson), who is newly married, and devotes herself to her husband. After arriving at this beautiful Italian resort, however, her husband Lord Windermere (Mark Umbers) seems to have got nervous about something, some secret he knows, which lady's man Lord Darlington (Stephen Campbell Moore) also happen to notice in his checkbook.
The film retains the basic storyline of Wilde's original. There is a twist (as in the original) which might or might not surprise you. All in all the filmed version is successful in maintaining our interest in the story, which gets melodramatic especially in the second half. The changed location is not a bad thing to me (the `stagy' films are not my cup of tea), but the changed times are a different matter. The 1930s is, I m afraid, too modern a period to make the rigid social conventions of late Victorian convincing. The first part of the film is, I think, considerably weakened by the changed situation and lengthy introduction.
Here is another complaint. As the film's title suggests, `A Good Woman' is more about the ladies than about the gentlemen. That is good. Consequently, however, unlike the original play two male roles Lord Darlington and Lord Windermere look less impressive than the ones you meet in the book. This is a problem because many of the witty lines of Wilde are uttered by Lord Darlington and his character as a flirt plays an important role in the second half of the play. He should be more attractive, hopefully devilishly charming.
You may object to the casting of Ms. Hunt and Ms. Johansson. I find Helen Hunt's lady Windermere sexually seductive enough, but not really seductive enough to make her look like a social climber. Not that her acting is bad, but you may name a name or two of someone who could play the same role as good as, or perhaps better than, Helen Hunt.
`A Good Woman' is easy on the eye with two beautiful leading ladies in gorgeous costumes, and fun to see with intelligent dialogues (and it is Oscar Wilde, the genius, so why not witty after all?) The original play's social satire is no longer compelling, now. But `A Good Woman' is light-hearted, maybe too light-hearted you might say, but is still sweet and pleasant.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Wild About Wilde? A Strangely Subdued Retelling Of A Literary Classic Left Me Wanting More "Wilde-ness", March 18, 2007
Some people like to skydive or rock climb for adventure. I must admit, at this stage in my life, adventure (for me) is jumping into a movie that I know absolutely nothing about and hoping for the best. Daring, huh? Such is the case with the vaguely titled "A Good Woman." I knew it starred Helen Hunt, Tom Wilkinson and Scarlett Johannson--and that was enough to lead me on the "adventure" of discovering this film. Imagine my surprise, then, (about a third of the way through) when a character named Windermere was purchasing a fan for his wife--and I suddenly realized I was watching a strange modernization of Oscar Wilde's classic play aptly entitled "Lady Windermere's Fan." I felt pretty foolish, I must admit--but I don't entirely blame myself.
Instead of the claustrophobic drawing rooms in 1890's England, "A Good Woman" is fashioned in Italy of the 1930's (an odd choice considering the political climate at the time--which is conveniently never mentioned). The Windermere's are now Americans. And what was once Wilde's comedy of manners has become a rather stilted drama with occasional one-liners that fans of Wilde's works will recognize. I certainly have no problem with re-imagining a classic work, such as this. But "A Good Woman" keeps the storyline of "Lady Windermere's Fan" while jettisoning the elements that make it an effective social commentary. The intimate settings of the play establish a world where gossip is an essential part of daily life, the wicked interactions are all anyone have to occupy their time. By opening things up to the Italian countryside, this seems to be less relevant. It's as if the primary characters are engaged in a different movie from the supporting players who make mockery of them.
"A Good Woman" tells the story of Mrs. Erlynne (Helen Hunt), a seductress that has made a career of manipulating the egos of wealthy men. After being chased from American society, she settles in Italy where her path crosses with a young aristocrat named Windermere and his bride (Johannson). Windermere's relationship with Mrs. Erlynne sets the tongues wagging. It's best not to reveal too much of the plot for those unfamiliar with the play--but again, the film's screenplay loses much of Wilde's language, flow, and intricate comedy. Only the talented and British supporting players, led by the sublime Wilkinson, seem to be trying to maintain Wilde's spirit.
Still, this is a handsome production. But no amount of lush scenery and exquisite costuming can hide the film's truly fatal flaw. No offense to Helen Hunt, or her fans, but her interpretation of Mrs. Erlynne leaves much to be desired. With a stilted cadence to her speech and a pinched expression, Hunt never convinces us that she could be the irresistible creation that she needs to be. Johannson is somewhat vacant in her role, as well, but that is better disguised by her character's naiveté. It is Wilkinson, in particular, that completely saves this production. With much needed humor and charm, "A Good Woman" is inexplicably salvaged by a man! While this isn't terrible by any stretch, it's unlikely to send new viewers to seek out the works of Oscar Wilde--and that's a real disappointment. KGHarris, 03/07.
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