A Good Woman (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
If you love gossip, you'll get plenty of it in Mike Barker's adaptation of an Oscar Wilde play, 'A Good Woman'. Set in the 1930's on the Italian Riviera, this film tells the story of Mrs. Erlynne (Helen Hunt), a seductive woman of ill repute. Describing herself as 'poor & infamous', Erlynne had left N.Y. for a fresh start. But scandal follows her everywhere. Hoping to find a new man among Amalfi's aristocratic windbags, and aiming to locate her long lost daughter, Erlynne hopes to avert mean-spirited gossip & start her life anew. Plain & simple, Erlynne wants a conventional husband who has loads of money to support her and her interests. She thinks she's found her match, a young Mr. Windermere (Mark Umbers), but the much older Lord Augustus (Tom Wilkinson) has a good mind to win her over.
Windermere's youthful, faithful wife, Meg (Scarlett Johansson), is oblivious to all this as she has been enamored by hedonist, Lord Darlington (Stephen Campbell Moore). There must be something in the Italian water. Everyone is too easily distracted by romance. And don't think that the gossiping vacationers and locals turn a blind eye. Erlynne is blackmailing Windermere to provide her with money and to keep a certain secret safe from Meg. Windermere, now nervous, is primed for suspicion by the Amalfi folk. His nerves among the townsfolk is like chum to a shark (lethal in social circles). The plot takes some drastic twists & turns, and suddenly, what seemed like an innocent romp among aristocrats has turned into something ugly amid the overwhelming beauty.
What works for this film is the Oscar Wilde-an, quick-witted, acid-tongued delivery of dialogue. Full of double entendres & innuendos, the movie will constantly keep you with a grin fixated on your face. There are lots of guilty pleasures in 'A Good Woman'. Here's what we've got: Scarlett Johansson, sex, romance, scandals, whispers, secrets, fun conversations, blackmailing, gossip, beautiful set designs, designer cars, gorgeous clothes, surprise endings, self-sacrifices, the list goes on & on. Amid all of this, it's possible to be vindicated and find closure. It's still possible to find love between the right woman & man.
This is a little-nothing-of-a-film, but it's pleasant, easy to follow, & entertaining. The thing is, shockingly, the cast (not the acting) is a weakness here. Tom Wilkinson is superb as Lord Augustus. He's completely believable as the older, downtrodden gentleman. But Johansson seems miscast. And Helen Hunt (while I typically enjoy her acting), seems to be the wrong physical choice as a sexy, smoldering seductress. She (and everybody else) delivers the great lines, but do we believe them? Eh, it's hard to say. This movie is the poster child of style over substance. It's a good Sunday afternoon rental, almost a great one.
Windermere's youthful, faithful wife, Meg (Scarlett Johansson), is oblivious to all this as she has been enamored by hedonist, Lord Darlington (Stephen Campbell Moore). There must be something in the Italian water. Everyone is too easily distracted by romance. And don't think that the gossiping vacationers and locals turn a blind eye. Erlynne is blackmailing Windermere to provide her with money and to keep a certain secret safe from Meg. Windermere, now nervous, is primed for suspicion by the Amalfi folk. His nerves among the townsfolk is like chum to a shark (lethal in social circles). The plot takes some drastic twists & turns, and suddenly, what seemed like an innocent romp among aristocrats has turned into something ugly amid the overwhelming beauty.
What works for this film is the Oscar Wilde-an, quick-witted, acid-tongued delivery of dialogue. Full of double entendres & innuendos, the movie will constantly keep you with a grin fixated on your face. There are lots of guilty pleasures in 'A Good Woman'. Here's what we've got: Scarlett Johansson, sex, romance, scandals, whispers, secrets, fun conversations, blackmailing, gossip, beautiful set designs, designer cars, gorgeous clothes, surprise endings, self-sacrifices, the list goes on & on. Amid all of this, it's possible to be vindicated and find closure. It's still possible to find love between the right woman & man.
This is a little-nothing-of-a-film, but it's pleasant, easy to follow, & entertaining. The thing is, shockingly, the cast (not the acting) is a weakness here. Tom Wilkinson is superb as Lord Augustus. He's completely believable as the older, downtrodden gentleman. But Johansson seems miscast. And Helen Hunt (while I typically enjoy her acting), seems to be the wrong physical choice as a sexy, smoldering seductress. She (and everybody else) delivers the great lines, but do we believe them? Eh, it's hard to say. This movie is the poster child of style over substance. It's a good Sunday afternoon rental, almost a great one.