Jane Austen in Manhattan - The Merchant Ivory Collection

Starring:Anne Baxter, Robert Powell, Michael Wager, Tim Choate, John Guerrasio, Katrina Hodiak, Kurt Johnson, Philip Lenkowsky, Charles McCaughan, Nancy New, Sean Young, Bernard Barrow, Lee H. Doyle, Bella Jarett, Naomi Riordan, David Redden, Gael Hammer, Peter McPherson, John Boyle, Tim Burke
Director: James Ivory
Studio: Merchant Ivory
Product Type: DVD

Description

Rival theater companies compete to produce their own unique versions of Jane Austen's childhood play, Sir Charles Grandison, in this delightful film from Merchant Ivory Productions. George Midash (Michael Wager) buys the play's manuscript at Sotheby's for Pierre (Robert Powell), the head of an avant-garde theater group. Another troupe, headed by the very traditional Lilianna Zorska (Anne Baxter), strives to produce their own version of the play. In her first film role, Sean Young co-stars as a young actress being manipulated by Pierre to join his company. When Lilianna decides to match wits with Pierre, events begin to mirror those occurring within the play itself. A brilliant ensemble cast, a witty screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and an inventive score by Richard Robbins all contribute to make Jane Austen an elegant entertainment.

Customer Reviews:

a quirky experiment.......2006-01-23

I'm a Jane Austen freak and devoted to Merchant Ivory movies. This one is early and quirky. It's about art and acting. It's about two quite different ways to bring Jane Austen to life in Manhattan: a traditional, aristocratic way, and an avant garde liberatory way. Watching the two ways interact on the screen (and almost merge at the end) while trying to follow the story of who abducted who and how she felt about it ties your mind in unexpected knots. I think one needs to have read not only Jane Austen's juvenilia, but also Richardson's now-impossible once-best-seller novel Sir Charles Grandison to understand all the allusions and satire. If you happen to have experienced the artistic circles in New York in the 60's and 70's - from the upper class patrons of experimental avant garde art to the struggling young would be actors - then you MAY enjoy the movie. Many people seem to have really disliked it. I loved it.

What a Dissapointment!.......2005-05-08

The blurb about this movie made it seem like something I wanted to see, even buy. I rented it yesterday. Thank goodness I did not buy it! It is bizarre' to say the least, and lousy, to say the truth! My husband is a former film maker and even he found nothing good to say about the technique, script, lighting, acting, et al. The whole thing has almost nothing to do with Jane Austen-a lost piece of her work sold at auction to the leader of misguided would-be actors in New York under his spell. He passes himself off as some sort of avant-garde coach, when he is actually creating some kind of cult in which he alone reaps any benefits. He takes everyone's money, practically holds them prisioner, and puts on ridiculous scenes in the name of creating genius. Only Anne Baxter added anything positive to this film as an actress who wants to put on a real production of the Jane Austen works, but even she can not pull this stinker out of the loo. Save your money and your time.

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