The Portrait of a Lady

Starring:Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich, Barbara Hershey, Mary-Louise Parker, Martin Donovan (II), Shelley Winters, Richard E. Grant, Shelley Duvall, Christian Bale, Viggo Mortensen, Valentina Cervi, John Gielgud, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Catherine Zago, Alessandra Vanzi, Amy Lindsay, Katherine Anne Porter (II), Eddy Seager, Pat Roach, Emanuele Carucci Viterbi
Director: Jane Campion
Studio: Polygram Video
Product Type: DVD

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Leave it to New Zealand director Jane Campion (The Piano, Angel at My Table) to begin an adaptation of Henry James's great novel (set in the late 1800s) with a group of late-20th-century women from Down Under talking about the importance of a kiss. Like any good film adaptation (and it's a very good one, indeed), this exquisitely framed and mounted Portrait of a Lady is at least as much Campion as it is James. The story of strong-willed, independent-minded Isabel Archer (Nicole Kidman, whose skin here is photographed like delicate porcelain) is a tricky one to dramatize, since it's largely about good intentions going awry, roads not taken, misguided decisions made for good reasons. Headstrong American orphan Isabel rejects the proposal of a decent, sensible English suitor, Lord Warburton (Richard E. Grant), because she wants to find her own destiny and identity first. Instead, she is seduced by Gilbert Osmond (John Malkovich), an effete collector of art (and women) whom one character describes as a "sterile dilettante." How Isabel's life, and the lives of those who love her, are affected by this fateful (but irreversible?) decision is what the bulk of the film is about. Portrait of a Lady is lovely, heartbreaking, and at times terrifying--as only coming face-to-face with the consequences of one's own life-changing decisions can be. Gorgeously photographed in anamorphic widescreen format. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

The portrait of a BAD screenplay.......2007-05-25

I will start first by saying that," NO...I have not read the Henry James' novel." That said, my job is to review the Jane Campion film and Laura Jones written screenplay.Having seen this film several times over the years since it first was released in the theatres, I have pondered why this film has never really connected with me until today. I do believe that the real problem with this film is the screenplay itself. Laura Jones also adapted Peter Carey's OSCAR AND LUCINDA and the same problem exists in that film as it does in THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY......short scenes, uneven character development and a lack of "glue" that ties it all together to make the viewer have a total sense of identification with the characters and their situations.Jane Campion certainly has a beautiful sense of how a film should look and feel visually, but this screenplay screams for the viewer to run to read the source material to truly understand character motivation.

As in OSCAR AND LUCINDA, I read the book after viewing the film in order to REALLY understand what the film SO lacked.In other Henry James' film adaptations, such as THE BOSTONIANS and THE EUROPEANS, the treatment of James' material was much better (BOSTONIANS being the better of the two IMO). In THE PORTRAIT OF THE LADY, Laura Jones' script simply does not capture and distill the characters and the plot enough to grab a viewer for screen watching alone. The BBC mini series of PORTRAIT from the 1960's has alot more information in it, but it is still rather dull and is centered in the character Ralph Touchett and not Isabel Archer.Standing on it's own, without the book or other screen adaptations, Jane Campion's film is as cold as ice, filmed in dark blues with little light,and very disjointed. For all of it's gorgeous costuming, elegant set design and some moments of brilliant acting, PORTRAIT OF A LADY cannot overcome it's one biggest, glaring fault.....a BAD screenplay. Laura Jones should NOT adapt source material beyond her scope.

What kind of moron can't see through John Malkovich? .......2007-04-29

John Malkovich plays this creep creepily just as he played Valmont in the American movie Dangerous Liasons. Ugh. Unknowing girlchiks, here's a litmus test to help you avoid Isabelle Archer's fate: Do you think this guy will ever help you move that heavy armoire up or down the stairs? NO!!! So kick him to the curb, slam the door in his face, IGNORE him. His type has no innate power, he only has power that you give to him.

Martin Donovan is all voice and Mary Louise Parker is all scary in this movie. But this might be too much voice from Martin Donovan.

Wow. I can't believe that there are people who could ruin their lives like this.

Complex,, thought-provoking.......2006-08-27

The unusualness of this movie intriqued me so much that I have to give it 4 stars!!The prose and oral exchanges of the characters are very stimulating....For someone to watch @ understand this movie they have to be reasonably intelligent. A few times I paused the movie to think about what the characters meant in their converses (especially the scenes involving Malkovich @ Hershey)... I can see why the average person would think this movie is slow and dull, but the great part of this movie are the subtle conversations that take place. (Ex. When Isabel is explaining to Lord Warburton why he shouldn't marry Pansy and the dialogues between Isabel and Ralph). The ending is great as well. Not catering to the average moviegoers' sensibilities, it leaves the viewer wondering what might happen just as the book does. Alas, for this movie to be enjoyed, one needs to have an appreciation for literature. The musical score gets 5 stars!!!

This is why...........2006-04-24

I ADORE period movies! The acting, scenes, story line...character growth is beyond amazing. The scenery is breathtaking. The movie pulls at my soul and heart....

And I love the ending....so much intense possibilty with that one pause and backward glance. Nicole Kidman was superb in this adaption. All the other actors as well were excellent.

This is by far the best adaption of Portrait of a Lady I have yet seen.

Too much emphasis on girl power.......2005-12-31

I have a hard time taking Jame Campion's work seriously, because she has such a chip on her shoulder. She'll find a way to present such a male-centered classic like "Portrait of a Lady" through her own feminist filter. Once again, she tries to show how wicked manipulative men try to bring down a "strong idealistic woman". Really, Jane Campion is better off adapting the works of Sapho. She should leave dead white male authors alone. She and Cher need to get together and organize a self-pitying feminist fest.

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Portrait of Lady
Starring: Richard Chamberlain , Suzanne Neve , Edward Fox , Beatrix Lehmann , and Alan Gifford
Director: James Cellan Jones
Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Portrait of a Lady [Region 2]
Starring: Nicole Kidman , John Malkovich , Barbara Hershey , Mary-Louise Parker , and Martin Donovan (II)
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N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös
Starring: Paul Erdös MATHEMATICIANS , various Epsilons , Gyula Katona , Elise Patterson , and Gene
Director: George Paul Csicsery
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Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002MQFI2
Release Date: 2004-07-04

Description

This listing is offered to individuals for private viewing.

A man with no home and no job, Paul Erdös was the most prolific mathematician who ever lived. Born in Hungary in 1913, Erdös wrote and co-authored over 1,500 papers and pioneered several fields in theoretical mathematics. At the age of 83 he still spent most of his time on the road, going from math meeting to math meeting, continually working on problems. He died on September 20, 1996 while attending such a meeting in Warsaw, Poland. N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös was filmed between 1988 and 1991.

The structure of N is a Number is based on Erdös's 50 years of perpetual wandering, "like a bumblebee," carrying news and mathematical information from university to university. Erdös established himself as a serious mathematician at the age of 20 when he devised a more elegant proof for Chebyshev's theorem, i.e., that there is always a prime number between any number and its double.

In an age dominated by technical wizardry and high tech communications, Erdös was an unusual human link connecting hundreds of people. As he traveled from country to country, Erdös carried with him the latest in mathematical thinking, inspiring others to develop new ideas and, sometimes, entire new fields. In turn, the mathematical community supported this repository of centuries of mathematical knowledge and lore. Every mathematician in the world has an "Erdös Number"-the number of people he or she is removed from having co-authored a paper with Erdös.

N is a Number is a one-hour 16mm documentary filmed over a four-year period in four countries between 1988 and 1991. The film was produced, directed and edited by George Paul Csicsery.

Product Description

Great Britain released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. Languages: o Dutch (subtitles) o English (subtitles) o French (subtitles) o Italian (subtitles) o Portugese (subtitles) o Spanish (subtitles) o English (Dolby Digital 5.1) o French (Dolby Digital 5.1) o Italian (Dolby Digital 2.0) o Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0) Synopsis: Jane Campion directed this expressive adaptation of the classic novel by Henry James. Isabel Archer (Nicole Kidman) is a young American woman who, after the death of her parents, has been sent to England to visit relatives. While her family's tragedy has left her penniless, Isabel's beauty has earned her the attentions of a number of eligible men. When Isabel turns down a proposal of marriage from the wealthy Lord Warburton (Richard E. Grant) because she does not love him, her cousin Ralph (Martin Donovan), who is also smitten with her, arranges for his father to leave her a fortune before succumbing to tuberculosis so that she may live as an independent woman. Isabel takes a tour of Europe, where she meets Madame Merle (Barbara Hershey), a jaded sophisticate and matchmaker who introduces her to Gilbert Osmond (John Malkovich), a widowed American artist living abroad. Isabel falls in love with Gilbert and they marry, but his sloth and opportunism soon begin to wear on her, and three years later she is desperate to get out of their relationship. The Portrait of a Lady also stars John Gielgud, Mary-Louise Parker, Christian Bale, and Shelley Winters. Special Features: o Documentary o Interactive Menu o Production Notes o Scene Access o Trailer(s)

Portrait Of A Lady (Retrato Intimo De Una Dama) [NTSC/REGION 1 & 4 DVD. Import-Latin America]

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Portrait Of A Lady (Retrato Intimo De Una Dama) [NTSC/REGION 1 & 4 DVD. Import-Latin America]
Director: Jane Campion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000SBAI44

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IT COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTENDER...

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00004RYEZ

Customer Reviews:

IT COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTENDER..........2006-05-28

Jane Campion is a brilliant director who can direct a film and convey much with a minimum of language and action. Her film, "The Piano" is a testament to that innate talent. This would lead one to believe that directing an adaptation of a Henry James novel would be a natural segue for her.

While this is a lush and beautiful period piece, the problem with it is that it is somewhat dull. Despite stellar performances by Barbara Hershey and the supporting cast, the main star, Nicole Kidman, is out of her league, though she is a luminous beauty and has some acting ability. The problem is that her performance lacks the presence or depth necessary to transcend the material and make this a truly interesting film. She just is not good enough an actress to be able to carry this type of storyline and engage the viewer in the lead role of wealthy expatriate, Isabel Archer.

Moreover, while John Malkovich gives a wonderful performance as the malevolent Gilbert Osmond, he is decidedly miscast as he is simply not charismatic enough to make it believable that Isabel Archer would throw caution to the wind over such an unattractive and, decidedly, sinister man. It is unfortunate, as the film is an otherwise fairly faithful adaptation of Henry James' complex novel of the same name. It could have been a contender.

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IT COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTENDER...

The Portrait of a Lady

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

PLOT SUMMARY: Isabel Archer, an American heiress and free thinker travels to Europe to find herself. She tactfully rebuffs the advances of Caspar Goodwood, another American who has followed her to England. Her cousin, Ralph Touchett, wise but sickly becomes a soulmate of sorts for her. She makes an unfortunate alliance with the creepy Madame Merle who leads her to make an even more unfortunate alliance with Gilbert Osmond, a smooth but cold collector of Objets' de art who seduces her with an intense but unattainable sexuality. Isabel marries Osmond only to realize she's just another piece of art for his collection and that Madame Merle and Osmond are lovers who had hatched a diabolical scheme to take Isabel's fortune. Isabel's only comfort is the innocent daughter of Osmond, Pansy, but even that friendship is spoiled when Merle reveals the child's true parentage. Isabel finally breaks free of Osmond and returns to Ralph's bedside, where, while breathing his last, they both realize how truly connected they are, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. [IMDB - Teresa B. O'Donnell] ~~ This import from Hong Kong has English/Italian audio with optional English or Chinese subtitles. Special Features: Cast, Synopsis, Interactive Menus, Scene Selection.

Customer Reviews:

IT COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTENDER..........2006-10-26

Average customer rating:

The Portrait of a Lady

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Plot Summary for The Portrait of a Lady: Isabel Archer, an American heiress and free thinker travels to Europe to find herself. She tactfully rebuffs the advances of Caspar Goodwood, another American who has followed her to England. Her cousin, Ralph Touchett, wise but sickly becomes a soulmate of sorts for her. She makes an unfortunate alliance with the creepy Madame Merle who leads her to make an even more unfortunate alliance with Gilbert Osmond, a smooth but cold collector of Objets' de art who seduces her with an intense but unattainable sexuality. Isabel marries Osmond only to realize she's just another piece of art for his collection and that Madame Merle and Osmond are lovers who had hatched a diabolical scheme to take Isabel's fortune. Isabel's only comfort is the innocent daughter of Osmond, Pansy, but even that friendship is spoiled when Merle reveals the child's true parentage. Isabel finally breaks free of Osmond and returns to Ralph's bedside, where, while breathing his last, they both realize how truly connected they are, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. [IMDB - Teresa B. Donnell] This officially licensed ASIAN release has English/Italian audio with optional English or Chinese subtitles and these SPECIAL FEATURES: Cast, Synopsis, Interactive Menus, Scene Selection.

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