Oscar-nominated Actor Bob Hoskins Dies at 71

The actor Bob Hoskins has died of pneumonia at the age of 71.  Hoskins died in a hospital on Tuesday, April 29, 2014, and his agent made the announcement of his passing today (Wednesday, April 30, 2014).

Born Robert William Hoskins, Jr. on October 26, 1942, Bob Hoskins began his acting career on stage in 1969.  He began appear in film and on television in 1972.  Go to Screen Daily and Wikipedia for more about Hoskins passing and his career, respectively.

Hoskins is one of my favorite actors.  I first heard of him when he earned an Oscar nomination for his role in the 1986 film, Mona Lisa.  However, it was his role in 1988's Oscar-winning Who Framed Roger Rabbit that made me a fan of his.  I also admired his work in Heart Condition (1990) and Hook (1991), to name a few.  I send my condolences to Hoskins' family and friends.  Rest in Peace, Mr. Hoskins.

Review: "Unleashed" is Brutal (Happy B'day, Bob Hoskins)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 74 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Unleashed (2005) – USA title
Running time:  102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violent content, language, and some sexuality/nudity
DIRECTOR:  Louis Leterrier
WRITER:  Luc Besson
PRODUCERS:  Luc Besson, Steve Chasman, and Jet Li
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Pierre Morel
EDITOR:  Nicolas Trembasiewicz
COMPOSERS:  Neil Davidge, Massive Attack

DRAMA/MARTIAL ARTS/CRIME

Starring:  Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, Bob Hoskins, and Kerry Condon

The subject of this movie review is Unleashed, a 2005 martial arts and crime film from writer Luc Besson and director Louis Leterrier.  The film was a French, British, and American co-production and was originally released under the title, Danny the Dog, but released in the United States as Unleashed.  The film centers on a man who has been enslaved by the mob since childhood and trained to act like a human attack dog, but who one day escapes his captors and attempts to start a new life.

On and beneath the mean streets of Glasgow, Bart (Bob Hoskins) destroys those who won’t pay their debts to him.  The fiery gangster has a nearly unbeatable weapon he uses to encourage debtors to pay him what they owe, one he also uses to put would-be rivals in their place.  This secret weapon is Bart’s enforcer, Danny (Jet Li), a martial arts fighter of near supernatural ability.  Danny has been kept a prisoner, for all practical purposes, by his “Uncle Bart” since he was a boy.  “Danny the Dog” wears a collar and lives the simple existence that Bart has crudely and cruelly fashioned for him; Danny can’t even remember his origins.  When Bart pulls his collar off, that’s the signal for Danny to attack, and he will either maim or kill – always as Bart dictates.

However, a chance encounter with a soft-spoken, blind piano tuner, Sam (Morgan Freeman), offers Danny a chance to find out what kindness and compassion are.  When a gangland coup inadvertently frees him, Danny finds his way back to Sam and begins to live with the kindly old soul and his daughter, Victoria (Kerry Condon).  They open their home and hearts to him, but the past comes knocking back into Danny’s life.  Now, he has to fight the mob to protect his new family and keep from returning to his old one.

Luc Besson is the French director of flashy action films such as The Fifth Element, but he has also produced a number of martial arts inflected films, including The Transporter franchise.  He went directly to the Hong Kong source for his Jet Li vehicle, Danny the Dog, known for its American release as Unleashed.  [I do not know if this film was re-edited and shortened by a few minutes, in addition to the name change, for its U.S. release.]  Unleashed is one of the few really good English-language martial arts dramas to hit the screen since Bruce Lee’s films in the early 1970’s.  What makes this film a solid and compelling production in which the drama is equal to the martial arts sequences is having two fine dramatic actors:  Morgan Freeman, who is arguably the best American actor working today, and Bob Hoskins, a superb character actor who is too often an afterthought.

Freeman does his wise old black man routine, but this time with a twist.  Sam is a man of culture with impeccable taste.  He is a man who savors life, and his other senses so deeply drink of life that it is as if he weren’t blind.  Kind yet vigilant, he is the ultimate father figure – protector and encourager.  Hoskins gives his Bart many flavors.  On one hand, he plays the gangster as a petty and petulant hood looking for his share; on the other hand, he is all too human in his cruelty.  There isn’t a whiff of the supernatural or paranormal about what Bart does; he is just a bad man.

Jet Li is the star, and even Jet fans like myself must face up to the fact that Li isn’t a great actor when he has to speak English.  He is, however, a great performer regardless of the language he speaks.  Those all-around, all-star abilities that a movie star must have – a blend of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual – he has.  Li lights up the screen every time he’s on, and he always draws attention to himself, no matter how many good actors may be on screen with him.  A human dynamo, Jet Li is truly a martial artist and a film artist.

Unleashed is quite good, but falters in the end – letting the drama whither on the vine so that Li and his adversaries can have their big, final confrontation, and what a confrontation it is.  The film plays at being an epic, but Besson’s script can’t be bothered with developing conflicts and motivations; we’re here to see Li fight and the script focuses on giving us that.  Watching that final battle makes me wonder when Li is going to get his “Crouching Tiger,” but in the meantime, we can enjoy Li’s best English language effort… yet.

7 of 10
B+

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Updated:  Saturday, October 26, 2013

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Review: "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" Retains its Magic (Happy Anniversary)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 67 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Running time: 104 minutes (1 hour, 44 minutes)
MPAA – PG
DIRECTOR: Robert Zemeckis with Richard Williams
WRITERS: Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman (based upon the novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary K. Wolf)
PRODUCERS: Robert Watts and Frank Marshall
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dean Cundey (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Arthur Schmidt
COMPOSER: Alan Silvestri
Academy Award winner

ANIMATION/COMEDY/MYSTERY/FANTASY/ACTION

Starring: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy, (voice) Charles Fleischer, Stubby Kaye, Alan Tilvern, Richard Le Parmentier, (voice) Lou Hirsch, Joel Silver, Paul Springer, Richard Ridings, Edwin Craig, and Lindsay Holiday with the voices of Mel Blanc, Mae Questel and Tony Anselmo, with Kathleen Turner

The subject of this movie review is Who Framed Roger Rabbit, a 1988 fantasy and crime comedy from directors Robert Zemeckis and Richard Williams. The film is a mixture of live action (directed by Robert Zemeckis) and animation (directed by Richard Williams). The film is based on the 1981 mystery novel, Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, by author Gary K. Wolf. The film’s initial release renewed interest in the “Golden Age of American animation” (late 1920s to the early 1960s). It also led the modern era of American animation, in particularly the “Disney Renaissance” (which began with Little Mermaid in 1989).

Who Framed Roger Rabbit focuses on a detective who hates “toons” (animated cartoon characters), but who ends up being a cartoon rabbit's only hope to prove his innocence when the rabbit is accused of murder. I have seen Who Framed Roger Rabbit countless times, and it remains one of my all-time favorite films. I also still think that it is a great film, and is arguably the best film of 1988.

Seventeen years ago, Who Framed Roger Rabbit was considered a revolutionary film with its landmark mixture of live-action film and animated characters. Who FramedRoger Rabbit wasn’t the first time that human actors and cartoon characters had mingled, but Who Framed Roger Rabbit was, at the time, the best achievement in live-action/animated film. However, by the time Jurassic Park, which featured the seamless blend of live-action sets and real characters with computer-generated images (or computer rendered characters), appeared, Who Framed Roger Rabbit seemed like an afterthought. After seeing this film for the first time in about 15 years, I’m still impressed by how well this movie’s conceit, that famous animated cartoon characters like Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, Droopy, and others, are real and live side-by-side with us in the real world, still rings true.

The story: ‘Toons (what cartoon characters are called in this film) are real, and their job is to make animated cartoon films for human entertainment. ‘Toon star Roger Rabbit (voice of Charles Fleischer) is worried that his wife, Jessica Rabbit (voice Kathleen Turner), is cheating on him, and it’s affecting his work on the set of his films with his co-star Baby Herman (voice of Lou Hirsch). R.K. Maroon (Alan Tilvern) hires detective Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) to learn the identity of Jessica’s sugar daddy, who turns out to me Marvin Acme (Stubby Kaye), the owner of ‘Toontown, the Los Angeles cartoon suburb where ‘Toons live.

Things get complicated when Acme is found dead, and Roger Rabbit is suspect number one. Roger goes to Valiant for help to clear his name and save him from a date with annihilation at the hands of the menacing Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd), the dispenser of justice in ‘Toontown, but Valiant is reluctant. He actually took the job snooping on Jessica for money, but he’s hated taking ‘Toon cases since a mysterious ‘Toon killed his brother. However, Roger’s plight strikes a cord of sympathy with Valiant, and he takes Roger’s case. The more Valiant learns, the more intrigued he becomes, especially he learns of a larger and darker conspiracy that threatens not only Roger Rabbit’s life, but the very existence of ‘Toontown.

Beyond featuring the groundbreaking interaction of live and animated characters, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is simply a fine film and both a great technical and artistic achievement; it simply works. The script bears more than a passing resemblance to the municipal conspiracy in Chinatown, and the screenplay’s central mystery plotline develops in a way that keeps the viewer interested in whodunit.

The acting is excellent; from top to bottom the casts sells the idea that they’re interacting with animated characters. This is an especially impressive achievement because the live action was filmed before the animated characters and backgrounds were added. Talk about make-believe, pretend, and plain old acting talent. Christopher Lloyd is a treat to watch as the dark heavy, Judge Dredd-like justice giver – proof positive that he’s a great character actor, especially playing offbeat and wacky characters. Bob Hoskins, who more than anyone in the film, acted with non-existent co-stars, did yeoman’s work, and his performance is an underrated achievement among great comic performances.

The most credit goes to the films directors, and yes, there are two, although Who Framed Roger Rabbit may be listed as “A Robert Zemeckis Film.” True, Zemeckis does an incredible job filming sequences when many of his main actors and some of his sets would have to be added later by the animators. Still, he manages to get the most out of his actors and make the film’s comedy funny and mystery captivating – the best directorial effort of 1988. However, Richard Williams directed the animated sequences, and there aren’t many directors in the history of animated film who outdid his work here. Together Zemeckis and Williams made a classic of live-action and animation that is entertaining, technically brilliant, and a beautiful movie.

10 of 10

NOTES:
1989 Academy Awards, USA: 4 wins: “Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing” (Charles L. Campbell and Louis L. Edemann), “Best Effects, Visual Effects” (Ken Ralston, Richard Williams, Ed Jones, and George Gibbs), “Best Film Editing” (Arthur Schmidt), and “Special Achievement Award” (Richard Williams “for animation direction and creation of the cartoon characters”); 3 nominations: “Best Art Direction-Set Decoration” (Elliot Scott and Peter Howitt), “Best Cinematography” (Dean Cundey), “Best Sound” (Robert Knudson, John Boyd, Don Digirolamo, and Tony Dawe)

1989 BAFTA Awards: 1 win: “Best Special Effects” (George Gibbs, Richard Williams, Ken Ralston, and Ed Jones); 4 nominations: “Best Cinematography” (Dean Cundey), “Best Editing” (Arthur Schmidt), “Best Production Design” (Elliot Scott), and “Best Screenplay – Adapted” (Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman)

1989 Golden Globes, USA: 2 nominations: “Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical” and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical” (Bob Hoskins)

Updated: Saturday, June 22, 2013

Review: Didn't Want to Stay for "Stay"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 68 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux


Stay (2005)
Running time: 98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)
MPAA – R for language and some disturbing images
DIRECTOR: Marc Forster
WRITER: David Benioff
PRODUCERS: Eric Kopeloff and Tom Lassally
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Roberto Schaeffer
EDITOR: Matt Chesse
COMPOSERS: Asche & Spencer (Tom Scott and Thad Spencer)

DRAMA/THRILLER with elements of horror, fantasy, and sci-fi

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Ryan Gosling, Bob Hoskins, Janeane Garofalo, Elizabeth Reaser, and B.D. Wong

The subject of this movie review is Stay, a 2005 fantasy drama and psychological thriller from director Marc Forster. The film focuses on a psychiatrist who attempts to prevent one of his patients from committing suicide, while his own grip on reality slips.

A New York psychiatrist, Sam Foster (Ewan McGregor), inherits a secretive and highly unusual young man bent on suicide as his new patient. His name is Henry Lethem (Ryan Gosling), and he is capable of making bizarrely accurate predictions about the future. Henry announces to Sam that he is planning on committing suicide at midnight the coming Saturday – the day of his 21st birthday. After Henry disappears, Sam is desperate to find his patient before he offs himself, but his investigation begins to have reality-shattering effects on him.

Manhattan, where Sam lives, begins to transform into a constantly and wildly shifting dreamscape, and the deeper Sam tries to go into Henry’s subconscious, the more it changes the rational world for Sam. His search for Henry is also causing havoc in Sam’s relationship with his girlfriend, Lila Culpepper (Naomi Watts), a former patient of Sam’s who tried to kill herself. It isn’t long before both Sam and Lila are wondering where Sam ends and Henry begins.

Stay has some big names behind it. Director Marc Forster directed Halle Berry to an Academy Award in 2001’s Monster’s Ball, and his last film, Finding Neverland, earned several Oscar nominations including a Best Picture nod. The cast includes some heavyweights – Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts, and a star-in-the-making – Ryan Gosling. In this film, Ryan definitely shows that something that has him marked as a movie star, a quality actor, and a matinee idol.

However, audiences will find Stay to be either fascinating or dull. It’s really a riff on Ambrose Bierce’s famous short story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” and the 1990 thriller, Jacob’s Ladder. The visuals are dazzling on a few occasions and quite inventive and imaginative most of the time. However, most of the time Stay also seems like an ambitious if not pretentious film from a talented novice, which means the director makes clever visual choices that still amount to a haphazard narrative. Only the film’s last ten minutes redeem everything that came before it, and that’s disappointing.

3 of 10
C-

Friday, April 7, 2006

Updated: Friday, June 21, 2013

Review: "Snow White and the Huntsman" is a Fractured Fairy Tale

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 78 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
Running time: 127 minutes (2 hour, 7 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sensuality
DIRECTOR: Rupert Sanders
WRITERS: Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock, and Hossein Amini; from a screen story by Evan Daugherty
PRODUCERS: Sam Mercer, Palak Patel, and Joe Roth
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Greig Fraser
EDITORS: Conrad Buff IV and Neil Smith
COMPOSER: James Newton Howard

FANTASY/DRAMA/ACTION

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin, Sam Spruell, Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone, Nick Frost, Eddie Marsan, Toby Jones, Johnny Harris, Brian Gleeson, Vincent Regan, and Noah Huntley

Snow White and the Huntsman is a 2012 action fantasy film starring Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, and Charlize Theron. The film re-imagines (a word I’m starting to hate) the German fairy tale “Snow White” as an epic fantasy.

The film opens in the Kingdom of Tabor, where King Magnus and Queen Eleanor welcome a baby daughter they name Snow White. Sometime after Eleanor dies, Magnus marries the mysterious Ravenna (Charlize Theron), who turns out to be a powerful sorceress. After usurping the throne, Ravenna imprisons Snow White (Raffey Cassidy) in the north tower of the castle. With her brother, Finn (Sam Spruell), at her side, Ravenna rules over the kingdom, while draining the youth from young maidens in order to maintain her own youthful appearance.

After coming of age, Snow White (Kristen Stewart) escapes into the Dark Forest. Ravenna orders Eric (Chris Hemsworth), a huntsman, to find Snow White, but Snow White’s destiny may prove to be bigger than any one person’s plans for her.

I discovered that Snow White and the Huntsman is the first feature film directed by Rupert Sanders, which may explain why the movie’s narrative develops in fits and starts. Sometimes, Snow White and the Huntsman is overly serious, and sometimes, it is painfully dull. It’s as if Sanders wants to treat some of the movie as if it were Lord of the Rings (which it is not). When he’s not trying to do his own version of director Peter Jackson, Sanders is trying to create some character drama and that’s mostly awkward.

First, let me say that I am a fan of Kristen Stewart. I think Stewart is perfect for Sanders, because, as an actress, she is overly serious. In practically any movie in which she appears, Stewart will spend part of that film kind of hunched over, like a dog waiting to be smacked across the head with a newspaper even when she does something good (like rescue Timmy from a well). I could be nice and say that her acting is decent, although she delivers dialogue with all the stiffness of a graduate of the Keanu Reeves School of Acting. Her big speech scenes in the last act of Snow White and the Huntsman are not inspiring and are, in fact, dry as dust.

Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron try, and Theron really tries, but the script seems unsure about what it should be – action movie or fantasy drama… or Evil Queen movie? The script isn’t even sure who the lead character is, and I’m not sure Sanders knew which characters should be the focus and when they should be. This movie should have been titled “Sometimes Snow White and sometimes the Huntsman and sometimes the Queen.”

I’m being critical because this movie and its story/concept have so much potential, and there are times when Snow White and the Huntsman seems like it is going to be an exceptional fantasy film. A clunky opening act and its occasional meandering are what keep Snow White and the Huntsman average rather than special.

5 of 10
B-

Sunday, October 14, 2012

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Review: Judi Dench is Fun in "Mrs. Henderson Presents" (Happy B'day, Judi Dench)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 82 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux


Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK
Running time: 103 minutes (1 hour, 43 minutes)
MPAA – R for nudity and brief language
DIRECTOR: Stephen Frears
WRITER: Martin Sherman
PRODUCER: Norma Heyman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andrew Dunn
EDITOR: Lucia Zucchetti
Academy Award nominee

COMEDY/DRAMA/MUSIC/HISTORICAL

Starring: Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Will Young, Kelly Reilly, Thelma Barlow, Michael Culkin, and Christopher Guest

After her husband Robert dies in 1937, Laura Henderson (Judi Dench) struggles to find a hobby to occupy her time, and one day, chance affords an opportunity when she passes by an old movie theatre on London’s West End. She buys the theatre and rebuilds it as The Windmill, a venue for musical theatre. Mrs. Henderson takes on a salty theatre manager and showman, Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins), and together they make their show, a kind of musical theatre they call “Revudeville,” a hit, even if they are occasionally at odds with one another.

However, other theatres are soon copying The Windmill’s winning formula. It is then that Mrs. Henderson proposes an idea that has been in her heart for a long time – have nude actresses on stage (similar to what the Moulin Rouge in Paris does). That raises eyebrows, but the nude musical revue is an even bigger hit. But all isn’t happiness and sunshine; the show that Mrs. Henderson presents must struggle to go on as World War II arrives and the Germans bomb London.

Mrs. Henderson Presents, based on a true story, is a movie of two minds. The first 50 minutes or so of the film is a delightful comedy of manners, class divisions, creative differences, and musical theatre. The fest of the film is a dour, World War II drama that clunks about as if the filmmakers weren’t sure just what kind of “Masterpiece Theatre” movie this picture should be. Mrs. Henderson Presents is indicative of director Stephen Frears work – when he’s on (High Fidelity and Dirty Pretty Things), he’s really on, but when he stumbles, his films are uneven (The Grifters and Hero), and there’s a bit of both here.

A few things make this a good movie. There is a scene of full frontal nudity featuring Bob Hoskins. Sandy Powell’s colorful costumes are eye-catching, and I found myself always waiting to see what she’d give us next. The musical theatre (the songs more than the acting and dancing, although both are good) is fun and bubbly. Finally, Judi Dench delivers her usual stellar work. She’s witty and delightful and wields screenwriter Martin Sherman’s dialogue and character of Mrs. Henderson with the assurance of a master fencer. She’s just fun to watch, and her fans shouldn’t miss Mrs. Henderson Presents.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
2006 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Sandy Powell) and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” (Judi Dench)

2006 BAFTA Awards: 4 nominations: “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (George Fenton), “Best Costume Design” (Sandy Powell), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” (Judi Dench), and “Best Screenplay – Original” (Martin Sherman)

2006 Golden Globes: 3 nominations: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy,” “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Bob Hoskins), and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Judi Dench)

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Review: "Vanity Fair" is a Good Old Fashioned Costume Melodrama (Happy B'day, Mira Nair)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 28 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Vanity Fair (2004)
Running time: 137 minutes (2 hours, 17 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some sensuality/partial nudity and a brief violent image
DIRECTOR: Mira Nair
WRITERS: Matthew Faulk and Mark Skeet and Julian Fellowes (based upon the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray)
PRODUCERS: Janette Day, Lydia Dean Pilcher, and Donna Gigliotti
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Declan Quinn
EDITOR: Allyson C. Johnson

DRAMA with elements of romance

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, James Purefoy, Romola Garai, Tony Maudsley, Rhys Ifans, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Bob Hoskins, Douglas Hodge, Meg Wynn Owen, Natasha Little, Eileen Atkins, Jim Broadbent, Robert Pattinson, and Gabriel Byrne

Born into the lower class, Rebecca “Becky” Sharp (Reese Witherspoon) becomes a relentless social climber in London society, circa 1820. She ascends the social ladder with her friend, Amelia Sedley (Romola Garai), who is from a noble, but broke family. Becky begins as a governess before marrying a financially challenged nobleman, Rawdon Crawley (James Purefoy), who is also a gambler. She eventually discovers herself to be as vain and as foolish as anyone born of noble blood.

I love costume dramas, especially English films of this type, so I was bound to be a sucker for director Mira Nair’s Vanity Fair, the film adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray’s massive 19-century novel. I’ve never read the novel, but I could still see that something was amiss. Reese Witherspoon seems ill cast as Thackeray’s cunning anti-heroine. Her accent is shoddy, her acting range is limited, and she’s just playing her Legally Blonde character in an English costume drama. Luckily, the camera loves her, and she has a charming film personality, even when she’s wrong for a part.

Vanity Fair also swings back and forth between being riveting and tepid, although Ms. Nair injects some exotic charm in it via Indian culture in the form of music, dance, costume, and bit players. What turns the film to its better half is that Ms. Nair and her primary screenwriter, Oscar winner, Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park), are able to wring poignancy out of the British stiff upper lip by emphasizing the disastrous consequences of human vanity and pride, mostly resulting from class prejudice. The theme seems to be that the personal cost of pride to the characters in terms of lost love and lost loved ones who departed (either through death or personal exile) before reconciliation is too high. In this the film rings true.

Vanity Fair is also a gorgeous period film filled with lavish sets and sumptuous costumes. Even the examples of poverty in the film and the portrayal of the filthy London streets seem authentic. The film’s visual flair more than makes up for its shaky moments, and while Vanity Fair isn’t as good as classic Merchant Ivory films like A Room with a View and Howard’s End, this classic of British literature, adapted with a hint of Indian spice, will sate the appetite for good old costume drama.

7 of 10
B+

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