Vanity Fair

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Gabriel Byrne, James Purefoy, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Rhys Ifans, Bob Hoskins, Romola Garai
Directed by: Mira Nair
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Romance
2004

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Orphaned Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon) rises up in the society hierarchy by using her intelligence and cunning. However, the higher up she rises, the greater chances of ruin become.

Review:

Tim: I'm still shaking my head about this movie, trying to figure out exactly what I saw and how I feel about it. I'm wondering if I gave this 100% of my attention, because it almost seems as if it went in one ear and out the other. I'm sure I'm partially to blame, but the majority of the blame has to go on this movie for not being very memorable or effective. It's all flash and show, with very little substance. It feels too rushed, which I imagine comes from condensing a very long book into a two hour movie (although thank God they stopped there, because it's long enough).

Reese Witherspoon is decent as Becky Sharp, but by no means is she praiseworthy. This really isn't her type of film, and she never seems comfortable in the role. This hurts the movie, because it is almost completely about her. The supporting cast all look very impressive on paper, but never seem to make much of an impact on screen. This is a cast that should have been dynamite, but, despite a few bright moments, mostly just fizzles.

The plot moves quickly- too quickly - and so many characters come on screen so quickly, that unless you pay very close attention, you will become incredibly lost (I admit that I very much struggled to keep everything straight, which became even harder, because after a certain point, I just stopped caring and just started hoping the film would end quickly).

Vanity Fair is an ambitious project that never really works. It is a valiant attempt that fell short of what it could be. Still, there's something to be said for a film that tries as hard as this one does. If you can muster the energy to stay focused, there's enough here to derive some enjoyment from. Though not terrible, this if far, far from being good.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Walk the Line, Sense & Sensibility, Monsoon Wedding, Election