88
TV Guide Magazine by Ken Fox
[A] bold and brilliant rendering of Henry James' masterpiece.
The Portrait of a Lady
Critic Rating
(read reviews)User Rating
- United Kingdom,
- United States
- 1996
- · 144m
Director
Jane Campion
Cast
Nicole Kidman,
John Malkovich,
Barbara Hershey,
Mary-Louise Parker,
Christian Bale,
Shelley Winters
Genre
Drama,
Romance
Isabel Archer isn't afraid to challenge societal norms. Suddenly rich and independent, Isabelle ventures into the world, befriending a cynical intellectual and romancing an art enthusiast. However, the advantage of her affluence is called into question when she realizes the extent to which her money colors her relationships.
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What are critics saying?
75
ReelViews by James Berardinelli
A fascinating portrait not only of a lady, but of the society and marriage that entrap, then attempt to destroy, her.
75
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
A splendid adaptation that will be hard for the others to match. The Portrait of a Lady, directed by Jane Campion, brings intelligence and sensitivity to a story rich in psychological subtlety and sociological detail.
75
Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert
I think if you care for James, you must see it. It is not an adaptation but an interpretation.
75
LarsenOnFilm by Josh Larsen
Campion’s camera captures the sort of things most costume dramas are too fussy to notice: mirrors and windows that bifurcate Isabel’s distressed face; the bleary darkness of her home with Osmond, where the doors close behind her like those of a tomb; a slide into slow motion when one character smells a flower that has been given to her and another character crucially notices.
70
Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan
The Portrait of a Lady may not be up to this high standard, but it is never less than absorbing either.
70
Washington Post by Michael O'Sullivan
With this bold stamp [director Jane Campion] lays claim to the story that follows as wholly her own.
70
Variety by Todd McCarthy
A literary adaptation of exceeding intelligence, beauty and concentrated artistry, but one that remains emotionally remote and perhaps unavoidably problematic dramatically.
70
The New York Times by Janet Maslin
Brilliantly eccentric even when it yields mixed results.
67
Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum
In aiming for a new kind of lit-drama cool, Jane Campion freezes the warmth right out of Henry James' expansive heart.
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Rick Groen
Jane Campion makes a beeline for the repressed sexuality, and loses the nuance. [17 Jan 1997]
50
San Francisco Examiner by Barbara Shulgasser
A harmeless concoction.
50
San Francisco Chronicle by Edward Guthmann
The Portrait of a Lady is a huge disappointment. It's a deliberately arty, overly formal exercise in emotional terrorism.
40
Empire by Angie Errigo
Remote, murky and interminable.
30
Chicago Reader by Jonathan Rosenbaum
[An] unsatisfying mess.
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