Is period drama by Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island ,Wolf of the Wall Street fame) based on a Pulitzer wining book by the same name written by Edith Wharton.
In fact these three solid reasons were enough to pique my curiosity for this very obscure film which is slow ,very artistic and a has a tonality of it’s own.
Cast – Daniel Day Lewis, Winona Ryder, Michelle Pfieffer
Director – Martin Scorsese
The story based in 1870s New York City, is a tale of love that got ignited because two individuals found each other in contrast to the superfluous ,superficial society driven by customs and prejudices and ironically never got together because of precisely the same society, a stickler to norms.
Archer( Daniel) is a lawyer engaged to May (Winona) , a lady from a well known family. His smooth and proper life goes haywire when he meets May’s cousin Countess Olenska( Michelle) , who has returned to the city fleeing from her husband.
Olenska is free spirited , has an unconventional mind and taste, is a non conformist. She is everything that May is not. While they fall in love , the story goes on to tell us what their fate has in store for them.
Martin Scorsese , being the acclaimed film maker he is, has recreated the story in a film as beautifully as a piece of art. The sets, locations , costumes , set up, art designs right up to details like paintings , art work , furniture, china ware, culinary presentation etc are par excellence and something to be relished.
Performances are good , very subtle though.
The film though slow, is a beautiful artistic period piece and critically well acclaimed amongst Scorsese,s work.