lexva5
I didn't read the book before watching this film. Still after going through the 2 hours I can say that this film looks beautiful with exquisite period costumes and settings but the main characters don't come to life. The film concentrates on the exploits of Becky, a girl coming from a poor family climbs her way through the social ladder.
As interpreted by Reese Witherspoon or as written on script, Becky's character feels flat and unnatural and so much is hinged on this character in the film. Either Reese was out of her depths in this or the director/script writers didn't get the feel of how a conniving, calculating but bewitching person could be. or feel. Rosella O Hara in Gone with the Wind springs to mind and VIvian Leigh nailed down the part. That made the whole film spring to life despite the many goings and comings of different characters. Unfortunately Vanity Fair fails in this and most of the characters have a disposable feel to them with a few exceptions
The film still stuns in the visual department with the rich costumes, interiors, colours and delightful gardens being shown. That I enjoyed
adonis98-743-186503
Growing up poor in London, Becky Sharp defies her poverty-stricken background and ascends the social ladder alongside her best friend, Amelia. Vanity Fair (2004) stars Reese Witherspoon, Romola Garai, James Purefoy, Rhys Ifans, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Gabriel Byrne and Robert Pattinson (Deleted Scene). Now this kind of movies are usually not my thing and unfortunately this wasn't a good movie at all. The movie is so much Shakespeare with people over reacting in every scene and those annoying accents? Jeez i like Reese as an actress especially in Water for Elephants but damn the film was a giant mess, boring and the director could easily cut 30-35 minutes. (0/10)
Alex Deleon
Alex Deleon, London Film Festival, November 1, 2004 Today's films: (1) "Vanity Fair" with Rees Witherspoon as the social climbing "mountaineer", Becky Sharp with seamless English accent, in Napoleonic era England, via Thackeray – A lush high budget production by Mira Nair (of "Monsoon wedding") – fantastic costumes, makeup, sets, horses, rich colour photography, good acting all around from a full cast of English stalwarts, Bob Hoskins, Gabriel Byrne, nearly the entire British "a List", and – a crashing bore! – Why? – Good question.For one thing the ponderous musical score which hardly ever lets up, drowns out half of the dialog and generally drenches the film with superfluous philharmonic interpretation, for another, there are so many indistinguishable characters that it's hard to keep track of Who's on First – after a while I just gave up – and finally, you're really never sure whether to sympathize with, or be disgusted with, the central character, Becky. Not a case, incidentally, of necessary subtle shading of a complex personality but, as I saw it at least, heavy-handed manipulation of the star's natural charisma. Ms. Witherspoon, so lovable and full of girl-next-door freshness in earlier films such as "Pleasantville" and others, has now matured into a 29 year old actress capable of wielding wickedness, or whatever, but there is just something not quite right here. La Witherspoon, with her strange concave facial structure and prominent chin, is both beautiful and creepy at the same time, as if something akin to hardening of the facial arteries has suddenly set in pre-maturely. She is the absolute center of the film, and the entire story revolves about her in every way, in a bravura role which may well bring Oscar nominations her way come March, 2005, but there is something basically out of sync in this characterization … possibly because her style of rebelliousness is a little too American underneath the flawless accent. There may also be a reverse Gunga Din effect operating here, Director Nair's inherently Indian sensibilities failing to jive completely with Thackeray's essential Englishness. It may be noted in passing, that among the few scenes which actually do come to life, are one or two Bollywood type numbers in the bits of the film which are actually set in India.
copperncherrio
The biggest most ruthless female orphan social climber, Reese Witherspoon again plays a rising socialite in the ruthless world of elite society that not only honors standing but also nobility.The movie is pretty typical in its plot of rags to riches… and to behonest it ran really, really long.But what got me was the beautiful costume design and how beautiful them movie is. They have a great cast, and a decent watch, free of stress but it does run on the boring side.Plus Becky Sharp is her name… and it doesn't seem like a name of that period… you know?
