Onegin

Ralph Fiennes plays an arrogant, 19th century Russian aristocrat beset by ennui in this handsome adaptation of Alexander Pushkin's literary soaper of unrequited love. Directed by Fiennes' sister Martha, the belabored first half of the film takes place at a country estate where Eugene Onegin (Fiennes) invites tragedy by trifling with the emotions of his upper-crust bucolic neighbors, including a smitten teenager named Tatyana (Liv Tyler). The tables are turned years later when, riddled with guilt over provoking her sister's fiancé into a duel, he becomes obsessed with a much matured and now unattainable Tatyana. Although the performances are strong and the period atmosphere rich and vivid, it's not until Onegin (pronounced on-YEAH-geen) finds himself tortured by desire that the film becomes as engrossing as it should have been all along. Optional. (R. Blackwelder)