Any hopes that might have arisen from the reunion here of late producer Ismail Merchant, director James Ivory, and writer Kazuo Ishiguro—who earlier teamed up on The Remains of the Day—are quickly dashed in this high-minded, opulent, but dramatically inert and emotionally desiccated snoozer. Like the earlier film, The White Countess is set in the troubled days preceding the outbreak of World War II, but instead of England, the action takes place in Shanghai, at a time when China is threatened by imminent Japanese attack and refugees from other trouble spots are trying to escape from the mainland to Hong Kong. Likewise, the film also involves a long-gestating romance, this time between a blind, embittered American ex-diplomat who opens a nightclub and an expatriate Russian aristocrat whom he hires to be its hostess. Although the pair initially try to maintain a strictly “professional” relationship, their concern for each other grows, especially after the man meets the countess' daughter, who clearly reminds him of his dead child. After much quiet simmering, the plot abruptly heats up toward the end, as the Japanese invade and the hero must break through his protective emotional shell to save mother and child. The White Countess is striving to be something like a cerebral Casablanca, but the components never gel and even the cast, headed by Ralph Fiennes and Natasha Richardson, seems only half-awake, so that while it may be beautiful to look at, the film is ultimately a slow, static disappointment. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director James Ivory and costar Natasha Richardson, a 14-minute “making-of” featurette, a tribute to producer Ismail Merchant (13 min.), a 12-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (F. Swietek)
The White Countess
Sony, 138 min., PG-13, DVD: $26.99, May 16 Volume 21, Issue 3
The White Countess
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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