The House of Mirth

Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: December 22, 2000

7.6	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 21 Ratings

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[Anonymous]Jan 24, 2006

This performance should have won Gillian Anderson the Oscar. The entire movie is like watching a beautiful painting come to life.

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lasttimeisawMay 20, 2013

This Terence Davies emotive period drama could be a sterling double-bill with THE GREAT GATSBY (2013, 8/10), which is the penultimate film I have watched. Last year I hold my underwhelmed apathy towards Davies’ THE DEEP BLUE SEA (2011, 6/10),This Terence Davies emotive period drama could be a sterling double-bill with THE GREAT GATSBY (2013, 8/10), which is the penultimate film I have watched. Last year I hold my underwhelmed apathy towards Davies’ THE DEEP BLUE SEA (2011, 6/10), my first Davies film entry, but a closer DVD viewing of THE HOUSE OF MIRTH greatly galvanizes my affinity to Edith Wharton’s convoluted story of a woman’s inept battle with the hypocrites and the iniquitous of the well-heeled echelon near the beginning of 20th century in New York, it is the dramatic demise of an unsullied soul, there is no mirth at all.

Anderson’s Lily, an ill-fitted maiden of upper class, sustained by her wealthy aunt Julia’s (a ghastly Bron) charity, balks between her passionate desire with a lower class lawyer Lawrence (Stoltz) and her promising marriage with an upstart Sim (LaPaglia), to whom she has no feelings at all, meanwhile a bad investment or a guileless trust to the wrong man (Aykroyd) corners her into a financial predicament, which subsequently creates discord between her and Julia and eventually will cost her the endowment of the inheritance. That’s not enough, she is also manipulated to be the pull-upon by her friend Bertha (Linney), while the most excruciating fact is that Lily has the substantial evidence to give Bertha the tit-for-tat, but she can never make up her mind to do it (out of self-respect or the dread of destroying Lawrence’s reputation since he is the other partaker in the affair). So Lily is a woman of dignity, even when she is utterly at the end of her tether (she has to take a menial job to earn a living, which she will be dismissed for her incompetence), she refuses to take Sim’s succor, her ill-fated life succumbs to a plaintive dirge of an irreversible tragedy.

Davies conducts the film adeptly with elegant costumes, shady light compositions, the interior murkiness augurs the dark-amber and midnight-blue tinctures in THE DEEP BLUE SEA, grants melancholy its most suffocating ambiance to submerge audiences’ compassion, the score of classical orchestra makes the story even more poignant.

The film is also a victory for its cast, Gillian Anderson (I have never watched the X-FILE series and its movie spinoffs), under the bridle of the corset, most of her time her breath is visibly confined into an asphyxiated discomfort just like her character’s situation, performance-wise, it may be her once-of-a-lifetime glory, carries out the emotional roller coaster throughout, shamefully it is less acknowledged. Eric Stolz, whose tender tune undergirds his man-child debonair, shows his best form as the man who fails to save his beloved woman. Laura Linney, pretty much nails the virulence and slyness in this less-known work. Jodhi May is great in turning on the waterworks but her character overall has been skated over.

Admittedly I have a predilection towards period dramas, and I may miss out some literal undertones of the proficiently organized conversations by Wharton and the dramaturge (Davies himself), but the film is so close in my top 10 list in such a strong year.… Expand

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KenRSep 17, 2019

Only a Writer the calibre of Edith Wharton (The Old Maid) who also lived through the era could so magnificently bring to life such a challenging story. Wharton, being the first woman to be awarded the converted Pulitzer prize is not to beOnly a Writer the calibre of Edith Wharton (The Old Maid) who also lived through the era could so magnificently bring to life such a challenging story. Wharton, being the first woman to be awarded the converted Pulitzer prize is not to be taken lightly when being considered for adaption to the screen, Director Terence Davies adapts her novel with much respect, and while it can be at times difficult to navigate the original’s ebb and flow – with its many complex relationships, it always remains compelling. Those conversant with the novel will have the advantage of being familiar with characters names and relationships. This is a time when a woman living within upper society circles was tasked with the prime challenge of finding a rich man to marry. Our lead character, Lily Bart lives with her wealthy Aunt – this places her in the enviable position of meeting such men through numerous sumptuous dinner functions. Unfortunately Lily is a little spoiled for choice and not very bright when it comes to carefully assess both the money and men markets. We follow her as she navigates the fine line between knowing her heart and following her (perceived) financial requirements – both decisions needing astute wisdom but, does she have this ability? Many misunderstandings, and ‘friends’ betrayals, lead her on a tenuous, interwoven path, intended to secure her essential but ever-elusive personal happiness. Director of Photography Remi Adefarasin (Amazing Grace ‘05) creates truly lush images, capturing the gorgeous settings, costumes and women, with dazzling style (perhaps too much?). He deservedly went on to become the first English born black person to be nominated for an Academy Award. British director Davies and his cameraman bring a BBC look and feel to this international production but it retains the novelist’s perfect Americana to embed it in its true N.Y. homeland. A tragic journey, with a well-balanced sense of the sexuality of the day – never ending up in the sensationalised land of some other American films set within this timeframe - especially some TV varieties. Performances are first class with Gillian Armstrong absolutely superb! Classic quality, shot in UK, set in USA, and well worth a second look for discerning viewers.… Expand

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