Ralph Fiennes should never play an American. There is something exquisitely European about Mr Fiennes. Listening to him speak in an American accent with a constant hang dog expression made me feel sleepy and sad. The world weary widower character is getting to be predictable and boring. The dialog reminds one of TV soap operas. As usual the Ivory Merchant screen images are luscious but that alone is not enough to maintain interest for over 2 hours. The film lacked fizz and energy. The cast is solid and Natasha Richardson's Russian Princess role is well drawn but overall the characters don't have enough depth and the information on their history is meager. Overall the White Countess was disappointing.
Review of The White Countess
