Blu-ray Review: The Aspern Papers (2018)

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With three generations of Redgraves linked to three productions of The Aspern Papers, by this point you could say that bringing the gothically romantic Henry James tale to life is officially a Redgrave thing.

Originally published in 1888 and in three parts no less, the novella — inspired by the letters that the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley penned for his wife Mary Shelley's step-sister, Claire Clairmont, which Claire kept until her death — was first brought to the stage by Michael Redgrave in 1959.

Later revived in 1984 in an award-winning production starring Michael's daughter Vanessa Redgrave (opposite Christopher Reeve who acted alongside her in a big-screen Merchant Ivory version of Henry James's The Bostonians also in ‘84), now more than thirty years later, Redgrave gets the chance to bring Papers to life once again.

Changing with the times by taking on a new role in this effort from first time feature filmmaker Julien Landais, which, produced by James Ivory is based on a French scenic adaptation by Jean Pavans, in 2018’s The Aspern Papers Vanessa Redgrave passes the torch to daughter Joely Richardson who slides into her old part.

A sudsy drama about an obsessive American editor, the film stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Morton Vint who — using whatever guise and lies are necessary — travels to Venice to track down the letters of his literary idol Jeffrey Aspern.

Posing as a man on holiday, he rents a room from Redgrave's Clairmont inspired Juliana Bordereau and sets out to win over the woman's sheltered, spinster niece Miss Tina (Richardson).

While ordinarily Rhys Meyers can play the role of a seducer in his sleep and make you believe it, he's visibly uncomfortable in Aspern, turning in a performance that's half Lestat from Interview With the Vampire and half Elvis Presley, whom he portrayed to well-deserved acclaim in a 2005 television miniseries. And although yes, I'm aware that he also played Dracula recently on the small screen perhaps, as with Aspern, the less said about that the better.

As disinterested as it is overly strong, Aspern's acting is a mess to say the least and indicative of a much bigger problem, which is the film itself. For in his uncertainty throughout, Rhys Meyers is far from alone.

All three of the film's performances feel like they belong in three entirely different James adaptations. While Redgrave easily dominates as a cross between Gloria Swanson's Norma Desmond and Film Noir era Joan Crawford, Richardson tiptoes quietly around the others, playing her part as though she'd just stepped onstage in The Glass Menagerie.

Filled with clunky, heavy-handed narration and odd moments of Eyes Wide Shut homage that belong in a fragrance ad (which makes sense considering the director's background helming fashion shorts, commercials, and music videos), although the Venetian backdrop is stunning and thespians will relish the opportunity to see the Redgrave family command a scene, this is easily the worst Henry James adaptation I have ever seen.

Unsure just what exactly it is that he wants to say, Landais seems much more interested in using the characters — namely Vint — as a jumping off point to explore his own ideas and identity.

And although it's apparent that Landais is a visual thinker with some kind of story to tell, it's easy to deduce within the first few monologues by the Redgraves who know it best that The Aspern Papers isn't it.


Text ©2019, Film Intuition, LLC; All Rights Reserved. http://www.filmintuition.com Unauthorized Reproduction or Publication Elsewhere is Strictly Prohibited and in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.  FTC Disclosure: Per standard professional practice, I may have received a review copy or screener link of this title in order to voluntarily decide to evaluate it for my readers, which had no impact whatsoever on whether or not it received a favorable or unfavorable critique. Cookies Notice: This site incorporates tools (including advertiser partners and widgets) that use cookies and may collect some personal information in order to display ads tailored to you etc. Please be advised that neither Film Intuition nor its site owner has any access to this data beyond general site statistics (geographical region etc.) as your privacy is our main concern.

Blu-ray Review: Endless Love (2014)

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Unlucky enough to get sick on the last day of the long holiday weekend, I decided that since I was cruising the couch anyway, I’d make the most of it by engaging in a cinematic experiment.

After reading a good chunk of the source material, I watched both big screen adaptations of Scott Spencer’s contemporary classic Endless Love, starting with the most recent title and wrapping up my teen romance double feature with the 1981 original from Romeo and Juliet director Franco Zeffirelli.

A Nicholas Sparksian makeover for a Notebook crazy tween audience who’ve been showered with one lukewarm, romantic shampoo ad of shiny happy, golden people after another, Country Strong director Shana Feste helms a blandly sunny wrong-side-of-the-tracks romance that bears little resemblance to either the novel or Zeffirelli’s oft-maligned version.

In fact, when watched back-to-back, miraculously it’s Zeffirelli’s film that fares much better in that it at least adheres to a few of Spencer's major plot points (albeit while spinning them in a much more romantic and altogether positive light) than the modern remake which ditches most of the building blocks of the book altogether.

Lacking the unreliable narrator one-two punch of the original Spencer work including the ominous opener which foreshadows the idea that perhaps the father of fifteen year old Jade wasn’t wrong in enforcing a thirty-day “break” in her relationship with her seventeen year old boyfriend, the lovers in the '81 movie seem doomed mostly due to unrelenting hormones, bad luck and mixed messages in her free-spirited hippie home.

However the 2014 remake produced by The O.C., Chuck and Gossip Girl's Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage has not only erased the dark undercurrent that made the book so absorbing but it lacks any sort of unique edge that might’ve kept things fresh enough for the 105 minute running time of what is otherwise a by-the-numbers romantic movie paradigm.

Instead of opting for the unusual, we’re given more of the same while being fed a heaping spoonful of sudsy cheese about a beautiful but shy Georgia beauty who’s been nicknamed “the ice queen” by a majority of her most unforgiving of classmates after the death of her older brother found Jade (Gabriella Wilde) burying her head in books instead of social media selfies.

Hopelessly devoted from afar, the valet at her country club and fellow recent high school graduate David (Alex Pettyfer) flirts Jade out of her icy shell as she melts unrealistically far too quickly and eagerly – hopping in a “borrowed” country club car for an illicit fast food run in a scene that’s totally out-of-character.

And taking a cue from David’s borrowed ride, the film borrows a few moments straight out of the Say Anything… playbook including a scene where Jade loosens up at a party with David and finally “meets” her classmates before she must choose between her burgeoning relationship with David and taking an internship (versus a fellowship in Crowe’s Anything).

Nowhere near as compelling or original as the characters penned by Cameron Crowe, the young lovers in Feste’s film have been likewise stripped of any beguiling or discerning traits from Spencer’s novel as the well-mannered yet at times quick-to-temper David is missing any trace of the Jewish communist intellectual background of his Russian author reading character from the Zeffirelli version.

Moving the Chicago-set tale to idyllic Georgia, Endless Love (which doesn’t even contain the lovely theme song or a new version of it to fit the work) manufactures drama from start to finish, turning David into a working class blue collar budding mechanic hero straight out of a music video for a boy-band cover of a Bruce Springsteen song.

And this is particularly disappointing when you consider that – if anything – why remake a film if you’re not going to present us with some new worthwhile angle or stay closer to the source material, like for example Kimberly Peirce attempted to do in the intriguing although admittedly unnecessary female-centric spin on Carrie (also co-starring Gabriella Wilde)?

While the two lovers have terrific chemistry and both actors are more deserving of better scripts, it’s Bruce Greenwood in particular that easily classes up the picture and steals every scene he’s in as Jade’s overprotective father.

Unfortunately, in the end this Love has much more in common with a Nicholas Sparksian spin on Say Anything… than anything resembling the Spencer novel.

And even though there’s no law stating that the filmmaker must remain faithful to the book as their only job should be to make an engrossing, solidly entertaining picture, there’s nothing in the final cut that explains why Feste felt so strongly about the project to bother helming it in the first place.

While it's beautifully lensed and makes impressive use of a vibrant color palette to punctuate the passions of its two leads by frequently featuring Jade in eye-popping, powerful red so that she sticks out in a sea of dark clothed party-goers or passersby at the airport, visuals alone can't sustain our interest.

A Hollywoodized feature, Endless Love seems to signify that Feste has taken far too many steps in the wrong direction while selecting the follow-up to her flawed yet admirably daring and endlessly fascinating previous picture Country Strong, which was buoyed by an ensemble cast of remarkable characters (and the actors inhabiting the roles).

I only hope that this talented, up-and-coming writer/director will get back on track in her next project by staying away from endlessly unnecessary remakes or adaptations and instead listening to and trusting the endless strength of her own uniquely original voice.

Text ©2014, Film Intuition, LLC; All Rights Reserved. http://www.filmintuition.com Unauthorized Reproduction or Publication Elsewhere is Strictly Prohibited and in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.  FTC Disclosure: Per standard professional practice, I may have received a review copy of this title in order to evaluate it for my readers, which had no impact whatsoever on whether or not it received a favorable or unfavorable critique.

101 Dalmatians (1996); 102 Dalmatians (2000)

One dog can break a franchise's back.

In Lady and the Tramp, we have the famous meatball scene. In Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, we whistled while we worked. And in 101 Dalmatians-- especially in the 1996 live action remake of the animated 1961 classic-- we have the dog version of the Amber Alert. As proud Dalmatian parents Pongo and Perdy go on the rescue for their fifteen kidnapped pups, they enlist the aid of not just every dog in London but sheep, rodents, and every other animal within hearing range as they track down the paw prints of both the pups and their ruthless captors.

In grand Disney tradition, Cruella De Vil played by Glenn Close — who went from boiling rabbits in Fatal Attraction to designing a dog fur coat in this film — masterminded the plan as the most evil female villain since the Wicked Witch of the West. Of course, De Vil’s two henchmen played by Hugh Laurie (pre-House) and Mark Williams receive their comeuppance in the end, thanks to an endless retread of gross-out gags, pratfalls, wasted slapstick, electric shock, and groin hits courtesy of screenwriter John Hughes. Obviously, borrowing heavily from his own screenplay for the Home Alone films as countless critics and viewers have noted and complete with making one of the stooges the brainier of the two simpletons (Laurie is cast essentially in Joe Pesci's role), the film's overly long and juvenile second half bogs it down considerably from its delightful opening.

At its best when it delivers us a story and at its worst when it replaces logic with a vat of molasses (don't ask), the film begins ever so charmingly. Moments in, we're introduced to Roger (Jeff Daniels), a struggling video game designer who keeps getting sent back to the drawing board by his company's precocious, child taste-maker. Living a simple, pleasant life with his best friend, Roger spends his days with his literal caretaker Pongo, a Dalmatian so devoted to Roger that he not only fetches the paper but makes his master's coffee, readies his shower, and gets him up in the morning. However, soon Pongo and Roger find their limited existence livened up when they make the acquaintance of two females, namely the beautiful Anita (Joely Richarson) and her own Dalmatian, Perdy. Obviously as a Disney product, the foursome meets cute in the park as the humans are tugged along by their dogs via bicycle. Although, because it's Disney by way of Hughes, sure enough, they land smack into the filthy pond and Daniels gets struck with a purse full of bricks in the process. Still, Roger and Anita and likewise Pongo and Perdy are irresistible together, reminding me of the fine, wholesome, smart, and contemporary Disney updates of The Parent Trap and Freaky Friday (made before Lindsay Lohan discovered clubbing).

Intriguingly, eventually 101 plays sort of like a silent movie, making it exceptionally appealing to children as the second half of the film is mostly all visual with the bare minimum of dialogue (not to mention it's refreshingly free of celebrity voices). Despite this, the true star of the film isn't Daniels or Richardson nor those precious puppies but the incomparable, Golden Globe nominated Glenn Close.

Launching into her role with a fierce tenacity and seemingly without fear of playing it as high camp, Close immediately reminded me along with several other reviewers (including Roger Ebert) of Nora Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. With her gleefully sinister cackle, her spontaneous shouts, her absurd facial expressions and terrifying aura, Close attacks the role with a tendency towards scenery chewing but one that makes the film distinctly her own. It’s easy to notice the way she completely dominates the film in the clip below which contains arguably one of the greatest villain introductions of the 90's.

Cruella's Intro

And it's no wonder the comparison to Desmond was first and foremost in viewers' minds as after a little digging, I discovered that Close starred in the film following the conclusion of her Broadway stint in Sunset Boulevard. While Close owns the role, undoubtedly a great deal of her transformation in getting the actress into the right frame of mind came directly from the physical transformation courtesy of the gifted wardrobe and makeup department as you can see below.

Glenn Close as Cruella De Vil

Recently released on DVD from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, the film was given a gorgeous digital transfer that really makes the visuals pop especially in the nighttime scenes near the finale. Although the sole extra feature on the disc is the original theatrical trailer, the widescreen digitally re-mastered and Dolby Digital equipped DVD reveals plenty of sneak peeks at other DVD offerings (including an awesome preview of the upcoming Sleeping Beauty anniversary edition). Additionally offering the opportunity to watch the film in English, French or Spanish, Mr. Holland's Opus and The Mighty Ducks director Stephen Herek's 101 Dalmatians also includes closed captioning for the hearing impaired.

Similar features are also available for the live action sequel, Enchanted director Kevin Lima's 2000 film 102 Dalmatians, also re-mastered and re-released on DVD from Walt Disney. However, while the age of the first and far superior version possibly prevented the disc from coming with bonus features, perhaps in order to make up for a truly awful film, 102 Dalmatians is packed with featurettes, commentary and even interactive DVD-Rom opportunities sure to appeal to the puppy lover in all of us. Although this time around, the writer John Hughes, director Stephen Herek as well as stars Jeff Daniels, Joely Richardson, Brenda Blethyn, and Hugh Laurie were smart enough to pass on the gimmicky sequel, unfortunately the same couldn't be said for Glenn Close.

In 102, it's the Glenn Close show all the way and like Nora Desmond, she finally receives her close-up throughout as she's the only redeeming quality in the nearly unwatchable film. Having been rehabilitated after three years in prison by an unorthodox conditioning method courtesy of Dr. Pavlov, Cruella has transferred her hatred for the “little beasts” into puppy love. That is until the sound of the Pavlovian bell (aka Big Ben) goes off and-- like a switch being flipped-- she's up to her old tricks, longing once again for her spotted Dalmatian fur coat, this time with a stylish hood.

Setting her sights on the Dalmatians owned by her parole officer Chloe (Alice Evans), De Vil turns to one faithful henchman and one new one. Tom McInnerny reprises his role as her dutiful sycophantic and long-suffering sidekick, Alonzo (Tom McInnerny) but Gerard Depardieu joins the party as the bizarre furrier Jean-Pierre Le Pelt, who reminded me of a strange cross between a predecessor to Derek Zoolander, blended with 80’s era musicians Billy Idol and A Flock of Seagulls. Much like De Vil herself, Le Pelt seems to be yet another surprisingly fetishistic character. And due to the increasingly strange behavior of the villains, the film's heroes never fail to hold our interest, looking as bland as the white fur on the film's poor, sad Dalmatian Oddball, who doesn't fit in with the rest because he has no spots.

While 101 Dalmatians made suitable if uneven fare for the whole family-- despite its frightening band of hopeful dog killers-- 102 seems aimed directly at the much younger set. Obviously unfamiliar with the phrase “less is more” and learning nothing from the overly long Home Alone styled finale of the original film, 102 piles on the juvenile shenanigans. Soon De Vil is in yet another vat until she’s baked as a cake (in Paris no less) while the puppies exact a gross food fight for revenge and all to the delight of the preschool through kindergarten set and the chagrin of anyone older than seven (yet I'd hesitate to put this on for toddlers). Still, Close looks like she's having a ball but by now the shtick is tired and in dire need of some shaking up.

Although the handsome Ioan Gruffudd rivals the puppies for the most adorable sight onscreen, despite a few feeble attempts for cuteness as his character and Evans' reenact Lady and the Tramp, it ignores the humans all together in favor of 102's preferred heroes Oddball and Waddlesworth (voiced by Eric Idle), a macaw who thinks he's a Rottweiler. With such a reliance on suspending our disbelief and a talking bird no less, the overly animated, campy and farcical 102 seems like it would've been better off as an animated film altogether. Of course, that would mean we would miss Glenn Close but at least we'd have 101 to fall back on. (View the Trailers for 101 and 102)

Note: Incidentally, an unrelated animated sequel to the original animated classic was also released on DVD this month. Although I didn't have the chance to review, I'd feel safe in venturing a guess that it's probably preferable to this grating unequivocal mess better suited for a doggie bag than a DVD.