New York, mid-19th century. The shy heiress Catherine leads a quiet life alongside her father. Everything changes with the arrival of a handsome young man who seems to harbour genuine feelings for Catherine. Her family, however, suspects that his motives are entirely financial. Faithful to Henry James’s novel, the film focuses on the conflict between appearances and social conventions and the authenticity of feelings, as well as the price one must pay for breaking free from an imposed role. The elegant staging and precision of psychological observation are complemented here by masterful performances from Jennifer Jason Leigh, Albert Finney, Ben Chaplin, and Maggie Smith. This is one of the finest films in Agnieszka Holland’s rich, transnational body of work. Projection from a 35mm print from the FINA collection. Images courtesy of Park Circus/Disney
SCREENINGS
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