COUSIN BETTE (1998) - Movie Review

Director: Des McAnuff
Starring: Jessica Lange, Elisabeth Shue, Bob Hoskins, Hugh Laurie, Kelly Macdonald, Toby Jones, Aden Young, Laura Fraser, Toby Stephens
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Writer: Lynn Siefert, Susan Tarr
Runtime: 108 min
Rated: Rated R for sexuality
Buy This Movie: Blu-ray (Amazon), DVD (Amazon), Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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Synopsis:

Cousin Bette is a deliciously comic romp through the timeless territory of love and revenge. Inside the aristocratic Hulot family, a series of sexual infidelities, financial misfortunes, and manipulations of the heart is about to set off a few unforgettable fireworks. At the center of it all is Cousin Bette, the calculating spinster who takes on this world of secret treachery.

Review:

The period dramedy "Cousin Bette" is a strange misfire. A movie that revels in dark humor, grounded in period detail and bolstered by an all-star ensemble cast, this adaptation of Honoré de Balzac's brilliant novel can't quite make all the pieces work together and the result is a flat disappointment.

I've heard a lot of people saying Jessica Lange was miscast as the vengeful old hag, and while there is truth to that assertion, she is also one of the film's most important assets, lending much-needed gravitas and humanity. The rest of the cast is more of a mixed bag. Hugh Laurie, Bob Hoskins and Kelly Macdonald are decent enough, but Elizabeth Shue and Aden Young are completely out of their depth.

Perhaps the film's worst offence is how loosely it translates Balzac's novel to the big screen, altering too much of the writer's original material which ends up diluting the book's themes and biting satire. Furthermore, Balzac's late masterpiece tends to be serious rather than humorous, so the filmmakers' insistence on making this a comedy is somewhat puzzling. Cousin Bette's revenge plot is bleakly delicious but the movie constantly trips on its own misjudgements and miscalculations, draining the narrative of all fun and wit.

The sets and costumes are great, but the whole production feels Oscar-baity. The director and writers are screaming at us: "Look how clever and witty we can be!" In the end, though, it's and underwhelming period piece and a failed morality tale leadened by broad caricatures and a poor understanding of Balzac's writing.

SCORE: 5.5/10