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Vanity Fair
New version of classic novel is all Reese's Piece

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Jim Broadbent, Eileen Atkins, James Purefoy, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Rhys Ifans
Director: Mira Nair
Screenwriter: Julian Fellowes, Mark Skeet, Matthew Faulk

Reviewed by P. Joshua Laskey

First, I make an admission: I have never read Vanity Fair. I want to make this clear up front in case anyone who loves the book hates the movie and blames me. This review will be entirely and unequivocally about the movie starring Reese Witherspoon as the indomitable Becky Sharp.

"Peekaboo, I see you!"

If you like Witherspoon (and some of us enjoyed Legally Blonde in spite of ourselves), then you will probably like seeing so much of her. If an actress can make a film, then Witherspoon makes Vanity Fair. Her facial expressions alone were charming enough to keep me watching.

That is not to degrade other parts of the effort, however. In terms of story, Hollywood would do well to imitate the wordsmiths of the 19th century. A well woven story often trumps special effects and production value even when that story is almost 200 years old. Thackeray spins a good yarn, and the movie reaps all the benefits.

Rhys Ifans (recognizable from his role as the strange flatmate in Notting Hill) turns in a rather complex performance from relatively little screen time as William Dobbin. Because Witherspoon is so clearly the focal point, the very fact of not noticing her costars may be a great credit to their subtle and effective acting. No one drops the ball, and I wondered by the end if Thackeray’s original story did not explore their characters much more thoroughly than the screenplay’s treatment.

As with most Hollywood fare, production value was not neglected, and interesting period scenes abound. There may be plentiful opportunity for history buffs to pick apart Hollywood’s researchers, but the vistas of imperial India and the tableaux of Regency London might impress the layman.

Overall, Vanity Fair is worth seeing if anything about it piqued your interest. If nothing did, you might want to save your money for something more palatable to you. I applaud the filmmakers for not approaching this piece with any discernible vanity or arrogance, and in the end, I think they did a fair job of moviemaking.

Rating:

(2 out of 4 stars)

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