Rating: 
Summary: Gillian Anderson is stunning
Review: For the vast majority of us, Gillian Anderson is indistinguishable as an actress from Secret Agent Scully. Think of one, and you think of the other. But THE HOUSE OF MIRTH is potent evidence that THE X-FILES might be more of a hindrance for Anderson at this stage in her career than a help. Her performance in this film is nothing short of a revelation, marking her as one of the very finest actresses that we have today. She needs and deserves more roles like this in the future; for her not to get them will be our loss as much as hers.Apart from Gillian Anderson, everything about the film is solid and excellent, but the movie succeeds or fails as Ms. Anderson succeeds or fails. Luckily, she is fabulous, and makes the movie. One cannot help but feel her intense suffering, and the difficulty of her situation. Both this film and THE AGE OF INNOCENCE)and even more so the Wharton novels upon which they are based) do a great job of making one feel the narrowness and hypocrisy of New York society at the turn of the previous century. I will add that I did find Anderson's performance to be better than the rest of the film. I would actually give the film as a whole 4 stars, but her performance elevates it to 5. The supporting cast is quite excellent for the most part. Laura Linney is appropriately reprehensible in her role, and Eric Stoltz as excellent as always. I loved seeing Elizabeth McGovern in this one, and have always wondered why we don't see her in more films. Anythony LaPaglia was excellent as Sim Rosedale, one of the more complex and interesting characters in the film. Ironically, although through most of the film one of the more apparently coldhearted and calculating characters, he ends up being one of the few to take genuine concern with our heroine's plight. Interesting bit of trivia: anyone who has seen THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS will recall the very beautiful actress who played Madeleine Stowe's sister, who struck more than one reviewer as bearing a stunning resemblence to Botticelli's Venus. In THE HOUSE OF MIRTH, as difficult as it may be to believe, the same actress, Johdi May, plays the somewhat homely and quite bitter Grace Stepney.
Rating: 
Summary: Requires attention and patience for viewing!
Review: For years I've been feeling deep respect and admiration towards Ms Anderson's acting talent (which, together with DD's, still manages to keep the half-dead X-files faking life). It is a pity and big loss to the movie industry that she's been chained to that TV-project for years and couldn't let her talent sparkle fully, until the House of Mirth. As you'll read about the contents of the movie above in the editorial review, I'd like to concentrate on Ms Anderson. First of all, she suits to the role perfectly, being the embodiment a woman of that time, 1907. The hats and dresses (which she changes a lot), the manners, the looks seem to be created for her. The way Lily Barth lights a cigarette, moves her fan, steps down into a cab are a delight to watch. Suffice to say tha ther acting is impecable and she herself seems to enjoy it immensely. As to the story line of the movie, don't expect any nudity or action sequences: House of Mirth is even more slow-moving than Age of Innocence. The 100 years that elapsed since 1907 make the gap between public opinion and morals of that time and today evident: at the bottom of my heart I still can't understand why certain characters acted the way they did, those hollow facts that "compromised" Lily Barth in the eyes of that hypocritical and intrigue-spinning "society" make her tragedy for the modern viewer more palpable and incomprehensible. Lily herself is not only an innocent victim, she lives (at least the first half of the movie) in the stiff and artificial frames of the public morals, acts imprudently and hides her own feelings towards Lawrence (excellent performance by E Stolz). Their interplay creates special and rare moments of intimacy, otherwise alien to this bodice-tightened movie. True, I fidgeted in my arm-chair many times and even yawned, but had to watch how all this ends. And the ending left tears in my eyes and made me give 4 stars to House of Mirth. I sincerely hope that G Andersen will finally unearth her talent and let it shine in many other genres, besides sci-fi.
Rating:
Summary: A Pleasant Surprise
Review: I have been a long-time "X-Files" fan, so that was my principle reason for seeing "The House of Mirth." I actually, first, read the book, but found it painfully drawn out, and thus, became reluctant to see the movie. However, when I did see it, I was amazed! By the end of the film, I no longer thought of Gillian Anderson as the scientific Agent Scully, but I now saw her as the former-socialite, Lily Bart. The only thing that bothers me (both in the book and movie), is that there truly is no one to like, not even Lily herself. Upon viewing how each character hold themselves, one is repulsed. However, I believe that is the charm of this wonderful movie.
Rating:
Summary: The House of Wharton
Review: "I have tried hard, but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person." So opines the tragic Lily Bart (Gillian Anderson) in Terence Davies superb adaptation of Edith Wharton's blistering indictment of the vacuous, convention-constraining life of New York society in the early 20th century. Gillian Anderson is stunning as the waveringly unconfident Lily whose tenacious morality is unsuited to a world where insincere people idle away endless hours in gossip and back-stabbing. Her lack of ruthlessness causes her irrevocable downward slide over the course of the film's two years. The beautiful Gillian Anderson, in her juiciest role to date, dominates the entire film, gracing virtually every scene. Her Lily is entirely believable, earnestly trying to follow the rules to support her plush lifestyle, by speaking with affected tones and mannerisms, and feigning a stiff upper lip during the many adversities she encounters. But she only follows the rules half way, and when the chickens come home to roost, her deep vulnerability leads to a heartbreaking catharsis. Anderson's performance is doubtless one of the best performances of 2000 (male or female), all the more amazing when one considers that she wasn't even rewarded with an Oscar nomination, the same slight that befell Bjork who was absolutely superb in Von Trier's Dancer in the Dark. What a pity. Terence Davies' facile treatment of the material admirably maintains Wharton's restraint, faithful to the era. The audience, sensitized to the "civility" of the period, shudders when the emotional confrontations arrive -- confrontations based on mere insults or raised eyebrows which are no less powerful than had they been punctuated with the physical violence which accompanies modern day fare. Special mention should also be made of the gorgeous photography of Remi Adefarasin whose camera soaks up the Renoir-like beauty of the era at every turn. An altogether remarkable film.
Rating:
Summary: A downward spiral brings out the worst in the upper classes.
Review: Gillian Anderson devastatingly captures the reality of a young woman who makes life-altering mistakes in financial and class decisions. It is 1905 and Lily Bart is dependent upon her aging aunt for both financial support and class distinction. The only thing for a young woman of status to do in that era was to marry well. Love is not the issue, nor is compatability. Money is everything that is matched in value only by reputation. Lily's decisions trigger a downward spiral that forces her to discover the traumatic and horrifying effects of poverty. The viewer needs to remember that there were no soup kitchens, no salvation army, and no unemployment. The only help she could get were from family or friends.Gillian Anderson's portrayal of Lily and the evil she brings out in characters portrayed by Dan Aykroyd, Laura Linney, and others is haunting and frightfully real.
Rating:
Summary: The House of Mirth
Review: I thought that the screen adaptation of the House of Mirth was excellent. Gillian Anderson does a fine job as the ill-fated Lily Bart. Some of the other cast members i.e. Dan Akroyd do not seem to fit the timeline very well... but probably only because they have been type cast as comedic actors. The majority of the films female roles were performed very astutely. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is interested in biographies or period pieces... as long as you can forgive them their 20th century American accents.
Rating: 
Summary: The Anderson Show
Review: In this lumbering yet ultimately convincing adaptation of Edith Wharton's classic American tragedy, Gillian Anderson plays Lily Bart, a beautiful and doomed socialite who searches in vain for a wealthy husband in the early 1900's. The story is undeniably heartbreaking, and yet it's nearly demolished by the director, Terence Davies, who's mounted this production with a very portentous and heavy hand. Indeed, "The House of Mirth" is that rare film that succeeds despite the efforts of it's wrongheaded director, and despite a surprisingly poor ensemble of actors. Nothing, it seems, can quite destroy the power of Edith Wharton's story. Opening with a heavy swirl of smoke and disassociated images - the equivalent of heavy-breathing from a director far too pleased with his own meager visual expertise - the film introduces Lily, a ravishing and intelligent young woman who knows too much about the conventions of the day and the constricts they place upon a single woman. The story makes it clear that Lily is alone in the world, and make no mistake, so is the actress, Gillian Anderson, who's complex, finely nuanced performance is left to unfold in a virtual void - without the hand of a skilled director, and without the aid of equally skilled actors. Playing opposite the likes of Dan Aykroyd and Eric Stoltz, both disastrously miscast, Anderson can at times appear to be acting in a one-woman show. Every single moment of pain and heartache practically quivers across this actress' fine-boned face, and the film begins to acquire an unintended subtext: the tragedy of Lily becomes equivalent to the tragedy of Anderson, who's trapped and surrounded by near astonishing incompetence. As "The House of Mirth" progresses, and Lily's tragedy grows in scope and emotion, the film thankfully relies more and more upon Anderson herself, though the director, who previously directed several acclaimed non-narrative features (including "Distant Voices, Still Lives"), is not beyond interrupting the flow with needless and self-consciously "arty" visual digressions. Here is a filmmaker who really does believe he has something to contribute - in fact, he quite pompously insists upon it. "The House of Mirth" does have a few supporting players equal to Anderson's abilities, including Laura Linney, who's brief appearance as the evil Bertha Dorset gives the film a much needed jolt, along with Anthony LaPlagia and Maureen McGovern, both of whom elevate, however momentarily, the urgency of Anderson's plight. The film has also been handsomely shot by cinematographer, Remi Adefarasin, though even he is forced to dumb-down by the director's apparent determination to include cascades of metaphorically swirling smoke, as well as a handful of "beauty shots" that are held far too long - as if the director were willing us to drink in his talent. Known primarily for her work on television's "The X Files," Anderson may well receive an Oscar nomination for her work in "The House of Mirth," though it will surely be given not just for her performance, but for what she must have endured under the ham-fisted hand of Terence Davies.
Rating:
Summary: Heartbreaking
Review: Couldn't help but feel the pain that the heroine went through. Wonderful film. I was surprised by Gillian Anderson's suberb acting because I had only seen her in the television show "X-Files". I would recommend this film to anyone who is patient to watch this film and who has an appreciating for tragic stories.
Rating: 
Summary: Flawed but beautiful
Review: There are several problems with this film. I think the main problem is that most of the actors look very uncomfortable. Their performances, with few exceptions, are stilted. The second problem is that Lily Bart, as the heroine, is not someone you are cheering for. She is not a fighter or a winner, she is a victim. Worse yet, she is a victim of the stupid choices she makes over and over again. She surrounds herself with people who are lecherous, two-faced, greedy, envious, etc., and then wonders why they betray and abandon her. And, of course, there is also an unhappy ending.
The costumes and sets are breathtaking. Every once in a while I like to watch this movie despite its flaws. Maybe it's because the film just looks so beautiful.
Rating:
Summary: Lush and Exquisite
Review: I had never seen this movie before now and barely remember trailers for it. Which is a shame, really. This film is lush, and thoroughly tragic. Believe the acclaim you read about this film.
A world seemingly entirely different than our current one, this Turn of the Century New York is harsh and unforgiving, and demanding. Social facades are everything, and all critical eyes are hungry to spot any mistake anyone makes.
The drama unfolds marvellously and the predicament the strong-willed Lily Bart (Anderson) gets herself in begs the audience for pity and sympathy. Anyone who has had even the smallest amount of financial difficulties or has had any-sized financial hurdles to clear will empathise with Lily's situation. Money is so easy to spend, especially for those living beyond their means, like Lily, something necessary in this superficial time.
In a time when debts are looked down upon much more harshly than in our current times, Lily's fall from society's good opinion is especially cruel.
What's worse for the character is that her "friend" heartlessly sets up the final step that ostricises her from good society altogether. The hopeless romance between the one man she truly loves (Stoltz) is heart-breaking to witness, and her stubborn independence and determination to pave her own way and to clear her name is wincingly pathetic.
If Gillian Anderson's performance seems stiff in moments, it is a perfect portrayal of society's rigidity.
All actors are perfectly cast, most surprisingly Dan Aykroyd, who plays his cold investor role marvellously.
Grab your hanky and wallow in this opulent, heartrending drama.
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