Rating: 
Summary: Not Quite
Review: "Cousin Bette" is one of those modern costume dramas where people muck about with British accents, (even the American actors--in France, no less!) that purport to make them civilized, yet behave more or less like animals rather than people. The Balzac novel on which the film is based managed to satirize much of "high" culture of the period-where privileged people behaved more or less like animals than civilized people--yet the film seems resigned to revel in the broad, soap-opera-ish plot of a woman wronged taking her revenge than anything else. (It's difficult to find subtlety in a film that finds excuses to repeatedly show Elizabeth Shue's naked, muscular backside.) The film features a who's who "B" list of capable actors--Shue, Bob Hoskins, Hugh Laurie, and others, though the real star of the movie is the production, which is better than the typical BBC production but not quite the best of Merchant/Ivory fare. The biggest flaw is the characterization of Bette. Lange brings Bette to life with a bit too much darkness--she often comes across more as a snake waiting to be provoked than a plain woman abused by the selfishness of the beautiful and wealthy--which undermines our sympathy for her. In the end, Bette gets her revenge, but she lowers herself to the level of villain to do it, making the film seem more a poor imitator of "Dangerous Liaisons" than anything else.
Rating: 
Summary: It's sure not Masterpiece Theatre
Review: After seeing Masterpiece Theatre's version approx. 1982, I was excited to see this. PBS has never reshown the Masterpiece since then, as far as I can discover. Anyways, this movie was okay, just not something to write home about. Still, what could they do with a 2 hr movie, versus 6 one hour shows.However, I ordered the paperback, unabridged book and it is delicious! The book is TRULY something to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Jessica Lange gives superb performance
Review: Although I have not read Balzac's original, I enjoyed this funny yet tragic movie a lot. Jessica's impersonation of an extremely complicated heroine, cousin Bette, is exceptional. Even if you cannot enjoy a story itself, I am sure that you can definitely enjoy her perfomance.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic Lange
Review: As always Jessica Lange does an incredible job. The movie is worth to buy just to watch her perform. In my view she's the greatest actress alive today!!
Rating:
Summary: astonishing
Review: Cousin Bette should've won Jessica Lange an Oscar nomination. She proved once and for all that she's a serious big league actress. This is a delicious revenge drama. Good old Cousin Bette is a spider who spins a web of death, financial ruin and humiliation for her foolish, selfish relatives. The other notables performance is by Elizabeth Shue who does her best work as Jennie the courtesan. She reminded me of Nicole Kidman as Satine in Moulin Rouge. Bob Hoskins is great as usual and Hugh Laurie does a grand job as the lecherous father. The only thing wrong with this film are the continutity problems and the glaring fact that Jessica Lange is no hag. It makes no sense that no man in the film couldn't see that.
Rating:
Summary: A woman with a light, but effective touch!
Review: Cousin Bette turns out stellar performances by all. While it does have the repulsive aspect of old and ugly men bringing gifts to go down on Elisabeth Shue, the movie redeems itself with the devilish-looking(but basically innocent)Jessica Lange character - Cousin Bette. Again, Lange plays a woman whose resolve to be her own master is strong. After being messed around every which way, she discovers a young man (they could have found one more attractive, but no less...)she rescues from death by poverty and hunger. The story follows how she's betrayed left and right...and how she lightly suggests behaviour that she can objectively see as "bad news" to these self-absorbed people. Everyone really reaps what they have sown. It's a smart movie...not for people who don't like smart movies.
Rating:
Summary: Jessica Lange in a superb performance
Review: COUSIN BETTE, based on the novel by Honore de Balzac, stars Jessica Lange in a delicious performance.
Elisabeth Fisher (Jessica Lange), known to her relatives as Bette, is a humble seamstress in a burlesque theatre in Paris. She has always been taken for granted by her rich relations, and has never enjoyed the love and affections of an admirer. Bette falls in love with the penniless artist Wenceslas Steinbach (Aden Young) and saves his life when he tries to commit suicide. Excerting a control over him, Bette believes that her feelings of love are mutual. But when Wenceslas falls in love with Bette's pretty young cousin Hortense (Kelly Macdonald), it gives way to a chain of events that will see all of Bette's grasping relations dealt with...
Elisabeth Shue plays comely courtesan Jenny Cadine, who becomes a powerful pawn in Bette's plan for revenge.
The entire cast is superb. Hugh Laurie, Geraldine Chaplin, Bob Hoskins and Jefferson Mays all turn in excellent well-rounded supporting performances. Elisabeth Shue is an eyeful as the flamboyant burlesque star Jenny; Aden Young a stridant yet naive as Wenceslas, and Kelly Macdonald is great as the selfish, indifferent Hortense.
Jessica Lange, quite easily the greatest actress of her generation, adds another amazing role to her canon. This is right up there with Frances Farmer and Blanche DuBois.
An must-see. This film is a black revenge comedy-drama with a twist!
Rating: 
Summary: What a Stinker!
Review: God awful dramatization of Balzac's story of the same name. Lange and Shue are dreadfully miscast, and the script writer completely failed to capture this wry and bitter tale. If you want to see this story with real meat on its bones, try finding a copy of the 1971 Masterpiece Theatre production. Margaret Tyzack makes Jessica Lange look like milk toast.
Rating:
Summary: I enjoyed the movie from start to end. It was Glorious...
Review: I enjoyed this movie because was very interesting and fun at once. Lange (as always) and Shue were great. The music was perfect and enjoyed the sound effects a lot.
Rating:
Summary: Love is the master you are the slave......
Review: I happened to watch this movie on Bravo tonight without expecting much. Jessica Lange was the last person I wanted for this Balzac novel. Well, I was wrong. This movie changed my opinion of her completely. Her performance as a bitter old maid with a scheme was really scarely. This is not an easy role to play if one considers herself even modestly attractive. She was convincing as cousin Bette. I was pleasantly surprised to have found this sleeper. "The tiger song" is still playing in my head.
|
