Rating: 
Summary: Good Story, but Not Enogh Drama
Review: The Golden Bowl has the most dysfunctional family I've seen in a long time. Thurman and Northam play lovers who are split when he decides to marry Maggie, the daughter of an American billionaire played by Nick Nolte. Then it gets a lot weird when Thurman's Charlotte marries Nolte's Adam while having an affair with her now son-in-law(?). Sounds like Melrose Place, huh? Well, the story and the acting are fine, but the movie definitely needed some passion and sparks, especially when Maggie discovers her husband's affair with Charlotte. I don't think that the reactions of the characters regarding the affair were realistic at all. No one seemed to want to acknowledge what was really going on around them. The Golden Bowl is not a bad film, but it was pretty lifeless considering the storyline. Great cast, but not wnough oomph.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Drop The Golden Bowl
Review: The Golden Bowl is a beautiful movie that, like the bowl in the title, seems perfect, but there is a crack somewhere. I highly recommend it because the story and the production are so intriguing. The sets, costumes, ambiance and writing are signature Ivory/Merchant quality. The cast is first rate. I looked really closely at the acting to find where the break is, and the movie needs to warm up to climb to the emotional activity that brings its meaning to life. I struggled during the first half of the movie to pay attention. When veils of complacency give way to questions and expression of true or other feelings is when everything comes together. Jeremy Northum as Prince Amerigo is dashing enough to remind one of Giancarlo Gianini in The Innocent. Kate Bechinsale, Nick Nolte, Anjelica Huston and James Fox offer measured but effective performances that have to ride the story. It is Uma Thurman who has to bring it home, and she does a very good job. The novel by Henry James is not easy to pack into a 2-hour movie, but this was a very good attempt. DidnÕt Masterpiece Theater have to spread it into a miniseries? I think it starred Gail Honeycutt. DonÕt drop The Golden Bowl. You have to see it once. Maybe the flaw is as important to the movie as it is in the original complicated story.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Drop The Golden Bowl
Review: The Golden Bowl is a beautiful movie that, like the bowl in the title, seems perfect, but there is a crack somewhere. I highly recommend it because the story and the production are so intriguing. The sets, costumes, ambiance and writing are signature Ivory/Merchant quality. The cast is first rate. I looked really closely at the acting to find where the break is, and the movie needs to warm up to climb to the emotional activity that brings its meaning to life. I struggled during the first half of the movie to pay attention. When veils of complacency give way to questions and expression of true or other feelings is when everything comes together. Jeremy Northum as Prince Amerigo is dashing enough to remind one of Giancarlo Gianini in The Innocent. Kate Bechinsale, Nick Nolte, Anjelica Huston and James Fox offer measured but effective performances that have to ride the story. It is Uma Thurman who has to bring it home, and she does a very good job. The novel by Henry James is not easy to pack into a 2-hour movie, but this was a very good attempt. DidnÕt Masterpiece Theater have to spread it into a miniseries? I think it starred Gail Honeycutt. DonÕt drop The Golden Bowl. You have to see it once. Maybe the flaw is as important to the movie as it is in the original complicated story.
Rating:
Summary: May you drink your fill from the cup of love¿
Review: The last complete novel by Henry James is lushly presented and yet something doesn't ring true. Within the movie lies the potential for greatness and yet it stumbles at times as accents are overplayed and acting falls short of expectations in a movie of such a grand scale. The sumptuous costumes, lush countryside, castles, intricate jewelry and grand lifestyles will allow you to overlook any minor flaws. The real flaw is in the characters hearts as they each seek to find love in all the wrong places. Charlotte Stant (Uma Thurman) wants desperately to marry Amerigo (Jeremy Northam). Amerigo is an impecunious Italian prince engaged to the privileged heiress Maggie Verver (Kate Beckinsale). Maggie's father Adam Verver (Nick Nolte) only wants the best for his daughter and believes Amerigo can make her happy. It was a delight to see Anjelica Huston playing matchmaker. She is even more of a delight in Ever After. Before the wedding Charlotte tries to tell Amerigo that she is completely in love with him and doesn't care that he cannot take care of her in style. He seems to be infatuated more with the idea of marrying wealth or maybe he is just following his destiny. "I have to, I want to say it, I want you to know," Charlotte pleads. Together they go shopping for Maggie's wedding present and the day comes back to haunt them. They see a golden bowl and yet Charlotte is hesitant about the purchase as the crystal has a flaw covered by gold. This seems to be a metaphor for the loveless marriages hidden in wealth. The bowl is also in a way symbolic of a cup of love. Charlotte seeks only to be near Amerigo and marries Adam in order to be near him as a last attempt at happiness. When Adam and his daughter Maggie are always spending time together, Amerigo is left alone to attend parties with his "new young stepmother." Charlotte is innocently enough keeping him company in his solitude, but soon their passions take over and they share an intimate afternoon. My soul spills into yours and is blended.
Because my soul has absorbed your fragrance. - Rumi Charlotte is intoxicated by Amerigo, yet he seems to be able to deny his true passions for higher aims until he is consumed by the fragrance of Charlotte's soul. Like two thirsty souls, they drink from the same cup of love. What follows is a subtle, psychological drama in which most of the scenes are taken up with unveiling the intricacies of the deceit. It is more a study of how the lovers try to hide their passions. In the end, we feel that the fair maiden Charlotte has lost her heart's desires, while the devious Maggie gains the world. One must bear many things for love...
Rating:
Summary: Jeremy Northam miscast
Review: The only crack in the movie is the casting of Jeremy Northam as Amerigo. Northam, with his phony Italian accent, pretending to be an Italian, is incredible, a bit hard to take. Couldn't James Ivory have cast a real Italian actor in the role?
Rating:
Summary: Jeremy Northam miscast
Review: The only crack in the movie is the casting of Jeremy Northam as Amerigo. Northam, with his phony Italian accent, pretending to be an Italian, is incredible, a bit hard to take. Couldn't James Ivory have cast a real Italian actor in the role?
Rating:
Summary: Nope
Review: The pair of Merchant and Ivory consistently direct, produce, and present outstanding films. Their period pieces attract a-list actors, and the images they place on the screen are always a pleasure to view. I am not a great fan of the novels of Henry James, and this predisposition might have clouded my ability to give the film a fair viewing. In my defense I did have trouble accepting Nick Nolte. I have seen him in many films, and he is an actor of talent. I just could not get past him as an actor to enjoy his character. The role he played was integral, and he looked the part, but whenever he was on the screen all I saw was Nick Nolte. Uma Thurman has given great performances in films like, "Dangerous Liaisons", but this time she did not seem to own her role, her character was notable for being annoying and a bit obtuse. Finally, and this may have had something to do with the quality of the DVD transfer, the film did not appear as lush and rich as other Merchant and Ivory films. There never seemed to be enough going on. Even the backgrounds often seemed sparsely populated compared to their other films. When I see one of this team's films I guess what I expect is Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, and the other familiar faces that fill their period pieces, and those of other directors as well. Even though not one of their better films, "The Golden Bowl", is still better than most films at the local cinema.
Rating:
Summary: So-So
Review: The photography is appealing, the performances by Kate Beckinsale and Nick Nolte are professional, Jeremy Northam is disappointing (and that Italian accent needs some work)in a really pallid role, Uma Thurman is pretty bad but the biggest problem to my mind is the fact that the story is unengrossing and, basically, unbelievable--at times even silly.
Rating: 
Summary: Where's Emma Thompson When You Need Her?
Review: There must be an old saying about how people with too much money and time on their hands will find a way to misery, unhappiness and trouble before they can seek or find redemption in true love, truth and honesty. But the flawed relationships and imperfections of human nature make "The Golden Bowl," directed by James Ivory, a perfect metaphor for the lives of the four principals involved in this story, which takes place at the beginning of the 20th Century. Prince Amerigo (Jeremy Northam) is broke, and to restore his villa in Italy, as well as the stature of his name and lifestyle, he gives up his true love, Charlotte (Uma Thurman), to marry Maggie (Kate Beckinsale), the daughter of the first American Billionaire, Adam Verver (Nick Nolte). Charlotte then proceeds to marry Adam, and due to some eccentricities on the part of Adam and Maggie, the four become as one big, confused and dysfunctional family, playing out their drama in England and Italy, while Adam pursues his obsessive dream of building a museum in "American Town," which he feels will "give back" something to those who have worked their lives away in the coal mines wherein his fortune was made. It's a world in which the priorities of those involved, however, become twisted, and truth, fidelity and all the things that really matter, become lost or disavowed; a world in which those who seemingly have a choice opt for dreary and overcast, rather than for blue skies and sunshine. Though the cinematography is superb and the settings lavish, the production team of Merchant/Ivory, who created and delivered such outstanding films as "Howard's End" and "Remains of the Day," come up a bit short with this offering, which fairly plods along and simply takes too long to achieve very little in the way of insight or even just a satisfying cinematic experience. And one of the main problems, perhaps, is the fact that the characters are people with whom you can neither identify nor relate, and as such, it is difficult to sympathize with their respective situations or to embrace their individual fixations. These are people you simply have trouble caring about, and without that connection it puts you at arm's length, so to speak, and watching their story unfold becomes a tedious business at best. A valid argument could be made, as well, for the casting-- or should I say, "miscasting"-- of the film, beginning with Nolte, who not only seems out of place (even playing an American), but gives a performance that seems forced and too overtly "theatrical;" this kind of acting belongs on the stage, and even there would stretch credibility. It definitely does not translate well to film, and is simply not believable. As he has proved in many films before, most notably in 1998's "Affliction,"-- in which his performance was instrumental in enabling James Coburn to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor-- Nolte can act; but this just isn't the kind of role in which he excels. Still, he must be given credit for the attempt. The usually charming and charismatic Beckinsale also falters in this one. Like Nolte, her performance seems forced and lacks the naturalness that would've made it at all believable. Perhaps in attempting to internalize her feelings, as one could argue would be appropriate for a young woman of the times depicted here, she may have used a bit too much restraint, which adversely affected the perception of her character and the emotions she was attempting to convey. And when she does finally externalize her feelings, it just doesn't seem honest. Northam also fails to make his character, Amerigo, believable. A good actor, one has to wonder at the reasons behind casting him as the Italian Prince. His accent is decent, but far from impeccable, and the lapses have a tendency to take the viewer out of the story, which breaks the continuity and dispels the drama of the film. And while not disastrous, it is unfortunate, and the film suffers for it. Uma Thurman probably comes closer than any of her co-stars at capturing the essence of her character, but even her performance comes across as rather tepid; physically and emotionally, she embodies Charlotte, but even her most flamboyant moments are lackluster. And she and Northam lack the on-screen chemistry that would've created the tension needed to make the relationship between Charlotte and Amerigo a viable, believable commodity. The saving grace of the film, performance-wise, are those of Anjelica Huston and James Fox, in supporting roles as Fannie and Colonel Bob Assingham who, though in a limited capacity, give moments of the most credibility to the overall film. The supporting cast includes Madeleine Potter (Lady Castledean), Nicholas Day (Lord Castledean), Peter Eyre (Jarvis, the Shopkeeper), Nickolas Grace (Lecturer) and Robin Hart (Mr. Blint). Visually resplendent, but overlong and far from engaging, "The Golden Bowl" fails to live up to the expectations of a Merchant/Ivory production. To say that the story goes nowhere would be erroneous; it's simply a long, tiresome journey with an anticlimax that is less than satisfying. A highly touted film, in the final analysis it can be chalked up as possibly the first misfire in the Merchant/Ivory canon. We can only hope that Emma Thompson will be available for their next project.
Rating:
Summary: Gorgeous...
Review: This film is truly beautiful. Henry James always creates such intricate plots that always seem to perplex me. But I get the "The Golden Bowl." Its theme is as important in James's time as it is now. The film is visually stunning. The locations, the opulence of the sets, and the costumes are pure eye candy. Merchant Ivory outdid themselves in every way. The acting was impeccable for the most part. I was disappointed however with Uma Thurman's performance. She is a stunning figure in film today, but this part needed more than just aesthetics, it needed a heart that was drenched in love. Her performance here was overacted and silly. Kate Beckinsale was amazing, like a May Welland from "The Age of Innocence," but better than Winona Ryder's performance. Nick Nolte was incredible and Jeremy Nortam was spectacular. I completely recommmend this film to anyone who loves what movies can do for them- take them into another world.
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