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House of Mirth [VHS]
 
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House of Mirth [VHS]

VHS ~ Anderson Gillian
4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Classification: PG
  • Studio: Vci
  • VHS Release Date: 6 May 2002
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00005A7TY
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 20,778 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
The crushing pressures of social conformity have always been a central concern of Terence Davies' movies, so Edith Wharton's astringent novel of innocence destroyed makes an ideal choice for him. Set in the edgy, nouveau riche ambience of 1900s New York, the story traces the downfall of the lovely but imprudent Lily Bart (Gillian Anderson) in a world where hypocrisy and predatory vice lurk behind genteel facades. Wharton (whose later novel The Age of Innocence was brilliantly filmed by Martin Scorsese) has an acute feel for the subtleties of social nuance, the way insiders and outsiders are defined, and Davies skilfully renders these hints and insidious judgments in cinematic terms. Working to a tighter budget than most period dramas, he turns his limitations to advantage. The film's never in danger of being swamped by the gorgeousness of its sets and costumes, or turned into an exercise in easy nostalgia. The northern austerity of Glasgow effectively stands in for New York. Throwing off the mantle of Scully (from The X-Files), Gillian Anderson gives a powerful and wholly convincing performance as Lily, movingly despairing as her options are closed off one by one; and there's a fine portrayal of self-satisfied brutality from Dan Aykroyd as the chief agent of her downfall. --Philip Kemp

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

House of Mirth [VHS]
41% buy the item featured on this page:
House of Mirth [VHS] 4.3 out of 5 stars (14)
The House Of Mirth [DVD] [2000]
37% buy
The House Of Mirth [DVD] [2000] 4.7 out of 5 stars (3)
£4.88
The Age Of Innocence [DVD] [1994]
9% buy
The Age Of Innocence [DVD] [1994] 4.3 out of 5 stars (9)
£3.98
Bleak House - BBC (3 Disc Special Edition) [DVD] [2005]
7% buy
Bleak House - BBC (3 Disc Special Edition) [DVD] [2005] 4.8 out of 5 stars (31)
£8.98
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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
5 star:
 (10)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Gillian Anderson - a revelation, 6 Jan 2006
By A Customer
This review is from: The House Of Mirth [DVD] [2000] (DVD)
I watched this as a result of seeing Gillian Anderson in Bleak House where I was astonished by her excellent performance as Lady Deadlock. In this film she portrays the unfortunate Lily so well that it was impossible not to feel for her and her situation as an single girl with no money, having to find a husband. Her situation is compromised by the husband of one of her so-called friends and her depiction of the consequence of this was masterly.
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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars THE PRICE OF LOVE AND HONOR..., 13 Feb 2003
By Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)   
In this lavish and beautifully costumed period piece based upon Edith Wharton's novel of the same name, Gillian Anderson gives an inspired and luminous performance as Lily Bart, a rising young New York socialite who is ultimately done in by a ruthless friend, deliciously played by Laura Tinney, who cruelly sacrifices Lily to save her own reputation.

The dry repartee in which Lily engages and passes for wit in this bygone era sets the tone for the film. It is a carefully orchestrated show in which marriageable society girls engage in order to snag the wealthiest suitor. While Lily Bart is the cream of the crop, she has the misfortune to have given her heart to a socially acceptable, yet financially constrained, lawyer, Laurence Selden, wonderfully portrayed by Eric Stoltz. Her heart claimed by this most unsuitable of suitors, she dallies, refusing to commit to any others, while her star is still in the ascendant.

Lily finds herself making an unwise financial transaction, which puts her at the mercy of an unscrupulous and smarmy financial investor named Gus Trennor, well played by Dan Akroyd. When he puts Lily in a compromising position in return for the money he now claims that she owes him, she indignantly spurns his advances and incurs his enmity. Meanwhile, her aunt, upon whom Lily is financially dependent, hearing of her financial indiscretion, is appalled and virtually cuts Lily out of her will, leaving her a small determinate sum, rather than making Lily her sole heir as expected.

Meanwhile, her friend, devilishly played by Laura Tinney, is on the verge of having her marital indiscretions made known to her circle of society friends. She throws everyone off the scent by cutting her friend Lily in a most public fashion with all the attendant insinuations from which much may be inferred. This has the net effect of causing Lily to fall totally into social disgrace. Her star is now very much on the descent.

When her aunt dies, and Lily is left virtually penniless, Lily finds herself alone and on a downward spiral, forced to earn her daily bread for the first time in her life. Abandoned by her friends, she despairs, even though she has the means of regaining her former status at her fingertips, would her information not also sully the reputation of her true love, Lawrence Selden, as well as that of the false friend who brought her to this point. To her detriment, she takes the high road of love and honor. Too late, Selden realizes the sacrifice that Lily has made on his behalf.

What happens to Lily and why is an interesting study of human frailties, class consciousness, social status, and honor. This film is a beautifully and richly costumed period piece with bravura performances by the entire cast. Those who are fond of period dramas will surely enjoy this leisurely paced, well orchestrated film.

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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning period film, 6 Jan 2005
This review is from: The House Of Mirth [DVD] [2000] (DVD)
A wonderful screen adaptation of Edith Wharton's splendid novel, this film harks back to the finest Merchant Ivory productions or Martin Scorsese's "The Age of Innocence." It follows the fall from disgrace of Lily Bart, an impoverished socialite whose thirst to accomodate to the constraints of her milieu drives her to make bad choices, and the subtle power plays that underlie the interactions within this aristocratic clique. There is enough psychological material to set you thinking for days. The dialogues are simply memorable and the lavish period settings and costumes are a sight to sore eyes. I couldn't recommend this film high enough, especially for those fond of period films.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful film
This film is another masterpiece from Terence Davies. As one would expect from a Davies film, it is visually ravishing, marked by hypnotic dissolves, precise compositions, and... Read more
Published on 19 Jun 2007 by James Anscombe

5.0 out of 5 stars The best film I have seen this year
Watched this film when it was recently shown on TV, it is by far the best film I have watched this year. Read more
Published on 19 April 2007 by CM Greenland

1.0 out of 5 stars An incredibly bad film
I watched this film before it came out on the cinema with around 300 other film students from a variety of different Universitys. Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2007 by Chris Andronicou

5.0 out of 5 stars An extraordinary adaptation of Ms. Wharton's brilliant novel
Writer-director Terence Davies has done a superb job of adapting Edith Wharton's brilliant novel for the screen. Read more
Published on 25 Aug 2005 by Jana L. Perskie

1.0 out of 5 stars I'm sure you could find something better to spend 2 hours on
I'm not sure what I was expecting when I watched this film. I thought a relaxing period drama for a Sunday afternoon sounds good. Boy was I wrong. Read more
Published on 10 Aug 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars The most depressing yet wonderful film I've ever seen
You really have to watch this twice because it may appear agonising and frustrating the first time and Lily Bart just might start to grate your nerves. Read more
Published on 14 Jul 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars A film With A Great Depth Of Emotion

Director Terence Davies sensitively directs a fine group of actors who portray the characters in Edith Wharton's most famous novel. Read more

Published on 18 Jun 2001 by Jay Fenton

4.0 out of 5 stars Requires attention and patience for viewing!
For years I've been feeling deep respect and admiration towards Ms Anderson's acting talent (which, together with DD, still manages to pull out the half dead X-files). Read more
Published on 14 April 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Amazing - Buy it now!
This film is one of the best movies to have been made in recent years - it is simply fantastic. Not your typical costume drama, it follows the life of Lily Bart, a womam fighting... Read more
Published on 28 Mar 2001 by C. O'DONNELL

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent, well-crafted film with good characteristation
I watched this film early morning (and felt very wicked)with another person who has not seen Terence Davies's work before but is an admirer of Gillian Anderson. Read more
Published on 28 Feb 2001 by M. M. O'dee

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