Review of The Age of Innocence (1993) by Dave R — 13 Oct 2009

One of my favorite movies of all time! It is beautifully crafted, acted, and put together but I know many of my friends would find it dreadfully dull and boring because it is a period drama which features stuffy costumes and late 1800's high society, culture and customs.

It moves at the pace of a horse-drawn carriage and there is no sex or destructive explosions; instead, in this movie, a whisper or rumor could destroy an individual and topple a house and the unbuttoning of a glove is more sensual than anything one has seen on film in recent memory.

The Age of Innocence is a thoroughly engrossing motion picture of manners and privelige that I found mesmerizing. It is startling to realize how much the world has changed since the 1870's. There isn't a weak aspect or link in this film.

The three acting leads (Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder) are all stellar and the very-unknown, character actress, Miriam Margolyes, delivers a scene-stealing performace as an immobile, rotund society matriarch.

The film's grandeur and opulence is equal to that of the world it captures -- gorgeous costumes, elaborate homes, and elegant balls and dinner-parties. The film is definitely a feast for the eyes and a puzzle for the mind.

The movie is flawlessly and surprisingly directed by Martin Scorsese -- who is known for gritty drama (Taxi Driver, The Departed, Goodfellas). This film simply shows the world how talented a director the man truly is.

"Wow" is a word I would use to describe this movie because it fits it on numerous levels. As bizarre as it sounds, the movie is scathing and bold and it gives us a glimpse of the past that many people of today couldn't survive.

This is costume drama at its very best (this along with Howard's End) -- oddly, I could watch it over and over again.