Review of The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) by Scott S — 04 Oct 2009
The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) -- [4.0] -- Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons star in dual roles, as Victorian lovers and the actors portraying them in a film production. The parallel storylines are a tedious gimmick.
We're told half way through the movie that in one story, the lovers will get together and in the other, they won't. Problem is, I don't give shit about the characters in either storyline. I love Streep and Irons to pieces, but they're playing the same stuffy, costumey, classist, ill-fated love affair we've seen a billion times.
It would help if the characters were interesting or compelling. Streep's character is such a coy deceiver, that I lost patience with her by the half-way point, and Irons' character seems to be led by nothing more than his prick.
I may not be impressed, but the Academy was. The film was nominated for best actress (Streep), art direction, costumes, editing, and adapted screenplay (by Harold Pinter).
This review of The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) was written by Scott S on 04 Oct 2009.
The French Lieutenant's Woman has generally received positive reviews.
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