Review of Vanity Fair (2004) by Sabra E — 13 Mar 2011

"I had thought her a mere social climber. I see now she's a mountaineer." That's my favorite line from the film based on the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, first published in 1847.

I've never read the book, nor do I plan to, but all synopses say it's about a ruthless social climber named Becky Sharp, who rises from humble beginnings and seduces and charms a place her herself in society and out of illegitimacy.

The film however portrays Sharp as a sweet and lovable girl who brought up in an orphanage, gets a job as a governess and eventually finds love and a place among society with her talent and wit guiding the way. That's Hollywood for you.

Regardless, in an effort to form an opinion of the Vanity Fair on a standalone basis, I'd say Reese Witherspoon surpassed my expectations of her Southern/California girl typecast pulling off a English period drama. Not by much though, her presence as Reese Witherspoon was still distracting, since my mind associates her face as modern versus back-in-time classic.

Gabriel Byrne, on the other hand, he's a master at this period piece business; he sells it just by looking smug, wearing a feather, and breathing. What a marvel, a walking artifact. Purefoy's okay too.