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Reeling Reviews.com
by Robin Clifford



Lily Bart (Gillian Anderson) is a pretty, intelligent young woman whose mission in life is to land and wealthy, socially prominent husband in early 20th century New York City. But, her ambitions and bad decisions will come to haunt her on the road to poverty in director/screenwriter Terence Davies' adaptation of Edith Wharton's "The House of Mirth."

The period work of Edith Wharton holds no charm, normally, for me, so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed watching "The House of Mirth." Lily, as played by "The X Files" star Anderson, is a strong-minded woman who, when we meet her, seems certain to get exactly what she wants from life. She rebuffs the advances of a handsome young lawyer, Lawrence Selden (Eric Stoltz), who, though well bred, does not earn enough for her liking. Lily's mercenary nature leads her down a path that will end in poverty and despair.

While "The House of Mirth" isn't going to break any box office records, it is still a well-crafted, well-acted film that showcases a top performance from Gillian Anderson. The actress is pigeon holed in her Agent Scully persona from "The X-Files," but has proven herself to be a talented character actor - see her terrific little performance in "The Mighty." In "House of Mirth" she takes on the starring role and gives one on the best, most subtle performances of 2000.

The rest of this little gem is equal to the efforts of Anderson. The large supporting cast provides wonderful depth to the background characters with solid perfs all around. Anthony LaPaglia, Eric Stolz, Laura Linney (in a truly, sublimely wicked little role), Eleanor Bron and the rest give credence and dimension to their well-defined roles.

Helmer/scripter Terence Davies does a marvelous job of adapting the Wharton novel to the screen. The stage director uses his skilled background to provide a play-like environment for the actors, but with the benefit of lush sets and costume that flesh out the material to movie, rather than stage, stature.

"The House of Mirth" could be a breakout film for Anderson, but a lot depends on how much box office attention the movie gets. I give it a B+.

THE END

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