Emma Thompson wrote (and has a small role) in this film that’s based on the true story of a teenager (Dakota Fanning), who’s married to famous Victorian art critic John Ruskin (Greg Wise). He’s unloving, uncaring and uninvolved with her, which causes much anxiety before she finally takes action. Fanning is stripped down to her most plain, but it doesn’t motivate her flat performance. It’s ironic that such a talented actor like Thompson ended up with such a disappointing lead in her creation. There are some lovely locations (esp. Venice), but the story unfolds too slowly, bleakly and without sufficiently interesting characters or situations. (Criterion Cinema only)
(2.5 / 5)