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 | A Good Woman Director: Mike Barker Rated: M Palace Nova & Marion Cinemas  The wisdom and especially the wit of Oscar Wilde have been a blessing to English language and culture. Reverting to the play's original name for this film, the story told here is better known as 'Lady Windermere's Fan', and the title is a pun referring both to a hand-held Oriental breeze maker and to an ardent follower. 'Lady' Windermere has both.When her fortune turns, the high-living and romantically predatory Mrs Erlynne (Helen Hunt) flees England for the fertile wealthy resorts of Italy's Amalfi coast. "Some women bring happiness wherever they go, and some whenever they go," and Mrs Erlynne does both, depending on whether the beholder is a husband or wife. Infamous and poor, she goes looking for the rich and famous, crossing paths with a very wealthy young society couple from New York, Robert and Meg Windermere (Mark Umbers and Scarlett Johansson). The Windermeres have taken a villa for the season, and they become entwined in intrigue as Mrs Erlynne pursues romance and money, and the caddish Lord Darlington pursues Meg. Is Mrs Erlynne as scheming and amoral as gossip and appearances would have us suppose, or are there redeeming aspects and motivations to her actions? Johansson ('Lost In Translation', 'Ghost World') is characteristically good, but it is Helen Hunt ('Curse Of The Jade Scorpion', 'What Women Want') portraying the notoriously brazen jezebel, who shines. Hunt's role is reminiscent of Glenn Close's in 'Fatal Attraction', and Tom Wilkinson ('In The Bedroom') as Tuppy, endearingly matches her skilful performance. The cinematography doesn't waste the gorgeous Amalfi setting either, while the buildings, yachts, interiors and actors are dressed exquisitely to evoke the 1930s era. The film genre allows for settings that far exceed the intended stage location of Wilde's original play. The cinematic requirements also reduce any theatrical overstatement, giving the whole project a feeling of authenticity. The outstanding feature of this film however, is Howard Himelstein's sparkling script drawn from Oscar Wilde's work. It is playful, sharp and funny, full of warm, socially subversive ideas. The cast are up-to the task of delivering the many wonderfully crafted phrases. "Crying is the refuge of plain women; pretty women go shopping," we are told. Wilde here is ultimately posing the question, "What is a good woman?" Commendably, he provides surprising and illuminating answers. The result is a neat, comic and topical cautionary tale about trust and honour. This film version is a superbly fun-filled telling of the story.  | |
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