The Golden Bowl

THE GOLDEN BOWL is Merchant-Ivory's adaptation of the Henry James novel of romantic torment--the novel James named as his favorite. The title refers to a beautiful crystal bowl encrusted with gold, which conceals a single imperceptible flaw--a small crack. The bowl is a simple, effective metaphor for the seeming perfection of the relationships in the film. Some characters in THE GOLDEN BOWL see the hidden flaw, and keep their knowledge of its worthlessness to themselves. Others do not see the flaw, and live their lives feeling that they should be happy, not understanding the root of their unease. THE GOLDEN BOWL features excellent performances, particularly from Nick Nolte as the American billionaire Adam Verver, and Kate Beckinsale as Maggie, his devoted daughter. Maggie marries an Italian prince (Jeremy Northam) who has a secret past with her best friend (Uma Thurman). The film includes the lavishly precise production design expected of Merchant-Ivory works. But the dark emotional complexity of the source novel, combined with the filmmakers's aesthetically bold inclusion of archival footage from early 20th Century urban America, give the film an edge--a palpable sense of the underlying dread of industrialization in the New World.

Cast:

"...THE GOLDEN BOWL comes to the table with eye-popping opulence, a cast of attractive name players and a brooding scandal at its story's center..." -- Mike Clark , (USA Today)

"...Mr. Northam exudes an unassuming command....[A] handsome, faithful, intelligent screen adaptation..." -- Elvis Mitchell , (New York Times)

"...It casts a potent spell....THE GOLDEN BOWL is elegant and passionate in ways that stick with you..." -- Peter Travers , (Rolling Stone)

"...Thurman, in a fine performance, pierces the heart of Charlotte's fear and rage..." -- Owen Gleiberman , (Entertainment Weekly)

"...Thurman turns in a compellingly eccentric performance..." -- Glenn Kenny , (Premiere)

"...Ruth Prawer Jhabvala has done a solid job of boiling the tale down to its compelling theme....Angelica Huston and James Fox find the perfect Jamesian nuances..." -- Stephen Farber , (Movieline's Hollywood Life)

"...Impeccable performances and equally flawless, grand period settings....THE GOLDEN BOWL abounds in fully dimensional people..." -- Kevin Thomas , (Los Angeles Times)

"...The genius of Henry James' greatest novel is that these four people have placed themselves in a moral situation that alters as you rotate them in your view..." -- Roger Ebert , (Chicago Sun-Times)

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