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List Price: $9.98 | | Label: 20th Century Fox
Salesrank: 41661
Released: December 22, 1998 |
| Our Price: $4.14 |
| Used Price: $3.20 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
With little persuasion, Jenny is soon sleeping with, then discarding, every man in Paris, setting off a chain of disastrous events that ensnares almost everyone in its web - everyone, that is, except Cousin Bette. Who knew adultery, financial ruin, life - threatening duels and murder could be such fun?
Cousin Bette Reviews:
A woman scorned 
2008-10-24 - Balzac's novel about jealousy and revenge is set in Paris, in 1846, and concerns Baron Hulot, his daughter, and his deceased wife's cousin, Bette. Bette was always the plain one, the dependable workhorse who lived in the shadow of her prettier, more favored cousin. A lowly theatre seamstress, Bette had hoped to marry the Baron, but now she's pining for the handsome young sculptor who lives in the apartment upstairs.
This movie could have been great with a little more effort; instead, it's soap opera stuff and not very good soap at that. Jessica Lange plays the homely spinster Bette and does a good job, but her American accent destroys any illusion that we are in France. Hugh Laurie (House, M.D.) is very likeable as the snobbish and sensuous Baron; too bad he didn't try a French accent, either. Elizabeth Shue plays a singer who captures the hearts of both the Baron and the sculptor; she's really miscast with her Midwestern twang and off-putting crudeness.
The costumes and sets are lavish and the French locations are beautiful, but the script is too convoluted and it isn't sure if it's a comedy or drama. The whole thing lacks any semblance of class, so what should have been a classic is merely forgettable.
Scriptwriters skimmed the cliff notes 
2008-07-17 - This clunky and confusing adaptation should not be called "Cousin Bette", as the scriptwriters have made Balzac's novel unrecognizable. Buy this movie only if you are interested in the actors, as, to echo another reviewer, this is a complete mess. To try to put a 500 page novel into a movie of 108 minutes seems to me to be an impossible task, and this sham of a movie is a glaring example of the kind of garbage that gets produced presumably because of a lack of good original scripts, as opposed to faithful adaptations that are conscientiously produced to try and give a great work of literature a worthy screen treatment. After struggling through this film, I was left wondering if the director, producers, or scriptwriters had even read the book at all. Examples include taking out two major, major characters from the story (Adeline Hulot and Madame Marneffe), and replacing the Marneffe character with Jenny Cadine, presumably because Cadine's job as a singer is more interesting to film in the eyes of the producers than Marneffe's role as a courtesan - one major problem with this is that Elisabeth Shue is not a good singer and her scenes on stage are truly awkward. The film's focus is also completely misaligned with that of the novel, where Madame Marneffe is pulling the strings for the majority of it and is an incredibly cunning and strong character, while Bette waits in the wings patiently for her opportunities. In the movie, Jenny Cadine is weak and almost absurd in her vanity, while Balzac's Madame Marneffe has uncommon charm, beauty and intelligence which all the men who encounter her find irresistible. While movie adaptations can never be completely faithful to the novels from which they are based, I think there should be an attempt to capture the spirit of a novel, and an attempt to stick to major plot points and not invent new ones. (Which this does as well). Otherwise give it another title and say "inspired by" or "loosely based upon".
Don't waste your time or money on this.
Very funny movie, along the lines of Valmont 
2007-06-10 - If you like a humorous/tragedy stricken movie, this one is for you. I admit I have to be in a certain kind of mood to watch it. Toby Stephens is sensational, and I think it's an outrageously funny performance by him. My only complaint is I wish he had more screen time. I wish he would take on more comedic roles - set aside the lovey dovey stuff (Jane Eyre) and the bad guy stuff (Die Another Day) and do some more comedy. He's brilliant!
A mostly good cast, wasted on a poor script
2007-05-09 - A very uneven and rather unsatisfying, though beautifully costumed, film based on the writings of Balzac. Elisabeth Shue is very much miscast as a singer. She does not convince at all, and her accent is ridiculous. Jessica Lange, Bob Hoskins and Hugh Laurie do better, but the script is lacking. Too bad the latter three actors were wasted on this.
Toby Stephens fans - save your money
2007-04-28 - Toby Stephens has a very small supporting role in this film (I'd estimate maybe 5 minutes screen time). He is funny, cute, and overlooked in favor of very inferior actors. Bob Hoskins is surprisingly good as a French aristocrat.
