The White Countess

I thought it had good acting and all the necessary components of a good movie, but I thought the story needed some work. It just felt a little disconnected... Full review

It was pretty good. The acting was really good. Considering one had to put on a Russian acent, and the other had to be blind. I don't know who did better. It should have done better in the box office.... Full review

It took the last 30 minutes for me to fully appreciate this film. That's because the first 105 minutes are very, very slow. If it weren't for the wonderfully rich visuals, I might not have stuck with this story. Obviously,... Full review

Just how far can the talents of some of the most illustrious actors in the world today can be squnadered by a bad script, decrepit production values and inept direction is answered by what is surely one of the most miserable... Full review

A very, very slow moving film about a blind senator in Shanghai before the Japanese occupation who falls for an exiled Russian countess who supports her family by being a dancer at the local dancehall. With the giant acting talents of... Full review

Not up to Merchant-Ivory standards. Plot had to be explained as in narrative by characters. No depth to any of them. Movie just went on and on with no climax or excitement or character development. I wonder if the Redgraves and... Full review

A good cast does not always mean a good movie. This is vary true for The White Countess. The story is fair but is slow to develope the movie starts slow and stays that way.... Full review

The White Countess is a touching film that although grows too long still seems to be satisfying enough to watch.... Full review

The White Countess achieves the "perfect balance of romance and tragedy." It is the story of two broken souls who each end up being the remedy to the other's fall from grace. While this description may not point to anything... Full review

The team of Ismail Merchant, James Ivory, and Kazuo Ishiguro will unfortunately never offer another special film. THE WHITE COUNTESS is all the more meaningful as it was their last effort. While many viewers find this 138 minute film boring... Full review

Breaking free from those constraints is the film's most exciting sequence:....Sumptuous period design, fine performances and fluent camerawork by ace d.p.....Natasha Richardson plays Russian beauty Sofia, the widowed mother of a bold, inquisitive preteen daughter, Katya (excellent newcomer Madeleine Daly).....a bit of lovely animation depicting Katya's flight of imagination upon looking in a shadowbox..... ... Full Review

This is exactly the problem with "The White Countess"; it has a story that wasn´t worth much in the first place, and the story is told sloppily. This is where MIJ often fail ... Full Review

Ultimately, The White Countess suffers greatly for this confusion, and most of its sequences end up falling flat. Having become a hostess/occasional prostitute in order to support her daughter Katya ( Madeleine Daly ) and ungrateful Russian noble in-laws, played by real-life relatives Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave , Sofia accepts the job, becoming the clubs centerpiece. ... Full Review

while not everybody's cup of tea, a consistent output of literate, intelligent films.....But if you have read this far, I can safely presume this film was made for you -....The film is carried by two powerful performances and gorgeous cinematography.....Natasha Richardson, who rarely gets to embrace a major role, really shines here with a tough tightrope combining just the right amount of pathos and cultivation.....contains on-set interviews with cast and crew, shows off the impressive sets and costumes.... ... Full Review

In this film, happily, something does happen. The acting is superb from the entire cast, which includes Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave, child actor Madeleine Daly, John Wood (Chocolat), Allan Corduner and Madeleine Potter. ... Full Review

With Ralph Fiennes in 2005's The White Countess Main: Natasha Richardson with Liam Neeson in Dublin last year. Above: With mother Vanessa Redgrave and sister Joely. ... Full Article

By Joe Williams POST-DISPATCH FILM CRITIC 03/10/2006 If it matters to you that "The White Countess" is the final collaboration between director James Ivory and the late producer Ismail Merchant, then it probably won't faze you to hear it described... ... Full Article

Shanghai, 1930s Swamped with European immigrants and people looking to try their luck Shanghai is a place full of life.Unfortunately amongst those who have made a good fortune there are also people struggling to make ends meet. ... Full Article

The weekend ahead at the movies features one classy item and a lot of junk. If last weekend's results are any indication, when the too-awful-to-screen-for-critics Underworld: Evolution landed at the top of the box office heap, expect either Annapolis or... ... Full Article

Shanghai circa 1936, a time of political restlessness and upheaval. Blind American diplomat Todd Jackson contemplates shirking his diplomatic duties in favor of pursuing a dream: an upscale nightclub with all the glamour and intrigue of Rick's Caf Amricain in ... Full Article

The filmmaking team of director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant (who died during pre-production last May) apply their trademark gentility to this story -- written by The Remains of the Day author Kazuo Ishiguro -- about Todd Jackson (Ralph... ... Full Article