Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I like America...Name me another society that's gone from barbarism to decadence without bothering to create a civilization in between. It may clear or dampen your head regarding marriage and may give you a peek inside mans head! And yet, if you want something light yet thoughtful, here is your chance. It captivates you and keeps you wondering to the end what may be the outcome of the good woman, and yet it gives you satisfaction at every moment. Though I don't agree with all the arguments to life that exploded out of thin air each time, like 'natural ignorance is the key to happiness' but we all may yet make peace with fresh thoughts.

This is another movie in the list of "What Does Anyone See In Scarlet Johansen" films. As in Vicky, Christina, Barcelona, the porcine-faced Johansson is totally unconvincing as the object of the desire of a man with appeal and choice who is driven by anything other than his small brain. It calls to mind the old punchline "If you can't sing Melancholy Baby," show us your tits."In this case, both Johansson & Helen Hunt were not good choices for the roles they were called upon to play. The Wilde original calls for sophisticated (& probably necessarily British) actors with talent for the drawing rooms of the 19th century.Tom Wilkinson & the sets/setting were the only redeeming things in this otherwise pretty badly acted film.

A highly visual and verbal film. Lovely costumes and scenery. Helen Hunt plays a wonderful role as the *wanton* woman. I particularly liked her in this movie. The supporting actors/actresses brought a lot of realism to their roles and that made it a pleasure to watch. Personally, Being use to more dramatic and intense themes, my only negative remark is that the plot seemed to be a bit placid...I could see potential in some places to add a bit more to the storyline. But I think the film succeeded in conveying an easy to follow, uncomplicated look at life and love of that era, as I am sure it was intended to do and written that way. All in all a pleasure to watch and I recommend it to those viewers that like simplistic style,highly absorbing dialogue, and pleasing visual stimulation.

The name originally accorded by Oscar to this famous and most well-loved play, Lady Windermere's Fan, was the title used in this movie. This was about the only honour accorded Oscar in this woefully disappointing film.I had missed that Helen Hunt was in it, being caught up in the other good cast members I read on the sleeve - Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Campbell Moore, Diana Hardcastle. I would have given it a pass with HH in it. Once again she confirmed what an appalling one-note actress she is. She sadly came across as a two-bit whore in this and not the seductress called for in the original. Her accent was flat and uninteresting, never for a minute did you get the impression she could catch a fly - not to mention any stray man - in her web.The second piece of miscasting was in Scarlett Johansson, all trout lips and artificial shyness (get those legs waggling at the edge of the bed in anticipation of a birthday gift). The original play is a drawing room comedy, all gossip, intrigue, wit and hearsay. Here it is expanded to the Amalfi coast of Italy in the time of Mussolini in the thirties and not England in the late 1900s where it should have stayed. (Did anybody in the movie research the Italy of that era and why would the British and American be supporting a fascist regime?) Americans stand in for just about everyone so it also loses the cranky tweeness that English thoroughbreds were trained in.Here the lines (and all of Wilde's work is freely pillaged for this) sound awkward and artificial in most of the mouths, with the exception of the aforementioned Tom, Stephen and Diana who positively shine and raised this viewer's rating from a 3 to a 6. Between them they made it all worth the watch.Lovely frocks, some good outdoor shots, though they could have lost the important car of Windermere waiting in solitary splendour outside of the rooms of the town's wanton woman of the night. Oh those two by fours. Ouch and ouch again. We get it already. The gossipers had it!!