The Golden Bowl (2000)

Based on the Henry James novel, The Golden Bowl earns a regal place in the long line of lavish Ismail Merchant and James Ivory productions casting spectacular mise en scène in the lead role. The crumbling Italian palazzo that opens the film and the magnificent English country houses that encase the unfolding drama play, as always, an intrinsic part in the ruptured psyche of whatever gentry Merchant and Ivory have elected to pursue. In this case, divided attention is paid to erstwhile glories and turn-of-the-century ambitions. Impoverished Italian prince Amerigo (Jeremy Northam) is to marry heiress Maggie Verver (Kate Beckinsale), school friend of Charlotte (Uma Thurman), who in turn weds American industrialist and art collector Adam Verver (Nick Nolte), Maggie's father. Amerigo and Charlotte, having previously been lovers, are helpless to resist an adulterous affair. A study of life's covetous designs failing to imitate the perceived perfections of art, The Golden Bowl is likewise flawed but alluring. --Fionn Meade Amazon.com

Unsatisfying, horrible casting and acting, don't just give MI a pass

I have to agree with the negative reviewers here, I have not read the book but books are always better than movies period. I hate these english actors that are cast as Americans, Beckinsale and Bale are the two prime examples but there are many more.

The acting was universally bad here as well, Nolte seems very wooden in particular but Beckinsale is not far behind, the only decent acting was by Uma Thurman.

This felt like an incomplete study throughout, by far the worst MI movie I've seen. MI should stick with the English Victorian/Edwardian periods that is it's forte and leave everything else to those who would know better. I'm glad this was a rental for me, not worth more than that. September 5, 2008

'The Golden Bowl"

Look deeply into this movie as you watch it. There's a very important message in it. It still applies today. We have to be careful with other people's lives. When you really love someone, whether it be a parent, child or spouse, we would go to great, personal, lengths, to spare them the pain of the truth. December 24, 2007

Avoid this one

A warning, to all who enjoy fine movies, and especially to anyone who reads Henry James with pleasure: this movie is a horror, badly written, dismally acted (as if by teenage amateurs), melodramatic and superficial and vulgar, at times even cartoonish in the famous Merchant Ivory settings. James's psychological penetration is difficult to capture in a film, but an infinitely superior job was done 30 years ago in the BBC version with Cyril Cusack, unfortunately only available now on used VCR -- a performance too quiet for today's clamorous market, but quite superb.

As for this one, centered on the clumsy inept performances of Beckinsale and Thurman, unless you can see it as a very clever satiric send-up of its own genre and of American wealth and "culture", the only reason to watch it is to see just how bad an ambitious and expensive film can be. If you haven't that perverse interest, avoid it. September 9, 2007

Does not go anywhere

Golden Bowl is beautifully photographed and actors are wonderful. I had seen it on the big screen before, but it still does not go anywhere. Seems the story has no meaning. I adore period films, especially British ones. August 11, 2007

NOT one of those hardcore Merchant Ivory fans with a lovelust for any and all English boys

I like this movie. I watch it almost every time I find it playing on cable for Kate Beckinsale doing her lethal American impression, definitely MORE devastating than her impersonation in Last Days of Disco. Maybe she's gotten too clever for me to comprehend what the heck is going on when she does Americans nowadays so this movie must remain the strongest draw for my admiration of her. This movie is gorgeous to look at in it's material sumptuousness and entertaining in its American getting their wayness. I've never read Henry James but have watched a number of early Merchant-Ivory films, none of which made an impression on me. They were pleasant and pretty in an eggshell blue way. This movie is gold and coral and stone. I was very sad to hear that Mr. Merchant had passed because I finally liked one of his and James Ivory's films. I wanted to see if follow up films would as enjoyable as The Golden Bowl. Maybe this is the Merchant Ivory movie I like because none of the main characters are English although two of the actors are English. August 10, 2006

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