Cast: Jessica Lange, Elisabeth Shue, Bob Hoskins, Hugh Laurie, Kelly MacDonald, Aden Young, Geraldine Chaplin
Director: Des McAnuff
Producer: Sarah Radclyffe
Screenplay: Lynn Siefert & Susan Tarr, based on the novel by Honore de Balzac
Cinematography: Andrzej Sekula
Music: Simon Boswell
U.S. Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Cousin Bette is one of two Honore de Balzac adaptations to reach U.S. screens this year (the other is Passion in the Desert), and, while that's not in Jane Austen territory, it's pretty impressive for a nineteenth-century author who most culturally-deprived Americans have never heard of. Sadly, Cousin Bette isn't the best introduction to his work. Although the film boasts a moderately-interesting plot and competent acting, it seems highly derivative of other, more compelling tales of revenge, deceit, and backstabbing. The general setting, in conjunction with the morals (or lack thereof) of the characters, recalls Dangerous Liaisons, and, in the comparison, Cousin Bette suffers.
The film is essentially the story of the revenge of Bette Fisher (Jessica Lange), the uncomely spinster who is regarded as a pillar of the family by her clueless relatives. Their trust makes them easy prey for Bette, who has an axe to grind with each of them. For years, she has been put upon, insulted, and hurt by her once-beautiful, now-dying sister, Adeline (Geraldine Chaplin); her oversexed brother-in-law, Baron Hector Hulot (Hugh Laurie); and her pretty niece, Hortense (Kelly MacDonald). To help with her plans, Bette uses three outsiders: the wealthiest man in Paris, Cesar Crevel (Bob Hoskins); an unambitious artist of modest talent named Wenceslas (Aden Young); and a haughty actress, Jenny Cadine (Elisabeth Shue). In the end, they are all pawns, and Bette is the chessmaster, moving them around to attain her goal: retribution.
The material sounds interesting, but, somehow, the experience of watching it unfold on screen isn't as much fun as it should be. Cousin Bette, like Dangerous Liaisons, is fashioned as a dark comedy, but the wit is rarely biting. And Bette's machinations, which are intended to set her up as the Black Widow at the center of a dangerous and Machiavellian web, turn out to be surprisingly ordinary. When her plots work, it's not because she's brilliant, but because everyone around her is incredibly obtuse. The characters, with the sole exception of Bette, are sketchily developed. There's no real satisfaction as each of them gets his or her comeuppance. Des McAnuff's straightforward direction leaves Cousin Bette strangely lifeless. It lacks the spark that ignited productions like Dangerous Liaisons and Ridicule. There's a stodgy, Masterpiece Theater-ish quality to the proceedings that mutes nearly every attempt at bawdy humor (there are several, including one involving Elisabeth Shue's posterior).
Jessica Lange is good, although not great, as Bette. It's interesting to see the actress, who is often cast as a sultry Southern belle, appearing as an almost-homely picture of Puritan values. While everyone else in the film is interested in sex, Bette's aphrodisiac proves to be control and power. She is referred to as a "hag," and, with her dark hair pulled into a tight bun and her face set into a mask of severity, Lange almost manages to convince us that it's an apt description. The actress plays the role with a hint of playful malevolence, which allows us to think of Bette more as a predator than the unfortunate victim of her family's selfishness and insensitivity. However, although Bette isn't exactly sympathetic, she's more appealing than her self-absorbed, fatuous victims.
The supporting cast is mostly adequate. Hugh Laurie and Bob Hoskins, both of whom are equally adept and comedy and drama, give lively performances, occasionally infusing some energy into the film. Kelly MacDonald, the young actress who appeared as Diane in Trainspotting, captures the essence of Hortense: attractive and vacuous. However, Elisabeth Shue is surprisingly bland; it's easy to argue that she was miscast. Then there's Aden Young (Paradise Road), who seems more like a model than an actor.
Those looking for an alternative to the usual summer fare may find Cousin Bette intriguing, but the film as a whole is a disappointment. Ultimately, it's just another period piece with actors dressed up in impressive costumes playing characters who spend a lot of time doing unpleasant things to one another. The movie doesn't offer anything new or surprising. Those in search of the next Dangerous Liaisons will find that Cousin Bette does not fulfill their quest. That picture possesses an edge which too often is missing here.
© 1998 James Berardinelli