Movie Review: Mansfield Park

Story: 41 year old Canadian writer and director Patricia Rozema (I've Heard the Mermaids Singing) has revamped and updated Jane Austen's third novel. The heroine is now more witty, decisive, not annoying and oh so beautiful. It's about class (of course), romance, the early 1800's England, a woman's place, heredity, adultery and the sidebars of slave trading and its ill-gotten gains. This film is still delicious Austen as was 'Sense and Sensibility' and 'Persuasion', but it has been updated a bit. Go.........enjoy! Who cares if you know how it is going to end?

Acting: Australian actress Frances O'Connor (reminiscent of a young, pre-collagen puffy Barbara Hershey) is perfect as Fanny Price our heroine. Jonny Lee Miller (sounds like a country western singer but you will recognize him from Trainspotting and he was also married to Angelina Jolie, which is neither here nor there) is superb as the subdued Edmond. Playwright Harold Pinter is strong and perfectly cast as the family patriarch. There is also a wonderful depth of supporting players including the deliciously unscrupulous Embeth Davitdz as Mary and Alessandro Nivola (Henry, her brother) as the requisite rake. (You have to have a rake in these stories).

Pets: One pug

Visual Art: Some portraits

Sappy Factor: 4

Quirky Meter: 0

Length: 138 minutes

LOBO HOWLS: 8