The Portrait Of A Lady

If you're bored to distraction with safe, unimaginative movie versions of great books, take heart: Jane Campion's bold and brilliant rendering of Henry James' masterpiece has single-handedly raised the high-water mark of literary adaptations. Nicole Kidman is superb as the strong-willed Isabel Archer, a 19th-century American girl living in Europe and determined to meet her destiny on her own terms. After her wealthy uncle (John Gielgud) dies, Isabel inherits a fortune, a move orchestrated by her cousin Ralph (Martin Donovan) so that Isabel may better fulfill her potential. But he's unwittingly set the stage for her downfall, as Isabel falls prey to the wiles of tw...