An American girl inherits a fortune and gets into a relationship with a gentleman who turns her life into a nightmare. Adapted from Henry James’s novel of the same name. Starring Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich, Barbara Hershey, Mary-Louise Parker, Shelley Winters, Shelley Duvall, Christian Bale, Viggo Mortensen

This film was interesting to watch. Jane Campion beautifully shot this film, but I felt that I was missing something. I wanted to enjoy this film, but I didn’t grasp the full nightmare that Isabel Archer, the Beneficiary, was experiencing. Sure, he wasn’t the man she thought she married, but it didn’t seem that bad. Maybe if I had read the book I could have enjoyed this film better. I did enjoy Nicole Kidman’s portrayal of Isabel Archer. She portrayed Archer as a quiet but determined woman who thought she knew what she wanted in life but, alas, found out otherwise. This film is not worth a watch even with Kidman’s portrayal.