A Good Woman (2004)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379306/
Director: Mike Barker / Script: Oscar Wilde & Howard Himelstein
Runtime: 93min
Cast: Helen Hunt, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Umbers, S. C. Moore
Genre: Drama / Comedy / Romance
Tagline: Every saint has a past. Every sinner has a future.

This is a movie about manners, morality and gossip, based on Oscar Wilde’s four-act comedy, "Lady Windemere's Fan." The story is set in the 1930s, when Stella Erlynne a notorious gold-digger heads for Italy to seek for new opportunities. Her object is a newlywed, Mr. Windemere, whom he apparently starts an affair with. Meanwhile fragile Mrs. Windemere is consoled by Lord Darlington, and Tuppy, an older nobleman falls for Mrs. Erynne.

The plot is quite complex, but extraordinarily written and executed. The movie maintains interest from the beginning until the very end of it. The atmosphere is created with the help of the wonderful scenery of the Amalfi Coast, glamourous costumes and fitting music. The dialogues play an important role and gossip is an essential story builder. The characters are interesting, the acting is outstanding; the two female leads shine in the film. It is a world of glamour, particular moral values, intrigue, scandal and gossip, where reputation is more imperative than ever. The misunderstandings create tension and increase curiosity and interest. During the movie, numerous wise aphorisms (by Oscar Wilde) are stated, some of them quite popular, like “Love is rarely pure, and never simple” or “Women don’t want to be understood, they want to be loved.”

It’s a lovely, lighthearted movie, which uses its power of wit to capture the viewers’ attention. I am not familiar with the play, but the movie definitely won my appreciation.